VOL.101.NO.44
THE UNIVERSITY DAII KANSAS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY TOPEKA KS 66612 KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
THURSDAY,OCTOBER24,,1991 :
(USPS 650-640)
ADVERTISING:864-4358
NEWS:864-4810
Turner knew victim but denies drug ties
By Melissa Rodgers Kansan staff writer
The director of the affirmative action office yesterday denied selling drugs to murder suspect Kenneth Lee Morris, but said he was with the murder victim hours before he was bludgeoned.
Two Lawrence police officers testified Monday in Morris' preliminary murder hearing that Morris had said that the director, James "Skip" Turner, gave him and his girlfriend cocaine in the early morning hours of Aug. 8.
In an interview last night at his west
wall, Turner denied Morralk's allegation.
"I am not a drug dealer." he said.
Turner said he went to the Jet Lag Lounge, 610 Florida St., on the night of Aug. 7 with Danny Davis, 40, and Davis' girlfriend.
During the early morning hours of Aug. 8, Turner said he drove Davis and his girlfriend to 619 Illinois St., where Davis had been staying.
Davis later was found bludgeoned with a golf iron later that morning at the same address. He died Aug. 13 of cancer. Mr. Davies is the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Turner said Davis had mowed his lawn on occasion and that Davis' girlfriend sometimes cleaned his house.
After mowing Turner' s lawn Aug. 7, Davis and his girlfriend helped Turner assemble a new pool table at his house, Turner said.
The three drove to the Jet Lag
and left together after it
closed head.
Turner said he drove up to the back of the house at 619 Illinois St. and dropped off Davis and his girlfriend.
"Two people were waiting for Danny — a man with tattoos and a heavy woman underneath the carport," Turner said.
Davis and his girlfriend called the man Lee, Turner said. Lee is Morris' middle name.
"I remember he (Davis) came back to the car and said, 'Skip. I don't want these people around me. I don't want you. You're going to get into the house.' Turned me.
After a few minutes, "Lee" and the woman left. Turner said
"Danny came back to the car and said, 'It's cool, they're gone,'" he said. "Then he opened the back door (of the house)."
Turner said he then returned to his home about 2:30 a.m.
In Monday's testimony, police said that Morris told them that later that morning near daybreak, he and his girlfriend returned to 619 Illinois St.
Morris then bludgeoned Davis with a golf iron as he awoke. police said.
Police said Morris returned to recover money from Davis for bad cocaine that they said they had received from Turner.
"Morris told police that some Black
dude and Danny sold him some drugs," he said.
Turner said police had identified him as the man with Davis.
Lawrence Police Sgt. Kevin Harmon said, "There is no doubt whatsoever that James Turner of affirmative action is the guy that Morris told police about and about who the police testified."
He realized from radio and television news reports that it was Davis' brother.
Turner said that he had talked to police four times in August and that one of those times was in his KU office. He said that the police arrested the police the day Davis was found
"I didn't know Danny's last name was Davis." Turner said.
Turner said he told a supervisor at the University the next day that the person who mowed his lawn was murdered.
"I haven't been subpoenaed, and I am no more involved than the other 180 people on the witness list," Turner said. "Can you say is the guey mowed my lawn."
Turner has not been charged in connection with the reported drug sale.
Del Shankel, interim executive vice chancellor, said yesterday that no evidence suggested that Turner had participated in anillegal activities.
Only allegations from a murder suspect exist, Shankel said. The administration will wait for information from the police. If the evidence is taken against Turner, he said.
Carving in stone
After marking measurements on a block of limestone, Elden Tefft, retired KU professor of art, begins to sculpt a statue of a buffalo. The sculpture will be a part of a group of statues in Burcham Park titled "Keepers of our Universe." See story on Page 10.
Thomas' nephew provides support during hearings
KU student relieved to see confirmation of uncle to Court
By William Ramsey
Kansan staff writer
Clarence Thomas can relax a little and laugh again now that he has been confirmed an associate Supreme Court justice, said his nephew, a KU freshman, yesterday.
"He's got this laugh, and it's awesome," said he responds to that interview in the freshman. "We need to make that happen."
Elliot attended his uncle's Supreme Court confirmation ceremony Friday in Washington, where he met President Bush and members of the Supreme Court.
Greg Elliot, Salina freshman, poses with his uncle. Clarence Thomas.
"I was so nervous," Elliot said. "I just shook their hands and got my picture taken with them."
His mother's sister married Thomas in 1986.
Thomas seemed ready to put the past behind him and get to work. Elliot said.
"He was so busy, but I congratulated him," he said.
In a private ceremony yesterday, Thomas was sworn into office as the second African-American president.
tice, Thurgood Marshall, who retired after serving since 1967.
