Walk Walla U Our 101st Year, No. 224 15C
Walla Walla, Wash. 99362
Sunday, January 4, 1970
Sections—60 Pages
Capture of 2 Escaped Prisoners Ends 24-Hour Long Crime Spree
Welcomed Day-old 1970 Walla Walla New Year's Baby, Wendy Ann Eves, poses with her mother, Mrs. Dean Eves, at Walla Walla General Hospital Friday. Waiting at home, 1341 Shelton Road, to greet their new sister Saturday — and to wish
By JO MORELAND A 24-hour crime spree by two armed penitentiary escapees ended at noon Saturday when they were captured in a Moses Lake motel room. Minimum security inmates Robert A. Franich. 31. and William R. Laine. 29. were apprehended by Moses Lake police after they used identification stolen from Walla Walla electrical contractor Don Robbins. Route 2. to register, according to the Walla Walla sheriff's department. From the time the men walked away from the prison's hog farm about 1:30 Friday afternoon until their arrest, the pair broke into several area homes, held R o b b i n s at gunpoint for a short time and stole an estimated four cars and almost $2.000 in valuables, lawenforcement officials reported. The fugitives offered no resistance when arrested Saturday. Moses Lake police said, despite the fact they had stolen several rifles during their to Family crime wave. Franich and Laine were their mother "Happy Birthday" — were the Eves' tour older children. The First Baby of the returned to the prison Saturday New Year will receive a number of gifts from afternoon and charges will be filed against them later, the local merchants. sheriff's office said A car stolen in Richland was found a block away from the
Gorton Says O'Connell's Fees ^Unethical, Illegal' OLYMPIA. Wash. ( A P ) — Alioto has said, as has Gorton, Washington Atty. Gen. Slade that O'Connell shared the fee. Gorton said Saturday he views receiving about $530.400. Alioto as illegal the fee arrangements and Gorton also say O'Connell's he says former state Atty. Gen. assistant, George K. Faler. was John O'Connel! made with Jo- paid $272.413 from the fee won seph Alioto in an antitrust case. by Alioto. Gorton also said O'Connell Gorton's comments came aftei failed to.disclose the arrange- O'Connell appeared Friday night ments to the 15 city and public- in a televised interview broadutility districts which brought cast by KING-TV in Seattle. In the suit and that, too, was "im- that interview. O'Connell repeatproper, unethical and illegal." edly refused to reply to quesThe arrangements to which Gorton referred included raising Alioto's fee to 15 per cent of any damages won as a result of the suit against major electrical equipment suppliers accused of price fixing. The original limit was $1 million. Alioto received about S2.3 million after the change was made by O'Connell. O'Connell WASHINGTON (AP) — Antisaid he and Alioto. now mayor narcotics forces, beefed up by of San Francisco, were cocounnearly 700 new agents, are sel in the case. being thrown into a New Yorkcentered drive against the smuggling of heroin, the TreasCRESCENT ury Department announced Saturday. DRUG Secretary David M. Kennedy said the Customs Bureau has WILLBEOPEN set up a command post in New York and will establish regional SUNDAY posts as needed in other parts of 10to2 the country. He promised to coordinate the campaign with other law-enforcement agencies. S E E O U R AD Kennedy said in a statement a ON PAGES supplemental appropriations bill gives the Treasury $8.75 million "for the manpower and facilities urgently needed to carry out the President's directive for AGNES a major new effort."
tions as to whether he shared in Alioto's fee. O'Connell said, however, that "assuming this were true, there is nothing wrong." He also said he was sure the cities and utility districts knew of changes he made in Alioto's fee. Gorton said O'Connell "for all practical purposes has admitted sharing a substantial fee" with Alioto.
