Vol. LXXXI, No, 8-S Ann Arbor, Michigan-Friday, May 14, 1971 Ten Cents Twelve Pages N.Y. Panthers found innocent of conspiracy -Associated Press Iritwin in Common Market? Geffrey Rippon, chief British negotiator for membership in the European Economic Community, addresses a news conference yesterday morning. Reaching agreement on three important issues, Britain and the six Common Market nations ma d e major breakthroughs in membership negotiations. AIDE TO SPlURRI: Bro~wn accepts post at Texas By ROBERT SCHREINER When Vice President and Dean of the Graduate School Ste- phen Spurr leaves the University to become President of the Uni- versity of Texas next month, one of his assistants will follow him there to assume a high administrative post. Ronald Brown, presently assistant to the vice president and former director of financial aids, will join Spurr in Austin, Texas, in mid-July. He has been designated vice president for student af- fairs. Since Spurr's appointment was officially confirmed by the Texas Regents Mar. 12, he has divided his time between here and Austin. While Spurr has been gone, Brown has handled the duties of the vice president. As vice president for student affairs, Brown will be in charge of the offices of financial aids, housing, counseling and the office of the dean of students, as well as overseeing the student medical center and the student union. Brown calls his appointment, announced in Texas on Sunday, a "professional challenge." "It was not an easy decision to make," he said last night. "In the four years I have been here I have become emotionally attached to the University and the community." "But this is a professional opportunity which was hard to pass up. Besides," he added, "I personally enjoy working with Spurr." NEW YORK il-Thirteen Black Panthers were aquit- ted yesterday of bombing and murder conspir ac y charges by a jur y that agreed on the first ballot. The defendants, most of whom have been in jail for more than two years, listened intently as jury foreman James Fox began to read the verdict to the court, responding "not guilty" 156 times to the court clerk's ques- tion of what the jury found on each count for each defendant. Each of the 13 Panthers were charged on 12 counts including conspiracy to bomb police sta- tions and other public places, plotting to kill policemen and weapons and explosives posses- sion. The jury got the case at 1:22 p.m. after an eight-month trial, and deliberated only a little over 32 hours before announcing the verdict. Outside the courtroom, Fox said each juror was surprised to find the others were of like mind. "The miracle was that 12 peo- ple of such extraordinary diverse backgrounds all felt pretty much the same way," said juror Fred- erick Hills. Fox said each juror spoke for about five minutes, feeling each other out, and the unanimous first ballot followed. Thebrest of the time, he said, was spent inreviewing the evi- dence, hot the jurors remained in agreement throughout. In addition to eight months of trial, the case went through sev- en months of pretrial hearings, often marred by disorder and the final day was no exception. Minutes before state Supreme Court Justice John Murtagh con- cluded his charge to the jury of 11 men and one woman, a court- room disruption occurred. As defense lawyers took excep- tion to Murtagh's jury charge an(' claimed it had been biased and See 13, Page 3 JOAN BIRD, one of 13 Black Panthers on trial in New York hugs Defense Attorney Sanford Katz at the state supreme court yester- day. The Panthers were acquitted of bomb and murder conspiracy charges. TO HALT SEXISM: Panel seeks woman Un10n elects McCra By SARA FITZGERALD Charles McCracken and Harry Barnett yesterday were elected president and first vice-president of Local 1583 of the Ameri- can Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employes (AFSCME), which represents 2,700 University 'service and maintenance workers. McCracken was re-elected by an unof- ficial count of 521 to 441 over Walter Mc- Closkey, recording secretary of the union. Running in a separate election, Barnett, a steward at East Quad outpolled Clarence Massey, a University Hospital steward, 491 to 430. McCracken and Barnett had received the endorsement and campaign support of the Rank and File Caucus, a group of about a dozen militant union members. Barnett, a member of the caucus, ap- peared to be aided by his group's public- ity in overc sey, who di member of during its c versity last McCracke dent or vic 1968 and wa ion's bargai also served the forefron In hisc key primar union finan called for o the establis regular ad By his v withstood i ing AFSCM S to chekpay variance By ROSE SUE BERSTEIN The University's Commission on Women is seeking a women's representative to investigate cases of sex dis- crimination as part of the University's affirmative action program for women. The proposed representative would assist A member of the University Personnel Office in checking for women who perform the same job, hold the same title, have equi- valent educations, and have worked the same length of time as men, but receive different salaries, according to commission member Bar- bara Murphy. This procedure for the ex- ,J e npress purpose of overseeing of a large scale plan approved last week by the commission to oming the better-known Mas- investigate University employ- d not campaign. Massey was a ment practices. the union's negotiating team The procedure devised by the ontract dispute with the Uni- commission, involves a review January. of potential discrepencies by n has served as either presi- the women's representative and since the personnel office member. 1-president of the union i e If the preliminary review fails as chief negotiator for the un- to end in agreement, fact-find- ning team. Though McCloskey ing interviews would be set up as a negotiator, he was not in with the employee and her it as much as McCracken supervisor. campaign literature, McClos- After these interviews, a three ily attacked the secrecy of member Board of Review with cial arrangements. McCloskey fact-finding powers would hear pen executive board meetings, cases still in dispute. hment of a strike fund and Murphy commented on the iting of the union's accounts. search for a representative: "I'd ictory, McCracken apparently like to see this woman be a kind riticism of his leadership dur- of clearinghouse for women em- E's two-day strike this year, ployes who have grievances to ee UNION, Page 10 aim them in the right direc- _ _tion." L i