me EEE ER EER MM Page 20 Charles J. Volpe (R-Scranton), running in the 112th District, called to say that he had four children and was very much “for” the bill, even though he said he had been confronted by the teamsters union on the issue. But he pledged he had not given them an affirmative reply because he could not agree with their position. The same day Paul Crowley (D-Scranton) Pilot Project (continued from PAGE ONE) Kolesar says the program was initiated to help rehabilitate the men and also to help meet the demand for surveyors on the labor market. He continued that this is a pilot type project and while it is still too early to deter- mine its success, it is the first step in a concrete rehabilitation program will continue in other fields of endeavor in the near future. Thomas Figmik, deputy superintendent for treatment at Chase, proudly stated that seven of the original 26° men have elected to continue their education and are now attend- ing classes at Penn State five days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., in order to obtain an associate degree in surveying. They are Henry Bickley, Robert Schraffler, Ronald Caskie, Richard Zxolinski, Rubin Garcia, Alva Cook, ‘and Timothy Neel. Two of these men are carrying full load courses attain the dean’s list this semester. These seven did not graduate from high school but obtained their certificates through a general education development test. One man will be paroled by mid-November and he intends to carry on with the course until he graduates. He will room with two advance students following his release from Chase, under the guidance of the Pennsyl- vania parole board. The men are taken to school by a counselor or officer and are picked up at night after classes. They are left on their own as minimum custody cases and participate in school projects such as drug seminars and penal reform projects. The resi- dents wear civilian clothes most of the time and are, according to several reports, well ac- cepted by their fellow class- mates and students for them- selves. After graduation they will qualify as road men, chainmen, instrument men or in the area of Upon completion of the assoc- iate degree course they may also continue their education at Penn State's Middletown Campus for their junior and senior year and be awarded a bachelor of science degree in engineering technology or they may be employed in federal, state or local agencies. A graduate may also secure employment from private in- dustry in the field of mapping or surveying or in a related high- way industry profession. The program is being spon- sored by the Bureau of Vocat- ional Rehabilitation and a sub grant from the Law Enforce- ment Act of the Justice Com- mission. Both Mr. Kolesar and Mr. Figmik are pleased with the progress so far and foresee the project continuing and ex- panding. (continued from PAGE ONE) 112th District incumbent, said he was for the proposed legislation. Many of the presidents of about 40 organizations included in the consumer coalition called to say that area residents had called them and thanked them for taking a public position on the issue. The 22 candidates who were polled last week with a certified letter asking for their vote on House Bill 2483 (an amendment to the Milk Marketing Law to abolish retail milk price con- trols), were given a deadline and asked to return a card with their yes or no vote. It was emphasized in the letter that no reply or a ‘“‘maybe’ would be construed as a ‘no’ vote. The proposed legislation now before the House Agriculture Committee is designed to eliminate the retail price fixing powers of the Milk Marketing Board, thus placing milk in a free competitive market like other food products. Since 1937 the MMB has had the power to set the minimum retail price of milk which has often been against a bargain to the x consumer and less than a fair price to the producer. Under the proposed law, the MMB would function to maintain adequate prices of milk producers, as it does currently, but the measure would give each retailer the right to sell milk for whatever price he desires, as long as he maintains at least a five percent profit, thus preventing stores from selling milk as a loss leader. Those candidates who said they favored passage of the bill included Paul Crowley (D- Scranton), Charles J. Volpe (R- Scranton), Thomas Walsh (D- Scranton), Robert F. Jones (R- Scranton), John Wansacz (D- Waverly), Joseph Wargo (D- Olyphant), Orville Williams (R- Olyphant), Thomas Kennedy (D-Hazleton), George Hasay (R-Shickshinny), Stanley A. Meholchick (D-Ashley), Joseph Zelinsky (R-Nanticoke), John Lavandoski (D-Exeter), and Samuel Dolgopol (D- Lehighton). Candidates who said they were against the measure or who did not answer the certified letter included James Ustynoski (R-Hazleton), Raphael Musto (D-Pittston), Benjamin C. Seacrist (R- Wilkes-Barre), Fred J. Shup- nick (D-Luzerne), Frank J. O’Connell Jr. (R-Kingston), Bernard O’Brien (D-Wilkes- Barre), Albert Sutcavage (R- Wilkes-Barre), and Joseph Semanoff (R-Lehighton). The consumer coalition coordinated by J.R. Freeman, news vice president of Greenstreet News Co., included labor unions, environmentalist: groups, church organizations, political clubs and many others. Their voting strength totaled more than 5,000. Many of the organizational groups are now preparing to send representatives from each of the legislative districts to Harrisburg when the bill comes up for a vote on the House floor. Scoggins had objected briefly to the selection of the first juror six days earlier—he didn’t want any old ladies on his jury, he’d during the remainder of the week had been without incident. The mind of David Scoggins, however, quite obviously did not size up the week’s events so kindly. When remanded to the Correctional Institution after a life sentence had been imposed, the defendart refused to step forward and slumped into his chari, screaming in a gutteral voice which betrayed a serious speech impediment: “You're whores! Bitches!” he screamed at the jury, his face contorted into a grotesque mask by his rage. “I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you! I'll see you all in hell!” And in the midst of this tirade an object hurled by this twice convicted killer arched above the jurors’ heads and thumped against the wall behind them. In the split second it took to realize that the object was not a bomb but the defendant’s shoe, a juror screamed, a member of the D.A.’s staff bounded over ‘the balustrade, several other court functionaries raced to the assistance of the jury, and five men pounced on Scoggins to subdue him. ‘You have nothing to fear,” Judge Podcasy repeated several times to the shaken jurors. ‘You have nothing to fear—you have done your duty.” Still screaming and strug- gling, Scoggins was at last led from the courtroom, his chilling oaths and epithets ringing eerily throughout the court- house long after he was taken from the room. The jury had taken six hours to reach its verdict of guilty of first degree murder—from 12:20 p.m. when Judge Podcasy completed his 2%, hour charge until nearly 6:30 p.m. Com- prised of three men and nine women, virtually all of them elderly, the jury when polled -affirmed the first degree mur- der verdict—the first time such a verdict has been handed down in Luzerne County in years. The jury was. charged, then with setting the penalty. It lis: tened first to Atty. Miller plead for Scoggins’ life, heard him appeal to their “conscience and moral heritage’’ to make ‘‘jus- tice and not revenge’ their mo- tive. District Attorney Toole asked the jury to impose the death penalty. He declared that a finding for death would be a ‘pronouncement that civilized society cannot let another human being kill with im- punity,” and argued that ‘there is one penalty that fits this of- fense and this offender—and at penalty is death.”’ It was an impassioned plea, and it left the District Attorney ashen. The jury took just minutes to render its final decision of life imprisonment. After Scoggins had been removed from the courtroom, members of the jury lingered behind to reassure one another that they were all right, and one of the jurors allowed that he had not been surprised at the outburst. “I could see it coming all along,” he insisted. “He’s a violent man, and you could see it in him.” . This juror at least had not be- lieved that David Scoggins had stabbed Alexander Edinger, a man whose left arm was with- ered from birth, five times in self defense. The defense had argued that Scoggins had gone to the victim's cell shortly after breakfast on May 6 at Edinger’s request. Both Scoggins and his principal witness, inmate James Murray, demonstrated to the court time and again how Edinger had lifted the blanket on his bed with his left hand, drawn a sharpened butter knife from beneath the mattress with his right hand, and lunged at Scoggins, cutting his right arm. Scoggins testified that he then kicked Edinger in the groin and that Edinger dropped the