European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 12, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday March 12, 1993 the stars and stripes b Page 3oily rag blamed for housing fire in Vogel Weh by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau Kaiserslautern Germany dryer fresh clothes atop a dining room table done to sound dangerous. But army sgt. David Pacheco and his family lost their shirts and a Little More last week apparently because of such a combination at their Home in the Vogel Weh housing area near Kaiserslautern. The clothes burned when a freshly laundered Oil stained Towel ignited shortly after it was removed from a clothes dryer officials said. No one was Hurt in the fire which fire officials traced to spontaneous combustion. Quot its kind of hard to believe that stuff like this can happen a said air Force sgt. Steven Goldman a fire Protection specialist. Pacheco a wife Araceli started a Load of Wash the Pacheco morning of March 3. Included was the rag which she had used two nights earlier to soak up vegetable Oil that had splattered from a hot pan of Chicken she said Quot i just cleaned up and threw it in the dirty clothes with everything else a she said. After wednesdays Wash the clothes were placed in a dryer for about an hour. Pacheco removed the clothes from the dryer and placed them on a living room table. She started folding them but soon left to pick up her 7-year-old son from school and take him to an appointment. The fire was reported about 90 minutes later. Damage was confined to the Pacheco apartment which suffered smoke and heat damage estimated at $3,000. The fire destroyed the clothes on the table and a videocassette recorder. Fire investigators deduced the Oil stained rag caused the fire which surprised the Pacheco and their neighbors. Quot at first they did no to believe it a Pacheco said of his neighbors Quot then they say we do that All the  a if so Goldman warns they should take extra precautions when washing clothing stained with any Type of Oil. At room temperature spontaneous combustion can occur As much As 14 hours later. A rags or mops that can to be immediately washed in a covered fire resistant Container should be stored outside Goldman said. Spontaneous combustion Quot is something that everyone should be alerted to a he said Quot it could happen Here or  the Pacheco Arentt being held liable for the fire Goldman  Tea set being recalled because of Lead Content Dallas a amps a 15-piece toy Tea set featuring Campbells soup kids is being recalled because the amount of Lead found in the set exceeds food and drug administration guidelines according to officials at the army and air Force Exchange service. The Tea set made by Chilton Globe inc., has pictures of the kids on the Bow cups soup bowls and Saucer. It was sold in military exchanges during the 1992 Christmas  should Stop using the set immediately and return it to a Post or base Exchange for a full refund. More information is available by calling stateside 800 558-7720, department 119.Parkinson s Law author Dies London apr c. Northcote Parkinson who devised Parkinson a Law which states that work expands to fill the time available has died. The British economist was 83. The cause of death was not announced. Jury begins deliberations in trial of Rhein main no by Craig Martin staff writer Rhein main a Germany a the jury began deliberation thursday in the trial of tech sgt. James an cell Thomas a Rhein main noncommissioned officer accused of murdering and mutilating his Girlfriend the defense rested its Case shortly after calling Only one witness thursday in the 14th Day of the general court martial. Thomas 33, is charged with premeditated murder and desecration of the Corpse of Yolanda Pengson whose burning Torso was found sept. 9,1991, in a Forest near Kronau a Small town near Karlsruhe. Pengson a head and hands were severed and have never been found. Prosecutors believe she was killed on or near Rhein main five Miles South of Frankfurt and that Thomas applied lethal Force to her head or neck. Quot there a no question the evidence in this trial Points to sgt. Thomas a said civilian defense attorney Joel Cohen during closing arguments. A but the Issue i this Case is not whether the evidence Points to Thomas the Case is whether it Points to beyond a reasonable doubt that it was sgt.  also in his closing argument Cohen offered what he termed reasonable explanations for most of the prosecutions circumstantial evidence. Quot Given the state of the evidence you just have to find him not guilty a Cohen said Quot and that a  in the prosecutions closing arguments chief prosecutor maj. Ronald Gregory described the relationship Between Pengson and Thomas As one sided. Pengson was in love with Thomas he said adding that Thomas wanted to end the relationship. Quot she left a stain in the car trunk that was a cry for Justice