Heroin Smuggling Target of Drive
motel, officers said, and the escapees are believed to have taken vehicles in Pasco and Moses Lake as well as Walla Walla. Recovery of almost $2.000 in v a l u a b l e s stolen Friday afternoon from the Eugene Soper residence. Route 2. was being investigated by Deputy Frank Nemee. Missing were a $1.000 diamond bracelet. $700 diamond watch and a rhinestone pin and earrings set. The escapees allegedly took two cowboy outfits when they broke into the home while the Sopers were away, deputies reported, and they stashed their prison uniforms and a few other penitentiary items in the house Entry was made by breaking a basement window. Their next stop was Robbins' home on N e w t o n R o a d . Robbins. 43. told deputies he had just arrived at 8 p.m when the men. armed with two deer rifles from his bedroom, demanded his wallet and car keys. He was threatened several times, he recalled, while the escapees questioned him about the nearest railroad station snd decided what to do with him. At one point Robbins asked the men to leave his tools if they took the car and the younger fugitive brought the tool box
inside. The pair then bound his hands and feet with a rope and tied him to his bed. the victim said
Before leaving they dismantled Robbins said he remained part ol his telephone and asked quieth on the bed until he was him it he wanted the television certain the men had left, then set on. he told them no worked himself free, put his phone back together and called the warden and sheriff's office Robbins' car was recovered several hours later in Pasco by police there, but his wallet, the rifles and S100 m cash were still missiny Teams of penitentiary guards and Washington State "I had just gotten back from a service rail and was MI tin in the Patrolmen joined with sheriff's living room watching tele\ ision when these two fellows came in deputies in the Friday night search between Walla Walla and and asked me for all the money I had ' That, according to Don C Robins. Route r>. was the beginning Lowden Shortly before Robbins could of his brief and ulcer-rattling encountei Fndav e\enmu with two penitentiary escapees who held him up at his dome using his own n o t i f y authorities his car was spotted by a patrolman near rifles Robbins'. the owner of Robbins' Electrical Contracting Wallula who radioed a check described fugitives Robert A Fianich. 31. and William R Lame. when he noticed the driver had d i f f i c u l t y adjusting the dimmer 29, as "kind of knotheadish" in an interview Satuida> "They took my wallet and cai ke\s." Robbins said, "and made a foi the headlights However no few threats, something to the effect thin didn't know what to do action was taken since the theft was still unreported. with me and they couldn't take me with 'cm Franich. formerly of Seattle, "The young fellow (Laine> seemed real cool but the oldci one was scheduled for parole April had me worried, with that gun right in nn fare I finalK told him I didn't care if he took the car and n:» rifle but would he please get 13 of this year A one-time the rifle out from my nose 'cause he acted like he was pretty worker on a cattle ranch, he was serving a 10-year sentence for a shook. 1966 King County auto theft "The old one never said a word all the time he was there "They didn't seem to know the countivside They asked mo conviction. A 1966 g r a n d l a r c e n y what was the biggest town, they wanted to lind a raihoad station conviction in Spokane Countyso they could hop a tram. I told them Tax <> "After they got the car keys thc\ decided the\ 'd just tic me up I sent Lame to the penitentiary told the young fellow he could have the cat but I needed tin tools for 15 years The former to make a living and he went out to the cat and hiought m rm construction employe's parole date was set for Nov. 8, 1970 toolbox. "They tied me to the bed and tied im hands and feet, then thev went out to the car I heard the car doot s slum but I didn't heai linear start so f thought I'd better act like I wasn't getting loose "Then I heard someone at the window and I IUM la\ still because they were checking on me "After they left I started getting loose t i o m the topes It wasn't too difficult because I'd held ni\ hands a little apart when the\'d tied me so the ropes weren't as light as they thought Once free Robbins contacted law enforcement ofliceis and when they told him several hours later "the\ had mv car and it wasn't EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP> — itself and the 10 hours that tore up my ulcers got to sleep." "To me it was just kind of interesting - I've been in the The inquest into how Mary Jo passed before police were mPANAMA (AP) - A Brazilian service." he said later about the expenence "But when the\ .start woman rebel and four male Kopechne died in Sen. Edward formed of the death M. Kennedy's car begins Mon- The official verdict on the waving that gun in your face vou begin to wonder if \ o u ' i o still commandos—carrying out the day, 5 J 'z months after the auto girl's death is that she drowned, going to be around." world's lengthiest air hijacking plunged off narrow Dike Bridge in terms of time—ran into newon Chappaquiddick Island. trouble Saturday but finally took off for Cuba. Complicated legal maneuvers An airline spokesman in Rio delayed the inquest, which will de Janeiro said late Saturday be conducted in secret in the afternoon that the plane had century-old brick courthouse landed in Havana. where Kennedy pleaded guilty to the charge of failing to report After spending 27 hours the accident. mounded in1 Peru because of a dead batten , the hijacked BraThe 38-year-old Democrat's /ilian airliner, carrying 28 perexpected testimony this week sons including 7 crew memwill be his first response to forbers, came to Panama for a remal questioning on the July 18 fueling stop accident which has left his politBut a faulty airport generalical future in doubt. tor, used to start jet engines in His appearance on the witness an emergency, prevented for stand will give him the chance 3 ' ^ hours their takeoff for the to clear up for authorities some 1.000-mile hop to Havana of the questions left unanswered about the party before the accident, the plunge into the water
Ulcer-Rattling Encounter Told
Airliner Arrives In Cuba
Kopechne Inquest To Open Monday
The Treasury said the added funds will make it possible to hire 915 new people for the Customs Bureau, including 378 inspectors and 307 investigators. Cutting down of narcotics smuggling now is his department's "No. 1 effort in the area of law enforcement," Kennedy The said. The new drive has not been given a special name—perhaps Weather because of the less-than-pleasOccasional snow toda\ and ant memory of a recent antismuggling campaign carried out tonight. High today 28, low with considerable fanfare under tonight 22. Light winds. Chance the name "Operation Inter- of measurable precipitation 70 per cent toda\, 50 per cent cept." Treasury, in collaboration tonight. Temperature at 4 p.m. with the Justice Department, yesterday 29 degrees, low Astronauts Aid Policeman launched "Operation Intercept" yesterday morning 27 degrees. last September in an effort to Precipitation until 1 p.m. Apollo 12 astronauts aid a Seattle motorcycle while he was escorting the spacemen to the curtail marijuana smuggling yesterday .03 inch. Deficiency policeman Saturday alter he was injured when airport after their visit to the Seattle area. IA I' since Sept. 1 is 1.45 inches. from Mexico. his vehicle skidded on oil and went out of control Wirephoto)
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Engineers Face Huge Workload in Spite of Cutbacks In spite of a cut-back in funds for construction and personnel, the Walla Walla District. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is involved in one of its heaviest work loads since the District came into being 21 years ago. District Engineer Col. Robert J. Giesen said. "We are ending 1969 with expenditures of $95,400.000 as compared with $96.700.000 for 1968. 1970 will see us with 882 people employed in the District — we ended 'up 1968 with 951." "Even though we *-have a smaller staff now." Col. Giesen continued, "we are extremely busy working on upcoming contracts on Lower Granite Lock and Dam. Ririe Dam, and the Dworshak dam and powerhouse. Our engineering division's design branch, the supply division, and administrative services are receiving the brunt of this heavy workload." Recently three railroad box cars filled with paper were delivered to the District for printing specifications and engineering drawings for the three different projects. One reason for the increased immediate work load is the manner in which the Lower Granite contract is drawn up. TrV project will be an allinclusive job and calls for construction of the main dam.
