Banner Graphic, Volume 17, Number 183, Greencastle, Putnam County, 6 April 1987 — Page 1

Supreme Court throws out Illinois evidence against Eyler

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court today refused to let Illinois prosecutors use certain evidence in the Lake County murder trial of Larry W. Eyler. The justices, without comment, let stand rulings that the evidence cannot be used because it was obtained illegally by Indiana police. The appeal acted on today dealt only with Eyler’s indictment in late 1983 on charges of murdering Ralph Calise, 28, in Lake County. Eyler was convicted of murder last July in Chicago for the 1984 tor-ture-slaying of a 16-year-old male prostitute, Daniel Bridges, whose

Banner Graphic Greencastle, Putnam County, Monday, April 6, 1987 Vol. 17 No. 183 25 cents

Jury to award damages in 'B4 fatality

By BECKYIGO Banner-Graphic News Editor Jury selection began Monday morning in Putnam Circuit Court for trail proceedings related to a fatality occurring in Putnam County approximately 2V Z years ago. The trial will involve the seeking of damages for Roy and Nina Thomas, now of Effingham, 111., both passengers in a 1976 Dodge Dart driven by the victim, Alice R. Smallen, 51, Fredrecktown, Mo. THE FATALITY OCCURRED on Sept. 28, 1984 at the 33-mile marker of Interstate 70. At the time, Mrs. Smallen, her

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Saturday night's Fourth of July fundraiser at Kresge Auditorium marked the musical reunion of Greencastle's Hardwick brothers (above, from left) Steve, Dick, Jimmy and Denny as Denny performs “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” on his fiddle. Dick

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Looking like spring again

Partly cloudy with low in the upper 30s overnight. Mostly sunny Tuesday with high in the upper 50s to around 60. Indiana Extended Forecast Wednesday through Friday: Mostly sunny and a little warmer each day. Highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s Wednesday, the 60s Thursday and the mid 60s to low 70s Friday.

dismembered body was wrapped in garbage bags and dumped in a trash bin behind Eyler’s North Side apartment. Eyler was sentenced to death for the slaying. Police also have questioned him about the homosexual murders of more than 20 young men in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Kentucky in recent years. Eyler, formerly of the Greencastle area, as recently as 1982 worked as a weekend liquor store clerk in Greencastle. A native of Crawfordsville, he attended South Putnam High School In all the deaths, men between the ages of 18 and 28 were found in

husband, William, and the Thomases, then of Watson, 111., were traveling eastbound on 1-70. Bridge repairs restricted travel to one lane at the accident site. According to police reports, Mrs. Smallen slowed her vehicle due to another accident that happened earlier. Traveling behind Mrs. Smallen’s car in the eastbound lane of 1-70 was a semi, a 1970 Mack, driven by Robert S. Gordon, then 26 of Indianapolis. BEHIND THE GORDON semi was a second tractor-trailer, a 1978 GMC, driven by Donald Saylor, then 33, of

(below, left) and wife Claudia combined talents for an original song about his Indiana home, while youngest brother Jimmy (right) lured (from right) audience members Burl Clark, Jack Dalton and Bill Sandy on stage to make like the Mills Brothers during

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Index Abby A 3 Calendar A 3 Classifieds A6.A7 Comics A 4 Crossword A 6 Heloise A 3 Horoscope A 7 Obituaries A 8 People A 4 Sports A5.A6 TV A 4

remote rural areas. They had been bound and stabbed, and were found with their pants down. Indiana State Trooper Kenneth Buehrle was patroling Interstate Highway 65 in northwestern Indiana when he observed a pick-up truck parked on the road shoulder and two men approaching it. Parking along the interstate was prohibited, and Buehrle questioned the men. The trooper asked Eyler, the truck’s driver, for identification and had Eyler accompany him to his squad car as he checked the license. Officers at the police post when Buerhrle called in the license check

Greencastle. According to police reports, Saylor, whose truck was loaded with coal, saw his semi skid approximately 500 feet as he attempted to avoid contact on the one-lane bridge. However, Saylor’s semi struck the Gordon truck in the rear, pushing Gordon’s truck on top of the Smallen vehicle in the chain-reaction collision. GORDON’S TRUCK crushed the roof of the Smallen car, pinning Mrs. Smallen, her husband and the Thomases inside. Mrs. Smallen died of massive head and internal in-

Orr package too cumbersome, legislators agree

By JODY AMERS FORD Banner-Graphic Staff Writer Three area legislators agrred Saturday, that Gov. Robert Orr’s proposed education bill should be divided into several pieces of legislation, eliminating the need for blanket approval of the program. State Rep. John Thomas (RBrazil), State Sen. Robert Hellmann (D-Terre Haute) and Sen. Richard Thompson, (R-North Salem) updated an audience on various legislation at a breakfast meeting at the Putnam County Farm Bureau.

recognized Eyler to be a suspect in the homosexual murders. But they had not arrested him for lack of “probable caase.” Eyler was arrested and taken to a state police post for questioning, where, according to court records, he made incriminating statements and consented to a search of his truck that turned up incriminating evidence. Meanwhile, police officers questioned the man who had been stopped with Eyler. After being warned of his rights, the man said he had been picked up by Eyler while hitchhiking from Chicago to In-

juries, police said. Her husband, William, sustained contusions. Meanwhile, Roy Thomas was reported to have suffered internal injuries. His wife, Nina, sustained fractured ribs and abdominal injuries, police said. Both the Thomases were taken to the Putnam County Hospital by Operation Life. Saylor was also injured, complaining of left knee pain and pain to the right wrist. He was also transported to the Putnam County Hospital by OL where he was treated and released. The Thomases are seeking legal Col. 2, back page, this section

another vocal number. The evening's entertainment also included performances by the Greencastle Jazz Band and Marty Harmless and his bluegrass group, High Ground. (Banner-Graphic photos by Eric Bernsee).

