North Carolina Newspapers

(Eltp iatly ®ar Mttl Volume 102, Issue 142 r 101 years of editorialfreedom Ml Serving die students and the University community since 1893 IN THE NEWS Top stories from the state, nation and world O.J. Simpson Judge Slaps Sanctions on Defense Team LOS ANGELES—Evidence collected in the O.J. Simpson murder probe was “contaminated, compromised and ulti mately corrupted,” a defense attorney told jurors Monday minutes after the de fense was reprimanded for hiding witnesses to gain unfair advantage. Superior Court Judge Lance Ito barred the defense front immediately using some of its most important witnesses because they had been hidden. Ito instructed jurors to disregard the mention of six witnesses in the defense opening statement, and he forbade defense attorneys from calling any of those people as witnesses until the end of their case. Ito said he would consider barring the defense from using some of the witnesses at all if the prosecution didn’t have time to investigate them properly. Surgeon General Nominee To Battle Teen Pregnancy WASHINGTON, D.C. President Clinton is expected to name Henry Foster Jr. as surgeon general, using the doctor’s expertise to begin a national campaign to reduce teenage pregnancy, officials said Monday. Foster isaformeractingheadofMehany Medical College, a predominantly black school in Nashville, Term. He would re place Joycelyn Elders, an outspoken Ar kansas doctor who was fired in December after saying children should be taught about mastuibation in school. Foster’s candidacy is going through fi nal review stages, and appointment is ex pected this week, White House officials said. But the officials, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, cautioned that last-minute snags were possible. Algiers Car Bomb Kills 38, Wounds More Than 250 ALGIERS, Algeria ln the worst bombing of a 3-year Muslim insurgency, an explosives-packed car blew up Monday along a street bustling with pedestrians preparing for Ramadan. At least 38 people were killed and 256 wounded, state TV said. The bomb went off in a downtown com mercial district near the main post office and train station. Businesses were particu larly crowded in anticipation of the monthlong holiday. There was no claim of responsibility. The security forces blamed “criminals” the official term for fundamentalist guerril las seeking to topple the army-backed gov ernment and install an Islamic state. Government Forces Battle Muslim Kebels in Bosnia SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina Muslim battled Muslim on Monday for control of strategic ground in northwest Bosnia in combat that jeopardized peace efforts and could foreshadow more heavy fighting. Muslims who oppose the Bosnian gov ernment in Sarajevo claimed to be advanc ing and taking strategic points. But the United Nations said that appeared not to be the case. Regardless of which side had the mo mentum, the fighting was a serious viola tion of a four-month cease-fire. While much of Bosnia has been quiet during the first month of the truce, media tors seeking to end the 34-month conflict have not been able to build on it. New Speaker Got Teaching Post After Helping Official WASHINGTON, D.C.— It started as a constituent’s request forgovemmenthelp. But it didn’t take long for Newt Gingrich to turn a 1992 contact with a Georgia college dean into a teaching job. Correspondence obtained by The Asso ciated Press sheds light on the origins of Gingrich’s nationally televised college course, which is now the focus of a com plaint before the House Ethics Committee The letters show that Gingrich received the offer to teach at Kennesaw State Col lege less than three months after he got the State Department to agree to meet with the school’s business dean, who was pursuing federal contracts for his private business. Dean Timothy Mescon never got the contracts he began seeking in fall 1992. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Weather TODAY: Breezy, mostly sunny; high 49. WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny; high mid-50s. It’s hard to feel morally superior to a person who gets up earlier than you do. Mary Gordon Suspect Moved to State Prison BY RYAN THORNBURG CITY EDITOR Wendell Williamson, the third-year law student charged with killing two men in a shooting spree Thursday, was released from UNC Hospitals and transported by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to the hospital ward at Raleigh’s Central Prison on Monday morning. Williamson was processed at the prison at 11:40 a.m. He is being held in the state prison because County Sheriffs Department Residents Call For Stricter Gun Laws See ° a 9 e 3 does not have the medical facilities to handle his injuries, District Judge Joe Buckner said. Chapel Hill police still are considering filing additional charges against Williamson, who has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, said Chapel Hill police spokeswoman Jane Cousins. Any additional charges would be filed within the next few days. Local, state and national agencies con tinued their investigation of the incident See SUSPECT, Page 2 .: I-?. Ii* w \ , NK Ml Si jF ' J r db \ §f North Carolina s Stan Banks (left) turned Reese Andy of Wyoming upside down in Banks' 4-3 win in the 177-pound weight class Monday night in the NWCA All-Star Meet at Carmichael Auditorium. See Banks story on page 4. Researchers Report Sickle Cell Findings UNC Part of Nationwide Study of Drug Used to Treat Sickle Cell Anemia BY MARY BETH MAURIELLO STAFF WRITER A drug used to treat leukemia is also an effective treatment