Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 1

Good Morning, It's Thursday, February 26, 1976 3 I Ca RlBliNE Home Final sper COPYRIGHT 1 974 Howard Publications. Inc. Statewide Coverage Wyoming's JLcrgest Newspaper CASPER, WYOMING WORLD ENERSY CAPITAL 65TH YEAR No. 57 Pric15Cnts Ford savors win Late tag buyers face a long wait scoffs at Reagan I A ymP A i WASHINGTON (UPI) President Ford Wednesday credited his New Hampshire primary victory to good economic news and scoffed at Ronald Reagan for finding satisfaction with second place. "I never knew of a political campaign where finishing second was any good," Ford told a White House meeting of daily newspaper editors and publishers.

The President grinned when asked his reaction to besting Reagan by a 51 to 49 per cent margin Tuesday in the nation's first primary race of the 1976 campaign. "I naturally was very pleased," he said. "I think we really mounted a very good campaign three weeks ago." He said his campaign found momentum during his first campaign foray into New Hampshire at that time, citing especially his University of New Hampshire speech which drew more than double the attendance that heard Reagan at the same spot two nights later. He said his Florida trip two weeks ago built more momentum and that his New Hampshire visit last week capped the effort. But he said he believes good economic news falling inflation rates and price indexes helped beat Reagan.

CASPER Last minute auto license purchasers may expect a one to two hour wait. "I'm not making any excuses for this line other than people have Just waited," said Natrona County Treasurer Edith Howard. Wednesday's line ran out the motor vehicle department, down the hall; doubled up in the Natrona County Courthouse basement and wound up the stairs to the first floor. The deadline for license purchases is March 1 and the treasurer said it is too late to phone In for the tags which are to be placed on 1975 license plates. The motor vehicle department will be open from 8 a.m.

to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday but will not be open on Saturday. The treasurer said If the department did open Saturday, other offices, like the automobile title department, would have to follow suit and that would not be feasible. 1 "We went home so damn tired last night we couldn't hold our heads up," she said, pointing out that she has personnel manning seven windows for service. She also has no plans for keeping the office open after 5 p.m., although she is working six additional part-time employes to handle the last minute rush.

Part of the problem, the treasurer said, is the initation of the use of tags this year and opposed to new plates and car owners couldn't reserve the licenses in advance. Some 1,500 to 2,000 persons were processed Tuesday and most of those in line Wednesday remained in good humor. "I guess it teaches a lot of people not to wait this long," said one pregnant woman who kept her cool by wiping her brow with a wet paper towel. "I know It taught me a lesson." "You could go to Douglas and back quicker than you can go through this line," said another woman. A young man reading a book about the Soviet Union related the Russians' ability to wait in silence in long lines which are common in that country.

Attackers sought demands and one man left his accomplice with their bound captives, gained entry to the county courthouse through a basement window and attempted to open the safe, RAWLINS Authorities combed Carbon County for clues to the identity of two men who terrorized a family at gunpoint early Tuesday morning. But Rawlins police and Carbon County Sheriff's deputies who joined forces Wednesday to find the ski-masked men learned nothing new about the pair, who burst into the George Aydelott residence at 3 a.m. Tuesday, and bound Aydelott, his wife Mary, and his nephew Virgil and his wife June. The men then proceeded to methodically beat the family, demanding Mary Aydelott, an employe of the Carbon County Treasurer's office, to tell them the combination to the county safe and to give them the keys to the office door. Mrs.

Aydelott complied with their Second degree murder case goes to the jury only to fall in his efforts. The would-be robber then returned to the Aydelott residence where he Joined the second man and fled the house, leaving the trussed family to free themselves, Virgil Aydelott managed to slip his bindings about 6 a.m. Tuesday and freed his uncle, who walked to a nearby fire station and summoned an ambulance. June Aydelott is still listed as a patient at Memorial Hospital here. Sheriff's office reports said she was raped during the three-hour ordeal.

SNAKING through the hallway, the line m- a Wednesday at the Natrona County Cour JLiOUcI Willi thouse left some auto license purchasers C7 waiting as long as two hours. The last minute rush is on for car owners to meet the March 1 deadline. THE OLD 5.f State GOP leaders rate primary AUK sm 7A campaign chairman, said he feels the President's victory was "especially significant" in view of Reagan's strong following In New Hampshire. And he called Ford's win of 19 out of 21 delegate votes of "more important significance. Horn said the fact Ford received 51 per cent of the vote was a strong showing since Reagan spent 21 days campaigning in the state, compared to three for Ford, and Reagan had the support of New Hamp- Even 5050 in a deridive viciorv around our Iioiihp By BONNY KIER LANDER The Jury retired to deliberate murder charges against Mary Marlene Smith at about 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday. a The seven-man, five-woman Jury was still deliberating at press time. Mrs. Smith, 38, is charged with second degree murder In connection with the shooting death of Dorothy Fancher on the morning of Nov. 14.

