European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 07, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes thursday november 1985 columns William Buckley 2 views on the execution of a policeman s murderer you Are the jurors. Now hearths one night Back in november 1982, a Middle aged Black policeman. Officer a was visiting Wilh relatives during the Early evening. At about eight he said Good night and headed Horn. He had just entered the Gates his Little House when from behind there was the rat a Tat of a automatic Rifle. Twenty slugs into the policeman killing . A waiting car whisked the murderer away. But after the murderer got Home he became intimate with his Roommate and in due course told her thai he had shot the dog officer x. She listened and after a while decided she d belter take her information the police. The police arrested the murderer questioned him and got from him a confession. Moreover. The murderer look them the scene of the crime re enacted everything that had happened even indicating where he Hud hidden and where the victim had fallen. He said that he Hud i Clad Aga Psi officer x because he was under orders from a terrorist organization which he be longed shoot him. When inc following Spring the trial was held the murderer suddenly Mccan cd. Lie Mary Mcgrory said in fact he had t killed officer x. But it was much too late. Not Only was the evidence circumstantially overwhelming there were Independent witnesses who corroborated every detail of that confession. When his lawyer pleaded that the Confes Sion was not valid a court heard the complaint and ruled thai the confession had complied with the criminal procedure act of 1977. The murderer was accordingly sentenced death and denied Appeal on the grounds that there were ,.o extenuating circumstances the precondition for Appeal in that country. A Date was set forthe execution two years later. Shortly before the scheduled execution the murderer s lawyers came in Wilh an entirely different Appeal. Yes they said it was Tutic that the murderer had killed officer x. But they wanted Mohave a fresh trial it which they could establish that the mental condition of the murderer Al the of the killing was indeed an extenuating circumstance. The court put off inc cd culion which had been scheduled for the following Day. Heard out the fresh Appeal ruled in due course that it was not substantial an rescheduled the execution. Which execution look place on oct. 18 of this year. Now listen what you can that Story if you arc Anthony Lewis of the new York times and you arc determined put a hideous construction on literally anything the South african government docs. Here is or. Lewis president Botha and his officials have sent the message that there will be changes in South Africa with uncommon clarity. Their recent actions have had the character of not Only rejection but Provo cation. Consider for example the decision execute a poet question what docs it Mal or that the murderer was a poet and supporter of the outlawed african National Congress that is he marxist terrorist group that declines disavow violence. Notice description by or. Lewis of the character of the Anc which gave the murderer the instruct Onslo kill the policeman it was More than two years since the murderer was sentenced death for allegedly get that allegedly. He was convicted by his own confession by circumstantial evidence and by the confirmation of other witnesses participating you like thai you fire 20 slugs into someone and you arc participating in a murder in the murder of a government granted a stay in All gust it appeared be responding new evidence and worldwide appeals for clemency then suddenly it proceeded with the the government commuted five death sentences at the same time that it considered and denied the Appeal of the murderer in question and. Finally Lewis continues " the murderer s Mother is an elderly non political woman who said she once Felt sympathy for those in Power. But now she said this government is cruel. It is really really cruel " those Are or. Lewis rules. The nerd crr who fired into the Back of an innocent Black policeman on the order of a terrorist organization is the charac Ter we arc propped up sympathize with. Not the police judges and government officials who brought him Justice. Or. Lewis Ikic Many critics of South Afri Ca has got inc Point where he can t even bring himself Call the act of a murderer cruel. Weep if you can still figure out whom weep for and whom weep Over. C Universal pie ii san Ducolo Ortega proves Fie deserves the bad timing prize i n -., .-.�. N. My Mam am by a by he my if Ever they give an Oscar for bad timing there will be need ask for the envelope. President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua will be inc Winner. He Laid heavy claim the title last apri when within Days of a hard won House of representatives vote against continued . Aid the contras. He took Wing for Moscow. His trek occasioned anguished cries of betrayal from those who had nervously taken up for him and i told you from those who have held All along that he is an agent of the Kremlin. But he cinched the cup last month when on the eve of a visit the United nations he announced a state of emergency in Nicaragua setting off a new worldwide frenzy of hand wringing and self righteousness. It can be argued although few have that Ortega being the elected head of a Sovereign nation however impoverished and Down at the Heel it May be can As he pleases in what he sees As his country s National interest. Despite president Reagan s overheated representations the contrary we not own Nicaragua and its marxist leanings Are none of our business since Nicaragua s ability Export revolution is a fiction invented by those who want Ortega say and it is further inarguable that the reasons Given by Ortega which Are vague and Flimsy Are totally related his principal problem which it a .-Backcd revolution against his shaky regime. But what the move shows most is that Ortega has not lost his conclusion play into Reagan s hands. Countless con Gressional delegations have gone Managua plead with him employ a slightly less Leaden touch and give them a break in their efforts defend his right not be overthrown. They Are sadly concluding that he has developed a taste for pitting in Uncle Sam s Eye. Quite apart from the fact that Ortega went the United nations As a culprit instead of As a figure of Tome sympathy he chose a moment when things were going rather Well for Nicaragua in Public opinion mostly because world attention has been elsewhere. The nicaraguan ambassador Carlos Tunnermann recently pointed out that not a single country has joined in the Trade embargo imposed by the United states not even Al Salvador which alone voiced support for the idea. In the world court where Nicaragua has lodged a complaint against the United states for the mining of its harbours the United states has looked Petty for its denial of court Juris diction for a political matter. The verdict which is expected Nicaragua s Way is pending but Ortega has taken pains see that the Victory will be muddled. None of the individuals or groups who stick up for the sandinista or at least their right exist can justify the latest crackdown. The Rev. Joseph Eldridge of the Washington office on latin America Calls it perplex ing and Ortega Hiro of the revolution s Choice i wed Paul Reichler the Washington attorney who is Nicaragua s Case the world court admits that Ortega s timing it not the the state department doubtless knew that Ortega was cog warmly ived in some quarters in the United states that is almost surely Why it withheld a visa permit Ting he travel outside new York until late last in the h the socialist mayor of Burlington vt., Ber Nard Sanders went Nicaragua last july and asked Ortega come a Vermont town meeting while he was Here. Sanders thought it was important Ortega s is sumac the direct y ill the american people hei".5?.,t 1 Harte a in mown is obviously not Bod " still he says i think it s kind of ironic that we Reso upset when the president has been telling us Fow years that thu is a totalitarian terrorist government where people had civil rights Namei or naw Fraser a Minneapolis who deplores it " n.lcar�6ua and who whole Ortega h Levi Lon fron cd cd group thinks Ortega eco ? in Lheu a Fras � inter ii Jact that Lac Lull or he � Ortega Ern re not Raf Tuan embassy scams � am a the s of Ament. He got letters of r .0,h s. on from the Al and from c 5 director of the tale department s Plo Macy for latin America has been a la in i fighting by the Ria a and the Collras who Werc a i Ortega in is said ant d Clear the " " a "5 " a Ault and he wished and pm of � a dissenter. Decks curb h c " i 10 Una Vetrul pro synaic.1,
