Standard-Speaker from Hazleton, Pennsylvania • Page 2

2 Hazleton Standard-Speaker, Friday, September 10, 1993 Israel Arrest in fire deaths Helen O'Connell, big band singer, dies at 73 L'i 9 for this crime." The original investigation uncovered insufficient evidence to warrant a prosecution in the case, the district attorney said, but new information was obtained by a task force he appointed in March. He would not divulge the new information. Olszewski said he appointed the task force and reopened the investigation at the request of Jack Hlivia, who joined the district attorney's office last year as a detective lieutenant after retiring from the Pennsylvania State Police. According to the district attorney, Hlivia had been one of the original investigators in the case and "did not have a good feeling" about the fact that no arrest ever had been made. The task force consists of Hlivia; Michael J.

Dessoye, chief Luzerne County detective; Stanley Jezewski, also a detective lieutenant in the district attorney's office; Wright Township Police Chief Joseph Jacob, and Trooper David Cusatis of Troop N. Olszewski said the task force worked "seven days a week" on the case, reviewing existing evidence, searching out new information, and conducting "well over 200 interviews." The interviews included every witness who was interviewed in the original investigation, as well as other individuals. "The work that was done and the commitment that was made were absolutely monumental," Olscewski said. According to the district attorney, some of the original witnesses provided new information that they had not told investigators previously. He said some questions asked in the new investigation may not have been asked in 1982.

"It was just a matter of intensity and commitment," Olszewski said, adding that he was not being critical of the original investigation. The district attorney lauded the commitment and cooperation of the members of the new investigative team, which accompanied him to the news conference. Also present was Captain Wesley R. Waugh, commanding officer of Troop N. Like Olszewski, Waugh lauded "the task force concept" that was employed in the re-opened investigation.

"It is uncommon for an 11-year-old crime to be resolved," Waugh stated. In 1986, four years after the fire, a Luzerne County investigative grand jury recommended that the investigation be continued because evidence showed the fire had been set deliberately. According to the grand jury's report, the evidence indicated that a certain individual poured the accelerant and ignited the blaze. However, the jurors concluded, the evidence was insufficient to support an indictment. An autopsy performed on the bodies of Mrs.

Snyder and the baby following the fire showed they died from asphyxiation and burns. Authorities also said in 1982 that at the time of the fire Snyder was at Zayre's Department Store, then located in Laurel Mall, where he was employed as a department manager. Mrs. Snyder also had worked at the store at one time. Hlivia, Cusatis and Jacob were the arresting officers and filed the charges against Snyder.

Olszewski said he and his first assistant, Daniel P. Pillets will prosecute the case. Obituaries Joseph Ncmchick Joseph Ncmchick, 78, of 458 Centre Freeland, died Wednesday evening at Hazleton General Hospital following a lengthy illness. Born in Eckley Jan. 14, 1915, he was a son of the late Paul and Mary (Senick) Nemchick.

He was a lifetime resident of the Freeland area. He graduated from Foster Township High School in 1933 and served in the Navy during World War II. In his early years he was employed by area coal mining operations and was last employed by Garland Industries, Freeland. He was a member of the Roman Catholic faith and was an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a life member of VFW Post 5010 of Freeland. He also was a member of American Legion Post 24, Freeland.

Preceding him in death, in addition to his parents, were his first wife, the former Helen Mehalick; brother, John, who was killed in World War II; and a sister, Mrs. Anna Chonko. Surviving are his wife, the former Althea Allabaugh; daughters, Mrs. James (Audrey) Mulhall, Freeland; Mrs. Gregory (Helen Marie) Hannish, Massachusetts; and Mrs.

Michael (Joanne) Slank, Hazleton; sisters, Mrs. Mary Kushner and Mrs. Irene Yadsko, both of Freeland; Mrs. Esther Schwarzenbaugh, Hawthorne, N.J.; and Mrs. Joseph (Agnes) Cammisa, Philadelphia; brothers, Paul Nemchick, Philadelphia; Michael Nemchick, Fort Washington, Thomas Nemchick, Allentown; and George Nemchick, Piscataway, N.J.; and five grandchildren, a great-grandchild and many nieces and nephews.

The funeral will be held Saturday at 8:30 a.m. from the Krapf Hughes Funeral Home 426 W. Broad Hazleton, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 9 a.m. in Holy Trinity Slovak R.C. Church, Hazleton.

Friends may call at the funeral home today from 7 to 9 p.m. A prayer service will be held during the visitation period. Military rites will be accorded by VFW Post 5010 today at 7 p.m. Mary G. Sabatino Mary G.

