Daily News from New York, New York • 338

I 4 FRIDAY. JANUARY 13, 1978 BKL1 II aa i S3 aSxiifii. Gin is 12 i News photo by Ed Molinan By SEWART A1N Lester Lee, one of two men freed last April as he was alout to stand trial in the murder of a city policeman, has been indicted on charges of rape and sodomy and subesquently tampering with a witness to the alleged crime after the release on bail. The Brooklyn grand jury which returned the rape and sodomy indictment yesterday charged Lee also with sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child and assadlL The indietment stems from a charge that Lee sexually assaul'ed lh3 12-year-old daughter of tha woman with whom he lived at 2007 Surf Ave. Lee is expected to be arraigned on the rape indictment lie was arraigned on Monday and he.d in S50.000 bail on charges cf with a witness, coercion, and -criminal solicitation stemming from the charge.

That charge-sterns" trorti an order Lee allegedly gave to a pmuorted witness to the crime in which ho directed the person to return ihe office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eugene Gold and recant a It is alleged that the witness knew of Lee's background and was leaviul of not carrying out the order. Lee, 34. was freed last April 24 a he was preparing to stand trial a fifth time in the murder of off-duty police officer Elijah Stroud during a 1972 butcher storo robbery. Following his release, Lee and his co-defendant. William Rose, were picked up on Oct.

16 while allegedly driving a stolen auto in which the pocketbook of a muggins victim was found. They pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of stolen property. Lee was let off with a $500 fine. Boating crane works to lift tugboat Aqua from water at Brooklyn Armv Base, First Ave. and GOth St.

Eventual Puffing put of Icfion. destination for the old trig? is'South Street Seaport Museum, where it will join exhibition of ships from the past. Body Could Mme Dhmpewed in Fire seeking to have her declared legally dead so that he can become the administrator of her estate. Under the law, a person who is absent more than five years may be declared legx'ly dead. Such a declaration may be made earlier a person disappears under circumstances of a specific peril.

At yesterday's proceedings, Mrs. Mayer's passport was introduced into evidence to demonstrate that she could not have left the country. In addition, pictures of the fire were also placed into evidence. fabric store two blocks from the fire scene shortly before the blaze was discovered. He said she was expected to their daughter in a Manhattan hospital, but he feared she stopped by the linen store to buy a gift.

The Mayers' two children. Edie and Deborah, also testified as did a friend and brother-in-law of Mrs. Mayer. Witnesses testified the Mayers had a good marriage, and she was not seen after she left her store to pay a bill at nearby Abraham Straus. Most of the family's assets are in Mrs.

Mayer's name, and her husband is By STEWART A IN A Brooklyn, lieu tenant testified yesterday "that the fire which engulfed the Fields Linen and National Shoes stores a year ago was so intense that a person could have been burned to death in it and the remains never recovered. Lt. Robert Babstock. of Rescue Company 2 offered the opinion during proceedings in Brooklyn Surrogate Court in which Joseph Mayer is seeking to prove that his wife was the fire's 13th victim. Babstock explained it was so cold on the day of the fire, Dec.

22, 1976, that a search of the. ruins of the five-story building at 520 Fulton St. could have overlooked teeth and bone fragments. 6 Witnesses Testify Six witnesses testified at yesterday's proceedings. Mayer's attorney, Spencer Lader, said he plans to present other witnesses in two weeks who, through inference, will place Mrs.

Mayer at the fire scene. The proceedings are being conducted by Kevin Fogarty, who was designated to referee the case by Brooklyn Sunogate Bernard Bloom. In testimony yesterday, Mayer said that his 47-year-old wife had left their if? torn eller Ms Repot ompemme ceptions contained in the faculty report do not accurately represent the state of affairs at Brooklyn College." Although he did not say specifically what the state of affairs at the college were, his statement tended ro reduce the criticism to administrative squabbling. The Faculty Council approved a vote of "no confidence" in the president on Wednesday and will recommend to the Board of Higher Education th3t Kneller By KEITH MOORE Responding to faculty critics who have voted 'no confidence" in his administration, Erooklyn College President John Kneller yesterday labeled a two-year study on which- the vote was based, as "vague" and containing "many misconceptions and errors." Kneller said "the comments and per Air Inspector Elides Hard on Polluters be replaced. The 15-member board sets policy for the City University of wfcich Brooklyn College is a pari.

Meanwhile, reliable sources on the beard predicted that Kneller would retain the job he has held since 1969 despite the criticism. "I can't see where th? board would vote to have him removed," one source said, noting that Kneller is considered 'one of the best presidents within the university." Another source on the board asserted that some of the facuitv members who wanted Kneller ousted had "an ax to grind." A report issued last month praised Knoller for his "active ro'3 in Introducing a computeried management information system." when enrollment doubled at the college. But the report then on t- question Kneller's "academic leadership and sound judgment in setting educational priorities." Responding to the criticism. Kneller said in his statement the importance uf presidential judgment in personnel matters is a fact of academic life." Kneller also pointed out that the faculty apparently also lelt that establishment of a new governance plan for the institution "had reduced its authority." Under that governance plan, established under guidelines of the Board of Higher Education, students and junior faculty members have an increased role in decision making. ops his Him The picture and th location of the offender then goes to Joe Costantino, the "foot man" in the operation.

Ccstantino then visits the pollution site, which is usually an apartment building or factory. "We get 95 convictions," noted Fantigrossi. "The fines usually start at $150 and go up to $1,000 or more, depending on the amount of times the offender has been found guilty in Lie past." Fantigrossi readily admitted that he finds a great deal of satisfaction in his work, which is to help clean up the city's atmosphere. He noted that since he rides with police who are going on patrol anyway, his job also produces revenue for the city's hard pressed treasury. From Fantigrossi's point of view, he finds that the city's air is getting cleaner, which might make his job harder, but turr.s the "Big Apple" into a breath of fresh air for the taxpayer.

By THOMAS RAFTERY On a clear day, you should be able to see forever, asserted a determined helicopter borne air pollution inspector, yesterdav at Floyd Bennett Field. Mike Fantigrossi, a senior inspector for the Department of An Resources, starts his work day by climbing into a ponce helicopter with a long range camera and a detailed city map. While the police pilots patrol their "beat," tha five bor-ougns of the city, Fantigrossi scans the ground below for blotches of acrid, belching smoke. fantigrossi, the city's first helicopter air pollution inspector, r.as been riding herd on polluters for 11 years. When the concept was first introduced into the city, Fantigrossi used to hitch rides with a traffic report helicopter, belonging to a radio station.

On a good flight day, Fantigrossi will spot 15 polluters in two hours. He snaps away with his camera to capture the evidence and then pinpoints the location on his map. Back at the police hangar at the field, Fantigrossi devel.