Banner Graphic, Volume 14, Number 82, Greencastle, Putnam County, 10 December 1983 — Page 3

Federal probe is discussed at bid-rigging trial

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - A closed-door meeting was held Friday by the judge and attorneys involved in a major bidrigging trial here to discuss a federal grand jury investigation in progress in Washington, D C. The trial involves allegedly rigged bids for electrical work on the Marble Hill nuclear plant in Indiana and four plants in Washington state. Judge John C. Coughenour, 14 defense attorneys and four prosecutors met for 45 minutes in Coughenour’s chambers before testimony resumed. No details of the Washington, D.C. probe were released by Coughenour or the attorneys. But there apparently is a tiein with the trial here that involves 11 defendants four of the country’s biggest electrical contracting companies and seven individuals. Three of the four members of the prosecuting team are from the U.S. Justice Department’s Antitrust Division in the nation’s capital. Also present at Friday’s closed meeting was at least one other Antitrust Division official from Washington, D.C. who is familiar with the investigation in that city. That fact was disclosed during an open-court hearing Thursday. Coughenour sent the jury from the courtroom before the hearing. At that hearing, defense attorneys asked Coughenour to bar the four prosecutors involved in the trial from Friday’s closed hearing. But he refused. One of the corporations on trial here is Lord Electric Co. Inc. of New York City. During a hearing Friday with the jury out of the courtroom, Jay Topkis, representing Lord, indicated his company is involved in other grand jury investigations. He mentioned Pittsburgh and Covington, Ky., but didn’t reveal any other details. Topkis brought the matter up because he said he may ask Lord Electric Board Chairman James Watters, who isn’t a defendant in the trial here, to testify once the defense begins its case next week. If Watters agrees to testify,

'The Lord's miracle'

Best Christmas present gift of speech for woman, 62

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Silence has ended after 31 years for Stella Mae Warren, who received an artificial larynx this week and looks forward to singing carols with her grandchildren Christmas Day. Mrs. Warren, 62, of Kirbyville, Texas, had her larynx removed 31 years ago after she developed cancer. She communicated with her four children, 10 grandchildren and husband, Hollis, 69, by mouthing words until this week. “I call it the Lord’s miracle because it’s close to Christmas,” Mrs. Warren said Friday during her first interview, four days after she was fitted with a voice prosthesis and resumed talking. Her husband said her first words were: “I can speak. Do I sound like Donald Duck?” Mrs. Warren said that when she goes home for Christmas, she will ask relatives to say a prayer and “give credit where it’s due” to the Lord and “two very intelligent doctors.”

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Topkis asked Coughenour to limit the scope of that testimony to matters involving the current case not other grand jury investigations. Coughenour said he would be inclined to do so, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Burke said the prosecution would “try to be reasonable.” But, Burke added, “We would want to reserve our right to question the witness on some issues relevant to this case.” In addition to Lord, other corporate defendants here are L.K. Comstock & Co. of Danbury, Conn., Fischbach & Moore Inc. of Dallas and Commonwealth Electric Co. Inc. of Lincoln, Neb. Seven top executives of the four corporations also are charged with violating provisions of the Sherman AntiTrust Act by rigging bids in 1978 and 1979 on $360 million in electrical contracts at five nuclear generating plants. Four of those plants are owned by the Washington Public Power Supply System Nos. 1 and 4 near Richland, Wash., and Nos. 3 and 5 near Satsop, Wash. Work on all four plants has been suspended because of financial problems encountered by WPPSS. The other plant is the Marble Hill Generating Station being built by Public Service Indiana near Madison, Ind. A federal grand jury in Seattle returned an indictment in May that led to the trial here. It was moved from Seattle on a defense change-of-venue request. Last month it was disclosed that another federal grand jury in Spokane, Wash., was probing WPPSS construction projects. The government called four more witnesses on Friday, bringing its total to 20 since the trial began Nov. 14, and expects to wind up its case on Tuesday. Testimony on Friday was centered for a second straight day around two sets of bids submitted for electrical work on the WPPSS 3 and 5 plants. Fischbach & Moore was awarded a slsl million contract for that work on Dec. 14,1979.

Her speech pathologist, Eric D. Blom, and orolaryngologist Mark I. Singer developed the voice pro6thetis she is using. Blom said he and Singer believe the period Mrs. Warren went without speech after her laryngectomy is one of the longest on record. Mrs. Warren, who has mouthed the words to hymns for years at the Central Baptist Church in Kirbyville, said, “I’m thinking about trying out for the church choir, seriously. “They could use me; they need a good bass,” she said, giving a self-deprecating laugh at her deep, raspy voice which doctors say will improve over time. “It’s been so many years since I had a voice I’ve forgotten what my voice is like.” After her laryngectomy, Mrs. Warren was unable to speak through one traditional method, esophageal or “burp” speech, because the constrictor muscle in her neck went into spasms. She chose not to use an electrolarynx because she didn’t

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Fern Pitts, 1017 S. Indiana St., Greencastle, was one of 49 Republican women honored during the annual Tribute to Women recently at Indianapolis. A 38-year member of the Putnam County Republican Women's Club, which nominated her for the Tribute honor, Mrs. Pitts has served

