The Michigan Daily
Vol. LXXXVII, No. 38-S Ann Arbor, Michigan-Thursday, July 7, 1977 Ten Cents Twelve Page!
Detroit employes walk out
DETROIT (P) - More than 8,000 municipal workers unexpect-
edly went on strike in Detroit yesterday, cutting off bus service
for some 200,000 riders, halting garbage pickups and affecting
services at the city hospital.
Besides those striking in a wage dispute, several thousand
other of the 20,000 unionized city workers refused to cross picket
lines.
THE CITY went into court in an effort to force back to work
15 civilian police emergency telephone operators, who left their
jobs at midnight Tuesday along with 30 sewage plant workers
and bus mechanics.
Officials estimated 450 calls to the police emergency number,
911, went unanswered overnight. Uniformed officers were called
in on 12-hour shifts to man the phones.
An official for the American Federation of State, County and
Municipal Employes (AFSCME) said many nonprofessional em-
playes joined the walkout at Detroit General Hospital although
registered nurses and practical nurses stayed on the job.
TRAFFIC WAS reported unusually heavy on city freeways as
commuters who normally take buses to work were forced to drive.
Detroit has no subway system. Some bus riders, apparently un-
aware of the strike, stood at coach stops this morning waiting for
buses that never came.
The major taxi company, Checker Cab, reported a deluge of
calls.
WITH THE CITY sweltering in mid-90 degree heat, recreation
officials were considering draning municipal swimming pools
because not enough staff was available.
"Our preference, obviously, is to keep the pools open," said
Leon Atchison, city 'recreation director. "It gives the kids some
alternative to more destructive things.
Harry Boyle, director of the bureau of sanitary engineering
for the city health department, warned that loosely stored garbage
and continuation of the hot, humid weather would bring out more
disease carrying flies and rats. He urged residents to cut the bot-
toms from cans and crush them flat to eliminate food sources for
the scavengers.
STRIKING DETROIT city emplbyes walk a picket line in front of the City.County Building. Many
city services came to a hal yesterday as an estimated 8,000 city workers walked off the job
when talks between the city and unions representing the employes broke down.
DOES POISONING IMPLY PREMEDITATION?
VA jury queries judge
By KEITH B. RICHBURG
special To he Daily
DETROIT-The jurors in the
Veterans Administration (VA)
Hospital trial yesterday asked
Federal Judge Philip Pratt for a
legal definition of murder, while
the prosecutor in the case tried
to get a new charge-second de-
gree murder-before the jury.
The first; development came
yesterday morning when the
jury, still undecided after a
week of deliberations, asked the
judge, "Does the finding of the
fact that a poison was used sat-
isfy the concept of premedita-
tion?"
THE JURY was referring to
the m u r d e r count pending
against VA defendant Filipina
Narciso. The murder, that of
patient John Herman, is the
fourth listed in the indictment.
If yesterday's request is any
indication of how far along the
jury is in its deliberations, the
three men and nine women still
have five charges to consider in
the nine-count indictment.
Narciso and her co-defendant
Leonora Perez are accused of
causing multiple breathing fail-
ures at the Ann Arbor VA dur-
ing the summer of 1975. -The
government contends that the
two women injected patients
with a muscle relaxing drug
called Pavulon that affected
their respiratory systems.
The jury is currently consider-
ing four counts of poisoning and
one murder charge against Nar- Pratt yesterday if the fact tha
ciso, and three charges of pois- a poison was used satisfied thi
oning against Perez. Both wo- "premeditation" requirement for
men face a charge of conspi- first degree murder, the judgt
racy, the first count in the in- reread his original instructions
dictment. Pratt told the jury to look fot
"malice of forethought, premed
WHEN THE JURY asked See 2ND, Page 10
Council defeats porno
ordinance, parks veto
By GREGG KRUPA
By a 9-1 margin City Council last night defeated a pro-
posed ordinance that would have banned the promotion of
pornography and the displaying of indecent matter within
the city limits.
However, Council member Lou Belcher (R-Fifth Ward)
said he would be introducing another anti-pornography ordi-
nance in the near future.
THE ORDINANCE, proposed by Council member Roger
Bertoia (R-Third Ward) was a replica of the Ypsilanti anti-
pornography ordinance. It would have established penalties
of up to 90 days in jail a fine of $500 for violators.
Bertoria portrayed the pornography business in Ann Arbor
as a quickly expanding enterprise and sought to link the
pornography trade with Ann Arbor vice problems.
"There is a domino affect that occurs here. It started in
Ann Arbor with the opening of one porno house and esca-
lated to various shops and massage parlors," said Bertoia. He
then asked his colleagues, "Which portion of Ann Arbor are
See COUNCIL, Page 7
WHILE A JURY pondered her fate in the Veterans Adminis-
tration Hospital poisoning trial, defendant Filipina Narciso
book a break from the waiting with an ice cream cone in down-
town Detroit yesterday.