The Times and Democrat from Orangeburg, South Carolina • 1

Our second century Wh Ulmts and Ss Vol. 104, No. 14 Two sections, 16 pages January 14, 1985 Orangeburg. C. 29115 25 cents daily, 50 cents Sunday Soviet warns space pursuit to halt talks 1 Ji it :1 I 1 ft I I 4 -Mr "These (space) weapons are offensive and this plan as a whole, frankly speaking, is a plan of aggression If it (the United States) embarks on that path, the talks would be blown up.

We made such a warning to the U.S. delegates." Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko By CAROL J. WILLIAMS Associated Press Writer MOSCOW Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko said Sunday that planned U.S. -Soviet arms control talks would be "blown up" if the United States violates a commitment made at Geneva to seek an accord on space weapons.

In a nearly two-hour discussion with four prominent Soviet journalists broadcast Sunday night on Soviet television, Gromyko renewed the Soviet campaign for a ban on development of what have been dubbed "Star defenses. Gromyko also said he told Secretary of State George P. Shultz during their meeting in Geneva last week that continued deployment of NATO medium-range missiles in Western Europe could jeopardize chances for success at the new arms control talks. In Washington, Shultz said the Soviet Union could derail the new arms talks if it insists on concessions in the "Star Wars" project in exchange for deep cuts in nuclear weapons. Both Shultz and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger said on separate television shows in Washington that the degree of linkage between strategic, intermediate and space weapons had not been resolved at the Geneva meeting.

"It remains to be seen what will happen if we agree on something in one area, but not in some other area," Shultz said on the NBC television program "Meet the Press." He added, "It may or may not go forward." Weinberger, appearing on the CBS program "Face the Nation," said, "I don't think the linkage was settled at Geneva." Gromyko rejected assertions from the Reagan administration that its $26 billion space-based Strategic Defense Initiative "Star Wars" plan would be purely defensive. He said Moscow is being asked to rely on Washington's "conscience" to guarantee that the United States would not attack the Soviet Union once the anti-missile system is in place. "These weapons are offensive Simmons at work Orangeburg County Coroner Paul Simmons is shown at work last last week that the remains are still unidentified. photo by fall, studying skeletal remains found in Lake Marion. Simmons said Ken Tyler) Coroner's report: Traffic deaths up and this plan as a whole, frankly speaking, is a plan of aggression.

We are resolutely against it, he said. Gromyko was asked what would result if the United States failed to uphold the spirit of the Geneva agreement on preventing an arms race in space, and he replied: "Those consequences would be most grave. If it (the United States) embarks on that path, the talks would be blown up. We made such a warning to the U.S. delegates." He said he understood the U.S.

position that it would be difficult to verify a ban on research into space-based weapons, but he said no one could guarantee that research would not lead to testing and then deployments. The Soviet foreign minister said the Americans "pressed hard" at the Geneva meetings to prevent discussion of the space weapons issue, but the Soviet Union prevailed. dental records of the four victims, and in one case, had to track down the records from California. "They (the victims) were burned and we found nothing but skeletons," Simmons said. "There's a lot of leg work in dealing with the family on cases like this." He said if dental records are not available, a chest X-ray of the victim could be used to compare against skeletal remains.

Simmons and other officials are still trying to unravel the identity of a skeleton and skull found last fall in Lake Marion. The skull and skeleton were first discovered in the lake on Labor Day by fishermen. Dr. Joel Sexton of Newberry, a forensic pathologist, has the skull and skeleton in his possession. Simmons said Sexton is gathering information from other states on missing persons but has not been able to match the remains with any of the missing persons.

Simmons said Sexton had ruled out the possibility that the skeleton and skull were the remains of 20-year-old Danny Fools of Clarendon County, missing since January of last year. highways last year, an increase of 61 from the year before and the most on the state's roads since 1977. "There were more traffic deaths this past year and more young people involved," Simmons said. Simmons said there were numerous causes associated with the highway deaths, including alcohol. Some drivers were driving too fast for conditions while others fell asleep at the wheel.

Simmons, who has served as coroner since 1981, said the 23 alcohol-related deaths were a "fairly high" figure for Orangeburg County. On the positive side, Orangeburg County's crib deaths dropped drastically from 1983. Simmons had estimated the 1983 crib deaths in the county to be 15. But he said the infants, victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, numbered three in Orangeburg County in 1984. A continuing problem for Simmons is identification of accident victims.

He said there were four burn victims who proved an identification puzzle. The coroner said he was forced to rely on By BOB STUART Staff Writer Orangeburg County Coroner Paul Simmons has released an annual report which indicates that highway deaths were significantly higher in the county in 1984 than the previous year. There were 308 total deaths reported to the coroner's office in 1984, five more than the reported 1983 total. Those numbers included 51 accidental deaths, three suicides and 10 homicides. The suicide figure is equal to that of 1983, while homicides and accidents climbed by two and five, respectively.

