The Morning Herald from Hagerstown, Maryland • Page 3

6 Nothing as area murder probe continues CHABUE "There'i nothing new" about Monday's murder and arson at the E.J. Fennel Drew Manufacturing plant, city police and tire official! said Wednesday. The body of night watchman Roy C. Rowland was found about a.rn. Monday after firemen extinguished numerous blazes at the E.

Antietam Street building. Maryland State Police are also looking for clues into the death of a Washington D.C. youth recently found floating in the Potomac River. State police at the Hagerstown barracks have joined forces with Washington, D.C, police in investigating Die murder. LI.

Paul Mentzer, who Is in charge of the police Investigation, said, "I've been working on this case day and night, but I don't have anything to tell you." He replied "no comment" when asked about reports that police had found Rowland's wallet nearby with its contents emptied. Mentzer also refused to speculate on why Rowland was killed. Deputy Fire Chief Henry DeLauney said Wednesday was still awaiting the results of an analysis of debris taken from the 14 fires set by the intruders. He has previously said that a "detergent was used to set the fires." Fire inspectors are still searching for a container they believe the intruders used to carry the detergent from place to place within the one-story, concrete-block building, DeLauney said. i "It may be there and we have just overlooked H.

I just don't 1 know," said DeLauney. The 300 employes of the dress plant can expect to return to work July 7, according to William Fennel, co-owner of the plant. Fennel said Wednesday night that insurance adjusters had not determined the full extent of the damages. Maryland State Police said Wednesday they are still investigating the murder of John William Clark, 17, who was found in the Potomac River, June 11. Clark's body, which was found with two bullet holes in the chest, was identified late last week by the FBI.

Clark in Washington, D.C. on June 3. Anyone wi th inf orma lion on Clark is asked to contact Maryland State Police at Hagerstown. Police fog 3 charged after break-in 'Three Hagerstown men were arrested early Wednesday mprnirig and charged with breaking into the Sentry Drug Store on Virginia Avenue, the sheriff's department reported. William R.

Anderson, 27, of the 200 block Taylor Avenue, John L. Korboth, 21, of W. Memorial Boulevard, and Steven W. Blake, 27, of the 100 block of Broadway were charged with breaking and entering. They are being held in the Washington County Detention Center.

Responding to a burglar alarm at the drug store, Sgt, Paul Pottorff discovered a hole knocked in a wall at the rear of the building in the Old Orchard Shopping Center. 1 Pottorff said he arrested Anderson as he was leaving the building. Kroboth and Blake were found hiding in nearby bushes, according the sheriff's department. Furniture store thefts probed Theives broke into Smith Furniture 63 W. Franklin Tuesday night and made off with more than worth of furniture, city police report.

The intruders gained entry to the building by a rear win- dow, police said. They reportedly took five bean bag chairs, a sofe and chair, 13 lamps and a wooden barometer Police said they believe other items may be missing from the store as an office there was ransacked. Pickup truck reported stolen A 1975 pickup truck belonging to Silas Raymond Alsip Jr. was stolen early Wednesday morning from in front of his home at 181 Summit according to city police reports. Alsip told police he was awakened by dogs barking about 2 a.m.

and went outside to check on the disturbance. He said his truck was still in front of the housed that time. Repair shop thefts investigated Thieves took an electric piano, electric amplifier, a portable television set and other items from Machen Music repair shop at MS Potomac city police reported Wednesday. Police said they found no signs of forced entry into the shop. A family living above the shop told police they had neither seen nor heard anyone in the building during the The equipment was valued at $988, police said.

Man charged with assault Roy William Starliper, 101 S. Potomac was arrested by city police Tuesday night for allegedly assaulting a woman in front of Bob's Tavern on W. AntieUm St. Linda Diane Hardy was treated at Washington County Hospital following the incident. Ferris wheel incident reported Operating a ferris wheel was not too much fun Tuesday night for Charles Leroy Kerlin, 1004 Noland Drive.

Kerlin told police he'denied several intoxicated men a ride on Ibe wheel he was running at a fair at Die South End Shopping Center. The men then.struck Kerlin several times in the face before fleeing, according to police. Kerlin was not hospitalized. $2 theft and a slap too A man walked into first-floor apartment at 509 S. Potomac St.

around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and took $2 from a woman in a wheelchair, city police report. Josephine Slye told police the man, an acquaintance, asked her lor the money. When she refused he slapped her in the face and took the money from her wallet which lying beside her, police Income, tax deception Some senior citizens dishonest on forms By ARNOLD PLATOU It's enough to rattle false teeth. Apparently some senior citizens have been deceiving property tax collectors In Washington County for years.

But tax officials say it won't happen again. The county Tax Assessor's Office now has state authorization to take a closer look at income claimed by each city and county fax credit applicant. Assessor Robert Ludwig said he can now demand proof of their income, This will apparently mark the first year local tax officials have had that right. "It's a good idea," said Frances Couchman, acting tax collector for Hagerstown. "You wouldn't believe the number of people who cheat on these applications" so (hey will be eligible for the tax credit.

