The Raleigh Register from Beckley, West Virginia • Page 3

2 Sections Since 1880 Beckley's Oldest Institution Vol. 97-No. 311 Wednesday Afternoon, June 15, 1977 Beckley, West Virginia (25801) 15 Cents 'A Beautiful Person' Mullens Remembers Sister Robin By Cathy Clark Register Reporter Pre novitiate candidate Roberta Elam sought peaceful prayer on a park bench Monday morning in Wheeling. Instead, she met her death. The body of the young woman, known as Sister Robin, was found in a field 75 yards from the Mt.

St. Joseph Mother House where she was preparing to become a nun. She had been raped, and then strangled by hand, an autopsy revealed Tuesday. The 26 year old Allendale, N.J., native was known throughout West Virginia for her work in adult religious education for the Dioceseof Wheeling Charleston. Many of the people she talked with during her evangelistic travels around the state had become personal friends.

"I knew her as a beautiful being, giving unselfishly of herself in the service of God," Mrs. Merland Campbell of Mullens said, emotion choking further speech for several minutes. Mrs. Campbell explained she met her when Sister Robin came to the Mullens parish. "She traveled with Sister Kathleen Durkin as a team.

Their ministry was religious education. They would come to my house and stay until time for classes, or we would play tennis or whatever we had to do. She was a great athlete." "Robin possessed the virtue of spiritual grace. she loved to laugh and play. It is very hard to talk about this," Mrs.

Campbell added. "It is hard to believe she won't be with us anymore. We are deeply grieved by the news of this untimely and tragic death, knowing Robin as the outgoing and vivacious person that she Another associate became a personal friend of Sister Robin, Mrs. George F. Fordham described her as "one of the happiest people I have ever known, had a great love of life," Mrs.

Fordham said, straining to keep her voice steady. "She endeared herself so much to all of us who had known her. She stayed in various homes here and had meals with all of us." Mrs. Fordham pointed out Sister Robin was "a lay person" when she began her ministry. "She would make her first year commitment this summer, I believe it is a three year commitment." Sister Robin's most recent visit to the Wyoming County area was in May when she and Sister Kathleen visited friends and spoke in the churches on family education.

Frank Sweeney, director of communications for the Dioceseof Wheeling Charleston, described Miss Elam as "very friendly, very never heard her bad rap anyone and she always seemed happy. "Sister Robin can only be described as a nice young women who really lived as a Christian a really attractive, happy woman. "You can imagine what this has done to the women of the Mother House," Sweeney added. "There are about 100 women there and everyone really is dismayed over this." Described as a very educated young woman, Miss Elam attended Marilac College where she received a bachelor of arts degree in theology. She attended Fordham University in New York where she received a master of arts in theology.

"She also teamed up with (See "Wyoming" Page 2) Sister Robin, Roberta Elam Miller UMW Winner Voting Irregularities Reported In Area McAlpin Local Union 5955 officers tally the results of Tuesday's United Mine Workers election. Incumbent International President Arnold Miller took the local and is the apparent winner overall. Serving as tellers at McAlpin were (from left) Bill Whetsel, financial secretary, Harold Pendry, president, and Leon Sturgill, recording secretary. Register Photo by Doug Yarrow By Charles Spencer Register Reporter Irregularities in voting have been reported today in several locals during the United Mine Workers international election, including local 9690 at Itmann. The voting irregularity was reported by District 29 president Richard Carter.

A member of the union may have told pensioners they couldn't vote for president, Carter said. If so, the entire vote of the local may be challenged, he said. Walter Womiak, secretary treasurer of local 6290. District Four, in Newacolin, said all 570 votes cast by members of that local were under challenge because of improper balloting. "The election was rigged.

We were voting for Canadian tellers and a lot of their officers who shouldn't have been on the ballots," Wozniak said. In addition, votes cast in a Mount Carmel, local were being challenged because of alleged ballot stuffing. There was no immediate reaction from the White House regarding yesterday's balloting, but administration of- ficials were monitoring results closely. Incumbent president Arnold Miller's apparent reelection leaves him faced again with dealing with strife torn International Executive Board which he has blamed for the chaos in the coalfields. Miller, a guest at a friend's house" in the Charleston area, followed election" results by phone until 4 a.m.

