Oklahoma City Times (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 88, No. 117, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 7, 1977 Page: 1 of 82
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V
Abducted taxi driver tentatively identified
Purcell
body believed found
I
rural areas for additional clues.
converged on the scene.
I
Boren battles
bulges again
Oklahoma
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Prison fire
kills five
■<
. . . Aad takes it off.
Chinese pilot defects
with defense secrets
weorheR
Tests of neutron
Two murder charges
i
bomb revealed
whorsNsce
filed
fire deaths
in
I
Sooner breaks
British record
I
The Newcastle suspect was bare-
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7
I
Gov. Boren puts it on . . .
I
The responses from the three FBI
officers coordinating the futile
search are much the same.
As of today two Arkansas men are
dead and another wounded, two eld-
erly Louisiana fishermen are miss-
ing and feared dead, a Purcell man
is missing, and a string of lesser
crimes have been committed.
Special Judge Creston B. William-
son ordered Moore held in lieu of
$300,000 bond, as recommended by
Oklahoma County Dist. Atty. An-
drew M. Coats.
Newton said Wendling made the
discovery after stopping along the
dirt road to check the source of a
rank odor.
By Mike Ward
DIBBLE — A badly decomposed
body feared by authorities to be that
of missing Purcell cab driver James
Melvin Short was discovered today
alongside a weed-lined county road
seven miles west of here.
• No firm identification had been
made on the body by early this aft-
ernoon, as federal, state and local
investigators combed surrounding
By Jim Young
Oklahoma's best known profile
has gone back into training, but
his handlers deny Gov. David
Boren's new physical fitness pro-
Howe ver, authorities said clothing
found at the scene is the same as
Short was described as wearing
when he disappeared.
Short, 40, was last seen alive about
11 a.m. last Friday when he went to
pick up a fare In northwest Purcell.
Officers believed he was abducted
by two Oklahoma State Penitentiary
The Defense Ministry spokesman
said Fan took off from the Chintsian
military air field in Fukien Prov-
ince, crossed the Formosa Strait and
landed at Tainan, in southwest Tai-
(See PILOT—Page 2)
escapees who are charged with two
slayings in Arkansas and suspected
of three others in Louisiana since
they broke out in mid-June. Short
would be the sixth victim of fleeing
convicts.
■ Being sought on a variety of feder-
al and state warrams are Earl Van
Denton, 27, Paul Ruiz, 29. and Elmer
Finin, 85. Finln Is being sought for
interstate flight to avoid prosecution,
while Denton and Ruiz are warned
for the same offense and the mur-
ders of an Arkansas town marshal
and a Corps of Engineer ranger on
June 29 at Magazine, Ark.
"I have no idea why they'd do it,”
said John Kelly, special agent in
charge for Arkansas about the eratic
travel.
Michael Creston Moore, 19, today
was arraigned in Oklahoma County
District Court on two chargee of sec-
ond-degree murder in the fiery
deaths Wednesday of two young chil-
dren.
The young defendant spoke only
once in an almost inaudible husky
voice when he gave the judge his
age as 19.
But the puzzling thing authorities
are grappling with is why the men.
all serving life terms, would travel
more than 600 miles to near New Or-
leans. La., then return to Purcell by
way of another 800 mile excursion
Tomiano said toxic fumes from fi-
berglass paneling spread throughout
the cellblock in the Danbury facility.
U
12-18
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84-48
outdated by the MIG21 and M1G25.
But military sources said he brought
documents concerning Chinese
coastal military installations and
other defense information.
People in Taiwan welcomed news
of Fan's defection. Some said they
considered it ironic in light of U.S.
President Carter's decision to seek
the normalization of relations with
Communist China.
TURNBERRY, Scotland — One-
putting 13 greens, Mark Hayes, the
U3. Tournament Players golf cham-
pion from Oklahoma City, broke the
British Open record for a single
round today with a seven-under-par
63 over the calm Alisa links.
His erratic first-day 76 gives him a
36-hole total of 139, well up among
the leaders. The previous record for
one round in this 117-year-old cham-
pionship was 65. Details, Page 23.
caped killer Earl Van Denton, 27,
and convicted armed robber Paul
Ruiz, 29.
Grady County Assistant Dist. Atty.
Mike Chaffin, 30, said although oo
definite cause of death has been de-
termined, authorities tentatively be-
lieve the dead man was shot to death
either in the fare or upper chest
(Nee BODY—Page 21
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DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Fire
swept through a three-story cell-
block at the federal medium security
prison here early today, killing five
inmates and injuring about 66.
Danbury Fire Marshal Fred Tomi-
ano said the blaze was "very likely”
set intentionally by igniting clothes
in a washroom. But Inmates who
were housed in the damaged dormi-
tory denied that the fire was set and
attributed the blaze to an electrical
wiring problem.
The fire broke out about 1:30 a.m.
and was brought under control at
2:50 a.m. It came less than two
weeks after a fire in the Maury
County Jail in Columbia, Tenn.
Cyanlde-laced smoke from the plas-
tic padding used in one of the cells
killed 42 persons in that blase. A 16-
year-old runaway has been charged
with arson.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Unit-
ed States has conducted under-
ground tests in Nevada with the neu-
tron bomb, a government spokes-
man said today.
•It's a matter of procedure that
weapons are tested before produc-
tion.” »a»d a spokesman for the En-
ergy Research and Development Ad-
ministration.
gram has anything to do with the
big fight next year.
The governor has started going
back to the Oklahoma Qty YMCA
two or three times a week where
he Jogs, does calisthenics and
takes steam treatment in an ef-
fort to shed some pounds. Usual-
ly, he makes his calls at the gym
dpring the early morning hours.