In most cases, a property owner must be age 60 or more to apply for a credit. This year, a tax credit formula will be applied to each applicant's income. In general, if his income is low, he will receive a high tax credit. "The problem in the past was that we made no check on the income the person claimed, Yet some of were just ridiculous," said Mrs. Couchman.

"You just knew people had lo be living on more than lhat." Applicants must state their families' total wages, pensions, annuities, interest, dividends, business and ren- lal profits and Social Security and railroad retirement benefits. The last Iwo are deducted before the lax credit is figured. According lo Ludwig, the credit is equal lo lliree per cent of the applicant's income up to $3,000. After that, the percentages In increments from four to seven per cent for income to $15,000. A credit of 9 per cent is given lo persons whose income surpasses 515,000.

The city gave about 900 persons tax breaks totalling $35.000 last year. The county handed out more than $200,000 worth of credits to 2,792 people last year. Tax officials say the majority of the credit requests are probably bonafide. But they find hundreds of applications which have apparently been doctored. "Some of these people, I guess, really don't know how to fill out forms.

But some of them lie like a trooper," Mrs. Couchman said, "But what are we going to do? Env harass them by asking why they're lying?" U. Edward Anderson, a member of the county's Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board which formerly handled all of the tax credit requests irom county landowners, agrees. 'The. majority of the people are honest," he says, "but sure, we know some of them are cheating.

But well it's impossible to check Ihom out. "Sometimes you see a form from someone you know but you can't go out and just call them a liar," Anderson said, Tax Assessor Ludwig said his office a little more gumption. "It's been written into law that we may require an income tax return to substantitate any tax credit application," Ludwig said. "So if we have to, 1 guess we'll use it." Page Three Thursday, June 26, 1975 May through July Maryland Pennsylvania Slight change seen in area jobless rates By CARROLL WATTS Little change will be forthcoming in the area's high jobless rate for May through July, according to the managers of the Maryland Employment Security Administration's local offices. Despite federal government'claims of an end to the nation's recession, the Washington and Frederick County, Md.

managers see only a slight drop in unemployment for May. The decline will probably be followed by increases in June and July when factories begin their seasonal vacation layoffs, the managers said. "Things did decline back in May," said Leonard 'Jones, manager of the Washington County Employment Security office. But he predicted that "it's going to be moving up a little bit in June and July is going to be heavier." The latest published jobless figures in April showed that 1 Washington County's, unemployment rate stood at 9.5 per cent and Frederick County's at 8.5 per cent. The state employment.agency has not released figures for May, but preliminary indications show there may be some drop in local jobless rales, the officials indicate.

Regular unemployment benefit payments in Washington County declined fro'm April to May by about 14 per cent. Payments for $823,482 were made in April as opposed to $711,943 in May. 1 A more dramatic drop was reported in Frederick County; where payments declined 37 per cent, from $604,759 in April to $440,824 in May. Nelson bcriull, manager of the Frederick office, cautioned lhat the figures did not include those for persons who have exhausted the 26 weeks of regular benefits and moved on to supplemental programs run by the state and federal governments. In discussing the May jobless rate, Schull said, "I would think it would be down but it won't be that significant." But Schull and Jones said they expected increases in the jobless rates in June and July.

Factory vacations and inventory layoffs were cited by both managers as causes for a probable hike'. The managers however, that increases in June and July are normal in this' area. Both managers expressed concern at the large number of" persons who have continued to stay on the jobless rolls since the beginning of the employment slump in'December. While new claims for unemployment have fluctuated widely in both counties, the number of people Continuously on the rolls has remained fairly constant, the managers said. In Washington County tlic number of persons benefits hit a peak of about 3,000 per week in April, Jones said.

Since then, the number has held steadily at approximately .1 2,500 persons, Jones said. Schull said the continuing claims list dropped lo about 1,400 people in May, but in June the number held at nearly 1,900. Blue-jeaned youths jam rock concert bf Gar) FlrcttW City Park rock concert first of the summer By MARCY SWEROLIS Levi Strauss himself would have marveled at the number of blue jeans displayed in Hagerstown City Park Wednesday night. A mass of blue filled ihe area as approximately 1,500 young people listened to the first rock concert in the Summer Sounds scries. As the crowd millet! about, everyone seemed to be.

enjoying the music ol Calliope and Mr. Natural. Well, almost everyone A few oldsters, walking the path awas from the bandstand, said (hey had come to the park expecting a band concert, not a rocfc festival. "It's okay, but (he volume is a little'high," laughed Walter Martin ol Bladcnsburg, Md. His, a Hagerstown couple; agreed.

"It's good for young people 1 guess but I'm glad I don't live near here," one said. The younger generation reacted differently. "Neighbors shouldn't mind because it doesn't last late," Terry Grumbine of Hagersfown said. The concert ran from 6:30 p.m. (0 9:30 p.m.

