The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • Page 1

IBM May Buy Leading Phone Switching Firm, Shews New Software Ralph Houk Retires After Four Seasons 1 Peace Corps Volunteers Tell if i ry AT Kea oQK neim --i PiTX Their Stories TV A' Page ID 1 i Page 6B 1 V'v A 111 Wednesday, September 26, 1 984 Four News Sections 35 Cents 1 58th Year Serving Vermont No. 270 rv I Bank Holdup Suspect Eyed In Jay Killings (V vv Wr mVi 1 1 -a -1 'iiti -itir From Staff. Wire Reports MONTPELIER An escaped murderer from Tennessee suspected of robbing an Orleans bank this month could become a suspect in the slaying of a Jay couple, authorities said Tuesday. Lohman Mays, 41, was serving a life sentence under Tennessee's habitual offender law when he escaped from prison with two fellow inmates July 1 Mays is a suspect in the Sept 14 robbery at the Howard Bank in Orleans, 20 miles south of Jay Police said the robber, who has not been seen since, spoke with a southern accent. The investigator probing the murder, however, cautioned that police have little evidence to connect the escapee to the robbery and nothing to link him to the murder.

The husband and wife shot to death at their home in Jay were killed between Sept. 15 and Sept 19, according to state officials Their bodies were found Sept. 20. but the couple apparently had been seen last on the night of the robbery. No arrests have been made in either case and police said they have no motive for the killings.

Mays was seen in Montpelier at the end of July and fits the general description of the armed robber of a Howard Bank branch in Orleans, according to Lt Peter Johnson, the Vermont State Police officer in charge of the Jay homicide investigation. "We're looking at him very strongly as a suspect in the bank robbery," State Police Sgt. Sid Adams, barracks commander in Derby, said Tuesday. "Because of that, he is obviously being connected with the homicide to some extent. We don't have all that many violent people running around up here in Orleans County Adams and FBI agent Fred List said Mays had been convicted of murder, but they were unfamiliar with the details.

The Associated Press Crippen; Dr. Marc Garneau, a Canadian astronaut; Mulroney; U.S. astronaut Kathy Sullivan; and Reagan. Sullivan will be the first U.S. woman to walk in space.

President Reagan meets at the White House with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney aid astronauts for the next shuttle flight. From left are: U.S. astronaut Bob Mulroney, Reagan Avoid Specifics "He's capable of anything." List said, adding Mays has been known to carry handguns and knives Adams said Mays pretty much'' fit the physical description of the man who robbed the bank, making off with $16,000 He was seen leaving in a dark-colored pickup truck or Blazer, which also fits the description of the vehicle Mays reportedly was driving "We have no real concrete evidence that Mays might be involved (in the killings)," Adams said "If he was here then that the connection belween the two Mays, a native of Dallas, was serving a life sentence as a habitual offender when he escaped from jail The two inmates who escaped with Mays were involved in a shootout Aug 5 with Connecticut state police One of the prisoners was killed, the other injured and captured Mays was not with them at the time The three men had been linked to a series of crimes in several Turn to HOLDUP, 7A Mulroneyrin office for only eight days, acknowledged he had no intention of engaging in "hard bargaining" during his first visit to the White House as prime minister. "Between friends we accomplish a few things." Mulroney said. "As you know the cornerstone of our election campaign was the refurbishing of the relationship of trust between Canada and the United States, the United States being our friend and favorite ally.

We propose to do precisely that." "This implies no subservience," said the new Progressive Conservative prime minister who once was president of an American-owned mining company in his native Quebec. But he made clear he is anxious to erase the Turn to MULRONEY, 7A closest of partners and allies may not always see things in exactly the same way. But we agree to keep each other's interests in mind, to keep one another informed and to hear one another out on the issues which may arise between us. We, too, intend to give our neighbor the benefit of the doubt." One administration official, briefing reporters on the visit on condition he not be identified, said Reagan agreed to Mulroney's proposal that the two meet annually to keep up the good start they made in improving relations between the two countries. The official said Secretary of State George Shultz and his new counterpart, Foreign Minister Joe Gark, would discuss acid rain and other U.S.Canadian concerns in more detail when they meet next month.

By MICHAEL PUTZEL The Associated Press WASHINGTON President Reagan and Canada's new prime minister, Brian Mulroney, underscored their goal of becoming even better friends and neighbors by posing at the White House on Tuesday with Canada's first astronaut and the Americans who will carry him into space next week. U.S. officials said the two leaders discussed only general areas of mutual interest without getting into the thorny issues that divide the two nations, such as what to do about acid rain pollution. But Reagan said, "The prime minister impressed upon me the importance his government attaches to environmental concerns, and we intend to pursue these issues together Even the 11 Reagan Confirms Meeting With Nixon on Gromyko House, Senate Conferees Agree On Defense Bill 1 LA. LA SJ meanwhile, appeared to dismiss critical comments from Tass of Reagan's speech to the United Nations.

