The Michigan Daily Vol. LXXXVII, No. 33-S Ann Arbor, Michigon-Soturdoy, June 18, 1977 Ten Cents Twelve Pages Surprise witness saw mental patient near VA victim's bed By KEITH BERNARD RICHBURG - 'a Special To The Daily " DETROIT - A second "man in green" has been implicated in one of the poisoning attacks at the Ann Arbor Veterans Ad- ministration (VA) hospital during 1975. During testimony yesterday from a surprise witness-a former VA patient whose room was. right across the hall from one of the poison victims - the court learned that a mental patient dressed in green hospital pajamas had been in the victim's room for 15 minutes, "feeling" and "stroking" the victim's intravenous (IV) medication tubes. THE VICTIM, John Ilerman, was found dead minutes later, and one of the VA nurses, Filipina Narciso, is accused of poison- ing him by injecting a muscle relaxant into the patient's IV line. The witness, VA heart patient William Miller, said he never saw Narciso on the floor that night. Miller, who said he could "look right across from my bed to (Herman's) bed," told of seeing a man enter Herman's. room. "I THOUGHT when I saw the man that he was an attendant fror surgery because he was wearing a green uniform," Miller said. "He was a black man and he went to the IV tubes. He stood there and made motions with his hands on the IV, feeling it, even gm .. stroking ..." See WITNESS, Page 4 Fleming, Regents discuss V.P. pick By MICHAEL YFLLIN President Robben Fleming met with the Board of Regents in private yesterday afternoon to discuss who is to be the next Vice President for Academic. Affairs. to become president of Cornell " University. His current posi- tion is the second rhost power- ful in the University Adminis- tration. -THE BOARD of Regents met briefly in public yesterday and, acting uncharacteristically fast in making their monthly deci- sions, -broke for private lun- uai v hto v C H I ER cheon to discuss Rhodes' suc- cessor. Fin ger-pickin' good! There has been sou'ie con- cern voiced in the community If there's such a tune as the "Travelling In The Back Of A Pickup Truck Blues," then that's pro- about the legality of such pri- bably what this wandering minstrel is singing. There's nothing like leaving the driving to some- See REGENTS, Page 4 one else to free your fingers for the pickin'! WATERS DOWN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: House restricts abortion funding riemin g Fleming said last night there would be no final choice made before Monday or Tuesday but added, "Three names are being considered . . . I can't name people for you." 411 DISCUSSED all three peo- ple with the Regents," 'leming said, "and all three met with the Regents approval." Fleming did not indicate whe- ther he had a preference for any of the candidates but said he would have to make his - choice before-leaving town for a whsile early oer week. The current dice President for Academic Affairs, Frank Rhodes, is leaving in one month WASHINGTON (UPI) - The House yes- terday voted for the second time in a year to ban use of federal funds for abortions for poor women, an issue that probably will be resolved by the Supreme Court. The House also voted to limit the gov- ernment's authority to implement affirm- ative action programs which try to make up, for past discrimination against women and minorities. - THE ANTIABORTION amendment, ap- proved 201. to 155, and the affirmative ac- tion restrictions were put into a $61.3 bil- lion money bill which the House- approved and sent to the Senate. - The measure would fund the Depart- ments of Labor and Health, Educatio. and Welfare in the 1979 fiscalyear that starts Oct..1.- Rep. Henry Hyde, (R-III.), offered the House last year and was modified in House- amendment, which bans use of federal Senate conference to make an exception funds for all abortions, making no excep- for women whose lives are endangered by Lion even if a woman's life is endangered pregnancy. by pregnancy, A. U.S. DISTRICT Court ruled the provi- THE ABORTION issue was the most sin unconstitutional on grounds it violated explosive in the big money bill, but it also the equal rights amendment and the case includes a ban - approved Thursday - is expected to be determined by the Su' on use of foods for busing children to preme Court. schools that are paired or merged into clusters to achieve racial integration. Reaction from pro abortion forces came along predictable lines. Another civil rights oriented provision was watered down before being added to the Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman (D-N.Y.) said bill by voice vote yesterday. It prohibits "the real victims of this amendment are HEW from using quotas to enforce anti- the young teen-age victims of rape and in- discrimination. laws in job hiring and pro- cest who eannot afford an abortion," and meting and in admissions to educational Rep. Yvonne Burke .(D-Calif.) said "this institutions. .should be called the forced child bearing - - amendment. We don't believe. young-.girls The Hyde abrtiomamendment .paasses.0. should be forced to have children."