He replaced the first African-American jus-
During the tense Senate confirmation hearings, Thomas' family worried about the judge.焦
The Senate Judiciary Committee extended the hearings to listen to sexual harassment allegations against Thomas by his former aide, Renee Wiley, who is now a University of Oklahoma law professor.
time watching the last days of the televised con-
firmation hearings. Seeing his uncle under fire
 during the hearings was disturbing, he said.
Elliot said that he believed Thomas and that his family supported Thomas when the judge's propriety was questioned.
"I am interested in politics, but maybe not after seeing that." Elliot said.
"From what we know of him, he's not that type of guy, he said."
Thomas' nephew said his family had a hard
"She's just really tired and happy that he got it," he said.
Elliot said the hearings had been difficult for his aunt, Virginia Thomas.
Elliot said he thought his uncle had been shocked by the accusations.
"He is a human being, and he was upset by it," he said.
Elliot said that he usually saw Thomas during holidays and that they relaxed and watched sports games on television.
Thomas sworn into Supreme Court in private ceremony.
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Clarence Thomas became history's 160th Supreme Court justice today after taking a justice's oath, equal to all justices and the richest.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist administered the atite at 12:06 p.m. in the court's conference room, a court representative said.
The only other people there, said
The surprise move was made at Thomas' request, House said. She said he already had begun preparing for the court's return from a two-week stay at Boston and swearing in so his staff could be put on the Supreme Court payroll today.
representative Toni House, were Thomas' wife, Virginia, Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., and Ron Jones, the chief justice's assistant.
Thomas, who was administered a constitutional eath at a White House ceremony Friday, had been schedled to attend the court na courtroom ceremony Nov. 1.
House said that courtroom ceremony would be conducted, but added, "As of 12:05 today Clarence Thomas is a justice."
House said Virginia Thomas held the Bible while her husband took the
brief oath. Danforth took a photo of the ceremony "for posterity."
The private setting for Thomas' oath-taking differed from the court's recent history. Public courtroom ceremonies have become the norm, but in earlier times many justices took their oaths in private.
Thomas' annual salary rose from the $132,700 he was making as a federal appellate judge to $153,600.
Thomas' staff members also are in line for pay raises, but it was not immediately known how much more they will receive.
Thomas' two secretaries and three law clerks at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will work for him. In addition, he served as an aide who worked for Justice Antonin Scallia last term, as a fourth law clerk.
Haskell students say tomahawk chop is OK
By Rochelle Olson Kansan staff writer
Most Haskell Indian Junior College students and faculty do not think the controversial tomahawk chop performed by the Bay State and Kansas City Chiefs is offensive.
But a poster of Chiefs players in traditional American Indian regalia does raise concerns of students and faculty at Haskell.
Some American Indians have protested the motions of fans who simulate chopping with a tomahawk during the World Cup, when the Minnesota Twins and the Braves.
Rob Daugherty, professor of American
manual studies, said the poster was not in good
form.
American Indians hold the eagle in high esteem, he said. Eagle feathers cannot be made with steel.
Daugherty said it was particularly offensive that some of the players were owed a fee.
In the poster, members of the Chiefs defensive line wear authentic regalia bor-
dered by the U.S. Army.
"You just don't let anyone wear or touch them." Daughter said.
Teams often choose their names to honor the American Indians, he said.
But he said he was not upset with fans doing the tomahawk chop during the World Series or with teams having American Indian names.
When the Atlanta Braves began in Milwaukee, the team was named in honor of the tribes in the Great Lakes region, Daugherty said.
He surveyed students in one of his classes about whether they thought the tomahawk chop was offensive. Three or four students out of 50 thought it was.
However, Danielle Austin, Oklahoma City sojourners at Haskell, said that the Chippewa Valley community.
Austin said the players were wearing the clothes without knowing their purpose and not being aware of them.
"It's just a costume to them," she said.
"To us it is sacred."
No, it doesn't say. But she said people should not protest
"They are stirring up tension that doesn't need to be stirred," she said.
Florida State Seminoles fans have been doing the tomahawk chop for years with the Nets.
Austin also said it was not bad for teams to give themselves names such as the Rangers.
There also are teams called the Vikings and the Patriots, she said.
Betty White, Haskell student from Oksalaoska, said people chose American Indian names because they were thought of as powerful.
But she said she thought the Chiefs poster was offensive.
Although profits from the poster sales go to children's literacy programs, the poster exploits American Indians, she said.
She criticized members of the American Indian community for selling their cultural goods.
"I feel it is another example of them
selling their souls for money," she said.
Rookie Wilson, Lawrence freshman at Haskell, said the Chiefs should have used
But he said he thought the tomahawk chop was cool.
"I would not protest against it," he said.
"I should be an honor for the white people to do that."
Wilson said more sports teams should have American Indian names because they were recognizing the strength of the culture.