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St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 2
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 2

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Ci JUL 71983 In Brief 3A July 7, 1 983 illinois thursday Bite Marks Linked To Murder the kind of spacing between the upper, front teeth that Prante had. The dentist said he had seen only about 15 similar patterns among the 6,000 to 7,000 patients he has treated. He estimated the frequency of that spacing at "less than 1 percent." Dr. Lowell Levine of New York, a nationally known forensic dentist, testified earlier Wednesday that Prante's teeth could have made th bite mark found on Miss Brown's neck. Dr.

Levine called the teeth "consistent" with the mark and said he based opinion on the spacing between Prante's teeth. Dr. Levine said he had a picture of Miss Brown's body that showed the bite mark near collar bone enlarged by a photographic expert in New York. The doctor said the picture did not allow him to analyze the individual charateristics of the teeth that had made the mark. He used a cast of Prante's teeth and made impression of the cast in wax to compare to mark in the picture.

After examining casts of the teeth of two other men questioned by police, Levine said the others could not have made the mark. One of those men was Paul Main who lived next door to Miss Brown. Witnesses have said Main and Prante drank beer and smoked marijuana on Main's porch the day of the killing. Main confirmed that, also telling police that Prante had disappeared. during the time police believe Miss Brown was killed.

But Main later recanted his statements to police and was charged with obstructing justice. Weber asked Dr. Levine to choose between the teeth of Main and Prante as the ones that mide the mark. "If you're saying they are the only two people in the world who could have done it, I would have to say it had to be left by Mr. Prante," Dr.

Levine said. Under cross-examination by Hawkins, Dr. Levine said that 10 years ago experts in the field did not believe that human skin reproduced bite marks very well. But the doctor testified that experience since then has By Charles Bosworth Jr. Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Testimony from a forensic dentist and a dentist who once treated John N.

Prante combined Wednesday to indicate that fewer than percent of the population has teeth like Prante and that his teeth could have left the bite mark found on Karla Brown's body. The witnesses were the last presented by Madison County State's Attorney Don Weber before he rested his case in the murder trial of Prante, 33, of East Alton. Prante is charged with beating and strangling Miss Brown, 22, at her home in Wood River on June 21, 1978. If he is convicted, Weber will seek the death penalty. Assistant Public Defender Neil Hawkins, Prante's attorney, planned to begin his defense case this afternoon in Madison County Circuit Court in East Alton.

Prosecutors took seven days for their case. Dr. Ronald G. Mullen of East Alton testified Wednesday that he pulled a lower tooth for Prante in 1980 and rarely had seen 'tv .4 -rt 1 i 7 his her an the bd Ik Black Clergy Seek To Draft Jackson As Party Nominee A group of black religious leaders from across the nation meeting in East St. Louis has inaugurated a national petition drive to draft the Rev.

Jesse Jackson as a Democratic candidate for the presidency next year. The ad hoc Voluntary Clergy Committee 112 representatives from 24 states overwhelmingly approved a resolution Wednesday to draft Jackson, according to the group's spokesman, Bishop H.H. Brookins of Los Angeles. A three-page manifesto distributed at the meeting reads, "We are convinced that Reverend Jackson can revive the spirit of hope in the nation." According to the manifesto, the committee evolved from a group of black ministers who supported the proposition that "a Democrat who happens to be black should seek the Democratic Party's nomination in 1984." "We support that proposition," the manifesto says. "We do not support a third-party candidacy, a protest candidacy or a symbolic candidacy." In the manifesto, the committee promises to gather 1 million signatures supporting Jackson's candidacy, to raise enough money in enough states to qualify for federal matching campaign money and to expand Jackson's constituency to include "Protestants, Catholics and Jews; native Americans, Irish, Poles in short, all people who share our concerns." Brookins heads the 5th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

He said the committee had been formed by leaders of five major black churches. Jackson had neither approved nor participated in the meetings, he said. Comptroller Roland Burris Hints Of Race For Senate SPRINGFIELD, 111. (AP) -Comptroller Roland W. Burris, the first black elected to statewide office in Illinois, plans to reveal next week whether he will seek the 1984 Democratic nomination for the U.S.

