Newspaper Page Text
— Griffin Daily News Tuesday, August 21,1973
Page 8
Ex-policeman accused
of threatening Nixon
By United Press International
A man identified as a
bearded ex-policeman accused
of threatening the life of
President Nixon fired three
shots at Secret Service agents
trying to arrest him in a New
Mexico commune Monday and
escaped into the underbrush. A
manhunt for him was to begin
at dawn today.
The Secret Service announced
it had uncovered a plot to
assassinate Nixon during the
President’s short stopover in
New Orleans Monday to speak
to the convention of Veterans of
Foreign Wars.
The Secret Service said the
ex-policeman, Edwin Michael
Gaudet, 30, nicknamed
“Paunch,” was not connected
with the alleged plot However,
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a federal warrant was issued
for his arrest charging him
with threatening the life of the
President.
Agents Act on Tip
Acting on a tip from Gaudet’s
father and other information,
two federal agents went to a
commune Monday afternoon in
northern New Mexico near
Arroyo Hondo. They questioned
Gaudet, who broke away,
grabbed a high-powered rifle
and fired three shots at
pursuing officers before es
caping.
“We’re going out again for
him (today),” the Taos County
sheriff said.
The Secret Service office in
Albuquerque, N.M., where the
two officers were attached, said
its agents tried to arrest
Gaudet on the federal warrant.
“The warrant issued is not
tied to the New Orleans
conspiracy,” a Secret Service
spokesman in Albuquerque
said.
Gaudet allegedly threatened
Nixon in a New Orleans tavern
last week. The Taos sheriff said
Gaudet has been living in the
commune for about a year.
The Secret Service, which
made a unique public an
nouncement of a possible
assassination conspiracy
against Nixon during Monday’s
visit, canceled Nixon’s motor
cade through downtown New
Orleans.
New Orleans police claimed
the Secret Service and the FBI
may have overreacted to the
possibility of an assassination.
Evidence Insufficient
“For approximately a week,
we have been working on an
attempt to assassinate the
President,” New Orleans Police
Superintendent Clarence M.
Giarrusso said. “As of this
moment, we do not have what
we would regard as sufficient
evidence (of a conspiracy).”
Sgt. Frank Hayward of the
Police Department’s informa
tion office said later “I think
we’ve blown this thing up out of
proportion. We may have
overreacted.”
Jack Warner, a Secret
Service spokesman in Washing
ton, acknowledged agents tried
and failed to arrest Gaudet in
New Mexico on a warrant
charging him with threatening
the life of the President but he
said there is “no reason to
believe there is any connec
tion” between Gaudet and the
conspiracy to assassinate Nixon
in New Orleans.
Earlier, the Secret Service
said four other persons were
reportedly under surveillance in
New Orleans.
“Had to be Concerned”
“I think the minute the
President said he was coming
to New Orleans, we had to be
concerned about a possible
conspiracy,” Sgt. Hayward
said. “That’s-normal procedu
re. That’s why we take all
these elaborate security precau
tions. But, when we start
talking specifically about in
dividuals without evidence to
link them to a conspiracy, then
I think we’re doing these
individuals an injustice.”
The federal warrant issued
against Gaudet said the heavily
bearded, paunchy man threat
ened Nixon last week in a bar.
The warrant said witnesses
heard Gaudet say: “Somebody
ought to kill President Nixon. If
no one has the guts, I’ll do it.”
A five-day search for Gaudet,
who tried to fling a flaming
flag on Nixon’s car in the city
three years ago, was unsuccess
ful until he was found at the
commune.
The second of the mysterious
chain of events was the theft of
a police uniform, pilfered
Sunday night from a patrol
man’s car. His badge and his
nameplate were also missing.
And finally Giarrusso report
ed his own car was stolen from
in front of his home early
Monday. The car was later
found abandoned with nothing
missing.
“I think it was the sequence
of events—the stolen police
uniform, the stolen police car,
and then the fact we did not
know the whereabouts of Mr.
Gaudet, who had a history of
animosity toward the Presi
dent,” Hayward said. “The
Secret Service and New Or
leans Police Department took
precautionary measures.”
Nixon was advised of the
possible plot against his life
Sunday night before he left Key
Biscayne, Fla., for New Or
leans. An hour after he left, the
Secret Service announced the
barest details of the alleged
plot, the first time it has made
public an investigation of a
possible assassination attempt
in advance of a presidential
trip.
Nixon was obviously testy
during his short stay in New
Orleans.
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Sfek IF JKJSi
NEW ORLEANS—WhiIe the Secret Service concerned
themselves with providing security for President Nixon,
the president’s mood ranged from the joyous to the
Legal confrontations predicted
if attempt is made to indict Agnew
BALTIMORE (UPI) - A
federal judge foresees the
possibility of three legal “con
frontations” if an attempt is
made to indict Vice President
Spiro T. Agnew.
