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VA witness' mental state questioned
By KEITH B. RICHBURG
Special To The Daiy
DETROIT - For m o r e than
two hours yesterday, Federal
Prosecutor Richard Yanko grill-
ed former Veterans Administra-
tion (VA) patient W il li a m
Loesch in an effort to prove that
Loesch was mentally incapable
of accurately recalling the event
of his own breathing failure.
Loesch, in turn, allaged that the
FBI had gone through his pri-
vileged psychiatric record.
t.,oesch, who suffered a respir-
atory failure on August 15, 1975,
claims to have seen a myster-
tius stranger in a green scrub
suit standing over him seconds
before he stopped breathing. If
Loesch is correct, his testimony
would virtually destroy the gov-
ernment's case of circumstantial
evidence against two Filipino
nurses, Filipina Narciso and
Leonora Perez, who stand ae-
cttsed of poisoning him,
Y A N K O questioned Loesch
about the former patient's pre-
vious statements to the FBI,
and the prosecutor was quick
to point out even the slightest
discrepancy. Yanko also read
large portions of Loesch's grand
jury testimony, and led the wit-
ness to remark several times,
"'You're confusing me.
ILoesch, a Vietnam veteran,
had been admitted to the VA
Hospital for a self-inflicted gun-
shot wound. tie had been treat-
ed as an out-patient at the hos-
pital for mental depression.
This background iiformation
led Yanko to ask at one point,
"Isn't it a fact that your mental
state at the time of these events
made it difficult for you to re-
member these events." The wit-
ness replied, "I don't under-
s<and why we're going into my
psychiatric records."
LOESCH THEN said, "My
doctor has indicated to me that
someone, the FBI, had been go-
ing through my lisychiatric rec-
ords."
Defense Attorney T h o a-s
O'Brien was quick to raise an
objection to any further ques-
tioning of Loesoh about his psy-
chiatric background, since the
witness had given no one per-
mission to review his records.
Yanko complied and ended his
line of questioning.
The matter came up again af-
See VA, Page 10
Con artists 'pigeon drop'
2 locals out of $3100
By M. EILEEN DAIEY
Two Ann Arbor women became the victims of a pair of con
artists yesterday in a ploy which bilked one of them of $2,800 and
the other of $300.
Police said the first victim, a 23-year-old woman, was ap-
proached on Geddes Ave. at about 11:30 a.m. by a woman who
asked where she could find a good restaurant nearby. As the
two spoke, a third woman joined them, carrying a bag or envelope
supposedly full of money. The woman told them she had just found
$30,000.
HER ACCOMPLICE said she was not sure what should be
done with the money, but told the woman that she knew an at-
torney who could give them some advice. The two conwomen then
invited the 23-year-old woman to join them.
The women were told by the "attorney" that since they.found
the money, unless someone claimed it within a fewt days, it was
theirs to keep.
The conwomen told their victim that since she was present
when the money was found, she would be entitled to a portion of
it. They suggested that site put up some money for "good faith",
which she did--$300.
THE SECOND VICTIM was a 76-year old woman who was ap-
proached as she was walking on Third St. near Liberty. Using the
same technique, the con artists bilked the elderly woman of $2,800.
Police said despite the publicity and warnings they issue con-
cerning these so-called "pigeon drops," con artist in Ann Arbor
continue to use the technique successfully.
Police are urging citizens to contact them first before giving
money to a stranger. "Anytime anyone is approached and the
conversation gets around to where the person is asked to put up
money, they should call us," said Ann Arbor police lieutenant
Richard Hill. "It's too damn late after they give the money. If its
legitimate, fine and dandy. If not, they're going to bag it."
MEMBERS OF THE Revolutionary Student Brigade and the Iranian Students Organization
march yesterday in front of the National Bank and Trust office on Main Street to protest
that bank's selling of a gold coin produced by t he white-minority government in South Africa.
S. African coin sale protested
B GREGG KRUPA 1
fifteen students gathered on the IDiag yester-
day to protest the sale of the South African
Krugerrand gold coin in the U.S.
A spokesperson for the Revolutionary Stu-
dents' Brigade, the organizers of the rally, said
he was not surprised by the lack of response.
"SMALL ACTIONS like these have always
been the start of major protest movements,"
he said. "The protest against the war in Viet-
nam was started by a group this small not
very far from this spot on the Diag."
After the rally on the Diag, the group, which
also included members of the Iranian Students
Organization, marched behind a banner to the
National Bank and Trust offices on Main
Street. National Bank and Trust is the only
bank in Ann Arbor selling the coin.
The group entered the building chanting
slogans and tried to speak with a Mr: Donner,
who is in charge of the sale of the coin at the
bank. Donner, however, was not in the build-
ing.
H'lE GROUP then continued its march to
the National Bank and Trust building at Thomp-
son and East William where they followed the
same procedure.
The group maintains the sale of the Kruger-
rand accounts for 25 per cent of alt of South
Africa's gold sales, and that the South African
government has already sunk $4 million into
advertising it in the United States alone.
As they marched, the protestors were fol-
lowed by two University safety officers, who
trailed along the entire route.
"WE'RE JUST along making sure thiiigs
- remain orderly," said one of the officers.
The march continued to the Administration
Building where Nick Neuman addressed the
Regents on the University's ownership of stock
in corporations that operate in South Africa.
"We came to make sure you haven't for-
gotten that the University is supporting the
apartheid in South Africa," Neuman said. "We
want to see some action around here on these
investments."
TODAY
Editors' note
In at least two articles in the past month, The
DaIly printed a quote from University President
Robben Fleming stating that he believes the South
African government is "doing the best it can" to
resolve the racist situation there. Fleming sent us
a note this week saying that we misrepresented
his position by misquoting him. We did not mis-
quote him. The president, in his note, says he op-
poses the white minority regime in South Africa,
and that he doesn't believe the government will
relinquish control to the black majority voluntari-
ly. That is what the president says, and we believe
him, but we nevertheless stand behind the quote.
It was taken during a phone interview, and the re-
porter still has the complete motes of the conver-
sation which clearly show Fleming made the state-
ment. In a phone interview it is easy to say the
wrong word, or state something in a manner that
is easily misunderstood, and in light of what the
president wrote to us in his note, it seems likely
that the quote does misrepresent his true view of
the situation. Because of that we will not make any
future reference to the quote, but we do stand by
its accuracy, 100 per cent.
s -
Happenings
... all you aspiring photographers had better go
out and shoot fast, because the deadline is tomor-
row for a juried photography show June 26 at Art
Worlds, 2131;2 S. Main ... Anita won't scream if you
squeeze some fruit with the folks from the Inter-
national Center, who are leading a strawberry pick-
ing expedition from the Center, 603 E. Madison, at
4 p.m. ... Mawlama Nadvi of India will be the
guest at a potluck dinner in the International Mus-
lim House, 407 N. Ingalls, at 6:30 p.m. ... and a pro-
gram on the local homning crisis, "It Just Ait
Right," will be shown at 7 p.m. on public access
TV, Channel 9.
On the outside
Ever wonder what the weather phrase "sunny
and mild means? It means today, which will be
about as inoffensive a day as you could ask for
- warm, clear and a high of 85. Tonight's low
will be around 60, but look for another warm,
.humid day tomorrow, with a chance of afteroon
thundershowers and a high of 86.