And, Grumbine added, the city should provide more activities for its youth anyway, "like build a civic center." The third annual Summer Sounds series has 10 weekly concerls planned for Wednesday nights. Seven programs will feature rock groups, while Potomac Symphony Orchestra will play July 16, folk night will be July 30 and country night will be IS. The 15-week program, which coordinator Jim Seibert estimated to cost is funded by a grant from the Music Performance Trust Fund. Seibert said Tuesday night he expected no'lrouble at the concert. And according lo park policeman Sonny Paden, "Everything was going smoothly." Four park policemen as well as plain- clothed policemen were to be on hand, according to police and park ''Just tlie same precaulions-as last year," said park administrator Evelyn V.

Grove. "We are not looking for any trouble." And Ihe crowd seemed interested only in looking at the band and at each other. While young lovers sat on rocks and strolled through the grass, others agreed the concerts are a good place to meet people. went to every one last year and I'll probably go lo every one this year," said 13-year-old Judy Moats of Fairplay. And 17-year-old Cindy Jones said Ihe music was "pretty good" and the con- cerls are "a good idea." They apparently aren't alone.

Even threatening skies and occasional downpours didn't keep the youths away Wednesday night. Insurance rates may sting local doctors By SANDRA FLEISHMAN The state medical society's malpractice insurance com-. pany is proposing rates that could cost Washington County doctors three times more in premiums than they paid before June 1. Hates under'a proposal made Tuesday to (he state insurance commissioner will range from $1,184 lo $8,800 a year for physicians. Premiums will cover doctors for up to $1 million per suit with a $3 million limit per year.

Most physicians in Washington County had been paying between $300 lo $5,000 for a $100,000 to $300,000 policy, according to local insurance agents. the increase in rates is much higher than the predictions of 28 to 82 per cent from the state medical society last May. But Dr. Manning Akten, president of the board of the doctors mutual company, said Wednesday the figures are based on reports from actuarial experts. "Unfortunately It Is a lot higher than we expected," said AMen.

But he said the rates are still lower than a two-month, carry-over rale from an insurance company that is abandoning ils Maryland doctors here after July 30. That company St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. -announced plans lo leave the state last year after the slate insurance commissioner turned down a 48 per cent increase in rafcs. After extending its coverage for several months to allow Ihe slate to legally set up a physicians mutual insurance company, St.

Paul announced the June and July charges would cost as much as 300 per cent more than the May charge. St. Paul insures 3,606 doctors half those in the state. State Insurance Commissioner Thomas J. Halem accepted the 300 per cent charge lo keep doctors from closing their doors while the physician-run company got ready to take them on.

Hatem will review Ihe new company's proposed rates at a 2 p.m. hearing today in Baltimore. Aider) said Wednesday that he has Halem's promise lhal he will act "expeditiously" so the company can operate by July 1. Applications for the new insurance are already being mailed oul, Alden said. The company is also being funded by a $300 levy on all physicians practicing and holding licenses to practice in Maryland.

Alden said about $1.3 million has already been collected. If Halem does not approve the rates, Alden said the company's opening will have to be postponed, forcing doctors in the state who have SI. Paul insurance to pay the higher rate for the month of July or lo practice without insurance. "We'll have to pay whatever they ask," said Dr. Frank Brumback, president of the Washington County Medical Society, of the new rates.

And he said, "Doctors will no longer be able lo go into private practice II they have to pay such high rates wnen they're just starting out. They'll either have to join a group or work for Ihe government." Doctors already in practice wiH have lo absorb the higher rates or "pass it on to the patients. That's unfortunate," he added. ESSEX, Md. (UPI) The winning number in tbe MaryUnd lottery drawing Wednesday was 466018.

The millionaire finalist number was M7W. Home rule committee formation past due BANGOR, -1e i i numbers Wednesday hi the Pennsylvania "Double Dollars" Lottery Were: 61MB W7 I. Last April the County Commissioners agreed to jet up a committee to study home rule and metropolitan government. They gave themselves 30 days lo appoint, the committee. Now, more than two months later, no committee has been appointed.

"We got tied up in those budgets," said Commissioner W. Keller Nigh Wednesday. Nigh the proposal got lost in the'aclivity surrounding the budget work and hiring of the county administrator and finance officer. He said the board will probably get back to the proposal within the next two weeks. The commissioners did gel as far as sending out letters lo the city and town councils of the county's nine incorporated municipalities, said Commissioner R.

Lee Downey. The board requested thai each municipality appoint one member lo the committee, Downey said. The study group will be rounded out two appointments by each commissioner and two final members selected by the League of Women Voters, Nigh said. The League has led a movement encouraging the county to adopt home rule. "What we're looking for Is.a!' group of citizens to draw a lot ideas together," Nigh said.

This committee would not" only study home rule but alsojj the consolidation of all the local'' government Into one melro- polilan governing booty,.