The Michigan Daily
Vol. LXXXVI, No. 67-S Ann Arbor, Michigan-Friday, August 13, 1976 Ten Cents Twelve Pages
GOP platform leans to Ford
Miss. delegation in doubt
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (,I - President Ford
emerged from the first round of Republican
platform sessions yesterday with a slight edge
over Ronald Reagan, but a new hazard appear-
ed in Ford's path toward the presidential nomi-
nation in the form of trouble within the volatile
Mississippi delegation.
Debate is also stirring over the possibility
that Sen. James Buckley, the conservative Re-
publican from New York, will jump into the
race. If he does, it is not clear what it will do
to the presidential nomination race that already
looks too close to call.
Both Ford and Reagan strategists said they
were satisfied with platform planks approved
so far. But on foreign policy issues, Ford's posi-
tions prevailed by narrow margins.
THE REAGAN FORCES prepared to fight
again before the full platform committee and
on the convention floor.
"We feel at the moment, the platform is pro-
gressing quite well," John Sears, Reagan's cam-
paign manager, told a news conference.
Dean Burch, a Ford adviser, followed Sears to
the podium in a conference room a floor below
where the platform committee was meeting, and
said, "I don't anticipate there will be anything
in the platform we can't live with."
In a statement issued earlier, Clarke Reed,
Mississippi Republican chairman, said his state's
delegation was disturbed by reports Ford "is
considering several possible running mates to
the left of the mainstream of the Republican
party."
The Ford camp has fought the proposal, suc-
See GOP, Page 2
BULLETIN
Republican platform writers voted
narrowly late last night to endorse ratifi-
cation of the Equal Rights Amendment,
which was supported by President Ford
and opposed by Ronald Reagan.
The 51 to 47 vote on the amendment
now before the states made a floor fight
likely on the women's rights issue when
the full GOP convention meets next
week.
THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION promises to be exciting, but the same
obviously can't be said for preconvention proceedings as evidence by Rep.
Silvio Conte of Massachusetts, chairman of the GOP subcommittee on human
rights, who can't stifle a hearty yawn at the meeting of the committee in
Kansas City.
B~uckley
Tal Zaatar
falls to
Christian
forces
BEIRUT, Lebanon (, - The
Palestinian camp of Tal Zaatar
fell to Christian forces yester-
day after a fierce seven-week
siege. Thousands of wailing
refugees poured out to safety.
Palestinian sources claimed
a handful of holdouts were still
fighting hand-to-hand with
ri'ht--;-g gunmen who storm-
ed -t,... the camp. Bttt they ad-
mitted that Tat Zaatarthad, in
effect, been conquered.
A WEEPING old man, just
out of the camp said of the re-
maining defenders, "There
can't be more than seven of
them in any one spot . . . The
boys who were fighting, may
God rest their souls, were all
killed."-
Palestinian spokespersons
claimed their fighters were
"tricked' early yesterday when
Red Cross trucks approached
Tal Zaatar accompanied by
Christian gunmen. The guer-
rillas held their fire, thinking
it was an evacuation mission,
the Palestinian spakesman said,
but then the Christians launch-
ed a surnrise attack as the
trucks drove away.
The collapse of Tal Zaatar -
reduced to rubble by thousands
of artillery rounds - clears
Christian - held east Beirut of
the last significant stronghold
of the alliance of Palestinians
and leftist Moslems and rein-
forces the virtual partition of
Lebanon.
THE FALL gave the right-
win, Christian leadership per-
haps its greatest victory in 16
months of civil war. Palestinian
chieftains had vowed to de-
See TAL, Page 2 J
Postill case postponed
By LANI JORDAN
CHELSEA-In an attempt to salvage a weaken-
ing case, assistant county prosecutor Lynwood
Noah moved yesterday for a one week adjourn-
ment of Sheriff Fredrick Postill's preliminary
examination on felonious assault charges, in order
to call two new witnesses, including one from
Wisconsin.
The hearing, now in its fourth day, stems from
last month's brawl at a Chelsea wedding recep-
tion involving Postill, county jail administrator
Frank Donley, and suspended sheriff's deputy
Basil Baysinger and his wife, Shirley.
Both Noah and defense attorney Neal Bush
had rested their cases when Noah asked 14th
district court judge Henry Arkison to adjourn
the hearing until next Thursday rather than mak-
ing a decision on binding Postill over for .trial.
Bush agreed to the unusual procedure stating
outside the courtroom that "I wouldbe glad to
have Marvin Bell (the witness from Wisconsin)
testify. It could only aid our case."
BUSH ADDED that if Bell's testimony was not
consistent with what he (Bell) had stated in a
state police report following the incident, it
would prove that Bell had been contacted (by
the prosecution) and given a different version of
the brawl to report on the witness stand.
In another unsual move, Postill took the stand
yesterday to testify on his own behalf, Bush
startled the crowded courtroom by immediately
asking the sheriff, "Did you ever choke Basil
Baysinger with handcuffs (the basis of the felo-
nious assault charge)?"
"Absolutely not," Postill replied firmly.
Bush then continued to question the sheriff on
his participation in the brawl. Postill related
that Baysinger had approached him inside the
reception hall and the two had started a friendly
conversation. Baysinger testified Tuesday that
Postill and Donley had started the coaversation.
See POSTILL, Page 10
Postill