Although Mrs. Smith Is charged with second degree murder, the defense attorneys argued that It was manslaughter Mrs. Smith contended that she had only meant to scare Mrs. Fancher and Mrs. Smith's estranged husband, and "had not meant to shoot the gun." Mrs.

Smith's husband had filed for divorce Nov. 14, but the papers hadn't been served, the court learned during the course of the trial. In her testimony, she said that she had gone to the parking lot of Gibson's Store in the early morning hours Nov. 14. She saw both her husband's and Mrs.

Fancher's cars parked in the lot and, after watching the Silver Spur Motel for three hours, she went to the room where she thought her, husband and Mrs. Fancher were staying, she recalled. She said she did not see Mrs. Fancher In the motel room and asked her husband where she was. He told her that he had been another woman not Mrs.

Fancher. After quarreling briefly with her CASPER The New Hampshire Primary produced no real winner. Those were the feelings Wednesday of state Republican Party Chairman Tom Stroock, who said he said he was disappointed neither President Ford nor Gov. Ronald Reagan really addressed their issues in the campaign. "It was more of a personality contest," Stroock said, and all that proved was that Ford and Reagan are both able, likable men.

The Republican chairman said he hopes in future primaries issues 1 will be discussed more. Stroock said this is essential in Wyoming, which he said is now running 30 per cent for Ford, 30 per cent for Reagan and 40 per cent undecided. The state campaign chairmen for Ford and Reagan had diametrically opposed views on the meaning of the New Hampshire primary. Vince Horn of Casper, Ford's Wyoming husband, Mrs. Smith said she headed back to her car, then saw Mrs.

Fancher walk around the motel from behind. She said she became angry, went home1 and got her pistol which she loaded, then went to the home of Mrs. Fancher's where the woman was staying. When Mrs. Fancher appeared, she summoned her to the car, opened the door and pointed the gun at here.

She claimed that she didn't know the gun was cocked, although she admitted that she was familiar with how to handle firearms. Witnesses said Mrs. Smith sat in the car for a few minutes, then got out, saying, "I shot her and she deserved It." Mrs. Smith then went into the house and called an ambulance, according to testimony given at the trial. At no time during her testimony did she deny that she had fired the shot.

Mrs. Fancher bled to death a few hours later at Bishop Randall Hospital from the hip wound made by the .38 cal. pistol, testimony showed. Both Smith and Dorothy Fancher were employed at Gibson's. Mrs.

Fancher was separated from her husband at the time of her death, according to testimony given at the trial. Conviction of second degree murder could mean a prison term of 20 years to life Imprisonment. Post offered WASHINGTON (UPI) Sen. Cliff Hansen, said Wednesday he has recommended the appointment of George O. Houser of Cheyenne as U.S.

Marshall for the District of Wyoming. Houser, a long-time employe of state government, would succeed Charles P. Wilcox, who recently retired. Hansen said the nomination would require Senate confirmation following a routine field investigation by the FBI and favorable review by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Houser, 60, has worked for Wyoming's state government since 1964, most recently as field auditor for the Workmen's Compensation Department.

pVV Judge okays mine ruling SHERIDAN, Wyo. (UPI) A district judge has affirmed a state ruling allowing KerrMcGee Coal to stripmine federally leased coal deposits on private land in northeastern Wyoming without the surface owner's consent. Franklin Real Estate Co. filed the petition for review of the Environmental Quality Council's March 14 ruling in Sheridan County District Court. A hearing ps held before District Judge Leonard llcEwan Jan.

19, and the matter taken nderadvisement.5 IKerr-McGee is planning to strip mine bout 4,000 acres of federally leased coal deposits in southern Campbelt County, including 230 acres of Franklin Real Estate property now being used for a cattle operation. In his ruling issued Feb. 18, McEwan said after considering briefs and oral arguments, the order entered by the Environmental Quality Council should be affirmed. He made no other comment. DICK JONES Reagan 2-1 here pointed out Ford and Reagan have almost identical support among Republicans.

Jones said during recent travels In the state, he's determined the same thing is true in Wyoming, but that Reagan has more support among the independent voters, which he agreed with Stroock comprise about 40 per cent of the voters in Wyoming. If a presidential primary were held in Wyoming today, Jones predicted, Reagan would beat Ford two-to-one. The Reagan state chairman said he believes his candidate will eventually carry the state, and added the difficulty will be getting Reagan nominated. Once nominated, however, Jones said he would win because of his broad-based support. State Democratic Party Chairman Don Anselmi was out of town and unavailable for comment on the meaning of the primary for his party.

