Banner Graphic, Volume 12, Number 87, Greencastle, Putnam County, 18 December 1981 — Page 1
Don't forget Greencastle Bucks drawing, 2 p.m. Sat.
Vlinnick's trial date expected from hearing
By BECKY ICO Banner-Graphic Area News Editor There is a strong possibility the trial date for 18-year-old suspected murderer William Arthur Minnick will be scheduled during a special omnibus hearing Monday afternoon is Clay Circuit Court, Brazil. The hearing will be conducted by Clay Circuit Court Judge Ernest Yelton. All preliminary motions and discovery deadlines are also expected to be established. TERRE HAUTE ATTORNEY Woodrow Nasser, Minnick's private counsel, will naturally be at the hearing, in addition to Putnam County Prosecutor Del Brewer who is seeking the death penalty in the case. Charges against Minnick stem from the murder of 24-year-old Martha R. Payne. The woman was attacked at her 9 S. Locust St., Greencastle, home on Oct. 26. Autopsy reports show the cause of death as being from a single stab wound. Minnick, 1011 Avenue F, Greencastle, was questioned and later arrested by police when he admitted being inside the Payne home the day of the murder, but denies the slaying. HE IS CHARGED WITH murder, robbery and unlawful deviate sexual conduct, pleading not guilty to all three counts at an earlier arraignment in Putnam Circuit Court before Putnam Circuit Court Judge William C. Vaughn. Minnick has also been charged with counts of escape after he fled from the Putnam County Jail on Dec. 6. Using a book to unlatch the cell, the suspect walked to his stepparents’ home almost a mile away, taking the couple’s station wagon. Driving to the Belle Union area, Minnick was appreherded by Indiana State
Neal murder trial slated to begin Jan. 4 in Dixon, 111.
By ERIC BERNSEE Banner-Graphic Managing Editor DIXON, ILL.-A former Putnam County man, charged with murdering his wife, is tentatively scheduled for trial Jan. 4 in Lee Circuit Court at Dixon. JOHN CARROLL NEAL, 38, has been examined by two defense-chosen psychiatrists since the Thanksgiving holiday, according to sources in Dixon. His attorney, Rolfe Ehrmann of Dixon, has not yet, however, filed a motion to introduce an insanity defense. Should the defense introduce the in-
Crawfordsville's State Employment office seeking job-seekers
CRAWFORDSVILLE-- “Employers looking for workers with skills in demand are reminded that we have such people registered for employment at our office,” said Lois Hamilton, manager of the Indiana State Employment Service regional office at 127 West Pike St., Crawfordsville. Hamilton explained that many highly skilled workers have either been laid off or
Zero hour Chance for snow flurries, decreasing clouds and very cold. Low around zero. Saturday partly sunny and quite cold. High in the upper teens and low 20s. Chance of measurable snow less than 20 per cent. Indiana Extended Forecast Generally dry Sunday through Tuesday, gradual warming towards Tuesday. Lows in the teens Sunday, warming into the upper 20s and 30s by Tuesday. Highs in the 30s Sunday, warming into the upper 30s north and low 50s south by Tuesday. Abby A 4 Calendar A 4 Classifieds AIO.AII Comics A 5 Crossword AlO Heloise A 4 Horoscope All Obituaries Al 2 People A 5 Sports AB.A9 TV A 5 Theaters Al 2
ISannerGraphic Putnam County, Friday, December 18, 1981, Vol. 12 No. 87 20 Cents
Trooper Wiley Mimms, after the suspect crashed into the officer’s patrol car, while eluding a roadblock established by Det. Jack Hanlon of the Indiana State Police. THE FOLLOWING DAY, Minnick appeared at a Putnam Circuit Court hearing as his defense counsel sought to have the murder trial venued to another county. After hearing several testimonies at the allday hearing. Judge Vaughn granted the change, requesting the defense and prosecution determine the trial’s location. Nasser and Brewer, striking from a list of six counties provided by the court, selected Clay Circuit Court. It still is uncertain whether the escape charges will also be transferred to Clay County. There is a possibility that decision will also be made at Monday’s omnibus hearing with Yelton, Nasser and Brewer. IF NO DECISION IS reached, Minnick will be returned to Putnam County to be arraigned on the charges of escape, resisting law enforcement officers and battery with a deadly weapon. Minnick is now incarcerated at the Vigo County Jail, Terre Haute, where he was transferred last Tuesday via Putnam County and Clay County jails. Yelton had requested that Clay County Sheriff Wayne Lucas hold Minnick overnight at his jail, but the sheriff petitioned the court, saying the facility was not equipped with personnel or equipment to handle the prisoner he termed a “high-security risk.” YELTON EARLIER DECLINED to relate when the murder trial may be held, but did say criminal hearings took precedence. The judge did indicate he would work to accommodate the defense and prosecuting attorneys.