Senate. While stopping a few paces shy of saying he'll be a candidate, Burris left little doubt in an interview Wednesday that he will run for the seat now held by three-term Republican Sen. Charles H. Percy. Burris set up an exploratory committee in mid-May to assess his chances in next year's primary.

The results apparently have persuaded him to run, despite the expected entrance of U.S. Rep. Paul Simon into the race for the nomination later this month. Burris was the largest vote-getter in last fall's statewide elections. More than 2.3 million votes were cast for him.

Gibson City, 111., Firm Gets $4.4 Million Army Contract GIBSON CITY, 111. (AP) A $4.4 million Defense Department contract has been awarded to Baillie Manufacturing Co. here to build 201 missile vans. "It's exciting for us," Duane Baillie, president of the firm, said Wednesday. "We're hoping we'll continue to get contracts after this one expires." The contract calls for Baillie to build two prototypes of the 6-ton, two-wheel electronic vans for the Army's Tank and Automotive Command at Warren, Mich.

Then the company will build 199 more for the Pershing, Patriot and Tac-fire missile systems. Baillie expects the number of workers at the firm to increase to 60 or 70 from nine because of the contract. Applications for the new jobs have been coming in since the company asked the city for help in getting a state grant in March. The contract involves a financial package developed for Baillie by the Small Business Administration, the state Commerce and Community Affairs Department, Gibson City and the Army, according to Phil Ramos, branch manager for the Small Business Administration in Springfield, III. Baillie said the defense work would be done with existing facilities.

Gibson City is in east-central Illinois, about 20 miles north of Champaign-Urbana. City Seeking To Boost Rating For Its Bonds A group of city officials will travel to New York City Monday to try to improve the city's bond rating. Comptroller Paul M. Berra said the trip was designed to give executives of bond rating services a more accurate picture of the city's financial condition. Last week, the Board of Aldermen approved a bill permitting the city to issue $30 million in tax anticipation warrants to cover the city's cash-flow problems.

Thomas Boozo, fiscal manager in the comptroller's office, said the largest rating services Moody's and Standard Poors had given the city a BAA-1 ating for its general obligation bonds. '0." titr ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH Suspect proved that skin is an excellent medium for showing the individual characteristics of teeth. Dr. Levine's opinions in the case agree with that of another expert forensic dentist who testified Tuesday.

Dr. Homer R. Campbell Jr. of Albuquerque, N.M., also concluded that Prante's teeth could have left the mark because of the spacing. Dr.

Campbell was the first man to notice the bite marks. He was asked in 1980 to look at pictures of Miss Brown's body to see if he could provide any additional information about the wounds to her face. Before he recognized the bruises on her neck as bite marks, police were unaware that was what had caused them. Dr. Campbell also testified that the cuts to Miss Brown's forehead and chin were made by the base of a folding television tray stand.

Dr. Levine and Dr. Campbell also testified as experts in the murder trial of Theodore Bundy, who was convicted in Florida of the killings of two women in 1978 and a child in 1979. Odell Mitchell Jr.Post-Dispatch night at a meeting of Blues fans organized by Dr. Mohammed A.

Kabir, a psychiatrist who is trying to arouse public support for keeping professional hockey in St. Louis. About 45 people showed up at Dr. Kabir's offices at 10000 Watson Road. Meanwhile, Ornest arrived Wednesday in St.

Louis, and said he was "progressing nicely" toward assembling his own consortium to buy the Blues. In a telephone interview from his hotel, Ornest declined to discuss his planned activities here or to identify any of his investors. But he said he intended to stay in St. Louis "until this is resolved, one way or another." On June 7, Ornest offered Ralston Purina $3 million in cash and a $5 million note for the Blues. He would not say whether his offer to the league would be for the same amount.

Ornest said he hoped to have an announcement about his venture next week. Fans who want to take part in Dr. Kabir's campaign can call 821-3962. over there and check him out when I heard a man scream," Herweck said. "Then I saw that he had a girl by the arm, and she was trying to get away from him." Herweck shined his car's spotlight on the couple; the man let her go and ran to an automobile parked behind a trailer.

Herweck recognized the car from the description that had been broadcast 11 minutes earlier. He was radioing his dispatcher for assistance when the car began moving. "The car began coming at me with its lights off," Herweck said. "It looked like they might be trying to run me down. I saw someone in the back seat with an object that looked like a pistol." The young woman was nude and hysterical, he said.