Sabatino, 79, of 621 Garibaldi Roseto, Northampton County, died Tuesday at Sacred Heart Manor, Philadelphia. She was the wife of the late Matthew Sabatino. She worked for various garment factories in the Slate Belt area for many years. Born in Hazleton, she was a daughter of the late Frank and Theresa (Yuele) Greco. She was a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, Roseto.

Surviving are a son, Anthony, Charleston, W.Va.; daughter, Joyce, Philadelphia; brothers, Ralph, Levittown; Michael, Omaha, and Frank, San Antonio, Texas; sister, Esther Bruno, Yardley; and four grandchildren. A Mass will be celebrated today at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church. No calling hours are planned. Arrangements were handled by the John A.

Fiore Funeral Home, Bangor. Funeral The funeral of Michael O'Grodnick, 13 Bayview McAdoo Heights, who died Tuesday at his residence, was held Thursday from the Stanley E. Anilosky Funeral Home, McAdoo. The Rev. Joseph L.

Grembocki gave the blessing at the funeral home and celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial in St. Kunegun-da's Church. Grembocki also gave the final blessing at the grave in the parish cemetery. The pallbearers were Raymond and James O'Grodnick, nephews; and Barry Veet, Frank Mussoline, Frank Stempko and Stanley E. Anilosky Jr.

ANTHONY DE MARA We wish to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to all our kind relatives, neighbors and friends who assisted and consoled us during the recent death of our beloved husband and father, Anthony DeMara. Also thanks to the pallbearers, donors and drivers of cars, those who sent floral or spiritual gifts and to all others who assisted us in any other ways. Wife, Daughter Son-ln-Law (Continued from page 1) recognition agreement "a very brave and courageous thing." Clinton is set to announce on today a resumption of U.S. talks with the PLO. Washington eventually could give it full diplomatic recognition.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Johan Jorgen Hoist, who mediated the deal with the Israelis, was summoned to Arafat's headquarters in Tunis to witness the nighttime signing of a letter from Arafat to Rabin recognizing Israel. Hoist was flying overnight to Israel to witness Rabin's signing of Israel's side of the accord, in the form of a letter from Rabin to Arafat. Rabin's signature was expected at 9 a.m. today (3 a.m. EDT).

Both letters are in English. On Monday in Washington, the two sides will sign the accord on Palestinian autonomy in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. Under the recognition agreement, the PLO: renounces terrorism recognizes Israel's right to exist declares that sections of the PLO convenant that call for Israel's destruction are "no longer valid." For its part, Israel: recognizes the PLO "as the representative of the Palestinian people," a formulation somewhat weaker than the PLO's traditional assertion that it is the "sole representative" of the Palestinians agrees to start negotiations with the PLO on broader Mideast peace issues. PLO officials said the last sticking point in the agreement, ironed out between the PLO and Israel Thursday afternoon, concerned the nearly six-year Palestinian uprising in the Israeli-occupied lands. The PLO had hesitated at wording proposed by Israel that could have been interpreted as a call to end the uprising against more than a quarter-century of Israeli domination.

But Arafat agreed to sign a letter to the Norwegian foreign minister the key mediator in the talks saying the PLO will encourage Palestinians in the occupied territories to reject violence and terrorism and work for reconstruction. In Washington, Hanan Ashrawi, spokeswoman for the Palestinian delegation at the Mideast peace talks, said, "There are very few moments in history that are comparable to this moment." She said the agreement "recognizes Palestinian national rights and allows for genuine reconciliation based on the rights of both peoples to live in the region." "At last there is peace," said Shulamit Aloni, Israel's minister of science and culture. "For me, after fighting so many years for this moment, I have to go and celebrate." Hoist, Norway's foreign minister, called the agreement "a historical breakthrough which was the result of the foresight, vision and courage of chairman Arafat and the leadership of Israel." Clinton, in Cleveland, hailed the accord as a "huge development" toward Middle East peace and said "I am very, very hopeful about the future." But he cautioned that "there are a lot of things that still have to happen" to continue the peace process. PLO dissenters say the plan is a surrender to Israeli conditions that ignores key issues such as Israeli settlements in the occupied lands, the status of Jerusalem and the future of refugees. In the Syrian capital Damascus, radical Palestinian guerrilla commander Ahmed Jibril predicted Arafat will be assassinated and his acceptance of partial autonomy will not be honored.

"I am not saying that I personally will kill Arafat," Jibril told Western reporters Wednesday night. "I am saying that the people will not be lenient with a man who has given away 90 percent of their land. When Arafat is killed, the accord will" fade away," he said. Jibril heads the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, which broke with Arafat's PLO in the 1980s. FUNERAL BREAKFASTS LUNCHEONS In Tfje Library Lounge (Seating available for up to 90 people) Catered By DUBATTO'S Family Restaurant 615 E.

