The Commercial Appeal from Memphis, Tennessee • 11

THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL PAGES 11 TO 18 PAGES 11 TO 18 Memphis Tenn Saturday Morning February 17 1979 2 -Time Victim Ends Up Paying Dearly For Monetary Mistakes By JAMES CHISUM The old woman a retired teacher had lost $6000 in a pigeon drop a couple of weeks before so she was delighted last February when two official-looking men came to her home showed their badges and said they had arrested the two women who had tricked her Here's your money back one of them said handing her an envelope You'd better put it in a safe place he said The refrigerator might be a good spot Better still the other one said rent a safety deposit box at the bank and put the money in it Might be a good idea to put all your money in the box the other said confiding: There's some people at the bank not to be trusted and we're doing a big investigation down there So she went to the bank they were going anyway so why couldn't she ride with them? and drew out her $30000 and rented a box and put in it the money and the envelope they had given her She started to leave but stopped a minute to chat with the policemen who had become friends See that distinguished man over there pretendidg to fill out a deposit slip they whispered pointing That's our chief He's in with us in the investigation He's just undercover She nodded By the way one of them said did you bring us the serial numbers from your money so we can make sure the bank doesn't mess around with it? Of course she hadnX but she didn't mind getting it out again him from the witness stand but said he sure was one of them Asst Atty Gen John Overton Jr used her identification and the identification of the prospective victim from Collierville in his prosecution But his biggest asset in the trial was Hopkins' fat fingerprint on the receipt which said from Officer Frank Woods Thirty Thousand Dollars for evidence in the Nelson bsnk case signed Chief Green" A jury this week sentenced Hopkins to 6 to 10 years in prison The jurors as the law allows in aggravated cases doubled the minimum sentence which means that Hopkins must wait twice as long about three years before he'll be eligible for parole We'll put it back in for you they said Being policemen they wouldn't have any trouble getting back into the box They gave her a receipt which they had slipped the chief for a signature while she was getting the money So it was another trick and this time the old woinan lost $30000 The envelope the men gave to her was still in her box but it contained cut-up newspaper not money She might have never seen the two men again had they not tried the same scam in Collierville a month later This time a smaller bank was Involved and a suspicious teller called real policemen in time for them to catch the two men The woman saw one of them John Henry Hopkins Jr 26 of Jackson Miss in Criminal Court last week She prayed for Charges against the other man are pending But there is a complication Out on bond he was shot in a poker game in Jack-son Miss in October and is now paralysed There is another part of the story Monday Overton will cite a little-used state law in asking the jury to order Hopkins to give the old woman's $30000 back to her This will get into the nature of a civil case and the woman if the jury issues the order will have to get a private lawyer to help her try to collect T'm just trying to help the old woman get her money back" Overton said "After someone has worked that hard for so long for her money 6 to 10 years is not enough Besides it's another way to make sure these men never come back to Shelby County" Authorities Fearing 3rd Man In Barrel Overton isn't optimistic about the wom-an'i chances of getting her money Collection would depend on somebody moving fast enough to catch any money or property Hopkins might have before he disposes of it that's unlikely The law Overton is counting on pertains only to losses from fraud and the like and the last case he could find in which it was used was 1964 In 1976 the Tennessee legislature approved an act in which each person convicted of a crime would be assessed $21 as costs with the money going into a fund to pay damages to victims or their survivors But this act provides funds only for victims of such violent crimes as murder rape or assault Vo-Tech Site Is Prepared At Messick A portion of Messick High School built in 1908 or 1909 is being demolished to make way for a new $l-million state-financed vocational-technical center on the Messick campus Messick was built as a county school and was annexed into Memphis in 1930 Several buildings have been added to the campus over the yearn The building being razed on the southwest corner of Spotts-wood and Greer had a sign over its doorway designating it as "Elizabeth Messick County High School" The building for many years housed the elementary grades at Messick but the elementary school was closed several years