Herweck gave her his coat, calmed her down and called his dispatcher, asking him to notify police. St. Louis Policeman Emil Sheldon noticed the suspects' car when the vehicle passed his patrol which was parked on the Poplar Street Bridge. He chased the car to U.S. Highway 40 near Jefferson Avenue, where the vehicle was stopped.

Herweck, the father of three children, has worked for Terminal Railroad for 15 years. He has rescued his share of people threatening to jump from bridges, but he added, "This is the first time I've gotten involved in anything like a rape. I didn't think that much about it. I was just doing what I'm being paid to do." 1 James W. Drese, a lawyer representing Sports of the Save The Blues Action Group.

Drese said partnership shares for $50,000 each to raise Equities speaking Wednesday at a meeting he represented a group that is sellling limited money to buy the Blues hockey franchise. fCrapshooters' May Make Offer To Buy Blues would be less than that of his potential rival for the Blues, Henry Ornest of Beverly Hills, Calif. But Drese said he thought that the local makeup of his group would be more attractive to the National Hockey League. But Drese refused to identify any of his investors. He did say that they are "entrepeneurs" and "non-establishment" types.

Some professional athletes are included, along with local doctors, lawyers and corporate executives, Drese said. He said the largest single investor had bought three shares. Drese said his group would have enough money to survive modest losses for the first two seasons of ownership. Eventually, he expects the franchise to double in value, he said. The profit margin of the franchise would be bolstered by paring down the staff, and by promoting a fatter television contract, Drese said.

The franchise has been netting only about $350,000 a year from television about By Dennis Hannon Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Lawyer James W. Drese of St. Louis says he and a consortium of investors he calls "a group of crapshooters" are going to offer the National Hockey League $5 million for the St. Louis Blues hockey franchise. The offer will be made Monday, Drese said Wednesday night.

Drese, who is an agent and lawyer for several professional football players, is putting together a partnership he calls Sports Equities Corp. The company is offering 100 shares of the Blues at $50,000 each. Drese said about a quarter of the shares had been sold, and an additional eight or so firm pledges were in hand. He said he hoped to have half of them sold in time to make a $1 million to $2 million cash down payment on the team later this month. The balance of the purchase price would be paid off over the next two hockey seasons, he said.

Drese acknowledged that his offer likely one-tenth the figure of some other National Hockey League teams, he said. The NHL Board of Governors is expected to decide the fate of the Blues at a meeting scheduled for July 21 at an unannounced site, possibly Chicago. Bids are to be submitted in the meantime to the league's headquarters in New York City. The NHL assumed control of the Blues last month, when Ralston Purina Co. tendered the franchise to the league after cancellation of the company's proposal to sell the team to a group in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Ralston Purina has filed a $60 million damage suit against the league for vetoing the sale; two countersuits each seeking $78 million in damages from Ralston Purina have been filed by the NHL and 17 NHL teams. League officials have said they would like to see any bids for the franchise by Sunday, Drese acknowledged. The word "deadline" is no longer being used, he said. Drese announced his plans Wednesday Up Officer Last of 4 Menard Escapees Gives Doing What Vm Paid To Do' Saves Abducted Woman terms of 60 years for one murder, 40 years for another and seven years for robbery. Peter Johnson, 23, who had been serving a 30-year sentence for armed robbery, was found on a riverbank on Sunday about a mile from Menard.

Two other escapees were captured later in the day. Gregory Guy Rhodes, 18, who had been serving 60 years for murder, was caught about three miles north of the prison, and Richard Toth, 23, serving life for murder, was taken about l'j miles south of Menard, authorities said. Corrections Department spokesman Nic Howell said the four inmates had escaped by sawing through window bars in the wall of the prison, the largest in Illinois with 2,600 inmates. Howell said the escape apparently had been planned for some time and that the inmates might nave been sawing through the bars for several days. Lane said "vigorous prosecution" of the escapees would be pursued.

He said the prison would return to "full normal activities" today. The prison had been on less than full deadlock since Sunday so that more personnel could be devoted to the manhunt, he said. CHESTER, 111. (AP) The last of four prisoners who escaped from the Menard Correctional Center at Chester last weekend has surrendered to authorities about two miles from the prison, authorities said. Donald E.