Broad St PHONE 454-7676 (Continued from page 1) Mountaintop. The woman reportedly was Snyder's second wife. Sources said he has remarried since the fire and now resides at the same Mountaintop address with his third wife and their 2-year-old son. "This is a very proud day for law enforcement because today ends an 11-year-old lie," Luzerne County District Attorney Peter Paul Olszewski said Thursday afternoon at a news conference in Wilkes-Barre. "We have a long way to go," Olszewski added, referring to the upcoming judicial process.

"But I think justice has begun to be served. This arrest is the right thing to do." Describing Snyder as "a baby-killer who annihUated his family," Olszewski promised a "vigorous prosecution" of the case. However, the case does not qualify for the death penalty under the law as it existed in 1982, the district attorney said, and his office will not seek death for Snyder when the case goes to trial. Margaret Howarth, of Deer Run Road, West Hazleton, mother and grandmother of the two victims, would not talk Thursday about the arrest of her former son-in-law. "I'd rather not make any comment at this time," Howarth said when asked for her reaction.

The woman said, however, that police told her in advance that Snyder was going to be arrested. Olszewski said that Snyder was arrested on the parking lot of the Pennsylvania Gas Water Co. office building on North Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, as he arrived for work at 7:45 a.m. Thursday. The arrest was made without incident and Snyder exhibited no reaction, Olszewski said.

Following his arrest Snyder was taken to the Troop barracks of the Pennsylvania State Police at Valmont Industrial Park, West Hazleton, for processing, then was transported to Mountaintop for arraignment before District Justice Ronald Swank. The magistrate ordered Snyder to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre, where he was being held without bail pending a preliminary hearing at 10 a.m. Sept. 17. Snyder wore a sport coat and slacks during the arraignment.

He was handcuffed, and his legs were shackled. Four females, believed to be his mother, two sisters and a niece, sat behind the suspect in Swank's courtroom. Cries were heard coming from the group as the magistrate read the charges against Snyder. According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the criminal complaint against Snyder, "a combustible liquid was intentionally spilled and trailed on the floor around both sides of the double bed in the master bedroom where the bodies of both victims were found. "The liquid was trailed out the master bedroom, down the hall, and into the bedroom normally occupied by the infant, Brian Snyder.

The trailer ran to the foot of the child's crib. The trailer also ran down the hallway and into the living room." The fire, which was reported at 1:31 p.m., was described as "a slow burning, smoldering fire which burned for approximately 45 minutes to one hour after ignition." According to the affidavit, the suspect left home between 12:20 and 12:30 p.m. His wife and his son were home when he left, all doors were locked and all windows were closed. Investigators "absolutely" have ruled out the possibility of suicide by Mrs. Snyder and have concluded that no outside party could have set the fire because no signs of forced entry to the house were found.

The affidavit also stated that Snyder admitted to leaving the house at approximately the time the fire was set and to having the knowledge required to ignite the type of fire that occurred. Also noted was that "all windows and doors were closed tight (on) a bright, sunny, summer day, with the high temperature reaching approximately 78 degrees. There was no air conditioning or central air system in the home. There was no ventilation, and a limited amount of oxygen." The affidavit concluded: "Keith Snyder had the exclusive opportunity to the exclusion of all others to start this fire to murder his 37-day-old infant son and his 24-year-old wife." Olszewski would not comment Thursday on a possible motive by Snyder to commit the arson murders, but said, "We have no qualms about who is responsible SAN DIEGO (AP) Helen O'Connell, the quintessential big band singer of the 1940s, died Thursday at age 73. Miss O'Connell died of cancer less than a month after her last appearance with a big band touring show, said longtime manager Gloria Burke.

Her husband, composer and conductor Frank DeVol, and three of her four daughters were with her when she died at a hospice, Ms. Burke said. Hitting the road as a big band singer at age 16, Miss O'Connell was still a teen-ager when she was launched to stardom in 1939 by recording Green Eyes with Bob Eberly as a vocalist with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. A fresh-faced, girl-next-door personality, Miss O'Connell popularized the songs Tangerine, Amapola, Jim, I Remember You, Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry and When The Sun Comes Out. 4 Patty Jones Tourist (Continued from page 1) "fell onto my lap.

The car raced into the opposite lane and collided with an auto. We landed on the guardrail." Wiggins is accused of bumping the rear end of Rakebrand's rental car. Jones allegedly fired a single shot into the tourist's back early Wednesday. A carbine rifle with a sawed-off barrel and handle was confiscated at the home of Wiggins' aunt, and police identified it as the murder weapon, said spokesman Ray Lang. A 15-foot Ryder moving van used in the attack was found parked outside Wiggins' apartment.

