The Star Press du lieu suivant : Muncie, Indiana • Page 1

THE MUNCIE STAR "Where the Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is -II Cor. 3:17 VOL. 114-NO. 349 MUNCIE, INDIANA, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1991 The Muncie Star 35 Arabs Ask Israel for Signs of Willingness to Make Concessions By BARRY SCHWEID Baker, Palestinians ns Open New AP Diplomatic Writer JERUSALEM Secretary of State James A. Baker III opened new talks with Palestinian Arabs on Tuesday, overlooking their assertion they represent the Palestine Liberation Organization that the Bush administration has shunned for the past year.

Separately, Baker discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir demands from Arab nations that Shamir prove he is willing to make concessions in their direction. A senior U.S. official said Shamir took the request under consideration. Baker is touring the Middle East trying to sell Arabs and Israel on President Bush's Mideast settlement formula: that Israel relinquish occupied land in order to gain the acceptance of its Arab neighbors. Shamir and Baker met for 75 minutes and, in an unusual flourish of secret diplomacy, excluded even takers from most of the oneon-one discussion in Shamir's office.

By contrast, Baker's meeting with the Palestinians was widely publicized by American and Palestinian participants. While Baker said nothing about his session with the prime minister, he called the meeting with the Palestinians in the home of U.S. Consul General Philip Wilcox a "window of opportunity." Faisal Husseini, a spokesman for the delegation, said "we told him we are here because Yasser Arafat told us to be here." The group presented Baker with an 11-point memorandum reaffirming that "the PLO is our sole legitimate leadership and interlocutors, embodying the national identity and expressing the will of the Palestinian people everywhere." The Bush administration a year ago suspended U.S. talks with the PLO, accusing it of new terrorist attacks against Israel. Baker said at a news conference Monday rol Duty Engine FLUID row's 1 at Fluid For Today a COOP More Gulf news on Page 14 Star Photo by John Hill A Cultivated Taste Dick Fullhart, a representative of Ag Best Festival Days on the Lions Delaware County Co-Op, puts a shine Tuesday on the 1949 E-3 Fairgrounds.

The festival, which is expected to Co-Op tractor he restored. The tractor will be draw 15,000 visitors, will run 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. among the displays for the 13th annual Farm today and Thursday. Little Miss 1565 New Evidence Found in 1944 Circus Fire By KIM S. MARTIN Associated Press Writer HARTFORD, Conn.

A little girl known for 47 years only as "Little Miss 1565" al after she died in a circus fire that also killed 167 others has finally been identified, thanks to a tenacious arson investigator. The fire became known in circus lore as "The Day the Clowns Cried." State authorities reserved judgment Tuesday on new evidence about the fire's cause, promising only to look into Hartford Fire Lt. Rick Davey's conclusion that the fire was arson. He said he found a confession, later recanted, by a teenage circus hand. The original investigation concluded the fire that broke out in the big top of the Ringling Bros.

and Barnum Bailey circus on July 6, 1944, was ignited AP by a cigarette. EDWARD, ELEANOR AND DONALD COOK Little Miss 1565 was named for her morgue 2 were victims of "The Day the Clowns Cried" number. She was one of seven unidentified victims. Based on Davey's evidence, the state medical the fire. examiner's office amended a death certificate Cook, 85 and living in Easthampton, wants Friday, identifying her as Eleanor Cook.

She was the Eleanor's body, buried under a simple gravestone 8-year-old daughter of Mildred Cook, a former marked "Little Miss 1565" in Windsor, reburied next insurance adjuster who also lost a 6-year-old son to (See CIRCUS on Page 14) Jury Unable to Reach Verdict By RANDY RENDFELD Star Staff Reporter WINCHESTER, Ind. A Randolph Circuit Court jury was unable to reach a verdict Tuesday on a murder charge against a Muncie teenager. The jury was unable to decide whether Jason R. Buie, 19, 401 N. Bauer should be found guilty of murder, conspiracy to murder and arson.

Jurors heard days of testimony before getting the case Tuesday. The jury received the case about 3 p.m. Tuesday and deliberated until after 11 p.m. Judge Zane Stohler declared the jury deadlocked early today. Stohler asked jury foreman Ronnie E.