No major surprises in the results so far have happened, according to Miller's press secretary, Paul Fortney. Fortney said Miller's vote share was substantial and said he was confident of victory. "The opposition has carried certain areas," he said. "I hope there is not going to be any bitterness in the aftermath. I hope there's a united front for the operators." With 521 of 858 locals reporting or more than 60 per cent of the vote an unofficial United Press International tally showed Miller leading with 35,478 votes; compared to 31,052 for Patterson and 22,051 for Patrick.

The returns nonetheless showed big pockets of anti Miller sentiment, Woman Confesses To Murdering Four Years Ago By John Anderson Register Reporter Nearly four years of investigation were brought to a close today when a Beaver woman confessed to the 1974 strangulation death of Mrs. Lillian Ann Cochran. 18, of Eccles. Company state police commander Capt. B.H.

Cassell said Mary Etta Derringer, 22. signed a confession Tuesday evening. She was lodged in the Raleigh County Jail at 1:45 a.m. today, on a charge of murder. Cassell said Mrs.

Derringer told Tpr. P.B. Gooden she strangled the Cochran woman with a hand towel. The motive in the murder was jealousy, he said. Gooden said the strangulation followed an "out and out fight" between the two women over.

the suspected affair between Derringer and Mcs. Cochran. Marks on the victim's body indicated she had been "pretty well beaten." he said. The Derringers and Cochrans were neighbors in the Eccles area at the time, police said. Mrs.

Cochran's body was discovered by her husband, Willard Glenn Cochran. on a cot in a closet of an upstairs bedroom of the couple's house. The hand towel was lying across her neck. Cassell said. No motive had been established at the time of the murder, but state police originally had suspected robbery, since the body had not been molested' police said.

However, a subsequent investigation showed nothing had been taken from the Cochran home. Mrs. Derringer appeared before Magistrate Lorena Wallace this morning and waived to. the Raleigh County Grand Jury. Bond, if any.

was to be set by Circuit Court Judge Kermit Locke. Mary Etta Derringer Woman Vows To Fight Fire Fee 'To The End' By Mark Francis Register Reporter Beckley Common Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the controversial fire service fee ordinance. But at least one city taxpayer vowed to fight the measure "to the end." Mejba Reid of Jiaurel Terrace, who council meeting since March 22 when fire fee ordinance was proposed, talked about organizing a petition to rescind the ordinance. "I'm sure I could get 30 per cent of the voters in the city to sign a petition," she said. "And, if they took the issue to the polls, they know it wouldn't pass on a vote." A petition signed by 30 per cent of the city's registered voters would force council to either hold a public ballot on the issue or rescind the ordinance.

Speaking of the proposed use of the proceeds from the fee to provide a $100 a month pay raise for each of the city's 193 employes, Mrs. Reid asked, "Why give them the money so they can live better? I'd like to see my children get the same opportunities." She also said she wonders where the taxation of Beckley residents will end. "They put the utility tax on last year to give them an $85 raise. That's about $40 a year I have to pay now. Now they want another $100 raise.

What will it be next year? "Besides," she added, VI don't think we have all that much protection. I believe we should get extra benefits." The most vocal opposition to the ordinance came from Robert C. Hart of 243 Mercer who took the floor to read from a two page typewritten statement. In this statement. Hart said, "I would like to remind all present, that at a meeting of this council on Feb.

11,1975, a similar fee for fire protection and equipment was held when over 6,000 protest petitions were filed, thus tailing that proposal at that time." He said council "then came up with the utility fee," which he charged is not actually a utility tax at all. "And this can run you anywhere from $24 to $85 a year." he commented. He stated, "This current proposal in your eyes might be perfectly legal, but so is war, but a lot of people get hurt by Hart asked the councilmen whether they trust "the informed public," arid asked how council could expect the public to trust it. "I may be gray headed, but I haven't lost my gray matter." Hart, 68, told those present. He charged that, "We may have created a bureaucracy we can't afford," and went on to comment, "This thing of tapping old "John end somewhere." Hart threatened to run for mayor himself if he could not make his voice heard any other way.

Mayor John H. McCulloch insisted, as he has previously, that a special election will not be held on the issue since it would cost the city approximately $26.000. At that point, Gene Woodrum asked the mayor if council would object to placing the issue on the ballot in the next regular election conducted in the city. McCulloch responded it would be the "pleasure of council" to place the issue on the next regular election ballot if they felt the people wanted it. ti.D.