The breakfast was the last in a series of legislative updates with area representatives. Hellmann said it would be difficult to get a good program out of the governor’s current proposal because too many new ideas were packed into one piece of legislation. “THERE ARE TOO may innovations in one bill,” Hellmann said. He added that the bill must also meet certain criteria before it will win approval from the House of Representatives and the Senate. “First of all, does it fix it where it’s

dianapolis. The man, who said he was a homosexual, said Eyler repeatedly had offered him SIOO if he would allow Eyler to tie him up for sexual purposes. Prosecutors said Eyler’s statements and the evidence turned up in the search of his truck should be allowed as trial evidence even if it was obtained after an illegal arrest. They said that the other man’s statement to police provided the necessary “probable cause” to arrest Eyler on a charge of soliciting prostitution. An Illinois trial judge and a state

Services Wednesday for Howard Harmless

Howard Martin Harmless, 65, a longtime Greencastle businessman, died late Saturday at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Fla., following a brief illness. Born Feb. 15, 1922 in Bainbridge, he was the son of Alonzo Adam and Flora (Lane) Harmless. A GRADUATE OF Bainbridge High School where he was a member of the starting five on the basketball team, Mr. Harmless served in the U.S. Army Corps during World War 11. He was graduated from Army Aviation Cadet Training School, where he was a member of the starting five of the Army Air Corps Southeastern Command championship basketball team. Also during this time, he attended North Carolina State University, where he studied engineering. After World War 11, he worked for Miller Hardware in Greencastle, where he developed his Interest in laundry and waterconditioning equipment. IN 1950, HE MOVED his family to Terre Haute and began a lengthly relationship with the laundry industry by establishing one of the first self-service laundries in the country. In 1955, the family moved back to Greencastle, and until Mr. Harmless’ retirement, he had owned coin laundries in Cloverdale, Roachdale, Danville and Greencastle. He was recognized by the editors of a national trade magazine as a pioneer in the coinlaundry business. Mr. Harmless was a member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Greencastle and was a former member of the Vestry. HE WAS ALSO a former member of the Greencastle Zoning Board and Greencastle Rotary Club. His other memberships include: Greencastle Elks Lodge 1077; American Legion Post 58; Windy Hill Country Club, where

Coatesville area man dies in truck accident

A 40-year-old Route 1, Coatesville man was thrown from his pickup truck and fatally injured when the vehicle rolled on top of him Sunday night, authorities said. Richard Voiles was pronounced dead at the scene of the 9 p.m. accident by Putnam County Coroner Dr. Dale Oliver. ACCORDING TO THE Indiana State Police Post at Putnamville, Voiles was southbound on County Road 1000 E, a quarter-mile south of the U.S. 40-State Road 75 intersection, when the one-vehicle accident occurred. Trooper Mark Keisler reported the

broke? We know it’s broke in Greencastle,” he said, referring to the impact of the recent IBM move on area schools. Hellmann said the bill also has too many transitional concepts involved, making the bill difficult to understand. THOMPSON, WHO expressed objection to the governor’s proposed 10-school-day increase, said he expects a school year extension in the near future. “Perhaps not this year, but I do believe we will go to a five-day in-

appeals court ruled that the evidence must be excluded. As explained by the appeals court, the other man’s statement “was obtained by exploitation of the illegal arrest and not by means sufficiently distinguishable to be purged of the primary taint from the illegality.” The Illinois Supreme Court refused to hear the state’s appeal last Oct. 2. Mark L. Rotert, an assistant state attorney general, said in a telephone interview authorities have not determined whether to bring Eyler to trial in the Lake County case if the disputed evidence cannot be used.

HOWARD M. HARMLESS Services Wednesday he was a past board member, and the advisory board of Lindsey Water Conditioning Co. Mr. Harmless was also the recipient of numerous Culiigan dealership awards during his career. Survivors include the wife, the former Betty Ann Judy, whom he married May 15, 1942; three sons and daughters-in-law, Howard Martin Harmless II and wife Kay, Carmel, Michael Marion Harmless and wife Susie, Greencastle, and Anthony William Harmless and wife Patti, Greencastle; a brother, Wilfred Harmless, Coatesville, and six grandchildren, Howard Martin 111, Hillary, Heather, Mark Andrew and Anna Lane. SERVICES WILL BE conducted at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Rev. A. Allan Harlan will officiate. Burial will be in Brick Chapel Cemetery with full military rites. Friends may call 3-9 p.m. Tuesday at Bittles and Hurt Funeral Home, Greencastle. The family requests that those who wish make contributions to the St. Andrew’s Memorial Fund.

Voiles vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when it went off the pavement on the left side of the road, came back across the roadway and struck a ditch. Voiles was thrown from his 1971 Chevrolet pickup, which rolled over onto its top in an adjacent field, pinning the victim beneath the wreckage. Voiles’ 44-year-old wife, Carol, was not thrown from the vehicle, police said. She suffered a lacerated ankle and shock, police said. She was transported to Putnam County Hospital via Operation Life ambulance.

crease in the near future,” Thompson said. He added that Indiana must strive to up educational standards. An average of state educational testing figures should be developed and schools who fall below that average must produce money within their own budget to raise their test scores to the state average, Thompson said. “THE AVERAGE MIGHT be met by an additional school day within that school corporation,” he said. Col. 3, back page, this section