ago under the city's desegregation plan In more recent years Messick'i junior high grades had used the building However the junior high grades have been moved to another building on campus City school officials in 1977 attempted to che Messick junior and senior high as an economy move but residents of the area strongly protested NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorneys won a ruling in US Dist Judge Robert McRae'S court that Messick must be kept open under the desegregation plan The new vocational center will be the seventh in the city to be operated by the city school system under the state's com- 7- Staff Photo i vocational centers are open to both high school students and adults Workmen Tear Down Building On Messick Campus Application Is Filed For Sixth TV Station By LAWRENCE BUSER Authorities believe a Memphis man missing since May has met a fate similar to that of two men whose bullet-riddled bodies have been found stuffed into barrels in the past two weeks the apparent victims of a drug war officials said yesterday Marshall County Miss Sheriff Kenneth Smith said his office and Tennessee authorities will begin a search this morning in the Holly Springs area based on information that a third man was killed and the body disposed of in a barrel "They're coming down here to work on something with us" Smith said "It seems like this happened in Shelby County and they're just hauling the bodies out of there" Officials from Marshall County the Tennessee Bureau of Criminal Identification and from the Fayette County Tenn Sheriffs Department will examine the two barrels for clues as to where they were taken from and to determine what type barrel might contain a third body Authorities will be searching for the body of Michael Mathews 28 of Memphis an employe of Diesel Recon Inc who was reported missing June 2 and who was an acquaintance of at least one of the victims Relatives said yesterday they were expecting the worst "When I heard about those two men they found in barrels 1 thought lord my in there too'" said Mrs All-bie Rosebar the man's grandmother Suspension Of Fireman Is Sustained The lMay suspension of a fire private on charges stemming from the fire and police strike last August was upheld yesterday by the Civil Service Commission Fred Jones was the only one of eight firemen to appeal Mayor Wyeth -Chandler's decision in cases brought to him under a provision in the settlement that ended the strike Jones was charged with trespassing Fire officials said several picketing fire fighters broke into the fire station at Front and Union and a fire captain was knocked unconscious At the Civil Service Commission heap ing Jones maintained that he was not at the fire station at the time the Incident occurred Deputy Chief Arthur who was a captain at the time testified that Jones was standing to his left when he was struck from behind in the right side of his head Mason said he did not see the person who hit him Richard Fields attorney for Jones attempted to make the board believe that Jones was cited because of racial antagonisms between Mason and Jones Jones is black and Mason white Mason said during the heanng that once he had been officially reprimanded for calling Jones "boy" Orgmally Jones had been given a 56-hour suspension but since the Civil Sep vice Commission only hears cases involving a suspension of 10 days or more Chandler increased the suspension to allow Jones to appeal In addition to the lOday suspension Jones was placed on 6 months probation don't know what happened to him but I don't think they'll find him (alive) I'm afraid he's in a barrel too" She said her grandson knew Robert Lee Smith 38 whose body which had been shot at least six times was found in a 55-gallon barrel Feb 3 in Chewalla Creek near Holly Springs She said she did not know if Mathews was acquainted with the second victim Bobby Ray Lewis 25 whose body was found in the same type barrel Thursday in an unauthorized dumping area near Moscow Tenn An autopsy performed yesterday showed that Lewis had been shot nine times in the chest and back with a 22-caliber pistol Fayette County Sheriff Bill Kelley said the shooting probably occurred in November Lewis' watch had stopped on Saturday the fourth Nov 4 was the last date on which that would have occurred Smith is believed to have been killed within the same period The areas where the bodies were found are about 25 miles apart and authorities are speculating Mathews' body may be found in Marshall County "We have no new leads on the third one right now but his car was found in Memphis a number of months ago" said Map shall County Chief Investigator Dudley Walker "But I said the other day there's going to be a third body It's all connected with drugx" Smith bad a history of drug-related ap rests but family members said Lewis had only once been arrested on drug charges that stemming from an incident last year in which he was caught with five marijuana