VINCE HORN 'Significant' win shire's popular governor, Meldrim Thomson. The Ford state chairman said it's difficult to compare Wyoming with New Hampshire, but he believes if there were a primary In this state today pitting the two, Ford would win. Dick Jones, Reagan's Wyoming campaign manager, said he would have felt better if his candidate had received "a couple of more percentage points" in New Hampshire. However, he said the results Editorials 4 Letters 5 Sports BigWyo 25 Markets 26 TOM STROOCK 'Personality contest' Coal tax, school levy meet doom at hands of Senate Leimback, Sedar and Sadler, all D-Natrona; Northrup, R-Park, and Nott, D-Park; Rector and Rogers, both D-Laramie; Taggart, R-Big Horn; Turner, R-North Lincoln-Sublette-Teton, and Wallop, R-Sheridan. By JOAN BARRON Capital Bureau Chief CHEYENNE The senate killed three proposed constitutional amendments Wednesday afternoon, including the coal taxbill.

1 Insuring its defeat was an amendment offered successfully by Sen. Robert Johnson, D-Sweetwater, to transfer all 25 mills of the county school tax to the state level. "If we're going to do this we might as well go all the way," Johnson said. When the bill came up for vote, Sen. John Ostlund, R-Campbell-Johnson, urged, "Let's kill this turkey now." The standing vote was 14 for and 15 against.

Following is the senate roll call vote on the defeated proposed amendment to raise the coal tax. Voting for defeat were Sens. Chrislen-sen, R-Crook-Weston; Cundall, D-Platte-Goshen; Davis and Novotny, both R-Fremont; Geis, R-Washakie; Johnson and Majhanovich, both D-Sweetwater; Kimball, R-Natrona; Madsen, R-Sheridan; Moore, R-Converse-Niobrara; Nichols and Norris, both D-Laramie, and Searl, R-Laramle; Ostlund and Stafford, R-Campbell-Johnson, and Myers, D-South Lincoln Uinta. Voting against defeat were Sens. Boyle and Hitchcock, Dally, D-Carbon; Kendig, D-Platte-Goshen; Defeated on their first senate outing were resolutions to increase the severance tax on coal; to set a 12 mill state school levy; and to eliminate the office of state examiner.

Sen. Jim Norris, D-Laramie, presiding for committee-of-the-whole debate, cast the deciding "not" votes on both the coal tax resolution and the state examiner's bill to break 14-14 ties. The coal tax proposal, which passed the house 47-14, would have placed on the November, 1976 general election ballot an amendment to set a two to five per cent severance tax on coal with the revenue earmarked for the permanent mineral trust fund. Currently, 1.5 per cent of the four per cent severance tax on coal goes into that "fund. A recurring argument against the bill was that the higher tax would ultimately be paid by Wyoming consumers.

One of the few senators who spoke for the bil, Sen Malcolm Wallop, R-Sheridan, Insisted however, that it was the most important issue to come before this session. "What we are looking at is Wyoming's backroll," said Wallop. "Our biggest account at the moment happens to be coal." Leading the opposition were delegations from the major coal producing counties of Campbell and Sweetwater. Sen. John Ostlund, R-Campbell-Johnson, said 33 per cent of Wyoming's coal is used In the state, adding that the figure is expected to drop by only three percent by 1980.

Moreover, Ostlund pointed out that much of the coal in the Powder River Basin remains to be sold. He also said a technological breakthrough to eliminate sulfur emissions could lessen the demand for Wyoming's low sulfur, low BTU coal. Ostlund said that now is not the time for a higher tax on coal and that the industry needs a couple of years to become established in the state. Senate Floor Leader L.V. Stafford, R-Campbell-Johnson, objected to earmarking more money for the state's permanent funds.

Stafford maintained the money would be of more benefit left in the private enterprise system. Contending the legislature could raise the tax without locking the amount into the constitution, Sen. Robert Johnson, D-Sweetwater, also argued that the state's mineral tax program is unfair now. He said all minerals are not taxed equally. And Sen.

Steve Majhanovich, D-Sweetwater, said Wyoming cannot set itself up as another OPEC Organization of Petroleum Export Countries. "We are going tq have to be willing to share our wealth with other states in the union," said Majhanovich. Speaking for the resolution, Sen. Dick Sadler, D-Natrona, said he personally would be willing to pay more for consumer goods to build a permanent trust fund for future generations when the minerals are gone. Sadler also demanded a roll call vote on the bill.

The Campbell and Sweetwater delegations also spearheaded the battle to Jump the 12 mill levy resolution, which 'as rejected by voters in 1974. The two counties stood the most to lose through the measure to transfer the 12 mill county school levy to a atewide rax for support of all public schools. SEN. JOHN OSTLUND Nov. isn't (lie lime SEN.

MALCOLM WALLOP Important issue.