The Michigan Daily
Vol. LXXXV, No. 58-S Ann Arbor, Michigan-Thursday, August 7, 1975 Ten Cents Eight Pages
Ex-Sena tor Gurney acquitted
Innocent on 5 counts; jury dismissed
y TAMPA, Fla (A) - Former Sen. Edward Gur- spiracy charge against former Gurney aide Jo- 'if t h e y couldn't
xV ney, who cut short a 20-year political career un- seph Bastien but found him innocent of accept-
der the cloud of a federal indictment, was found ing unlawful compensation. proye this case after
innocent yesterday of bribery, accepting un- U. S. District Court Judge Ben Krentzman
lawful compensation and three counts of lying declared a mistrial on the unresolved charges. two years and plea bar-
to grand jury. ALL FOUR defendants were charged with con-
The federal jury, which deliberated 56 hours spiring to raise an illegal $233,000 slush fund for gaining with every key
over 10 days after sitting through 88 days of an aborted 1974 Gurney re-election campaign.
testimony in the case, could not reach verdicts Prosecutors said the defendants sold the for- witness, they're not
on a conspiracy charge and one count of per- mer senator's influence with the FHA to Florida
jury against the 61-year-old Republican, who was builders seeking contracts. going to prove it.'
former President Nixon's strongest supporter Jury members said the panel split 7-5 for in-
on the Senate Watergate Committee nocence on the unresolved conspiracy count
THE SIX-MAN, six-woman jury found code- against Gurney, 9-3 in favor of conviction on a--Gurney
fendants Ralph Koontz and K. Wayne Swiger, similar charge against Bastien, and 9-3 for con-
both suspended Federal Housing Administration viction on the unresolved perjury charge against
Gurney officials, innocent of conspiracy. Gurney.
The panel said it was deadlocked on a con- See FORMER, Page 5
Japanese, Malaysian
officials offered as
substitute hostages
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (A) - Japanese and Malaysian
government officials arrived at Knala Lumpur airport last night
to serve as sibstitute hostages aboard a Japan Air Lines DC8 held
by five Red Army terrorists seeking to fly to Libya.
The plane had been scheduled to depart at 8:30 p.m. EDT yes-
terday, but officials said there wold be a "slight delay" while
final arrangements were made.
JAPANESE OFFICIALS in Tokyo said Libya told them it could
not "formally" accept the landing of the plane but would permit .- -
it to put down at Benghazi as an "emergency landing."
The officials said fnrther contacts were being made to get - K
approval from governments for the plane to pass through their air - r
space dring its flight to Libya.
THE GUNMEN were holding aboard the plane 15 of the 52
original hostages they seized in an invasion of the U.S. Embassy -s
on Monday. The other hostages were freed earlier. 0
Among those still aboard the plane were the U.S. consul, r;
Robert Stebbins, and the Swedish charge d'affaires, Fredrik Ber-
genstrahle. AP Photo
Five radicals freed from Japanese prisons and flown here A JAPANESE Red Army member pauses briefly in Kuala Lumpur yesterday with two host
Tuesday to meet the terrorists' demands were in a nearby airport ages before boarding a bus for the airport, however, the group encountered unexpected delays
building ready to be put aboard the plane before departure. upon arriving at their scheduled plane late last night.
O'BRIEN APPEARS AFTER 6-DAY ABSENCE
FBI questions Hoffa's adopted son
DETROIT ()--Charles O'Brien, the foster son Jimmy HOFFA'S daughter, Barbara Crancer, said O'Brien court case now pending in which Hoffa sought permis-
Hoffa raised from the age of three, was questioned by was seen last Thursday morning getting in a car with sion to seek his old job as union boss.
the FBI for 3/ years yesterday at a local union hall. another union official near the spot where police found "I have no knowledge concerning the reasons for Mr.
Sources have described O'Brien as a key to finding Hoffa's car, unlocked and abandoned, just hours later. Hoffa's disappearance. I do, however, believe on the
the e-Teamsters leader, who disappeared a week ago. O'Brien arrived at the Teamsters hall early yester- basis of the pendency of the law suit and other circum-
O'Brien, who served as Hoffa's bodyguard, refused day afternoon and went into conference with Burdick stantial evidence, that his disappearance is related to
to tell reporters why he has not contacted the Hoffa and Robert Holmes, a Teamsters vice president who the possibility of his return to union office," Bouden
family since last Thursday, the day after Hoffa van- heads Detroit Local 337 and is close to both Hoffa forces said in a statement.
ished. He also refused to say why he himself disappear- and those of Teamsters general president Frank Fitz- Court officials said the case was still pending in the
ed for several days early this week. simmons. U.S. Court of Appeals and there was no indication a
HIS ATTORNEY, Jack Burdick, said O'Brien "abso- FBI agents showed up minutes later to question decision was near.
lately did not play a role" in Hoffa's disappearance. O'Brien. HOFFA WAS sentenced to serve 13 years on convic-
Burdick said O'Brien answered all FBI questions CRANCER said she knows whom O'Brien was riding tion for mail fraud and jury tampering. He was re-
about his whereabouts and activities "to their sati- with Thursday morning, but she refused to reveal the leased in 1971 after serving 4/ years, but the restricted
faction." name. However, sources identified the driver as Robert clemency issued by President Nixon barred him from
Hoffa's son, Detroit attorney James Hoffa, told re- Holmes Jr. participating in union activities until 1980.
porters last night that he thinks O'Brien was lying Sources said the FBI also talked with the younger Hoffa was popular with the rank and file throughout
when he said he did not know anything about Hoffa's Holmes. his, turbulent 14-year-reign as union president. But
disappearance. Crancer said it was O'Brien's routine to be picked up Fitzsimmons delegated more authority and union ob-
"I think he has knowledge of what's going on here," near his home and driven to work. Union sources said servers say that many officials, including Fitzsimmons,
the labor leader's son said. The young Hoffa said he he was usually driven to work by young Holmes. have a lot to lose if Hoffa regained the presidency.
demanded' that O'Brien take a lie detector test and HOFFA'S ATTORNEY, Leonard Bouden, said yester- Others theorized Hoffa's disappearance could be tied
O'Brien offered to discuss it with his attorney. day that he believed the disappearance was tied to a instead to his business dealings.