weapon, clutching at his ‘‘pri- vates.” They scrambled for the knife and Scoggins grabbed it at the same time Edinger put his hands around Scoggins’ neck and started choking him, the defendant recalled. He told of being pulled onto Edinger’s bed and attempting to slash at the victims arms to get his hands away from his neck—and of when Edinger moved unexpect- edly, stabbing him in the lower abdomen. Contradictory evidence was introduced by the prosecution in the form of a statement signed by Scoggins after the incident. At that time, Scoggins claimed that Edinger had dropped the knife and bent over ‘with his back toward me.” Scoggins stated then that he picked up the knife and said ‘‘you damned fool’’ before stabbing him. Murray, who claims he was standing outside the cell while the fight was going on, testified that he picked up a deck broom and swung ‘‘to hit Scoggins, but I hit the wrong man.” Autopsy reports reveal that Edinger sus- tained a blow on the forehead from a ‘blunt object.” At this point, Murray testi- fied, “Scoggins went crazy so far as I know.” James. Murray’s own pro- blems may not be over. Shortly after he took the stand to testify, Judge Podcasy excused the jury and advised Murray that he may be charged with being an accessory before and-or after the fact of murder. Murray, his eyes obscured by sunglasses, then balked at testifying, and an unusual scene followed which saw Scoggins conferring at the witness stand with his friend—a scant two feet away from Judge Podcasy—and a hurried consul- tation with Public Defender Patrick Flannery by inmate Murray. In the end, Murray agreed to testify. Prosecution witnesses, in- cluding both guards and other prisoners, recalled hearing screams and seeing a bleeding Edinger running along the walkway, pursued by Scoggins with a knife in his upraised hand. Institution resident Richard Coleman and Guard William (continued from PAGE ONE) Godlewski told of wrestling Scoggins to the floor near the control room, and of taking the knife from his hand. Inmates Monroe X. Harrell and George L. Taylor and former inmate John M. Hughes Jr. sustantia- ted this testimony, and recalled transporting the victim’ to the prison infirmary. Edinger expressed the fear that he was dying to at least three persons, including Dr. Malcolm J. Borthwick, prison physician; Gerald L. Lightcap, major of the guards on May 6; and the Rev. Clement Pod- skoch, the prison’s Catholic chaplain. And to each of these persons Alexander Edinger identified his assailant as David Scoggins. “Am I going to die, Father?” the Rev. Podskoch recalled the victim asking nervously after the stabbing. The chaplain stated that he had replied, “Alex, it’s all in the hands of God—Ilet’s pray.” Father Podskoch continued, “After we prayed for a bit, he calmed down and I asked him, ‘What happened, Alex?’ He replied, ‘Scoggins hit me.’ ’ Alexander Edinger died at the Nesbitt Memorial Hospital May 14, following emergency sur- gery performed by Dr. Jorges Abrantes and Dr. Borthwick immediately after the stabbing (which Dr. Borthwick said was performed without anesthesia due to the patient’s weak condi- tion) and after subsequent oper- ations which had failed to stem a raging infection known com- monly as gaseous gangrene. County Coroner George E. Hudock, M.D., testified that the peritonitis was a result of the stab wound which had perfor- ated the bowel in several places. What may have proved the most damaging testimony to Scoggins’ case was offered by Charles Lavan, who was a guard in the maximum security wing of the prison the night of the stabbing. Scoggins had been incarcerated there, and Lavan recalled a shouted conversation between inmate Ronald Williams and Scoggins. According to Sgt. Lavan, Mr. Williams had hollered over to Scoggins after a radio newscast that ‘‘the boy you knifed in ‘“E”’ block is dead.” : Lavan recalled that Scoggins replied: “I hope the bastard is dead—I have the chair now; I can only fry once.” When Scoggins later took the stand in his own defense, he in- sisted that he had said, ‘I hope he don’t die cuz I don’t want to burn.” David Scoggins has been re- turned to the State Correctional Institution at Dallas to begin serving his life sentence, and to await information on an appeal from a death sentence imposed following his conviction for the murder of a woman in Dela- ware County in 1970. Low cost meals on your mind? The United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association reminds us that there are al- ways excellent