Ninety-One Years Of Editorial Freedom 4iga 41v at COLD Partly cloudy and very cold today with scattered snow flurries. Vol. XCI, No. 107 Copyright 1981, The Michigan Daily Ann Arbor, Michigan-Wednesday, February 4, 1981 Ten Cents Ten Page Ex-hostage files Iran suit against despite treaty From UPI and AP The liberated hostages marked their second week of freedom yesterday un- doubtedly eyeing a $420,000 lawsuit filed against the Iranian government by one of their fellow prisoners in defiance of the agreement between the United States and Iran. , The suit, filed Monday in Washington's U.S. District Court by Marine Sgt. Gregory Persinger, alleges that Persinger's diplomatic privileges, immunities and civil rights were violated when the embassy was seized. It further states that he and his family suffered when he was "threatened with execution before a firing squad," and "subjected to numerous instances of assault and bat- tery, physical abuse, and severe emotional and psychological pressures." Also named as plaintiffs are Per- singer's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Persinger of Seaford, Del. Meanwhile, Detroit's freed hostages Charles Jones Jr. and Joseph Subic Jr. were honored yesterday in a packed Ford Auditorium in a "Celebration of Freedom." Though they insisted they were not heroes, Jones, 40, of Detroit, the only black among the 52 ex-hostages and Subic, 24, of Redford Township, were given a standing ovation as they ap- proached the podium for brief remarks at the special welcome-home ceremony. "I personally do not consider myself a hero. The eight men who lost their lives in the failed rescue mission last April are the heroes and their families are the heroes," Jones said. "You took the words from me," said Subic, an Army staff sergeant. "We're not heroes ... We just want to be nor- mal again. Thank you, Detroit." Michigan's two liberated hostages were presented with Distinguished Recognition Awards, the city's highest honor-a silver medallion on a red; white and blue ribbon. They also received plaques on behalf of the people of Detroit and numerous gifts from merchants. Appearing on the rostrum with the two were Jones' wife Mattie and four daughters and Subic'sfiance.,, Police estimated as many as 1,800-a capacity crowd-filled the auditorium for the ceremony, which was open to the public without charge on a first- come, first-served basis. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra., played "When Johnny Comes Marching, Home Again" and jazz singer Kim, Weston sang "Lift Ev'ry Voice anid' Sing," the black national anthem. At a champagne reception followinlg the public ceremony, Jones and Subic were treated to a four-foot-tall cale which said "From captivity to liberty.: Welcome home Charles and Joseph.; Daily Photo by MAUREEN O'MALLEY William Holmes, a former halfway house resident, sits in his room at 506 West William Street. He has been transferred to a corrections center in Flint, Michigan. The William Street halfway house is scheduled to close March 1. Fon r residents air viWS onhalwa hoseclosings, By DEBI DAVIS After the closing of three Ann Arbor halfway houses in December, and the scheduled closing of a fourth in March, several state prisoners, in an interview yesterday, ex- pressed concern that the controversial halfway house program might shut down. The Community Residential Program allows certain "low-risk" prisoners to live in community homes, called halfway houses, as a rehabilitation program, aimed at easing the transition back to society. The program has come under fire by city and University officials after several halfway house residents were charged with recent crimes. OPPONENTS OF THE houses have said severe over- crowding of state prisons has resulted in an influx of more serious criminals into the special program. Yet, in interviews yesterday, most current and former residents of local halfway houses defended the program against recent demands- that the program be revised or eliminated. One former resident of an Ann Arbor halfway house, Jackie Lyons, said scrapping the entire program would be a mistake. "It would be a shame if something happened and they stopped the program," Lyons said. "THE PUBLICITY WE'RE getting now isn't helping," Lyons said, referring to news coverage of the December murder of a local cab driver and last month's restaurant robbery. Both crimes were allegedly committed by halfway house residents.; A 29-year-old prisoner, who asked not be identified, said he didn't like living in the halfway house at 1124 East Ann St., one of the houses closed after the December murder. He said, "People stand over you all the time and tell you what to do." "It's just another form of incarceration, but just a little lighter," the prisoner said. "If I were renting a room, I wouldn't rent there," he said, adding, but "there's a hell of a difference between a room in a halfway house and a cell block at Jackson prison." ACCORDING TO THE former residents, living con- ditions varied from house to house. Levers Suber, who lived in one of three halfway houses owned by local landlord Louis Rome, said the houses were "filthy, rat-infested and allirun down." He also said thefts by outsiders were frequent. Suber, who asked for a transfer from the Rome complex, was placed in a halfway house on William Street owned by a local minister, the Rev. Esque Wells. He said the Wells facility was "really nice," with "carpet all over the place - just like home." BUT, TOM SMITH, who also lived in both the Rome and Wells homes, described the Rome house on Ann Street as "clean and nice." He said he had a good room and more See CONVICTS, Page 2 Hess case prompts threats on Jews KARLSRUHE, West Germany (UPI) - Neo-Nazis set a Valentine's Day deadline to kill two Jews at random unless they get nearly $7 million for a fund to free Hitler's right-hand man, Rudolf Hess, a government spokesman said yesterday. A group calling itself the Rudolf Hess Restitution Commando made the demand in letters to the governments of the four Allied powers - the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union - which jointly