Waymire whether another session of deliberations, after a break, would be productive. "The jury is still far apart as far as making a decision," Waymire said. Stohler asked each juror whether there was hope for a decision on any of three counts. Each said no. The county can schedule another BSU in NIT MIBA Cards play Cincinnati nit 1 8:05 Details p.m.

on Page No TV 15 Talks night that the dialogue had been "terminated," but Husseini said Baker explained he had misspoken and meant to say "suspended." According to a senior U.S. official, who described the meeting on condition of anonymity, the Palestinians complained to Baker about such Israeli actions as curfews and deportations. The official said the Palestinians wanted to continue the talks in the future and the United States would comply. He brushed aside as "a ritualistic presentation" the Palestinians' statement of ties to the PLO and said Baker was not surprised by them. One of the Palestinians, Hanan Ashrawi, said Baker had tried to persuade them to make moves without the PLO.

Baker's talks with Shamir, which resumed over dinner Tuesday night, were designed to prod Israel into negotiations both with Palestinians and with Arab nations. Avi Pazner, the prime minister's media adviser, said the two met in "a very friendly, warm and cooperative atmosphere" and that Israel would try to keep the peace process YITZHAK SHAMIR, JAMES BAKER TOAST RELATIONS "A very friendly, warm and cooperative atmosphere" Sharp Regain State Legislature Expected to Make Some Big Changes By BRIAN FRANCISCO Star Staff Reporter When the Indiana Legislature approves 10-year congressional maps next month, U.S. Rep. Phil Sharp could reclaim some familiar territory. There is a proposal to move all of Delaware County and portions of Madison and Jay counties into the 2nd district.

The same plan would remove Marion and Johnson GOODALL counties. The resulting district would more closely resemble the former 10th district that first elected Sharp, a Muncie Democrat, in 1974. "We have a wish list," Sharp aide Billy Linville said Tuesday. "Whether it can be conducive to the population numbers in other districts remains to be seen." Linville, who was Sharp's campaign manager last year, acts as a liaison between the congressman and state lawmakers. He wouldn't divulge the wish list other than to say, "Phil's first priority is to make Delaware County whole again." Northern Delaware County and Madison County are in the 6th district.

Jay County is in the 4th district. State legislative leaders this week will meet with members of Indiana's congressional delegation during, the National Conference of State Legislatures. "We'll be talking about redistricting and other matters of mutual Could Ground interest," said Rep. Hurley Goodall, D-Muncie. Goodall is assistant majority floor leader for the Indiana House.

He also is a member of the House Elections and Apportionment Committee. Goodall said the new 2nd district likely would include all of Delaware County, most of Madison County and part of Jay County. The proposal would shift Johnson County and southern Marion County out of the 2nd district and into the 6th district, where. Republican Dan Burton of Indianapolis is the incumbent. Johnson and Marion counties are heavily Republican.

"I've heard these rumors, but I've not seen anything to lead me to believe that will be the final product," Burton told The Star. "I have really enjoyed representing northern Delaware County and Madison County," Burton said. "I have developed a good relationship with people in those counties. I'm not anxious to give them up. I like my district." When they drew boundaries for the 1980s, both houses of the Legislature were under Republican control.

It showed in the maps Democratic incumbents Sharp, Lee Hamilton and David Evans all were thrown into the 2nd district. Sharp stayed put, Hamilton won election in the 9th district and Evans lost to Democrat Andy Jacobs in the 10th district. While the GOP still rules the Indiana Senate, Democrats have gained a majority in the House. "Republicans put three incumbent Democrats into the same district 10 years ago," Goodall said. "A lot of Republicans forgot what they did.

We will remind them when the time comes." But even though the GOP drew the present districts, Democrats occupy eight of Indiana's 10 congressional seats. Unusual Coalition Backs Tax Increase By DOUG RICHARDSON Associated Press Writer INDIANAPOLIS An unusual coalition of parent, teacher and school administrator groups endorsed broad-based tax increases Tuesday to ensure adequate funding for public schools. The coalition of 13 groups also said it favored using money in state reserves such as the rainy day fund to avoid declines or no increases in state support for schools during Indiana government's current fiscal crisis. "A modest increase in a wide range of taxes should be considered," said Sue Switzer of Indianapolis, representing the Indiana State Parent-Teacher Association. "Income, sales, corporate, property and excise taxes can be adjusted to enable Indiana to emerge from the current recession with its school and human service program intact." Switzer was joined at a Statehouse news conference by representatives of groups including the Indiana State Teachers Association, Indiana School Boards Association and Indiana Association of Public be School Superintendents.

Some of the groups had independently endorsed tax increases previously, but Tuesday marked the first time the groups have done that in harmony. The members of the coalition going. murder and arson. The crime has been linked to an insurance scheme. McCord allegedly bought a policy that would have awarded $50,000 to his girlfriend in the event of Alexander's accidental death.

In closing arguments Tuesday, Oliver told the jury Buie did not know Alexander but was willing to take her life for money. The prosecutor said Sheets diverted Alexander's attention while Buie got a 12-gauge shotgun, took it inside Alexander's home and pulled the trigger. Buie testified that he went to Alexander's home intending a burglary. The defendant maintained that Sheets shot Alexander, saying he did not know Sheets had a gun or that Sheets intended to kill Alexander. Buie testified that he looked through a door and saw Sheets shoot at Alexander.

Buie said he took off running, doubled back, yelled at Sheets, and then got in the car and began driving. Buie said (See JURY on Page 14) Food Tax Use Investigated by the State By RICK YENCER Star Staff Reporter The State Board of Accounts is conducting a preliminary investigation into alleged improprieties with local food-and-beverage tax funds managed by Delaware Advancement Corp. Robert Pearson, deputy state examiner, said Tuesday that complaints filed by Richard Amburn and Basil Davis Sr. had been sent to field supervisors examining contracts between DAC and the Delaware County Civic Center Authority. Last month, Amburn asked for a special audit of beverage tax funds managed by DAC, which operates the Horizon Center.

Those funds come from Delaware County's 1 percent tax on sales of food and drinks at restaurants and taverns. Amburn claimed DAC had a possible conflict of interest in owning limited partnerships in the Radisson Hotel, which at one time had an exclusive contract to provide catering for the convention center. DAC obtained one of its partnerships from Mayor James P. Carey, who donated it to avoid a possible conflict of interest as a partner in the hotel. Amburn and Davis said it appeared convention center funds paid for Carey's investment in the hotel.

Pearson said a preliminary report on the matter might be ready in a month. He declined to say whether any problems existed with the way tax revenue had been spent. The deputy state examiner added that the state had not decided to conduct a special audit. Non-profit organizations that spend public funds submit annual audits to the state. Pearson said no problems had been brought to the state's attention in past audits submitted by DAC.

Amburn said he believed the state would find "an absolute conflict of interest" with DAC's limited partnerships in the hotel and operation of the convention center. "We also have asked for a list of salaries paid from the food-andbeverage tax," Amburn said. "The total amount of salaries and wages plus administrative cost factors spent from the convention center (See FOOD TAX on Page 14) "Based on what we know today about the economy, the governor is adamant against a tax increase." Fred J. Nation Bayh press secretary complained that under a budget bill currently advancing through the Legislature the state's public schools would receive less state support and could maintain their current levels of overall funding only by raising local property taxes. With the proposed level of funding, schools couldn't afford to pay higher insurance premiums, utility bills and teacher contract increases already agreed to, the groups said.

Teacher layoffs and cutbacks in educational programs would also be likely, the groups said. "This is catastrophic," said Frank A. Bush of the school boards association. To increase funding, legislators should consider tapping into the (See EDUCATION on Page 14) trial for Buie. On Monday, the defendant testified he watched John C.

Sheets, 18, of Muncie shoot Etta Mae Alexander. Buie said that after the shooting, Scott I. McCord, 43, Muncie, paid him $1,500 to keep quiet about the killings. During closing arguments Tuesday, Robert C. Oliver Randolph.

County prosecutor, took $1,500 from his pocket and waved it at the jury. "That's the price of Etta Alexander's life and death," Oliver said. Alexander was in her rural Winchester mobile home Jan. 25, 1990, when she was shot. Her body and home were doused in kerosene and burned.

Sheets and McCord both could face the death penalty. The death penalty was filed against Buie but was dismissed just before the trial. McCord is set for trial May 20 in Randolph Circuit on charges of murder and conspiracy to murder. Sheets is to be tried April 8 on charges of murder, conspiracy to Index Allergy Hotline. Page 7 Two area cagers named to East-West Classic.

Page 15 Armstrong back in camp; Palmer quits. Page 15 Layoffs spread. Page 19 Area News ........2 Lotteries ...........5 Classified Neighborhood ..4 Comics ...27 Markets .....7 On Record .......9 Deaths Sports Editorials Television .......10 Focus Theaters .........10 Landers ..........6 Week Ahead .....3 Winter Over Yet? Cloudy skies are forecast for today with an 80-percent chance of rain and highs around 40. Lows tonight will be around 30. Details on Page 18..