Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 1

CSP2SS TWISTERS' TRAIL OF HEARTACHE, PAGES A17-A23 II II TT I 1 A 1 II El 1 1 I II 1 1 11 50 CENTS NS PUBLISHED SINCE 1871 THURSDAY MAY 29, 1997 I I It I I II 1 II 1 1 iV lO" i urvivors measure their loss, face their grief i ii i ii urn, ii m.ijM.1 in. in mm ii. i i ii ii i. i.iijj ii ii, ii. iii i -1 -1 i jij, 4.1 i ii li I li ii in il wmm mm umi i in i i.

i 'i 1 j- fM -'V cj' -V: n-l'l 't'Y" 'i ZZ- -r I Vfci Vc 1 Getting and giving help: Where to donate money, goods or blood. Finding emergency services, crisis counseling, lost pets and legal help, A17. Dealing with death: The mental and physical agony of the search for bodies, A 18. Warnings and weaknesses: Did Central Texans have enough notice that a killer tornado was swirling their way? A18. Surviving the storm: Rescue officials credit the actions of store manager Larry Fore for saving the lives of employees and shoppers at the Cedar Park Albertson's, A20.

Picture of tragedy: Despair and destruction In Buttercup Creek, A22. Editorial, A24. '-p i I vi; i j' 1 tr jjr Ji -J Larry KolvoordAA-S Wanda Willms of Oklahoma calls relatives Wednesday from what's left of her daughter Caryl their four sons hid in a utility closet Tuesday while a tornado dismantled their home around Simpson's home in Cedar Park's Buttercup Creek subdivision. Caryl and Joe Simpson and them. It was the only part of the house left standing.

Story, A19. Upheaval roars after winds leave From the publisher The storms that rumbled through Central Texas on Tuesday were but a passing scare for most of us. Not so for others. The process of rebuilding begins with providing for the survivors' immedi- ate needs. Undoubtedly, many wonderful agencies are assisting with this endeavor.

In order to help ensure sufficient resources are available to our neigh-bors in need, the Austin American-Statesman, on behalf of our more that 1,000 employees, is con- tributing $10,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. We invite you to join in this effort to provide assistance. Please see our public announcement on Page A16 for The American Red Cross'of Central Texas has assured us proceeds from the fund will be used to assist victims of this disaster and that surplus funds, if any, will remain to assist with needs of future disasters in Cen-, tral Texas. It will take months and years for some of our neighbors to rebuild their homes and lives. For many, while time may ease the pain, the rebuilding will never be complete.

Our deepest sympathy goes to those who lost loved ones or suffered in-' Jury and loss of property in the storm. Jarrell's toll 27f 23 still missing? By Patrick Beach American-Statesman Staff JARRELL After a few hours of trying to sleep, and wishing it were a dream, Tony Ziegler, the head custodian at the high school here, was back at the au; ditorium-turned-Red Cross shelter shortly after sun rise Wednesday, braced for the longest day in the life of this tenacious town. The morning after a tornado bore down oa this northern Williamson County hamlet reducing an; entire subdivision to tinder and inalterably stealing residents' sense of security the people of this town were reeling, attempting to recall what their lives had been like the day before, the day a furious storm; cell ground up a shallow valley on the western edge of town and everything changed. Jarrell, some 40 miles north of Austin, had about 450 people until about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Williamson County officials reported 27 people killed by the twister; 23 more were believed missing as of late Wednesday. Friends and relatives descended on the town looking for loved ones, or a note on a message board in the school auditorium, or, barring that, any official word that would at least allow grieving to replace the torture of uncertainty. Late Wednesday, the Texas Department of Public See Tales, A21 By John Kelso American-Statesman Staff JARRELL Except for the fleet of cop cars and emergency vehicles, helicopters overhead and a logjam of TV trucks and media people, this small town on Interstate 35 about 40 miles north of Austin looked normal Wednesday; Until you noticed the wet eyes. Doc's 1 Stop, the truck stop on the highway, was unscathed by the Tuesday afternoon tornado that ripped through a patch of homes and killed 27 people at Jar-rell. The Speedway Inn on the access road hadn't been touched.

Shoot, the sign even said it was open. Most of the town was still standing. The devastation lay hidden west of downtown in a former subdivision called Double Creek Estates. From a rise above the area, the concerned and curious looked at the rubble in the distance. Law enforcement officers had the place sealed while the search for the missing went on.

The tornado leveled the subdivision and tore a large hole in many hearts in town as well. Though the names of the victims hadn't been released by Wednesday night, stories and rumors were rampant about who might have been caught in the storm. Who might still be down there? Just about everybody in town knows somebody who lived in See After, A19 I I Ted S. WarrenAA-S Linda and Paul Mullins comfort each other in Jarrell near the home they shared with Paul's mother, Emma Jean Mullins. The couple lost their son, Ryan, 5, and Paul's mother in the storm.

The home was destroyed. back in NBA Finals McVeigh defense ends swiftly in bomb trial Chicago wraps up its fifth Eastern Conference championship in seven years with a 100-87 win over Miami, CL Summer movies By Maurice Possley Chicago Tribune ia i iittimtm' Best Bets Metro State, B6 Comics Life Arts, E6 Classifieds Fl Crossword Life Arts, E7 Deaths Metro State, B4 Editorials News, A24-25 Entertainment XL ent. Lottery Metro State, B6 Scoreboard Sports, CI Stocks Business, D13 TV listings Life Arts, E4-5 a 17 nnn V7 nil ent. Sharpen your pencils: Here's a calendar full of hints and likely hiti for discriminating moviegoers, XL ent. whereabouts during the crucial-days leading up to the blast.

The brevity of the defense which was affected by several adverse rulings during the trial, was; in contrast to Jones' many pretri-1 al proclamations of a strong defense. The defense was blocked from asserting a link between the bombing and foreign terrorists. At-; tempts to tarnish explosives-testing evidence were similarly curtailed by judicial rulings. With closing arguments set for this morning, it is likely that the even-man, five-woman jury will i See Closing, Back page DENVER After less than four days, defense attorneys for Oklahoma City bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh finished presenting a surprisingly sparse case Wednesday, aiming their final salvo at key prosecution witnesses Michael and Lori Fortier. Despite the contention of lead defense attorney Stephen Jones in his opening statement that he would prove McVeigh's innocence, the defense called only 25 witnesses and offered no explanation for McVeigh's actions or his 1997, Austin American-Statesman iiaitbi wlaisl Im Austin Internet businesses file a lawsuit in an attempt to to stop spamming the practice of flooding Internet users with junk e-mail, Dl.

The Federal Trade Commission charges that R.J. Reynolds' 'Joe Camel' ads illegally peddle tobacqo products to minors, A4..