values at season brings its specials, high vitamin and mineral fruits and vegetables, fresh and delicious, to enliven budget meals with flavor and excellent nutrition at attractive prices. imprisonment. The ordinance is a first step in helping council resolve the knotty water drainage problems which have plagued borough residents for many years. A bid for a new police cruiser from Howard Isaacs was ac- cepted at $2,979. Questioning the move was Mayor William Connolly, who suggested that “it might be prudent to wait and find out what the State is going to pay for its pursuit vehicles.” Mr. Connolly observed that the borough might be able to save money by capitalizing on the State’s purchasing power. Councilmen Fred Merrill pointed out that the old cruiser is costing the borough exor- bitant sums of money to maintain, and Councilman Carl Swanson concluded that while Mayor Connolly’s suggestion “bears investigation for future purchases,” he believed council should act to accept the Isaac’s bid. The bid was unanimously. Councilman William Hoblak was granted permission to direct a letter to the Luzerne County Transportation Authority requesting bus ser- vice for residents of the Lake. Nixon (continued from PAGE ONE) In the Back Mountain munici- palities of Lehman, Lake, and Jackson Townships as well as Harvey’s Lake Borough, Joseph Zelinsky (R) won 1495 votes to his opponent Fred Shupnik’s 1103 votes. To no one’s real surprise, the referendum question on the Constitutional amendment per- mitting the Commonwealth to make direct grants to people who suffered financial loss in the flood was overwhelmingly endorsed by the voters through- out the community. Home Rule (continued from PAGE ONE) The seven men elected to the accepted commission were Edward Richards, Trucksville, 657 votes; Joseph Purcell, Trucksville, 616; John Hibbard, Wyoming RD, 604; William Pugh, Trucksville, 597; Am- brose Gavigan, Shavertown, 596; David Phillips, Trucksville, 567; William Clewell, Trucksville, 562. Other candidates who did not win positions on the study com- mission were Arthur Williams, Trucksville, 497; William Schutter, Trucksville, 486; Kit Karuza, Trucksville, 385. Dove Season Ends Nov. 9 The hunting season for doves, gallinules and sora and Virginia rails will end in Pennsylvania at sunset Nov. 9. The season on these migratory birds opened in the State Sept. 1. ERRAcE SALE DALLAS Nev 171473 11AM-5PM Come. Gundy i a> HEAD | SKI (GKOH) Reg. $130.00 =} (continued from PAGE ONE) “We should ask the authority if they will supply us with bus transportation and if not, why not,”” Mr. Hoblak declared. Solicitor Joseph V. Kasper observed that his ‘efforts to collect real estate transfer taxes which have been wrongly paid to Lake and Lehman Townships have met with limited success. Both town- ships, he said, ‘‘have ignored my requests’ and he suggested that legal action may have to be taken to correct the situation. Council decided to sell its 1960 Chevrolet truck and plow, and asked that bids be returned Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The ‘‘situation’ of which Atty. Kasper spoke is a result of the formation of Harveys Lake Borough from Lake and Leh- man Townships. Councilman Hoblak and Atty. Kasper discovered several weeks ago that real estate transfer taxes on properties which are now in the borough have in several instances been paid to the townships. Atty. Kasper is attempting to wrest these funds from the townships. A special meeting of council for general purposes will be held Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. Dumping (continued from PAGE ONE) A hearing has been scheduled Nov. 29 at 10 a.m., Luzerne County Courthouse. When contacted at her winter residence at 10 E. Ross St., Wilkes-Barre, Mrs. Murray agreed that the suit had been filed but assured the Post that “there is another side to it.”” She stated that her husband would contact the newspaper with additional information, but sub- sequent attempts to get in touch with either Mr. or Mrs. Murray proved futile. Apply Fertilizers on Lown When Grass is Dry--Alviass apply fertilizer to your lawn in the recommended amounts when the grass is dry, and if at all possible, water in throughly after you apply it, says John C. Harper II, Extension turf specialist at The Pennsylvania burn may: occur if you apply ‘fertilizer when the grass is wet or if you put on too much. @ GE SETS GR em Gu we lp ARy LUMBER ©~. 373 W. Main §! Plymouth | SHOP. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers