Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 September 1978 — Page 1

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DEATH CAR DRIVER TO FACE GRAND JURY

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IWNANAPOilS, INDIANA SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, If71

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Former Gary, Ind. woman fired as White House aide

Martha Mitchell

Car traveling 90 mph at time of fatal crash

Two persons were killed late Friday near the intersection of 16th and Illinois when a car which according to witnesses, had been traveling at an estimated 90 miles-per-hour careened onto the sidewalk and struck two pedestrians and police said Wednesday that the Marion County Grand Jury will be asked to indict the driver of the death car on charges of reckless homicide. Killed in the grizzly one-car accident, were Mrs. Fern L. Durham, the wife of the man facing the reckless homicide

charges as driver of the car, and Robert Taylor, 25, 2724 N. Talbott, who was walking near the intersection with his nephew, Cedric F. Nichols, 27, also of the Talbott Avenue address. Nichols was sent hurtling through the window of the White Castle restaurant located at the corner of 16th and Illinois, when the speeding car careened over the curb and slammed into the two unsuspecting pedestrians. The death-car driver, V. Lee Durham, 3319 Broadway, who along with his wife was pinned in the wreckage of his 1965 Oldsmobile for more than 15 minutes before being freed by members of the Fire Department rescue unit, remained in fair condition Wednesday at Methodist Hospital. Nichols, whose body crashing through the window at the White Castle, sent more than two dozen patrons scurrying

GOP hopeful disqualified The campaign of a white Republican to represent General Assembly District 45, described as the city’s densest black vote stronghold, has been “nixed” by the Election Board. Board press releases early this week noted Mrs. Ruth Lucille Heeler doesn’t meet residency requirements because she actually lives on a Zionsville farm. In the May primary, her address was listed

as 3552 N. Pennsylvania.

District 45 embraces the near-Northeastside and its State Representatives seats are occupied by two blacks, Joseph Summers and Bill Crawford, and one white, John

LDay, all Democrats.

Mrs. Heeler was considered the race’s dark horse for November’s election since all three incumbents are on the ballot, and the constituency traditionally sends blacks and Democrats to the chamber.

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PLANNER HOUSE

A BREAK FOR PLANNER HOUSE: Ground breaking ceremonies for this planned 22,000 square feet Planner House home at 24th & Northwestern will be observed next Saturday at 10:30 a.m. With initial funding for the construction through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, the building design was

drafted by Perry Associates Architects. Completion of the new L >me will enable the city’s oldest social service agency to expand current Child Development, Senior Citizens and Multi Service Center programs. A Marion County Public Library branch will also be housed in the new facility.

Parade to open school year

Community leaders will join forces^at 12:30 p.m. Saturday to send city school pupils off to their classes with flying colors. Those colors might not actually be flying, but they’ll be on floats, marching bands, and costumes strutting their stuff through Downtown Indianapolis in the first Back-to-School parade. Culminatin of an almost summer-long drive sponsored by The Indianapolis Recorder, WTLC, Indianapolis Education Association, and National Council of Negro Women to battle an increasing school dropout rate, the parade will feature

Newspaper-Selling Art. Mofley Jones, 13, and Melba Lane, 9. will be *he center of Attention, as they average sales of 153 TUftN TO PAGE 19

Parade route Saturday s Back-to-School Parade will follow the route below through Downtown Indianapolis.

MOLLEY JONES & MELBA LANE will grace The Recorder’s parade entry various aspects of why it is important to remain in school. Among community leaders in the parade will be those who may not be in their current positions had they not remained a part of the educational system. Honorary Parade Marshall Wayne Radford, a new addition to the Indiana Pacers basketball team, will lead the approximately 92-unit marching extravaganza north from Pennyslvania and North Streets, west on Washington, north on Illinois, east on Ohio, and north on Meridian to North Street. Others in the parade will include Deputy Mayor Joseph Slash, Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent karl Kalp, Indianapolis Police Department Motorcycle Drill team, Indianapolis Recorder staffers, WTLC’s air personalities and news team, and Spirit, a Washington High School-based vocal group, which has won praise for “Stay in School,” the 1978 campaign’s official theme song. Also featured in the parade will be Jennifer Johnson, a 13-year-old pupil whose “Education-A Life of Learning” brainstorm was chosen official slogan, and Greg Moore, a 16-year-old pupil at Northwest High School, whose poster idea topped all others, according to judges for a recent contest. Riding in The Recorder’s float will be a couple other toppers-of-all-others. The Recorder’s Queens of the

FEDERAL BLDG.

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OHIO ST.

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WASHINGTONST.

was President's special asst.

WASHINGTONAs the story goes, Martha “Bunny” Mitchell a former Hoosier, returned to the White House recently from an Urban League convention to learn that a Chicago black man, Louis Martin, was joining the Carter

staff.

“That’s fine. I’ll make room for him,” she said. “No, that won’t be necessary," she was told, “He’s your replacement.” Though Mrs, Mitchell still kas her office in the WTiite House, it has been announced die is leaving. A WTiite House aide said the President hopes she will stay in the administration. But nobody has mentioned in what capacity. The demise of “Bunny" Mitchell as the first black women ever to be named special assistant to the President is about to unravel. Supporters argue that her job -special assistant to the President or special projects and White House liaison to the District of Columbia-was so vague that not even Wonder Woman could have pulled it off. Detractors, many of them black, charge she was so ineffective that is was impossible to work with her. Another camp -- one that never really cared about her before - is angry and charges that she has been rudely dumped -- not a politically smart way to treat a black woman. Talking to those who have remained publicly silent about the situation explains a lot. Few key blacks can be pushed around without the Congressional Black Caucus or the NAACP complaining. Both group protested when they believed that Patricia Harris, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, was being shunted aside. They also criticized about what they believed was unfair publicity about the divorce of Sen. Edward Brooke. “We’ll let President Carter fly with the decision on Bunny," said the advisor to the Black Caucus. “We can’t recollect when she was vital to us on our legislative concerns." The advisor recalled how the President had created ill will at the beginning by appointing her without consulting the national black leadership. Mrs. Mitchell, who is in her early 30, was not exactly ahousehold word, at the time of her appointment. She .had worked on the District of Columbia Drug Abuse Council, headed the Washington Women’s Political Caucus, and was active in civil rights in Gary, her hometown. During the campaign, her husband, Leonard, served as a management consultant and helped run Carter’s Atlanta office. It was through this connection that Mrs. Mitchell came to the President’s atten'AjRN TO PAGE 19

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ABOUT THAT TIME: School opening’s just a few days away and no one’s more anxious to get into it than Mrs. Julia J. Weir [left], new Attucks High School dean of girls. Shown here sharing paper work with Rhonda Burnett, Mrs. Weir agrees education is a must, something the National Council of Negro Women, The Recorder, W’TLC Radio and the Indianapolis Education Association have emphasized all summer with their “Stay in School" campaign. (Recorder photo by Marcell Williams!

into the streets, also was listed in fair condition at Methodist. Three persons inside the restaurant were injured by flying glass. Lieut. Tim Martin, who heads the police accident division, told The Recorder Wednesday that his investi gators had several more witnesses to interrogate before the case would be submitted for possible grand jury action. Martin said that we have “strong suspicions" that Dur ham may have been drinking before the accident, but "that because of his condition when he was hospitalized our people did not have a chance to offer ■ him a breathelyzer test." Martin added, however, that when the case is submitted to the grand jury Durham's medi cal records would be subeonaed to determine the alcoholic con tent of his blood at the time of the accident. He's a poor man's friend VATICAN CITY It won’t be hard for Albino Cardinal Luciani, newly elected Pope John Paul I, to be a friend to the poor. His life's summa tion suggests he can identify with the less fortunate. “I am only a poor man," the son of an Italian bricklayer told a reporter recently, "accustom ed to little things and to silence." "The true treasures of the church are the poor, the little ones to be helped not merely with occasional alms but in a way they can be promoted." he once said. His motto, while a patriarch of Venice, the post from which he was elevated to pope following the recent death of Pope Paul VI. was humility. And he says that motto, which graced his coat of arms, will remain his. Pope John Paul I has been described as having a broader view than many Italian bishops and has managed to maintain relations with more liberal German and Dutch bishops at Vatican II while other Italian churchmen were strongly opposing liberal German and Dutch bishops at Vatican II while other Italian churchmen TURN TO PAGE 19

Scattered crime wave heating up inner city

Interim successor avows Kenyatta policies will continue

NAIROBI. Kenya-

Daniel Arap Moi, thrust in the midst of a temporary interim presidency following the death of Jomo Kenyatta. avows he and political practices in line with Kenyatta’s domestic and international policies. Though declining to reveal specifies of carrying out the country’s traditional policies (generally moderate and proWestern). Moi declared Kenya would continue to be a stabilizing force (withstanding the turbulence on the African continent), seek good relations with all neighboring countries.

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The former school teacher turned politician is technically the leader of this Eastern seaboard African country for a period up to 90 days-with powers limited by the constitution. At the same time, Moi appears a top favorite to win the nomination for the sole office of the Kenyan African

National Union.

Moi was hesitant nontheless, towards acknowledging his expectancies to become the chosen leader after the transition period has ended and the party has elected a permanent suc-

aad continue Kenyatta’s mod- cessor to Kenyatta. However, erate international political sys- he has been reported to be

mounting support for his election, but would not comment to the reports other than add, he could not say anything which might encourage misleading speculation. “This is for the people to decide,” Moi said. “What matters most right now is to ensure an orderly transition which will be strict in our efforts to ensure no individual or faction threatens the country’s internal stability.” Meanwhile, Moi and several Kenyan officials were busy this week making last minute arrangements for Kenyatta’s funeral. Figured to be at least 86-years-old at the time of his

<Jeath, Kenyatta had discouraged any talk of his departure and as a result, no advanced funeral planning had been done. Kenyatta was to be interred in a mausoleum on the grounds of the Kenyan Parliament. As personalities as diverse as Prince Charles of Britain and Ugandan President Idi Amin prepared to attend Kenyatta’s last rites, this capital, and the rest erf Kenya appeared relative calm - scuffing notions Kenyatta’s unexpected death might temper violence or attempts by some factions to circumvent the constitutional process of succeskm.

DANIEL ARAP MOL

At last 10 suspects, all black, were wanted this week by police as summer’s near end brought on an outburst of sporadic crime, much of it

violent.

Concentrated in the inner city, it ran the gamut from robberies to shootings to rapes. At press time Wednesday, investigators were still scouring the near-Northeastside for two “police imposters,” suspected of being involved in at least eight sexual attacks. Released descriptions of the pair noted one is slim, black, 5 feet 5 inches tall and sloppily dressed. \ Similarities of two attacks August 23 alerted authorities. In one police narrative, it’s noted officers were told by two women they were visiting in the 3000 block of Baltimore when the duo, one armed with a pistol, burst into the apartment identifying themselves as

police.

One would-be victim managed to escape, but a 21-year-old was struck, forced into a car and taken to a house on Winthrop where both men raped her. T his report was a lot like one received earlier from two women accosted in an apartment in the 3700 block of Baltimore. A 23-year-old managed to escape although one man fired at her, but her friend was driven to the Winthrop location and raped. Authorities have warned individuals to be skeptical of anyone posing as an IPD officer. If uncertain, citizens should ask to see badges or phone headquarters. Police theorize the pair uses stolen vehicles and are responsible for several other

crimes.

Shifting to an older unsolved case, detectives said they’re * reasonably sure the death of a security guard on Meridian Street was at the hands of two blacks still at-large. Jerald R. Pounds, 36, was shot the night of August 20 enroute to nis guard job at Meridian Insurance Co., 2955 N. Meridian. He died of a gunshot wound although armed with his service revolver. The early robbery motive was ruled out after an anonymous witness

supplied police with descriptions and an account. It’s hinted Pounds, son of a retired policeman, might’ve had some "sort of run-in” with one of the men a few days before his death. The witness, police say. said

a 1969 four-door Chevrolet with a dented drivers side stopped near the victim as he walked along Meridian. A tall, thin black jumped out, grabbed Pounds and the shooting TURN TO PAGE 19

Lugar aides; minority stalwarts study bills

Clarence Hodges and Michael Carroll, senior members of U.S. Senator Richard G. Lugar’s staff, met with community leaders last week to evaluate legislation and issues to blacks and urban leaders; to review Senate procedures: and to receive recommendations regarding pending and needed legislation. , Hodges, who acknowledged similar meetings will be conducted in the future, said one of the goals was to help minority leaders become more effective in influencing legislation and activities of the federal government by understanding all “pressure points” of chairmen and ranking members. Types of legislation discussed involved CETA, housing, civil rights, school desegregation and small businesses. Lugar was praised for his support of the Washington, D.C. full-vote representation resolution, which will make it

possible for the nation’s capital to elect two senators and members of Congress after ratification by 38 states. Other legislation sponsored by Lugar of interest to minori ties includes the Urban Home steading Act; Food Reserve for Famine Relief; Minority Bank ing resolution (for depositing more federal funds in minor ity-owned banks); Pest Man agement and Youth Employ ment Act; Investment in Urban Housing and Urban Develop ment; Congregate Housing Services Act of 1978; and the Urban Grant University Act. Dr. Jonathan Goodrich, assistant professor of market ing at Indiana University's Graduate School of Business, praised the session as "informa live and productive.” Other participants included Elmo Coney; Mary helen VanBuren; Michael Rhea; Holton Hayes; Osma Spurlock; Reveened Thomas Petty; Sarn Jcnes; and Dr. A.D. Picknoy.

HOLIDAY DEADLINES OFFICE CLOSED Monday, Sept* 4 LABOR BAT CHURCH NEWS—CARD OF THANKS IN MIMORIAMS SDOAL NEWS & PICTURES 5 p.m. Sal. Sept. 2

CLASSIFIED A DISPLAY ADS 4 imh. Tuesday, Sept. S