for sickle cell anemia, according to research results released Mon day. Hydroxyurea can cut in half the number of painful crisis attacks suffered by sickle cell patients, said Dr. Eugene Orringer, director of the Verne S. Caviness General Clinic Research Center at UNC Hospitals. The treatment also reduced the fre quency of acute chest syndrome, a life threatening attack of chest pain, fever, pros tration and an abnormal chest X-ray. Sickle cell anemia is the leading genetic illness among African Americans. One in 400 blacks suffer from the hemoglobin disease. Vaso-occlusive crises, or painful crisis attacks, are the most disabling feature of sickle cell anemia. The attacks, usually centered in the bones and joints, can lead to hospitalization. UNC Hospitals was one of 21 medical centers involved in a study sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Insti tute. The study involved 299 patients who had experienced three painful crises in the past year. Half were treated with hydroxyurea; halfwere administered a pla cebo. Neither patients nor doctors knew which patients were taking the real drug. Study participants swallowed their cap sules daily and were examined by doctors every two weeks. Orringer said the participants were very faithful in their exams. Patients missed only 9 percent of 17,000 total visits. Half of North Carolina’s patients trav eled more than 100 miles to participate in the study. One patient came from Eliza- Chapel NHL North CaroGu TUESDAY,JANUARY 31,1995 Temporary Insanity Defense Means Proving ‘Defect of Mind’ BY JON GOLDBERG FEATURES EDITOR The lawyers for third-year law stu dent Wendell Williamson, 26, have not revealed the strategy they might use in a murder trial, but sources have hinted that they might try to prove temporary insanity based on Williamson’s past mental problems. Williamson was charged Friday morning with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of UNC sopho more Kevin Reichardt and Chapel Hill resident Ralph Walker. In the aftermath of Thursday’s mur ders, acquaintances and former profes sors have painted Williamson as a man who was troubled. New Treatment for SicMe Cell Anemia Sickle Cell Anemia is a genetic disease in which the carrier can’t distribute oxygen fro cells. An inflicted person creates a fetal form of the oxygen-carrying protein hemoglobin during the first two years. After these two healthy years, the inflicted person creates the abnormal hemoglobin and becomes sick. The new drug is thought to work by allowing the continued production of this fetal hemoglobin in later years. [tfry Normal rad blood coll* are doughnut shaped and carry oxygen to the cells in the body. SOURCE WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA beth City in the northeastern comer of the state. Study coordinator Susan Jones ar ranged transportation for patients in rural areas. The study began in January 1992 and was scheduled to end in May 1995. How ever, the compelling nature of the findings led researchers to end the study early and allow all participants to take the drug. Patients treated with the chug: ■ had longer periods between crises, ■ had to be hospitalized less often, ■ had to be transfused less often, and ■ had no significant bad effects from the treatment. Researchers are not sure why the drug works, but they believe that the drug in creases production of fetal hemoglobin in red blood cells. Fetal hemoglobin prevents the cells from becoming rigid. Aaron Clarida, 39, is one example of the drug’s success. Before participating in the study, Clarida contracted pneumonia nine times. Since taking hydroxyurea, he { IV | * mk l'— ■ A former room mate who lived with Williamson for one semester while the suspect was an un- dergraduate said Monday that al- though Williamson had his eccentrici- ties, he was ex tremely intelligent. “He was the brooding, intellec- tual type,” said the man, who spoke on condition of ano- nymity. “He was Suspect WENDELL WILLIAMSON, as pictured in the police picture taken Monday morning just very intelligent and not necessarily moody but very pensive and just sort of to Sickle cells are distorted in shape because the protein responsible for carrying oxygen, hemoglobin, is abnormal in people with Sickle Cell Anemia. DTH/CHRJS ANDERSON has not even had a cold. Clarida said he was not surprised when doctors told him that he had received the real drug. “I could feel it in my body personally,” he said. Although he lived in Brooklyn when he began the study, Clarida moved to North Carolina nine months ago. During his move, he was unable to take the drug. He said he felt lackadaisical and weak. When Clarida entered the study again at UNC Hospitals, he noticed an immedi ate change. “It was like somebody shot a boost of air into my lungs,” he said. He traveled three hours from the town of Nakina to participate in the program. The drug makes him feel happier and healthier, Clarida said. “This is the first drug that I have taken that made me feel more like a man." Hydroxyurea has also given him a sense of direction. Clarida said he wanted to See SICKLE, Page 2 himself a lot.” If Williamson’s defense team opted for a temporary insanity defense, they would employ the M’Naghten Test. To prove insanity, the lawyer must show that at the time of the crime not immediately before or after the ac cused had a “defect of reason from a disease of the mind” and, as a conse quence, didn’t know the nature and quality of the act or didn’t know it was wrong, according to political science lecturer and lawyer Donna Lefebvre. The test, derived from an English insanity