Speakes said the White House looked forward to "the substantive Soviet response" during diplomatic talks in the coming weeks and months. Speakes said Reagan, accompanied by foreign policy aides, would spend two hours in the Oval Office with Gromyko on Friday, followed by a working lunch in the Executive Mansion. The conference between Reagan and Nixon apparently occurred in Reagan's Waldorf Astoria hotel suite following his address to the United Nations in which he struck his most conciliatory tone yet toward Moscow. The president was nearly an hour late leaving the hotel, but when reporters waiting outside asked Speakes what was causing the delay, he said he did not know. Turn to REAGAN, 7A By MAUREEN SANTIM The Associated Press WASHINGTON President Reagan on Tuesday brushed off Soviet criticism of his offer to improve U.S.Soviet relations, and confirmed that he has consulted with former President Richard M.

Nixon as he prepares for his first meeting with a top Ilremlin official on Friday. "I never get good reviews from (the official Soviet news agency) Tass," the president quipped as he continued preparing for his formal talks with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko. Reagan had former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger to the White House for a half -hour chat about his impressions of Gromyko, snd the president revealed he had held a similar conversation in New York on Monday with Nixon. Deputy White House press secretary Larry Speakes, real growth in the defense budget, but that the size of the deficit does not permit growth to the degree requested" by the president Reagan biggest concession was on the MX The compromise legislation will bar any further production of the 10-warhead weapon, the centerpiece of his strategic buildup pending two go-ahead votes by each chamber next April Failure to win anv of those four votes would doom Turn to DEFENSE, 7A RICHARD NIXON Easton, Kunin Returns Called Typical By LEE BYRD TS Associated Press WASHINGTON House and Senate negotiators agreed Tuesday to a 1985 defense spending plan that trims billions from President Reagan's original budget and delays further production of the MX missile pending a chance for either chamber to scuttle the nuclear weapon in April.

After months of deadlock, conferees on the defense authorization bill resolved 1,200 differences between the House and Senate versions of the measure in a final, round-the-clock session that began early Monday Reagan originally had sought $313 billion Under a leadership agreement that triggered the breakthrough, the appropriations bill, which accompanies the authorization bill, will call for $292 9 billion, or less, in actual spending for fiscal 1985. That amounts to a 5 percent ea 1 i JtiirfnJ i crease for the Pentagon. Reagan, at first, sought 13 percent, then came down to 7 5 percent before retreating yet again under terms of a general agreement reached last week by House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill D-Mass, and Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker R-Tenn. House Armed Services Chairman Melvin Price, said the final product, which yet must be considered by the House and Senate, reflects a consensus of both chambers That consensus, he said, is "that national security imperatives require v- WINDY, COLDER weofher is expected today, highs in 50s.

Fair and cold tonight, lows in low to mid-30s Poge 2A BASEBALL YANKEES 6 BALTIMORE 5 ucsrer; torOnto ST. LOUIS 6 MONTREAL 4 1 1 CLASSIFIED 5C COMICSTV 7D DEATHS 2B LIVING ID LOCALSTATE IB MONEY 6B MOVIES 4D NATION 2A OPINION 8A SPORTS 1C WORLD 6A state and federal income taxes ranging from $11,200 for 1983 to $14,000 for 1980. Easton's returns showed his income ranged from $13,900 in 1980 to $37,000 in 1983 and he paid total state and federal income taxes ranging from zero in 1980 to $3,785 in 1982. The charitable donations claimed by Easton ranged from $55 in 1981 to $190 in 1983 For the Kunins. those figures ranged from $1,400 to $3,500.

In two of the years, itemized lists of clothing given to the Salvation Army represented significant parts of the Kunin donations. Kunin declined comment Tuesday on Easton's returns and referred specific questions about her return to the Kunins' accountant, who did not return a phone call made to her. Easton said. "It looks like we Turn to KUNIN, 7A By WILLIAM H. BRAUN Free Press Staff Writer The income tax returns filed by gubernatorial candidates John J.

Easton and Madeleine M. Kunin are typical for people with their incomes, according to two independent accountants. George H. Philibert and Elliot D. Lerner of Smith.

Batchelder Rugg reviewed the four years' returns released by the candidates and declared them "typical." "If there's an average-type return, these are close," Philibert said. "Nothing in looking over the numbers makes it look like anything but normal for their income levels." For both Republican Easton, a bachelcr, and Democrat Kunin, who filed a joint return with her physician husband, salaries and wages supplied the vast majorities of their Incomes, Lerner said. Each reported a "modest" amount of interest and after Easton was questioned by a reporter about an Internal Revenue Service audit that was apparently triggered by Easton's claiming of unreimbursed business travel expenses for his Mercedes-Benz. Easton at first declined to discuss the situation, then offered to release his income tax returns if Kunin would reveal Iver. She released her and Arthur Ku-nin's joint returns for 1980 to 19B3 and Easton followed suit two days later.

Both candidates had earlier filed net worth statements with Common Cause. They indicated that the Kunins had $262,453 in assets and $74,100 in liabilities for a net worth of $188,353 while Easton had $178,700 in assets and $84,400 in liabilities for a net worth of $94,300. The tax returns showed the Kunins had income of about $60,000 a year for the four years and paid total KUNIN EASTON investment income, he said, and each had a "shelter" in the form of a home. The major deductions on both candidates' returns were for taxes and home mortgage interest a "typical" situation, according to Lerner. Neither Easton nor the Kunins showed "blatant aggressiveness or conservatism" in their tax-filing patterns, Lerner said.

The disclosures evolved last week.