Edward S. Northrop, chief
judge of the Maryland U.S.
District Court, said Monday if
any of three possible issues are
raised a court hearing would
have to be held to settle the
question before any indictment
would be legal.
Northrop listed the three
issues as executive privilege;
separation of powers; “or
whether you can indict a vice
president.”
“There is a very grave
question over what the courts
can get from the executive
Sen. Fannin
pleads guilty
PHOENIX, Ariz. (UPI) -
Sen. Paul J. Fannin, R-Ariz.,
was fined sllO Monday and
sentenced to one day in jail on
a drunken driving charges.
Superior Judge Williby Case
Suspected
kidnapers
arrested
MEXICO CITY (UPI) - The
Mexican government an
nounced the capture Monday
night of two men accused of
taking part in last spring’s
kidnaping of U.S. Consul
General Terrance G. Leonhar
dy.
The attorney general’s office
announced the arrests in a brief
statement and called a news
conference to reveal further
details. There was no additional
information given.
Leonhardy, consul general in
Guadalajara, was kidnaped
May 4 by three armed men
calling themselves members of
the Armed Revolutionary
Forces of the People.
The American diplomat was
freed May 7 after the Mexican
government flew 30 prisoners to
Cuba and paid an SBO,OOO
ransom.
Airman
arrested
VALDOSTA, Ga. (UPI) - A
21-year-old Valdosta airman ar
rested for kidnaping and molest
ing a 10-year-old girl here Sat
urday has been identified by
police as a man facing murder
and robbery charges in Florida.
Police said Ronnie L. Futch,
stationed at Robins Air Force
Base at Warner Robins, was
charged Saturday with kidnap
ing, molestation and aggravated
sodomy.
Police disclosed Monday that
Futch had been singled out of
a police lineup as the man who
forced a pregnant Florida wom
an, Mrs. Imogene Rogers of
Madison, off the road Aug. 3,
shot her repeatedly and stole
SSO.
branch,” Northrop said.
Northrop said that if federal
prosecutors were unable to
voluntarily obtain records or
other information from the vice
president they might have a
difficult time trying to compel
compliance. He said executive
privilege “might be a valid
defense.”
Agnew Informed Aug. 2
Agnew was informed Aug. 2
by George Beall, U.S. attorney
for Maryland, that he is under
investigation for possible viola
tion of extortion, bribery,
conspiracy and tax laws.
Beall raised the possibility
Monday he may reject Agnew’s
offer for a private discussion of
the allegations.
Agnew sent Beall a letter
Jr. said the jail sentence was
mandatory under state law. He
gave Fannin 30 days within
which to report for serving his
jail time.
Fanning was arrested last
Nov. 17 by an officer who later
accused the senator being
abusive and threatening his job.
A breathanalyzer test indicated
a blood alcohol content of .135
per cent. The legal limit is .10.
But the charge was dismissed
after three doctors submitted
affidavits stating that Fannin
was taking a medicine, zylo
prin, which could affect the
test
This was disputed by a police
chemist, and the dismissal
caused controversy. A grand
jury began an investigation of
the circumstances, and County
Attorney Moise Berger reinstat
ed the charges last week.
In a court appearance Mon
day, Fannin pleaded guilty. He
has denied improper conduct
but said the guilty plea should
end the controversy and permit
him to devote time to more 1
important matters.
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serious as he spoke to Veterans of Foreign Wars in New
Orleans. (UPI)
volunteering to meet the
prosecutor privately in addition
to turning over his financial
records for inspection.
“The (Agnew) letter raises
the suggestion that such a
meeting would be desirable
from his standpoint,” Beall
said. “I can’t say if the
government sees it as desira
ble. Things have to be thought
through.”
In other developments:
—A spokesnan for Maryland
Gov. Marvin Mandel said
Agnew has asked Maryland
officials to compile a list of the
consulting engineering and ar
chitectural contracts awarded
by the state between 1962 and
1972.
Aide Makes Call
—Rep. John B. Anderson of
Illinois, chairman of the House
Republican Conference, told
UPI in a telephone interview
that presidential aide Melvin R.
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Laird called him Aug. 7 t
advise him against speakir
incautiously about the Agne
case. Anderson, however, r
jected a suggestion by colun
nists Rowland Evans ar
Robert Novak that Laird wf
warning the GOP leader not t
go on record as supportir
Agnew. Laird confirmed 1
White House reporters Monda
that he had made the phor
call but said that all he meat
to tell Anderson was to “sty
loose” and not “go out on •
limb.” j
—An Agnew spokesman i
Washington said the vic
president had departed froi
his custom of vacationing
August while President Nixon
at San Clemente, Calif., “i
light of what’s going on,” tl
spokesman said, Agnew plar
to remain at work in the capit
while the Maryland investig.
tion is under way.