Rob Pyron, the governor's
press secretary, said the training
routine has nothing to do with
Boren's plans for next year's
election when he will either run
for re-election or for the U.S.
Senate.
The ERDA spokesman said the
neutron bomb, known as the en-
hanced radiation warhead, "Is under
development now. Nuclear weapons
are tested In the development stage
t>efore they go into production."
He declined to say when testing
began, how often the weapon has
been tested or the results. He said
the tests have been conducted under
treaties requiring that nuclear tests
be conducted underground and that
no radiation escape.
President Carter has not made a
decision on whether to produce the
neutron bomb. But he has asked
Congress to approve production
funds to provide him with flexibility
In reaching a decision.
dkiauoma city TIMES
J-UlirBUay CvCmn^ —■■ - ■ - July 7, 1977 c-sw. corrV*. irn. th. owsSo-. c*.
By James Johnson
footed and wore blue jail coveralls
which exposed a small tattoo on his
left wrist, a shield and arrow, the bi-
ological symbol for masculinity.
He was taken to the Oklahoma
County Jail immediately after the
brief arraignment hearing.
Williamson set a preliminary hear-
ing for 9 a.m. Sept. 8 before Special
Judge Paul Dudley.
The seeond-degree murder
charges were filed just minutes be- <<
fore the hearing after Coats and
James R. McKinney, his first assist-
ant, conferred in a lengthy session
(Nee SUSPECT—Page 2)
Investigators said the body was
unrecognizable and had apparently
been lying on Its side about 15 feet
west of the county road for five to
seven days.
The discovery site is about 150 feet
south of SH 39 slicing between Pur-
cell and Chickasha, which had been
the focal point of the search for es-
"Right now that is what we are
trying to figure out. I wish I knew
what they were doing down there
(Louisiana), because that might
shed some light on where they are
now,” Kelly said.
Missing in Louisiana are Alton Wil-
son, 66, and Ray Jones Sr., 65. The
Frank!ington. La . residents were re-
ported missing the night of June 28.
The Washington Parrish sheriffs
office reported that the Bogue Chou-
teau River that flows through the
(Nee TRAIL—Page 2)
This Is the trail of the suspected killer fugitives as pieced together by
investigators.
ActleaUwe
Bridge
Business News
Classified Section
Comics
Deaths
Our Times
TV Log
Vite) Statistics
Women's News
60 PAGES
VOL. LX XXVIII. NO. 117
2C2,3S2
Morning-Eventag
Dally Paid (Yrculatton
Average for Last Week
"He always tries to be on an
exercise program," Pyron said.
"He just started back. During "
the legislative session he has
been unable to maintain the
schedule he would Ike.”
Boren's aide said because of
the governor's busy schedule his
exercise sessions are irregular,
gym when he
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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A squad-
ron commander in the Chinese Com-
munist air force flew his MIG19 jet
fighter to Taiwan today and asked
for political asylum, a spokesman
for the Nationalist Chinese Defense
Ministry announced
The defector, 41-year-old Fan
Yuan-yen, was quoted by the Spokes-
man as saying there "are no human
rights at all on the mainland" and
broadcasts about people enjoying
such rights in Taiwan reinforced his
decision to defect. Informed sources
said he would be rewarded with
about $700,000 worth of gold.
Fan's plane is no prize for Western
intelligence officers since it has been
Grady County Undersheriff Don
Newton said tne body was found
about 8:10 a.m. by nearby farmer
Ed Wendling.
Yet another slaying is being
probed by Louisiana authorities to-
day for any connection to the three-
state crime wave that has enlarged
nearly every day since the June 23
escape from the Oklahoma Slats
Penitentiary.
However, the cause of the deaths
was not immediately known and au-
topsies were scheduled for later in
the day.
Acting Warden Anthony Young
praised the Inmates for helping to
get prisoners out of the cells.
"The Inmates did a terrific job. I
tell you, we would have lost a lot
more lives," Young said.
The prison, designed to hold 500 in-
mates, had 839 prisoners, he said.
About 80 inmates were In the cell-
block at the time of the fire.
Several inmates said they were
trapped inside the burning, smoking
room for up to 30 minutes because
(Bee PRISON—Page 2)
but he goes to
can.
. "Traditionally, he tries to lose
weight in the summer,** Pyron
noted.
In addition to the "Y” visits,
Boren likes to get out on his bicy-
cle and ride around the Capitol
complex.
Boren has a constant battle
with a weight problem and he at-
tacks this problem during the
legislative sessions by following
(See BOREN—Page 2)
The neutron bomb, which is de-
signed to kill people with massive
doses of radiation while leaving
moot buildings intact, is designed as
a warhead for the Lance missile,
which now carries conventional nu-
clear warheads.
The Pentagon is seeking funds to
put the neutron bomb into produc-
tion. f
Purselte»a^a<
AAl a
McAlester**^
man’s
r
Wendling notified Grady County
sheriffs deputies and within an hour
representatives of the Oklahoma
Highway Patrol. Oklahoma State,
Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation and the Mc-
Clain County Sheriffs Office had
Local: Fair to partly eioudy
through Friday. Lows tonight 70s:
highs Friday mid-90s. (Details.
Page $2.)
Bloody trail of kill-crazy
fugitives baffles officers
By Jim East
PURCELL — From the eastern tip
of Louisiana to Oklahoma City, au-
thorities admitted today they are
baffled why three state escapees
would flee 600 miles away from
Oklahoma and then apparently re-
turn herenine days later.
In addition to finding some reason
for the backtracking, the same offi-
cials must deal with the bloody trail
of killing and abduction at least two
of the wanted criminals have left be-
hind.
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Standard, Jim. Oklahoma City Times (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 88, No. 117, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 7, 1977, newspaper, July 7, 1977; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1797862/m1/1/: accessed June 21, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.