sanity defense, the Illinois State Attorney’s office has indicated it will seek postponement of the Jan. 4 trial in order to provide adequate time for additional psychiatric examinations of the suspect. Neal, a former Bainbridge High School science teacher and Lone Star Industries chemist, is charged with the July 30 slaying of his wife, Mable Karren Neal, 38, in their Dixon home. Entering a not-guilty plea on Aug. 25, Neal requested a trial by jury. WHILE NEAL PLEADED not guilty before Judge James Bales at that formal
had lost their jobs because of economic conditions. “IF THEY’RE COVERED BY the Indiana Employment Security Act-and most of them are-they’ll most likely stop by one of the Employment Service offices and file for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits,” she said. Hamilton explained that those who file
No shortage of needs, just time and money: Thomas
By DAVID BARR Banner-Graphic Civic Affairs Editor Although some state legislators have advocated that only emergency matters be considered in the short session of the Indiana General Assembly, Rep. John Thomas is not in full agreement. THOMAS WAS GUEST speaker before the Greencastle Kiwanis Club which met Thursday noon in the DePauw Student Union. “I feel that we should consider other needed legislation if it can be done within the time limit,” Thomas told Kiwanians. Twenty-nine days of the 30-day short session remain. There’s no shortage of needs, Thomas explained as he produced a sheaf of letters from various interest groups suggesting that he take a position for or against certain legislative matters. THE DISCOURAGING ANSWER for interest groups is the scarcity of state money and the fact that there seems little likelihood that increased revenue will be forthcoming in the current legislative session. Noting the drying up of federal funds and the combination of social and huntan ser-
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With 6-8 inches,
From Staff, Wire Dispatches Putnam County residents may find themselves staying inside the warmth of their homes as biting temperatures are predicted for Friday with no relief expected until the first part of next week. As of 8 a.m. Friday, a temperature of 10 degrees was recorded in Greencastle. Doctors are warning residents to take necessary precautions to protect themselves from the elements and to avoid over exertion when outdoors. School resumed Friday in all four corporations after a one-day early vacation.
arraignment, two Dixon police officers testified that the suspect confessed the slaying to them. The body of Mable Neal, the accused’s second wife whom he met after being transferred to Lone Star’s Dixon facility as a $30,000-a-year chief chemist, was discovered by authorities at 2:45 a.m. July 30. The coroner has ruled that cause of death was one shotgun blast to the chest area that severed the woman’s heart. The suspected murder weapon is a .12guage family keepsake shotgun, which Neal had reportedly placed on the kitchen
for UI benefits must also register for employment and actively seek a job. For that reason there are more skills available now to employers than is normally the case. "‘But referring qualified job applicants to employers isn’t the only service we provide,” Hamilton said. “One of our staff members, Mary Sloan, assists veterans in finding employment by contacting em-
Holiday ad deadlines set
Because of the Christmas holiday, the Banner-Graphic will not be published Friday, Dec. 25 or Saturday, Dec. 26. Consequently, advertising deadlines have been advanced. The deadline for ads scheduled to appear Monday, Dec. 28 will be at 2 p.m.
vices under block grants, Thomas said the state will receive from 12 to 13 per cent less than it would have had support been given through categories. “We can, however, make the block grant funds go almost as far to meet these needs, Rep. Thomas said. OF THE MANY NEEDS addressed to the legislature, funds for education is in the forefront, Thomas said. Since the state, in compliance with its constitution, can not go in the red, additional money will probably not be forthcoming for education. Another need is that of correctional institutions, Thomas said. Base hourly pay
Putnam County, like many other areas in Central Indiana, was the target of the first major snowstorm for this region, recording 6-8 inches of snow between Wednesday night and Friday morning. However, Putnam County was spared the brunt of a snowstorm which struck northern Indiana, resulting in stalled vehicles, the closing of some portions of interstate highways and overloaded phone lines. A freak Lake Michigan snow storm stalled over northwest Indiana today and dumped two feet of snow in a narrow belt
table with other belongings in preparation for a trip to visit relatives in central Indiana. POLICE INVESTIGATORS surmise that an argument precipitated the closerange shooting. Neal was said to have told police he was upset about several creditcard purchases his wife had made earlier in the day. It was Neal who called police to report the shooting. During a preliminary hearing, Det. Sgt. Robert Short testified that the suspect told him: “I shot my wife. We had an argument and she said one
ployers; she also counsels jobless veterans.” THE MANAGER SAID HER office also administers the widely accepted General Aptitude Test Battery and other aptitude tests for employers. “We have a separate, private area where employers can interview any number of job applicants that we recruit for
Wednesday, Dec. 23. Deadline for ads slated to appear Tuesday, Dec. 29 will be at noon Thursday, Dec. 24. The Banner-Graphic editorial and business offices at 100 N. Jackson St. will close for the holiday at noon Christmas Eve and will not reopen until 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 28.