Simmons said that 35 of the county's 51 accidental deaths in 1984 were highway deaths. And he said 23 of those deaths were alcohol-related. The 35 highway deaths contrast with 24 in 1983. Orangeburg County's increased highway deaths reflect a statewide trend. The S.C.

Department of Highways and Public Transportation recently reported that there were 902 traffic deaths on South Carolina New S.C. lawmakers oppose tax hike, favor death penalty Libyan diplomat dies after firing at assassin Tdliw Index Deaths Ann Landers 4B Cf lvin Ch Far Astro-Graph 4B Rockaway N.Y. Bridge 4B 'Jc 6'H Mrs. Rosalee Humphries Comics bo AO Poston brence, S.C. Crossword puzzle 4B Dear Abby 4B Deaths 2B Editorials 4A leather Farming 3B VVeatner Health 4B Partly cloudy and mild Heloise 4B Monday with highs in the 50s.

Localstate 1B Mostly fair Monday night with News at-a-glance 6A lows in the mid 20s northwest Sports 7-8A to the mid 30s along the south Theaters 5A coast. Sunny and cool TV Entertainment 5A Tuesday with highs in the mid Weather 6A 40s to the lows 50s. and 21 percent were undecided. A proposal to suspend the laws from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

on Sundays was favored by 74 percent of the freshmen but opposed by 10 percent. Sixteen percent said they were undecided. Every freshman representative had an opinion on capital punishment, with 84 percent in favor and 16 percent opposed. A proposal that South Carolina switch from using the electric chair for execution to lethal injection won support from 63 percent of the freshmen. Sixteen percent were opposed and 21 percent were undecided.

Only 10 percent of the freshmen were undecided about a proposal to raise the drinking age for beer and wine from 20 to 21, while 74 percent were in favor and 16 percent were opposed. The survey also showed the freshmen in favor of state-run primaries, against voter registration by mail and in favor of reducing to 40 percent the vote Please see House. 6A By The Associated Press COLUMBIA South Carolina's freshmen state representatives are unanimous in their opposition to a state tax increase, overwhelmingly in favor of capital punishment and split on a proposal to repeal the Blue Laws, a survey shows. The survey of the freshman caucus conducted Thursday showed that not a single member favored a tax increase but 10 percent favored a tax cut and 10 percent were undecided. Rep.

John Burriss, R-Lexington, who wrote the questions, said 20 freshman lawmakers responded. The results were tabulated by the House research director to assure impartiality, he said. The majority of the freshmen were for keeping property taxes and sales taxes at current rates. According to the survey, freshman representatives were divided over a proposal to repeal the Blue Laws, the centuries-old ban on the sale of certain merchandise on Sunday. The survey showed that 58 percent of the freshmen favored repeal, 21 percent were opposed By JOHN WINN MILLER Associated Press Writer ROME An assassin engaged a Libyan diplomat in a gunfight Sunday, shot the revolver out of his hand and then fatally wounded him, police reported.

They said the diplomat, ambushed outside his home when he left for the Libyan embassy, apparently wounded his assailant in the gun battle and then collapsed on the icy street. A caller to The Associated Press office in London claimed responsibility for the shooting of 31-year-old Farag Omar Makhyoun on behalf of the Alborkan Libyan Organization. Alborkan is Arabic for volcano. The same exile group last Jan. 21 claimed responsiblity for killing Libya's top diplomat in Italy, Ammar D.

El Taggazy. It also said it planted the car bomb last March that badly wounded Siad Quadaf Dam, a top aide to Libyan leader Col. Moammar Khadafy, in Tripoli, the Libyan capital. Police said a woman, whom they did not identify, saw the attack from her apartment window. She told police that Makhyoun was surprised by the gunman, but drew his gun and shot back.

The assassin shot the gun out of Makhyoun's hand and then shot him in the neck, the abdomen, the right hand and right arm, police said. The dying diplomat apparently recovered his gun and tried to pursue the gunman but collapsed, the police added. Police found blood stains on the street near where the assailant dropped his silencer-equipped Walther PPK gun, indicating the gunman may have been hit. The Italian news agency ANSA quoted police as saying the victim's wife, Aisha, told them her husband had received several anonymous telephone threats recently, and that was the reason he was armed. The shooting occurred as Makhyoun left his home for the Libyan People's Bureau, or embassy, at 8:20 a.m.

SLED to probe House 95 election The South Carolina Election Commission has made a formal request of SLED to investigate possible fraud in the House District 95 election. Story, PagelB.