case more than 100 years ago, is also known as “the right-wrong test” because lawyers more often try to prove See DEFENSE, Page 2 Jaworsky Still on Top After NCAA Rematch BY CHAD AUSTIN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR The stars came out in Carmichael Audi torium Monday night and UNC’s T.J. Jaworsky showed why he’s still one of the brightest stars of all. Jaworsky, the nation’s top-ranked wres tler in the 134-pound division, defeated Oregon State’s Babak Mohammadi in a much-anticipated rematch of last year’s NCAA final at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic. The last time Jaworsky andMohammadi met was last March in the 1994 finals at the Smith Center. In that match, Jaworsky decisioned Mohammadi 124 to capture his second straight national crown. And even though no national title was on the line in Monday’s rematch, Jaworsky was equally impressive in downing the nation’s second-ranked wrestler 114. “Mohammadi is a guy you just have to stay on and attack,” Jaworsky said. “He’s inalotbetter shape thanlam. Hejust keeps going and coming at you. I’ve never seen him break in a match l’ve never seen him quit. “I kind of got worried when I gave him SBP Battle Won’t Reject Student Congress Districts BY ADAM GUSMAN UNIVERSITY EDITOR AND NANCY FONTI ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR Student Body President George Battle said Monday that he would not veto the bill that Student Congress passed Wednesday approving congressional districts for the spring election. Battle originally considered vetoing the bill because he said students were disproportionately represented in the current districts. The Student - , UUWCIBwvIU j -JT Government Code requires that the dis tricts be reconsidered every two years and redrawn if necessary, Battle said. Congress decided Wednesday to ap prove the districts without change because no research had been done to prove that student distribution was not correct. Battle said that after he spoke with Elec tions Board Chairwoman Erin Lewis he decided against vetoing the bill. “I’m not going to make this any more of a mess than it already is,” he said. Lewis said congress would research and Platforms & Endorsements Candidates for RHA president CAA presi dent, GPSF president, senior class president and student body president should turn in platforms and sign up for endorsement inter views by 5 p.m. Friday. Platforms can't be longer than 800 words. Interviews will be held Sunday. The DTH office is Union Suite 104. Call Editorial Page Editor Thanassis Cambanis or Editor Kelly Ryan with questions. News/Features/Aro/Sporo 9624)245 Business/Advntismg 962-1163 C 1994 DTH Publishing Coip. All rights reserved. Car Wash Blaze Injures 1 STAFF REPORT CARRBORO A man was taken to UNC Hospitals late Monday night after he was found inside a burning building at Simply Super Car Wash & Detail at 114 E. Main St. Carrboro and Chapel Hill fire deparments responded to a call at 11:28 p.m. Monday. Upon arrival at the scene, the firefighters found heavy smoke coming out of the front of the business. Flames were also visible from the front, said Carrboro fire Chief Rodney Murray. Chapel Hill police blocked off East Franklin from Graham Street in Chapel Hill to Rosemary Street in Carrboro as Chapel Hill police K-9 units searched the area fortwo possible suspects, even though officers couldn’t confirm that arson was the official cause of the blaze. The victim was found immediately in side the front door of the business within See FIRE, Page 2 0 Women Fall to UVa. The UNC women's basketball team lost 8064 to Virginia Wednesday night in Charlottesville. See page 4 for full coverage. that takedown.” With Jaworsky ahead 4-0 early in the second period, Mohammadi pulled to within one after scoring an escape and a quick takedown. But Jaworsky closed the stanza on a high. After escaping from Mohammadi’s grasp, Jaworsky scooped his opponent’s legs and dropped him to the mat for a takedown. Mohammadi would not score again until 31 seconds remained in the match when he executed an escape. But Jaworsky said it wasn’t that easy. “He is strong coming off the bottom,” he said. “At first I really was trying to go for the fall, but he’s really too strong. I’d have to catch him on his back. I got close to catching him on his back but to no avail.” UNC’s Stan Banks, wrestling at 177 See WRESTLING, Page 4 redraw the districts after the spring elec tions. Student Congress Speaker Pro Tem Meredith Armstrong said congress had passed the congressional districts because there was no proof that the districts were not accurate. Rep. Amy Cummins, Dist. 22, said stu dent distribution was proportional in most of the 23 districts. “I can tell all on-campus districts are allocated fairly,” Cummins said. “But for off-campus residents, it is harder to get the data. We have no real proof of where people live. “Off-campus apartment complexes do not keep data on the amount of UNC students living in their complexes,” Cummins said. “This makes it very diffi cult to know where off-campus students live.” Battle said the current districts were not an accurate representation of student dis tribution. “Some students are underrepresented, and some are overrepresented,” he said. All candidates running for office in the Feb. 14eIectionmusttumtheirpetitionsin today. There is a mandatory candidates’ meet ing at 5 p.m. today in Gerrard Hall. Jfe }j ; Campus Elections f Call-in I 685-1390 Call The Daily Tar Heel's voice-mail line to leave comments, questions, criticisms or news tips about anything pertaining to student elections.