for personnel is only $5 per hour and institutions are losing people because of it, he said. Federal courts have mandated the state to either increase prison capacities or turn inmates loose. The public is not sympathetic to either approach, Thomas said. Somehow, this dilemma will have to be taken care of by legislators, he said. THROUGH AN INCREASE in the gasoline tax and emergency money from the state surplus, highway financing will not be an issue in this session of the legislature, the speaker said.
we're lucky
from Michigan City to Valparaiso, closing schools and highways. No major accidents or injuries were reported from the storm which left 22 inches of snow in the Valparaiso area and up to 13 inches elsewhere. A snow emergency was declared in Michigan City. State police at the Lowell post measured 21 inches on the ground at 8:30 a.m. in Porter County, with the snow still coming down. Snow was forecast to continue throughout the day. Michigan City Mayor Clifford Arnold
word too many.” Neal had tried to give his wife mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Short added, reporting that the suspect’s face and shirt were caked with blood when police arrived on the scene. THE MURDER SUSPECT had been considered a “model citizen” by those who knew him locally. He had no previous criminal records, authorities said. Prior to joining Lone Star Industries, Neal taught at Bainbridge High School just prior to the North Putnam consolidation.
them,” Hamilton said. Hamilton said there is no fee charged for any employment service available at her office. For information about workers with skills in demand, tax credit for hiring eligible persons in certain targeted groups, or for statistical publications and reports used by business and industry, call her office at 362-2701.
This is a mixed blessing, according to Thomas. The highway department in 1978, received $169,000 from the state surplus funds, and this, according to the speaker, is in part responsible for the present financial straits of the state. At the time, no one could foresee a coming recession which would decrease state revenue. Two major sources of state revenue are the sales tax and the adjusted gross income tax, Thomas said. He favors an increase in the adjusted gross income tax to bring in much needed funds, but there is opposition to this by Gov. Orr and some legislators. Nursing home legislation, prompted by a study commission chaired earlier by Thomas, will come up in this session under a revised bill which has legislative endorsement. “MOST NURSING HOMES in the state are fine, but there are still some that aren’t,” Thomas said. “Good nursing homes are supporting the bill.” Concerning a local option tax, which can now be imposed by county councils, Thomas said that support to education can not benefit from this.
The direction of travel is all in the expertise of Eric Hendricks (left) as his friend, Jeremy Windmiller, looks ahead for oncoming obstacles, while slid, sliding away near their Roachdale homes. Eric is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hendricks, while Jeremy's parents are Mr. and Mrs. Larry Windmiller. (Banner-Graphic photo by Bob Frazier).
asked the nearby cities of LaPorte and South Bend for help with snow removal. The eastbound lanes of Interstate 94 were closed between Portage and Chesterton. Many ramps were clogged with stranded tractor-trailer rigs and cars. U.S. 30 was closed in Valparaiso and packed with stalled cars. “It looks like a used car lot out there,” said one city police officer. The Porter County sheriff’s department asked people with four-wheeled vehicles to volunteer rides for nurses, law enCol. 3, back page, this section
Jackknifed semi snarls U.S. 231 traffic A Hendricks County semi driver sustained injuries in an accident blamed on Thursday’s slick road conditions. CURTIS BISHOP, 49, Danville, was southbound on U.S. 231, approximately two miles south of Greencastle, when his semi started to jackknife, police report. As Bishop began to pull the rig to the side of the road, the semi crossed the roadway, striking a telephone pole before it came to rest on the east side of the highway. The driver sustained lacerations to his head and face and complained of back pains. He was transported to the Putnam County Hospital by Operation Life. POLICE ESTIMATED $6,000 damage was sustained to the 1977 Mac semi tractor.
REP. JOHN THOMAS Explains short session