cigarets in his possession Family members said Mathews had never been involved in drug trafficking Mathews served 30 days at the Shelby County Penal Farm in 1968 on a larceny conviction officials said He was a 1968 -graduate ct Manassas High School Officials have been trying to locate Robert Bryant Scales 46 rf Memphis an associate of both victims and a former Mississippi resident who owns property a few miles from where Smith's body was discovered Scales too has a long string of drug convictions as well as a drug-related murder conviction in 1971 Lewis and Smith were partners as self-employed junked automobile dealers in Memphis relatives said A close friend of Lewis' said Lewis and Smith occasionally met with Scales but the friend did not know for what reason "All I know is they used to be together laid the friend "I saw him (Scales) about two weeks after Bobby was Lewis had worked in the cafeteria at Firestone Tire A Rubber Co for several years but had not held a full-time job since being laid off there last year He was last seen alive Nov 3 by his girl friend Rose Johnson who described Lewis and Smith as "best friends" 0 Patterson Funeral Home has charge of services for Lewis He leaves a son Marlon Lewis his mother Mrs Eddie Pearl Lewis two brothers Paul Lewis and Michael Lewis a stepbrother Melvin Lewis five sisters Miss Dorothy Ann Lewis Gloria Lewis Janice Lewis Alice Fsy Lewis and Sheila Lewis and his grandmother Mrs Orletter Hampton all of Memphis parts id Arkansas and Ninth Mississippi If permiisioa is granted Flinn will act as program director and Russell as general manager with a proposed staff of 18 pep Flinn said the group has been working on the plans for nine months and said he feels the city will support another television station "We surveyed a cross-section of citizens and community leaden They told us what they thought Memphis lacked in its pro gramming and that was local programming We found a nice hole and want to try to round it out The city has matured and changed a lot of its attitudes The city's first independent television station WFTY-TV began broadcasting last year on UHF Channel 24 Man Freed In Beating Case He said it takes the FCC a minimum id six months to respond to an application and it would take about three months to complete construction No other group has filed an application competing for the station The corporation's existing capital is listed as $5000 and Wilson has agreed in the FCC application to loan the group funds not to exceed $925000 for constructing and operating the station No repayment will be required the first 24 months and payments are to be spread over 5 years at 10 per cent interest The first-year operating cost is figured at $1016800 and the remaining $97900 is deferred credit for equipment supplies A federal jury yesterday acquitted a man charged with conspiring with two Tiller brothers to beat up an undercover agent in 1972 The jury returned the not-guilty verdict for Elvis Cleveland White 30 of 1229 Tutwiler White whose name is listed as Russell White in the indictment was accused of conspiracy and obstruction of justice in the tire-iron beating of Dudley Ted Mason Brothers George and Albert Tiller were tried and convicted of the charges in 1972 They were sentenced to 10 years each in prison Albert Tiller serving time at Memphis Federal Correctional Institution testified for the government in White's trial while George Tiller testified in behalf of the defendant The jury deliberated about 1 hour and 45 minutes before returning the not-guilty verdict to US Dist Judge Robert McRae Jr Navy Base Losing 119 Civilian Jobs By GERTHA COFFEE Another television station for Memphis area viewers could become a reality within a year An application for a construction permit has been filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by five primary stockholders of Memphis Thirty Inc to add a sixth station UHF Channel 30 to the Memphis market Four of the five are Memphians: Kern-mons Wilson founder of Holiday Inns Inc Dr George Flinn Jr a radiologist Russell minister emeritus of Second Presbyterian Church and Mrs Benjamin Hooks wife id the national director of the NAACP Flinn president of the organization said the fifth applicant Edward Taylor principal stockholder of Satellites Syndicates Systems in Tulsa Okla owns 10 per cent of the stock Wilson secretary and treasurer of the organization holds SO per cent Flinn holds 30 per cent Mrs Hooks holds 5 per cent and Russell Fllnn's father-in-law owns 5 per cent of the stock The group was incorporated in September 1978 "Our main emphasis will be toward local programming" Flinn said "We don't plan to try to compete against the education independent or network stations We want to focus on local civic affairs activities and sports We want to go after the Memphis image to develop a program to stir up local interest The programming will be supplemented with satellite-type sports and programming But