McDonald widow to address Indy John Birch session

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The widow of a congressman aboard the Korean jetliner shot down by the Soviet Union will speak tonight at a convention commemorating the 25th anniversary of the John Birch Society’s founding. Kathy McDonald, widow of former Rep. Larry McDonald of Georgia, will address the organization’s banquet. Mrs. McDonald was a unsuccessful candidate this fall to succeed her husband. McDonald’s death will be a part of the discussions, “but it will be just a small part of the entire affair,” said Bill Fall, assistant director of public relations for the Belmont, Mass.-headquartered group. The society, founded in Indianapolis, said more than 2,500 members began arriving Friday for the convention. George Birch, father of John Birch, the American Army of-

like the buzzer patients have to press on their throats in order to speak. After much searching for a way to talk, Mrs. Warren read an article about Singer and Blom and a method of voice restoration they developed. In 1978, the two developed a voice prosthesis, a 2.6 centimeter white silicon tube that looks like a cocktail straw which is inserted between the trachea or windpipe and esophagus. The device sucks air up and through the esophagus, vibrating the esophagus to produce words. Since the two were working for the Veterans Administration then, the government acquired the patent on the device and made it part of the public domain. Later, after Blom and Singer left the VA, they developed a second device, a self-closing valve, to fit in the surgically created opening on the *hroat. The disc valve fitted with a latex diaphragm remains open during breathing,

the club as president, vice president and treasurer. She has worked as precinct committeman for 22 years. Each woman honored received a certificate from the IFRW and a smoke glass tray from the NFRW presented by Gov. Robert Orr.

ficer for whom the group is named, also will attend. The organization was formed by 11 people during “a two-day presentation over 17 hours which closed Dec. 9,1958 in Indianapolis,” said Fall. It has grown to 50,000 members, “maybe a little more,” Fall said Friday. Today’s agenda included a day-long council meeting closed to the public, he said. “Many, many things will be discussed,” he said. “All sorts of matters about programs that are being developed will be presented for the delegates understanding and comments. It’s kind of like a meeting of the board.” Other banquet speakers are Dan Smoot, author of the Smoot Report and former assistant FBI director; Sen. Steven Symms, R-Idaho; Tom Hill, national president of the society.

closes automatically with air flow and opens outward with a cough. A patent is pending. Before treating Mrs. Warren, Blom said a Logansport, Ind., man who had gone 19 years without speaking after surgery was the doctors’ record holder. Mrs. Warren shattered that record and began talking immediately after the tube was inserted Monday. Warren, who has been able to stay in the same room with his wife of 20 years in a motel-like room at Methodist, said his wife has kept him “spinning” from all of her talking. “A lot of my men friends have said, ‘You just don’t understand how peaceful it’s been.’ I told them it would be a great pleasure to hear my wife speak. I can put up with the clatter from her.” Now that she can talk by telephone for the first time in 31 years, Mrs. Warren predicts her phone bills will soar.

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Trooper is killed by own misfire INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A state trooper whose drawn revolver fired accidentally as he tried to serve three warrants for traffic violations died today in an Indianapolis hospital, authorities said. They said Steven L. Bailey, 29, of Richmond, accidentally shot himself in the head with his .45-caliber automatic Friday night outside a unit at the Woodbridge At Castleton apartments on the far northeast side of Indianapolis. Bailey, a five-year veteran of the department, and two other troopers were at the complex to serve the traffic warrants, investigators said. It was not revealed why Bailey had drawn his weapon. Police said the subject of the warrants, James F. Below, and his wife were taken into custody for questioning and then Below was held in the county jail on the warrants. Bailey, who was single, worked out of the Conners ville post and was an undercover narcotics officer, officials said.

December 10,1963, The Putnam County Banner-Graphic

Drivers get hitched in cab of semi

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) - “Peaches” and “Little Joe” were married this week in the cab of an 18-wheel semi-trailer truck...at a freight depot...with the maid of honor and best man flanking them...and the minister standing outside. The reception was in the driver’s lounge of the terminal. The honeymoon was in the couple’s truck. The bride wore blue jeans, a western-style shirt, boots, a company jacket and a cap—driving gear. What prompted Joe Nichols and Clara Jones to have their wedding in a truck? “We were sitting in the house one day, talking about getting married,” Nichols said. “She said, ‘l’d like to get married in a truck.’ I thought it would be neat.” The new Mrs. Nichols said she doesn’t have to worry about her husband straying too far because most days he’ll be in the seat beside her in the cab of their rig. Wed Thursday at a CRST Inc. truck terminal, the Nichols’ when not on the road are based in Columbus, Ohio. There were no wedding invitations. The couple got the word out via CB radio, and by wedding day, Nichols said it was impossible to travel the interstates without hearing about ‘ ‘some trucker who’s getting married in his truck. ” The 1 p.m. ceremony went like this: The maid of honor was in the driver’s seat, the best man against the passenger door and the couple square in between. The bride, groom and the Rev. C.A. Brown communicated through microphones and a loudspeaker system. Herald A. Smith, chairman of the board at the Cedar Rapids, lowa-based CRST company, flew in for the ceremony, a post-nuptial toast (to a marriage “full of smooth roads”) and to promise the couple a sunny honeymoon.

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