European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 a the stars and stripes sunday april 26, 1992arizona House oks lethal injections Phoenix apr state House members disturbed by graphic accounts of the slow death of the first Man executed in the states Gas chamber in 29 years have voted to switch from Gas to lethal injection. The change to a method presumed to be More humane passed the House 41-7 and now goes to the Senate. If approved there the matter would be put before the voters in november As an amendment to the state Constitution which specifies the use of Gas. The change was proposed a year ago but did no to gain significant support until the april 6 execution of triple murderer Donald Eugene Harding in the Gas chamber at the state prison in Florence. Harding Wasny to pronounced dead until 10 minutes after two cyanide pellets were dropped into a bowl of sul uric acid beneath his chair. Witnesses described a gruesome scene of Harding gasping shuddering and desperately making obscene gestures with both hands which were strapped Down. The Campaign for change gained momentum last week when neighbouring Cal Tornia had its first execution in 25 years. Robert Alton Harris had to sit strapped in the Gas chamber chair while his last Appeal was rejected. Then like Harding Harris took 10 minutes to die. Arizona Maryland and California Are the Only states where Gas is the sole method of execution. North Carolina and Mississippi use Gas or injections. The Arizona amendment was introduced by state rep. Lela Steffey who favors the death penalty and worried that complaints about venting the Gas after an execution might delay the return of capital punishment. She says polls show a majority of state residents support the change from Gas to lethal injections. Among the backers is state attorney general Grant Woods who witnessed Harding die. Woods acknowledged he was disturbed by the scene. The chief opponent of the change was House judiciary chairwoman Patti Noland a supporter of victims rights whose son was shot to death last year during a traffic dispute. She had been expected to filibuster the measure by Reading accounts of murders committed by the states 100 death Row inmates. But she changed her mind because she said victims would like to eliminate one Avenue for what they Sec As defense delaying tactics the argument that Gas executions amount to unconstitutionally cruel and unusual  reduces sex suspect s $4 million bail Philadelphia apr bail has been sharply reduced for an aids infected businessman accused of paying youths for sexual favors but he will be required to Check into a psychiatric Hospital if he makes bail. Edward i. Savitz has been in jail since his second arrest March 28. He is accused of having paid hundreds of boys and Young men for their dirty underwear socks and even fecs Over a decade or More. His attorneys deny charges that he had sex with some of the teen agers. On thursday the state Superior court lowered his bail from $4 million to $200,000. But in doing so it placed conditions. If Savitz makes bail he will be required to Check into a locked unit of a psychiatric Hospital and submit to electronic monitoring of his whereabouts. He also will have to surrender his Drivers License passport and credit cards. Savitz would be released from jail if he posts 10 percent of the bail. Savitz was first arrested on March 25. His brother Samuel posted $300,000 Bond on $3 million bail. Savitz was rearrested three Days later on additional charges and bail was set at $20 million. The $20 million bail was reduced to $4 million on april 8 by common pleas judge Howland Abramson. Savitz a attorneys then appealed the bail amount to the higher court. Savitz a next scheduled court appearance is june 4 for a pretrial  College suspends frat that branded members Ruston la. Apr Louisiana tech University has suspended a Campus fraternity for its practice of branding its initials into the flesh of its members University officials said. A school committee this week suspended Delta Kappa Epsilon because branding violates the school s anti hazing policy said Jean Hall vice president for student affairs a we do not want any Type of organization that does this Type of thing to our kids a Hall said. Randy Dailey fraternity president said the organization would Appeal. The fraternity was placed on probation for five months in 1990 for allegedly hanging two dead cats As ornaments on a Christmas tree. Under the suspension the 31-member fraternity is barred from participating in Campus activities for two years. Administrators began investigating the fraternity after the father of a former student complained about the Brand on the  of his son a de member. Dailey admitted thursday that members Are Given the Opportunity to be branded after they have been with the fraternity six months. But the practice is not an initiation rite and those who get the Brand must Volunteer said  to atone for injustice a group of europeans in arching from Georgia to Nevada takes a break Friday along Railroad tracks in Memphis Tenn. Members of the group say they Are trying to atone for injustices that their ancestors inflicted on american indians while settling in the new world. The March is scheduled to end oct. 12, quake caused $1 million in damage los Angeles apr an earthquake that rattled a desert area East of los Angeles caused up to $1 million in damage authorities said. Aftershocks continued to strike the area Friday but there were no reports of further damage or injuries. One Large aftershock about 5 30 . Had a preliminary magnitude of 4.1 on the Richter scale said Julie Hake will a California Institute of technology spokeswoman. It was the sixth aftershock to Register More than 4.0 since wednesdays quake. Hundreds of smaller aftershocks also were recorded. Two buildings were destroyed and dozens of others suffered minor damage when the 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck late wednesday in the Morongo Basin 110 Miles East of los Angeles dozens of people suffered minor injuries. Residents of Las vegas and Phoenix reported feeling the temblor. Authorities said damage in the Morongo Basin was relatively Light even though a quake measuring 6 on the Richter scale can cause severe damage. A there Are no two Story buildings out Here and that could contribute to the Low damage figures a said san Bernardino sheriffs sgt. Ben Boswell. Eighteen buildings in Joshua tree were damaged said Jeff Mellinger a san Bernardino county fire spokesman. Some Mobile Homes slipped off their foundations. A Twenty nine Palms convenience store lost part of its roof and four fire stations in the area sustained minor damage authorities said. 7 7 year old Driver nabbed on interstate Montville Conn. Apr an 11-year-old boy who took an older buddy on a Joyride through new England in his parents car was intercepted by police after a Motorist overheard them talking about their trip at a rest Stop. The boy was sitting on a pile of towels so he could see Over the steering wheel when police stopped the car thursday on interstate 95. There were doughnuts on the floor of the car. Quot you  help but chuckle Quot said trooper William Griffin. The 11-year-old and his 14-year-old buddy who Are on school vacation left Concord n.h., on wednesday night. They stopped every hour to Call their Parent but would never say where they were sgt. John Duk said. A they did no to have any destination Quot Duley Sai it a they were just  the Motorist took Down the License plate and Alerte police after the boys stopped at the rest area near of Rhode Island state line. Griffin was waiting when the boys drove by going of Speed limit. They pulled Over immediately he said. The boys were picked up by their parents thurs night