control Berlin's Spandau jail, where the 86-year-old convicted Nazi war criminal is im- prisoned. A SPOKESMAN for the West German Federal Prosecutor's Office said the demands also were sent to the West German, Italian and Austrian gover- nments and the West German media. The group said payment of the money would be "a gesture of good will." The group threatened "bloody retaliation" in what it called an ultimatum if the money was not paid by Feb. 14 to the "Freedom for Rudolf Hess Committee," an organization formed by Hess' son, Wolf-Ruediger' Hess, 43, a Munich architect. The younger Hess made no comment on the threats and there was no in- dication he was implicated. THE LETTERS, dated Jan. 30 and mailed in Salzburg, Austria, threatened that the previously unknown Nazi group would make an example of two Jews chosen at random and kill them, the spokesman said. In addition to the money, the com- mando group demanded Hess be given the immediate right to consult a lawyer of his own choice in Spandau, where he is serving a life sentence handed down by the International Military Tribun. at Nuremberg in 1946. The spokesman said Federal Prosecutor Kurt Reb- mann is investigating.and, has4rteady opened legal proceedings to prosecute in the event the group is uncovered. Hess, deputy to Adolf Hitler, was cap- tured by the British in 1941 after he parachuted into Scotland on a secret mission. He spent the rest of the war imprisoned in the Tower of London. The spokesman said the money demand was not quite clear, but ap- parently the commando wanted the seven nations receiving the letter to pay. The commando group said the money also would be used to support the case of Maj. Walter Reder, 65, who was sen- tenced to life by an Italian court for the massacre of 1,830 civilians in the town of Marzabotto. The state's prison population has almost doubled in six years, placing a greater burden on the halfway house program, according to Community Residential Program Supervisor John Gellick. "In some cases overcrowding has affected the kind of people we are getting," he notes. ............... Corporate chairman warns of S. African revolution JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP)-Industrialist Harry Op- penheimer, chairman of the giant Anglo American Corp., has warned of possible revolution in South Africa in five years unless blacks get major con- cessions. Oppenheimer's remarks, delivered in the 72-year-old industrialist's typical low-key style at a luncheon with foreign journalists on Monday, were in line with a long-held political philosophy he terms "radical conservatism." But with a national election scheduled for April 29, Oppenheimer's warning was considered the clearest so far to Prime Minister P.W. Botha that the new five-year mandate he seeks could be the most important in South African history. AS CHAIRMAN of Anglo American, Oppenheimer's remarks carry some weight. The South African-based multinational corporation produces some 48 percent of the country's gold, about a third of its coal and a like amount of its uranium. Oppenheimer told the journalists that Botha and previous National party governments, following the official policy of apartheid or racial segregation, have squandered too much time in trying to reach an accom- modation between South Africa's 4.5 million whites and 2 million blacks. He said the during his two years as prime minister, Botha had raised the hopes of blacks with promises of a new deal, at the same time telling whites they must "adapt or die." Most South African blacks view the upcoming election as irrelevant because they don't have the right to vote. They tend to see Botha's reforms as window-dressing for the outside world and say they won't be satisfied until the entire apartheid system is dismantled. John Gellick, supervisor of the controversial. Ann Arbor resident home program, handles phone calls from concerned citizens and city officials, af- ter recent crimes allegedly committed by halfway house residents. .:::::::::::..:: :.:..:;. : :"" .: ": :. . :. ::::::: TODAY Wind it up F YOU NORMALLY rely on the clock in Burton Tower to attend class on time, you may have been a few hours late yesterday. The clock stopped at 11:55 a.m. In fact, due to mechanical problems, almost all of the University clocks on Central Campus stop- ped shortly after 8:00 a.m. Hudson Ladd, the tower carillonneur. said that this kind of thing happens oc- boot. But Fred kept coming back, eventually winning over both staff and inmates. "He's great to have around," one inmate said, "He's a real mellow cat." Fred is kicked out each night to avoid potential conflicts with regulations against keeping animals at correctional facilities, but he always comes back the next day. He's the one inmate who doesn't seem to mind being a jailbird. Repentant thief With the crime rate what it is these days, it's nice to know that at least one criminal is repentant. Last week, a man used a knife to threaten a clerk at Stacey's Variety Store in Bonehead of the year John Connally may not have won the 1980 Republican presidential nomination, but he still has a chance at "Bonehead of the year." The former Governor, who spent 14 months and $11 million for one delegate to the Republican National Convention, is one of several can- didates under consideration for the award, given annually by the Bonehead Club of Dallas. The club, which last year gave its award to the Susan B. Anthony dollar, said Monday that actor Larry Hagman, the villain in the "Dallas" TV series on CBS, was nominated "for proving that getting hnt can he nrofitahi " The awarrien each vartn a nsr- something of a jokester, told NBC "Today" show host Jane- Pauley that he felt jilted by her."I was just always wanting: to meet Jane Pauley. I was really crushed when I found out- while I was languishing in prison that she had in fact gotten married and would not wait for me," Cooke said. A bit em- barrassed, Pauley, who recently married "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau, stuttered: "Well, Donald, ... T would have written, but I didn't know your address." D. 1 !1 - 1 0 " T I I