basically we want local Tentative daily programming plans include 2 hours and 42 minutes of news to be aired during 5-minute news breaks 54 minutes of public information and 5 hours and 42 minutes id other broadcasting excluding sports snd entertainment The plans also call for a one-hour talk show tentatively named Memphis Talk to be aired twice a week The format is designed to include viewer phone-in Flinn said the station will be on the air a minimum of 12 hours daily but said officials hope it will become a 24-hour station The station and transmitter would be at Clark Tbwer at 5100 Poplar Flinn said the signals can be transmitted within a 50-mile radius and the coverage area will include Action Please Freni The Cwmmarciai Apptal WaiMwftn BurtM WASHINGTON The Navy Friday announced plans for a reduction in force at Memphis Naval Air Station at Millington that will eliminate 119 civilian positions from the base's 1900 civilian pay roll Spokesmen for the department said the specific positions will be announced beginning March 5 and the first of the positions will be eliminated 60 days later Tennessee members of Congress are growing more convinced they will have to wage a tough fight for funds to repair facilities at the sprawling base as insurance against possible closing Tennessee congressional leaders are to meet with Navy officials this morning at Millington where they are expected to ask whether the Navy is more than just considering relocation of its reserve air units from Memphis to another site Navy officials have said that since they are still considering possible expensive repairs no decision has been made as to the future of the base facilities They say a preliminary assessment of the economic impact has been made and if a decision to relocate the Naval Reserve air units is reached a thorough analysis of the community impact will be ordered Navy officials also can expect questioning today about planned civilian cutbacks at the base and the Naval Air Technical Training Center The Navy said Friday it will abolish 81 civilian positions at the base and 38 at the training center beginning next month Agnes Fite a public affairs official at the base said Friday night that about 40 of the 119 positions are vaunt positions that will be deleted She said persons filling the other positions "will have full transfer rights and reemployment opportunities so that the overall impact of this change will be cut to a minimum" She said the announced reduction in force "affects only 2 of our 23 different facilities none of the others are affected" The Tennessee delegation has been told that the barest construction costs for the bsse as a hedge against relocation would be $141 million This would include $72 million to upgrade the primary runway and $43 million for a hangar according to official Navy regulations Alexander Eyes Memphian For Mental Health Chief Spokesmen in the delegation uy privately that it appears more likely every day and they will know after today's meeting that they will be forced to at least seek the $141 million It is not coincidental that a spokesman for Rep Jamie Whitten (D-Miss) who is friendly to Tennessee aims will be at the meeting today As chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Whitten's support would be essential to get the appropriations bill cleared to the House floor Navy officials have scaled down a previously estimated $28 million long-term expenditure given to Tennessee members of Congress last year The Navy said recently that because of the magnitude ($28 million) of the repairs it hu been considering relocation of the Naval Reserve air units to another site to avoid the expensive repair and construction costs They have now agreed a bare cost for repairs would be $141 million But Tennessee officials think the relocation costs might prove expensive and they're prepared today to raise that point with Ev Pyatt the deputy assistant secretary for legislation Of the 81 NAS positions to be eliminated 50 positions wiU be terminated no later than May 4 with notices issued March 5 The other 31 positions will be abolished through attrition Of the 38 training center positions to be abolished 33 will be through terminations no later than May 4 the Navy uid The other 5 will be through attrition Navy officials said the civilian reductions at both units wu because of "workload changu and efforts to increase efficiency" Mrs Fite uid all the reductions allow 60 days from the date of notification to the effective date "During that time and even prior to that our personnel officials will be seeking other positions for those affected This will not only Include positions on the base but possibly some in the private sector The Navy hu also uid that while it is continuing to evaluate continuation of air operations at the base it hu no plans to diminish the technical training functions The fiscal 1980 budget contains no construction funds for the Millington base That means