80th Year, No.12
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
Friday, July 17, 1970
Assassins kill black leader
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (UPI)—Assassins in a speeding car gunned down the most powerful political figure in this city's black community early Wednesday.
State Rep. Leon Jordan, 65, a lieutenant of detectives on the police force before his election to the legislature six years ago just had closed the Green Duck Tavern he operated on the city's crime-infested east side when he was felled by three blasts from a 12 gauge shot gun. A witness
said three Negro men occupied the car from which it was fired.
As a squad of 30 detectives assembled from a five county area began sorting evidence, Police Chief Clarence Kelley said there was "no theories" regarding motive.
Jordan's death left only a young Negro militant, Lee Bohanon, as a contender for Jordan's legislative seat. However, the state attorney general's office said candidate lists for the Aug. 4
primary in which Jordan was seeking renomination would be reopened for new filings for both parties for a period of five days. No Republican had filed because of Jordan's strength as head of Freedom Inc., generally regarded as the most potent political organization among Kansas City Negroes, but a spokesman said that party might now enter a candidate.
Jordan generally was regarded as "near the middle" of the spectrum of militancy. Bohanon has a record of several arrests in connection with racial disturbances. In a recent interview, Jordan was quoted as saying the differences between him and Bohanon were "really not very great."
Kelley said there was "nothing to indicate there is or isn't a political background in these things."
If there had been any recent disturbances in Jordan's well run tavern they were not reported to police.
There was no attempt at robbery of the victim.
their car to take aim at Jordan as he walked twoard his car but that "it doesn't appear to have been a random shooting."
Conservation ties up Alaskan oil
Gov. Warren E. Hearnes said in Jefferson City that Jordan's "tragic death is a shocking loss not only to his family and his friends but to the General Assembly and the state. A leader of his people has been taken from us through the blindness of violence."
Kenney said that so tar as was learned the slayers did not slow
Kelley said the police department did not anticipate any violet repercussions from the slaying but "this is a possibility we are aware of."
TULSA, Okla. (UPI) — Huge oil reserves were discovered in Alaska two years ago this month but the efforts of conservationists have effectively kept the oil below ground.
The conservationists have been the biggest problem to industry firms eager to begin pumping out the oil, industry sources say.
Conservationists say preliminary operations, such as road building and surveying, already have damaged Alaska's arctic taiga so much scientists fear that "without remedial treatment they may not recover for decades."
The eight oil firms planning the Trans Alaska Pipeline can't even get a permit from the interior department.
The arctic tundra is the treeless country north of the forests and the taiga is a sub arctic region of swampy coniferous forests.
Alaska is the nation's least polluted state and discovery of oil near the Arctic Ocean handed the administration a hot potato.
One side feels the state's oil resources must be exploited. The other three conservationists fear oil will ruin Alaska's delicate plant and animal ecology.
Estimates using a low base estimate of 15 to 20 billion barrels of oil reserve originally called for production to start by 1972 at 500,000 barrels daily and build to one million barrels daily in 1975. A high base estimate implying reserves of 30 to 40 billion barrels called for production to start at one million barrels daily, build to 2.5 million in 1975 and five million barrels daily in 1980.
begins to flow, will be the West Coast and the Great Lakes refining districts.
Prime markets, when the oil
"This is big oil," Frank J. Gardner, the Oil and Gas Journal's international editor, said a year ago. "A bright new era lies in store for the North Sea and for Europe.
"The effects of these discoveries and of those to come, will shake up all current supply demand patterns of international oil."
The history of oil in Alaska goes back to 1853 when the Russians first reported oil seeps. The first well in the area was drilled about 1898.
Beginning of the contemporary period of oil industry activities in Alaska could be considered to have started with the discovery of the Swanson River oil field by Atlantic Richfield in 1957.
Civil trials asked for My Lai soldiers
ATLANTA (UPI) — A three judge federal panel heard arguments Wednesday which could move the trials of 12 GIs charged with murder in the alleged My Lai massacre to civilian courts and perhaps force a sweeping overhaul of the military judicial system.
The hearing grew from a temporary injunction issued June 24 to halt the military court martial trial of Army Sgt. Esequil Torres, 22, of Brownsville, Tex.
His attorney, Charles Weltner,
Photo by David L. Doud
Maybe they're biting out here ...
If the fish won't come to the fisherman, then the fisherman goes to the fish. No boat? That's no problem for this ingenious angler, who is enjoying a relaxing float as much as the fishing. His only problem is keeping sharp hooks away from his flotation device.
sought the injunction alleging the charges against his client violated the U.S. Constitution on 15 counts.
Weltner, a former congressman, said if the court granted relief because of prejudicial pre-trial publicity and other alleged constitutional defects the decision "could absolve all the other enlisted My Lai defendants."
The court could also rule, Weltner said, that there is a basic defect in the uniform code of military justice, such as an unlawful delegation of authority to set punishment. A decision to that effect, he said, "would mean the entire code of military justice would have to be overhauled."
The decision of the court could have far ranging implications. Weltner said he would ask the court to permanently enjoy the military courts from prosecuting Terres, and in the alternative, to turn the case over to federal courts.
There was also the possibility that the federal panel, composed of Judge Griffin Bell of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and District Judges Albert J. Henderson and Sidney O. Smith, would consider the case of another defendant, Spec. 4 Robert W. T'souvas, 21, of San Jose, Calif.
Terres is charged with gunning down three Vietnamese civilians with machinegun fire, hanging another, and assaulting three others with intent to kill. Tsouvas is charged with murder.
Weltner's petition asked the court to declare American involvement in the Southeast Asian conflict illegal, but he said before Wednesday's hearing he would not press the point at this time.
Bishop says reds used pressure
HONG KONG (UPD)—Bishop James E. Walsh said Thursday that never-ending mental pressures from his Chinese Communist interrogators finally broke him down into signing a statement that he was a "esp."
But the Roman Catholic prelate, released last Friday after 12 years imprisonment, said he had "no bitterness" toward the Chinese.
"I love the Chinese," he told newsmen here.