Hall of 1548 Harper Road, a defender of the ordinance, said, "Why do we have elected representatives? We'd never get anywhere if we had to have an election on every issue. "In fact, I thought they shouldn't have given up before when they were faced with the possibility of having to hold an election," he added. After a few more anti fire fee remarks from citizens, Fire Chief James Lipscomb stood and said, "Let's pass it now. Let's get it on the books and give our firemen a raise. "They can't eat these arguments," he commented.

At that point. Hart glared at Lipscomb and said, "You better watch what you say. You may be working for me someday." Councilman Charles Jackson made a motion to have the second reading of the fire fee ordinance. In doing so, Jackson said he had been with every department in the city. He said he had seen policemen beaten up and talked about, firemen shivering with ice on them and the street department working long hours to do the most economical job possible.

"We should be proud of every employe in the city," he stated. City Attorney E.M. Payne then read the ordinance for the second time, and council voted unanimously by a show of hands to adopt the ordinance. Jackson asked Payne to read the which states the $269,237 to be raised from the fire fee will be placed in the fire department operating fund, to free an equal amount of money from the city's general fund to provide the employe raises. The ordinance will become effective July 1, 1977, and the pay raise will be implemented on Oct.

1, according to Pavne. promising more unrest within the union as President Carter tries to expand coal production to meet the nation's energy needs. It his victory is upheld after the official votes are counted July 1, he apparently will enter negotiations with the bituminous coal industry later this year lacking the support of a majority of the union's members. The union has become so weak with dissension and wildcatting over the past two years that some leaders fear it may not survive. Miners already are bracing for a long nationwide strike beginning Dec.

6. Vote fraud was alleged in at least one of the hundreds of small mining towns across the United States and Canada where 277.000 active and retired coal miners were eligible to vote Tuesday. Miller received his best support in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. "I'm gonna win big." he said while voting in an old red schoothouse in Kayford. W.Va.

But Boyle's old supporters came back to haunt Miller in Kentucky and the (Sec "UMW" Page 2) Governor Pledges More Jobs United International Huntington Gov. Jay Rockefeller, making his first economic speech since taking office, today pledged his administration to more jobs, higher per capita incomes, more private investments in the state, and an improved life style for West Virginians. "Economic development is not just something that happens," Rockefeller told the West Virginia Industrial Development Association. "It will only succeed if we all work together: in our communities, in our counties, in our private sector, in our labor and management circles, and at the state level." With the state's labor force expected to pass the 700.000 mark on an average basis for the first time next year, and an increasing reliance on coal to meet the nation's energy needs. Rockefeller said he foresees good times ahead for the state.

"West Virginia is and will be in a very good competitive position for industrial development," the governor said. In advance of this, Rockefeller said he has put all his department chiefs on notice that "they must be prepared to demonstrate that all state government programs support, in some way. economic development." Rockefeller reminded his audience that economic development was his No. 1 priority as a candidate last year and "it is a promise I intend to keep." Forecasts of a two thirds increase in coal production by 1985 would mean at least 72,000 new jobs, Rockefeller said. Caps And Debts Caps and gowns and debts.

They often go hand in hand for students who borrow money to attend college. One Raleigh County graduate has declared bankruptcy and a Beckley bank reports an 11 per cent delinquency rate on loans to a the problem? Raleigh Register Reporter Pam Ramsey reports today on the Second News Front, Page 15. Weather Ah, sunshine is returning to Southern West Virginia. Skies were expected to clear a i a i temperature in the mid 70s, according to the National Weather Service. There's only a 10 per cent chance of precipitation tonight and 20 per cent tomorrow.

The temperature is expected to dip the upper 50s tonight and i 7 0 tomorrow. Even the winds are agreeable to outdoor activity. They're light and variable. Wrestling There's little future for college wrestlers after graduation, but that's not all bad, according to Jerry Cheynet, wrestling coach at Virginia Tech. Cheynet discusses the situation with Sports Writer Dan Resnik in today's Sports Scene, Page 18.

Paoeants Six area girls will get their first taste of beauty pageants at the end of June when they travel to Charleston for the Miss World Miss West Virginia Pageant. The girls are modeling students here in Beckley. You'll find the story by Rebecca Clark in today's Creative Living, Page 5. Comics 22 Creative Living 5-6 Editorials 4 Funerals 23 People 15 Ring Register 15 Sports 18-19 Television 13.