the base will be competing with projects at other locations the Navy has said and decisions on future spending at bases have not been made Paid-In-Full Agreement For Funeral Sent (ft Gov Lamar Alexander is considering a Memphis physician who formerly headed Arlington Developmental Center to join his cabinet as state commissioner of mental health Alexander'i temporary commissioner Dr Richard Treadway has discussed the possible appointment with Dr James Brown Jr associate medical director at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Univer- siiy of Tennessee Center for the Health Science! The governor's office confirmed yesterday that Brown is a strong candidate for the post Treadway succeeded Dr Harold Jordan of Nashville in the top mental health slot but agreed to serve only until March I Brown became superintendent id the Arlington facility in 1969 when the late Gov Buford Ellington was in office and continued in the job after Treadway became commissioner during the administration of former Gov Winfield Dunn Brown resigned in 1973 to return to private practice and the university During his term at Arlington Brown was praised by state mental health officials and legislators for his operation of the institution and his handling of child abuse problems during an investigation in 1971 He has served as a consultant to the state since returning to the university Brown said yesterday he has been talking to the Alexander administration about the job but "to date there is no (job) offer "I would be interested in considering it 1 i am pretty interested and involved in it (mental health) I think the job certainly 1 am having a problem with New Park Cemetery I have been trying to get a statement or deed showing that I have paid for a funeral and lot It was paid out in Dec 1977 with a coupon book from National Bank of Commerce All I have for proof are stubs from the coupon books I have called several times trying to get a deed AH I have received are promises I want a document I hope you can get some results -Mrs Memphis A Mandelman with New Park Cemetery Inc said you were issued a deed on Oct 30 1974 for two cemetery plots at New Park Since then you signed another contract which provided for complete funeral services Mandelman apologized for the delay in sending you a paid-in-full agreement for the funeral services He said one has now been sent On Jan 1 1 sold a car and was given a personal check On Jan 4 1 deposited the check into my account at Commercial Industrial Bank I was then told that since the check wu on an out of town bank and over the amount of money in my checking account the check would be sent through Central Collections and I would be charged a $3 service fee Then on Jan 11 1 wu notified that the check had gone through and been credited to my account 1 wu also told that in addition to the $3 Chi charge National Bank of Commerce in Aberdeen Miss wu also charging $1 My bank would not answer why I wu being charged twice This is petty I know but it's infuriating Graham Memphis Twila Wood Chi assistant vice president said when a check such yours is entered for collection it requires special handling that Is covered by the $3 fee The bankonwhichthe check is drawn National Bank of Commerce in this caw wu required to check to make sure there were sufficient funds to cover the check and then mail a cashier's check payable to Chi for credit to your account NBC in Aberdeen also charges $3 for that service I ordered a diamond from Gem Collectors International Ltd in Freeport N- The ad said to take the stone to a jeweler and have it appraised When I did the jeweler said the diamand wu not what the advert iiement said I returned the stone asking for the cheerfully refunded money mentioned in the ad I am nnhappy and ask your help in getting the refund that hu not been forthcoming Enclosed is a copy of all my correspondence with the firm Joyner Memphis Ruth Green with Gem Collect on said a full refund of $32 is being processed and you should receive it shortly Action Please invites written questions snd complaints of all kinds The name address and telephone number of each correspondent must be known to The Commercial Appeal but will be kept confidential upon request Address all letters to Action Please in care of The Commercial Appeal 4 VS Union Memphis 38101 Dr James Brown Jr is a big challenge and a big opportunity And I would want to consider it very carefully and very seriously" Brown received his medical degree from UT in 1954 and served his internship at Confederate Memorial Hospital in Shreveport La and his pediatric residency at the UT department of pediatrics Since his temporary appointment last month Treadway has been assisting Alexander in the search for a new commissioner Until recently Dr Earl Ninow former superintendent of Western Mental Health Institute in Bolivar was a strong candidate for the commissioner's position How-everNmow has withdrawn his name from consideration.