Groth, 26, a convicted murderer from Springfield, 111., walked out of a wooded area near Chester and surrendered about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, several hours after tear gas was dropped into the woods from a helicopter, said Michael P. Lane, Illinois corrections director. Groth had been spotted Tuesday night, and authorities immediately sealed off the two-mile area on the edge of town, Lane said. Chester is about 50 miles southeast of St.

Louis. Several hours after the tear gas was dropped, Groth "came out of the woods and approached officers and turned himself in," Lane said. He said Groth was taken back to the maximum-security prison to be placed in a segregation cell along with the other three escapees, who were recaptured within a day after Saturday night's breakout. Lane said all four escapees had been considered dangerous. He said Groth had been serving prison "I was just doing what I'm being paid to do" says a railroad security officer who rescued a woman from a rape attempt by four men in East St.

Louis. The officer, Arthur Herweck, 36, who works for Terminal Railroad Association, was nearly run down by the suspects' car after he interrupted the rape attempt early Wednesday. The woman, 18, lives in St. Louis; she had been kidnapped at gunpoint from Laclede's Landing and taken across the Eads Bridge. The suspects were later arrested after returning to Missouri over the Poplar Street Bridge.

They were charged Wednesday in state and federal warrants with kidnapping. The suspects also are charged with attempted rape. They are Bryant Jones, 20, of the 4200 block of St. Louis Avenue; Curtis Young, 21, of the 1900 block of Belle Glade Avenue; Erick Mitchell, 19, of the 4100 block of St. Louis Avenue; and Donnis Humphrey, 20, of the 4300 block of Lexington Avenue.

Herweck interrupted the rape attempt minutes after he got a radio message from his dispatcher alerting him to the girl's abduction. The dispatcher also gave him a description of the car, Herweck's car was parked near the old Terminal Railroad building at the eastern edge of the Eads Bridge, which the company owns, when the officer saw a man standing nearby. "I didn't know what he was doing there, and I was about to go Mother Of 11 Fire Victims May Get 2 Sons Lottery Number The winning number drawn Wednesday in the Illinois Lottery Daily Game was 419. Corrections psychiatrist in St. Louis, had recommended psychotherapy for Ms.

Williams. No timetable was set for a hearing on Ms. Williams' progress in the counseling. Don Schlosser, chief of communications for the Children and Family Services Department, says the department cannot support returning the boys to Ms. Williams' custody.

He also" said the department would have no legal authority to supervise Ms. Williams' care of her infant after its birth. A caseworker, though, who is to visit Ms. Williams periodically to see whether she is capable of reassuming custody of her sons can report any problems, he said. After the fire in January 1981 that killed 11 of her 12 children, Ms.

Williams was placed on a year's probation for one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor by neglect. The children killed by the blaze ranged in age from 10 months to 11 years. A 13-year-old daughter had been staying with relatives in Mississippi. A judge has ruled that Virginia Williams, the mother of 11 children who were killed in 1981 in a fire while left unattended, could regain custody of two sons born since the fire. The boys were taken into state custody last October after a social worker said she had found the boys alone when she visited the Williams home in East St.

Louis in September. On Wednesday, Judge Milton Wharton of St. Clair County Circuit Court ruled that the state must return the boys to Ms. Williams if she successfully underwent psychiatric counseling. Ms.

Williams, 31, who again is pregnant, cried a bit during the hearing. Judge Wharton reviewed reports submitted by two doctors who had evaluated Ms. Williams at the request of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. In a telephone interview after the hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Lisa Franke said i that Bernice Collins, a psychologist St. Mary's 'Hospital in East St.

Louis, and Dr. Cengiz Sumer, a Jesse R. Bourbon, 35, of Cedar Hill, has been charged with driving while intoxicated and driving without a license as a result of fatal accident Sunday night on Highway 21, nine miles north of Potosi. The Highway Patrol reported that Bourbon was the driver of a southbound pickup truck that crossed the center line and struck a motorcycle ridden by Wesley D. Petty, 28, of Fletcher, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Associated Press reported erroneously that the accident had occurred on a blind curve on a gravel road..

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