Police hurriedly announced Thursday afternoon that Jones had been arrested, but retracted the report minutes later, saying the woman was a look-alike and had been released. The killing prompted Otto Schneider, head of the German Association of Tourist Agencies, to rescind his endorsement of Miami visits. "Go to St. Petersburg. Go to Orlando.

Go to (Florida's) west coast. But don't go to Miami," he said from Frankfurt. "Personally, I think people should avoid a high-crime area like Miami if police can't get a grip on crime." Gary Stogner, spokesman for the state division of tourism, said the problem isn't unique to Miami. "You can't say that only my left ear is sick," he said. "When you have the flu, you have the flu all over." The slaying also generated a White House call for tougher laws Wednesday, and Attorney General Janet Reno said Thursday she has asked Justice Department aides to determine whether there is a federal role to play in the case.

The United States is the No. 1 vacation choice of Germans, with more than a million annual visits. More than 400,000 travel to Florida each year, 250,000 of them to the Miami area. The TV series "Miami Vice" is a hit in Germany, adding to the city's attraction. SMITH FLORAL CO.

Consult with us for all Your Floral Needs Rely on us for prompt, personal service when selecting Flowers for all occasions. Now Ready! Garden MUM PLANTS $39i Greenhouse, West Hazleton 41 East Broad, Hazleton Ph. 454-1621 555 No. Broad, West Hazleton Ph. 454-4471 i Helen O'Connell She was the darling of GIs during World War II, but in 1943 she stepped out of the limelight to raise a family.

Last month, she toured with a big band show and performed for the last time at the Valley Forge Music Fair in Valley Forge, on Aug. 14. After experiencing chest pain, she was unable to continue and returned home to San Juan Capistrano, Calif. She was admitted to a La Jolla hospital where she had surgery on Aug. 27, her manager said.

During her career she appeared with the orchestras of Artie Shaw, Woody Herman and Glenn Miller, the Pied Pipers and singer Don Cornell. "She was singing as great as ever," Cornell said from Hamilton, Ontario, recalling her voice as unique and distinctive. "As soon as you heard four bars of her singing you knew it was Helen O'Connell," he said. "She was very well loved by her audiences. That quality stood with her to the last day." In the 1950s, Miss O'Connell was a regular on television.

She was a host of CBS' TV's Top Tunes in 1953, and the network's The Russ Morgan Show featured her singing in 1956. From 1956 to 1958 she was a sidekick to Dave Garroway on NBC's Today Show, and she had her own twice-weekly, 15-minute program, The Helen O'Connell Show, on NBC in 1957. In the early '60s she was an interviewer on NBC's Here's Hollywood. For nine years she was hostess of the Miss Universe Pageant. She also was in an act called Four Girls Four with Rosemary Clooney, Margaret Whiting and Kay Starr.

Born in Lima, Ohio, on May 23, 1920, Miss O'Connell began her singing career in 1936, when big bands were the rage and toured the country. She was married to Clifford Smith heir to a Boston investment fortune, from 1941 to 1951, and, for a stormy three years, to novelist Tom T. Chamales, author of Never So Few and Go Naked in the World, from 1957 until his death in a house fire in 1960. She married DeVol in 1991. Woman (Continued from page 1) hood and dashboard of Brestowski's car, then rolled back down after impact.

Tate told state police that Brestowski was not traveling at a high rate of speed when the accident occurred. Brestowski, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was taken to HGH in the Valley Ambulance. DeTullio, who was belted, was not injured. His trailer, which was loaded with pipe, is owned by Yourga Trucking of Wheatland, Mercer County. State police were assisted by West Hazleton police, the HGH paramedics and the Sugarloaf Fire Co.

Card of Tlianks THOMAS J. PALKO To all the kind relatives, neighbors and friends who assisted and consoled us during our recent bereavement, the death of our beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother, Thomas J. Palko, we wish to express our sincere thanks and appreciation. Special thanks to Reverends Leonard Hollick, Basil Schott, Robert Evancho, James Demko, St. Mary's Choir, Freeland VFW, Wells Fargo Security and Harris Semi Conductor.

Also, to the pallbearers, those who sent spiritual or floral bouquets, donors and drivers of cars and all others who assisted us in any other way. Wife, Children, Grandchildren and Sisters I ft FRENCH TRICOLOR In 1889, French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel unfurled the French tricolor from the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, officially marking its completion. Eiffel's work, however, was denounced by artists, composers and authors who signed a petition condemning the tower as a "horrid nightmare" that resembled a "huge black factory Standard-Speaker Published Daily Except Sundays and Holidays by Hazleton Standard-Speaker, Inc. 21 North Wyoming Street Hazleton, Pa. 18201 Telephone 455-3636 1-800843-6680 Second Class Postage Paid at Hazleton.

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