Dam and Reservoir is 45% complete at the end of 1969. When completed Dworshak Dam will be the highest straightaxis concrete gravity dam in the United States and the largest concrete dam built by the Corps of Engineers In 1969 work continued on the main dam structures, the National Fish Hatchery, operator's quarters, county and highway district roads, reservoir clearing, and financial assistance to schools affected by the project was provided. In 1970 work will begin on the powerhouse and generators and the Dent Bridge. Hensel Phelps Construction Company of Greeley. Colo., will build the $7.8 million bridge that will span the reservoir. 17 miles upstream from the dam Work will commence also on upper reservoir roads, the Granddad Creek Bridge: and reservoir clearing will take place further upstream. John Day Lock and Dam is now 93 f r complete and power was put on the line in July 1968. Five additional generators were installed during 1969 and contracts amounting to $5 million were awarded for two more generators and associated equipment. For the next year the Walla Walla District will complete land acquisition and settle Work on the huge Dworshak condemnation cases: continue
lock, spillway, powerhouse, fish facilities, visitors' building, and incidental work. There are 3.500 volumes of d r a w i n g s that are being assembled in the District warehouse for mailing Jan. 15. The specifications will be out at a later date. Bids on Lower Granite are expected to be opened on March 17 and the notice to proceed will come on or shortly after May 1. The pool raising on Lower Granite will come in February 1975, with power on the line in April 1975. Completion is expected in November 1975. The advance notice to bidders on Ririe Dam and Reservoir project on Willow Creek, about 17 miles northeast of Idaho Falls. Idaho, was sent out Nov. 12. Invitation to bid on the contract will be issued on Feb. 13 and the bid opening will come on April 21. The contract will be awarded and the notice to proceed will come on or shortly after May 1. The project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1962 and will provide reservoir storage space for flood control, irrigation, and recreation. A flood control channel downstream from the dam is also incl1 ded in the project. It is expected that the cost of the project will run from $5 million to $10 million.
paving the Oregon Stale highway, continue work on the powei p l a n t : r e p a i r t h e Arlington breakwater, and award contracts for completion of recreation sites Although the John Day Lock and Dam was designed and built by the Walla Walla District, the Portland District is responsible for operation and maintenance of the facility In November 1969 the Walla Walla District was awarded the Chief of Engineers' Distinguished Engineering Design Award ior John Day. the b i g p r i z e in n a t i o n a l competition Runner-up was the NASA Manned Space Flight Center in Houston. Texas. The end of 1969 saw Little Goose Lock and Dam 92', complete. Construction on the main dam continued a.s did installation of power plate equipment and relocations of roads and railroads. The Little Goose pool will be raised Feb. 16 and power will be on the line April 1. Construction of housing for operations personnel at Little Goose will also start in 1970. Lower Monumental Lock and Dam is in the last stage of construction The pool was raised last February to insure optimum fish migration over the new fish ladder First power on the line came on Mav 28 and
the second generator went into operation Sept 8 The third generator is scheduled to go into operation on Jan 20 Work in 1970 is scheduled to permit completion of the powerhouse on March 20 Housing tor operations personnel in Kahlotus is current!) under construction and the office building at the dam site will be disassembled and moved The Corps' Seattle District has been charged with the responsibility for construction of the project The Walla Walla D i s t r i c t d e s i g n e d Lower Monumental Lock and Dam and is now responsible for operation and maintenance of the dam and reservoir. The total number of visitors and people using recreation sites on the reservoirs at McNary. Ice Harbor. Lower Monumental, and Lucky Peak near Boise. Idaho showed a decided increase. In a 12-month period ending Nov 30. 1968. a total of 2,241.695 people visited the reservoirs. In 12 months ending Nov. 30, 1969. 2.701.771 went to visitor centers, on tours. and used recreational facilities for the year — a jump of almost a half-million people There was also an increase in tonnage and boats going through the locks at McNary. Ice H a r b o r , and Lower Monumental, although the total
numbei of lockages decreased P l a n n i n g continued as a major effort and p r o g r a m of the Walla Walla District fn 1969 Out ot a fiscal \eai 1970 allocation ot S9') 1.000 $430.000 i- tabbed toi advanced engmeeting and design work The major portion ot pie-construction planning monev S 3 . 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 . i's programmed foi engineer mg and design woik on Catherine Creek Dam near La Grande. Oregon S405.000 is going toward general investigations on flood control, flood plain, and Indiologiral .studies The remaining SI 16.000 is devoted to smaller planning studies The Walla Walla District was engaged in flood fighting in the spring ot 1969 About SI.125.030 was spent under Public Law 99 in clearing streams to prevent flooding, building and repairing levees and other flood fighting work Much of the work was done under O p e r a t i o n Foresight f o r e s i g h t was ordered nv President Nixon in March when severe floods were immer.t T h e e f f o r t w a s coordinated bv the Office of Kmergenc> Preparedness and construction was done by the Corps ot Engineers Most of the emergency work was done in Eastern Idaho near Idaho Falls and on the Clearwater River near Lewiston. Idaho
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