Quot Gregory said. In testimony thursday Ingrid Sohngen was called by military defense attorney capt. Rodger Drew or. To rebut earlier testimony by a prosecution witness. That witness testified he saw a car leaving the Forest on sept. 9 near where the burning Torso was found. He described the car As similar to the Ford Sierra that Thomas rented that weekend. However Sohngen testified the car she saw Speed away from the Forest about 7 . Was a Black Bow passant or Audi. The defense called Only one other witness. A Dan expert who was unavailable earlier was called to counter prosecution testimony linking Dan samples from the Torso to blood samples found on an a at Thomas workplace and the rental car. Thomas did not testify in his defense. During jury selection Cohen said that he had advised his client to use his constitutional right to remain silent the governments Case relied solely on circumstantial evidence Gregory said. Part of that evidence was the Dan testimony. Dan or detox ribonucleic acid is the genetic code for living things. The process of identification is commonly called genetic  Thomas was married and had a 4-year-old daughter at the time the Torso was found. His wife and Mother attended the trial for the first time thursday. When the trial began dec. 10, european circuit judge col j. Jeremiah Mahoney issued a Rule commonly called a gag order forbidding attorneys and witnesses in the Case from speaking to the Media. The court recessed for the night about 7 . Thursday. Deliberations Are scheduled to resume at 9 . Today. Wounds from Battle in Somalia put pair of marines in Hospital by Steve scholar staff writer As Marine Lance Cpl. Charles Cooper Lay on the ground in Somalia Yelling Quot in a hit 1 m hit a fellow Marine Ken of Donnell also a Lance Corporal scrambled to help. He sprang from the Drivers seat of his personnel Carrier located about 10 feet from his Friend. But As he ran of Donnell Felt something warm and wet running Down his face it was Only then that of Donnell knew that he too had been hit during the firefight involving snipers bullets and flying shrapnel. Of Donnell and Cooper both assigned to the 3rd amphibious assault in from Camp Pendleton calif., were recuperating in Germany this week from injuries sustained in Somalia. Cooper left the Lan Stuhl army regional Mcd Cal Center on wednesday for Walter Reed army medical Center in Washington where he will undergo physical therapy. Cooper and of Donnell constituted the fourth Case since feb. 19 of . Service members wounded by gunfire in Somalia getting treatment in Germany said Marie Shaw a spokeswoman for the Lan Stuhl medical Center. Of Donnell and Cooper were part of a . Ground Cooper of Donnelli did t know How bad my injuries were. But my Mother and Girlfriend were the first things i thought of.1 a Marine Lance Cpl. Ken of Donnell patrol backing up some nigerian soldiers at a traffic Circle in the somalian capital of Mogadishu when the firefight occurred feb. 26. Cooper and of Donnell arrived at the traffic Circle at 7 . And found the sniper fire and rioting that had begun the previous night still going on. O Donnell said the firefight that sent shrapnel sailing into his eyes and a Bullet through his wrist began about 8 30 . Quot we would be under fire for a while then it would quit and then it would Start up again. The somalis would shoot from one building to another with us caught in the Middle a he said. Cooper and of Donnell were injured about 11 . After being in the firefight area for several hours Quot i did no to know How bad my injuries were a of Donnell said. Quot but my Mother and Girlfriend were the first things thought  Cooper was hit by two bullets that injured his knee thigh ankle Heel and calf. A i was angry a he said. Quot after the anger passed 1 was worried about my injuries. 1 knew 1 had been shot in the foot. In fact part of my Heel was left in my sock when the medics helped  Cooper and of Donnell were taken on feb 26 to the . Hospital at the Mogadishu Airport where they underwent surgery after their condition stabilized. The next Day they were airlifted to Germany to undergo further treatment of Donnell was taken to a German Hospital in Hom Burg because the medical procedure needed to remove More shrapnel from his eyes was not available at the . Facility in Lan Stuhl. That done of Donnell said his left Eye is functioning at 90 percent while his right Eye is recovering More slowly. A the German doctors had to put a Gas Bubble in my right Eye to hold the Retina in place while they removed More shrapnel a he said. Of Donnell whose right Eye still is almost closed said Bright lights still bother him Quot in a using Eye drops and the doctors say 1 should regain full use of my  of Donnell and Cooper both say the injuries were part of their jobs. A i feel Good about what we were doing there a of Donnell said. "1 was just trying to help