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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1989)
News Digest Bakker sentenced to 45 years in prison CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jim Bakker, the television evangelist who lost his PTL empire in a sex scandal, was sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $500,(XX) Tuesday for de frauding his followers for his own enrichment. "I’m deeply sorry for those I have hurt," Bakker said before he was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert Potter. "I have sinned. But never in my life did 1 intend to de fraud." Bakker shook his head in disbelief while a federal prosecutor presented arguments, as did his daughter, Tammy Sue Chapman. Bakker’s wife, Tammy Faye, did not attend the court session. Potter is nicknamed “Maximum Bob” alter his reputation for harsh sentences, particularly in drug sen tences. Bakker had faced a maximum sentence of 120 years, but the judge consolidated the 24 fraud and con spiracy counts to nine and sentenced Bakker to five years on each. Bakker could be eligible for parole in 10 years. His lawyers have said since his conviction that they would appeal, but despite defense pleas Bakkcr was immediately taken into custody and was to be taken to the medium secu rity Federal Correctional Institution at Talladega, Ala., about 60 miles east of Birmingham, Ala. Inmates sent to Talladega in the past have included Cuban detainees removed from a federal prison at Atlanta after riots there. In handing down the sentence, Potter said, “I’m concerned about the hundreds ol letters 1 nave nere from people who say they’d do any thing for him and that could include preventing Mr. Bakker from going to prison. I believe them.” Because of that, he said, “I think we’re going to have to put him into custody.” At that point, Bakker’s daughter broke into sobs. Jessica Hahn, the church secretary whose sexual tryst with Bakker led to the hush money scandal that caused him to lose control of PTL in 1987, said in a television interview that she was not sausnea wun me sentence. “In my opinion, I still feel like it won’t add up to the years that people worked to save up money to give to PTL,’’ Hahn said in an interview broadcast on Cable News Network. “I think he needs to spend a good part of his life trying to get that money back,’’ she added. “Had it gone on for another 10 years it would have added up to millions tnorc.” Bakker supporter Helen Gordon said the sentence was not fair. “Jim Bakker’s no crook. The news media made him look like one,’’ she said. E. Germans protest Krenz election BERLIN -- Egon Kren/ warned East Germans on Tuesday to stor street demonstrations, but 7,(XX! marched in East Berlin alter dark to protest his election as president. Po lice directed traffic out of their way. The ritual election by the custom arily docile parliament was made dramatic when some members voted "no” for the first time. In a speech afterward, Kren/ said continuing weeks of pro-democracy protest could cause a “worsening of the situation, or confrontation.” At nightfall, lines of East Berlin ers carrying candles marched through the central district, chanting “Egon, who asked us?” - a recurring phrase since Kren/. became Communist Party chief last week - and “We are the competition!” Police not only did not interfere, but directed traffic to keep the route clear. ADN, the official news agency, reported the protest without criti cism. “Several thousand people. mostly youths" carried banners and chanted slogans denouncing the elec tion and "demanding changes in the election laws, more democracy and an open press," it said. After his election, Krcnz reaf firmed East Germany’s allegiance to Communist orthodoxy, despite the reform sweeping through the Soviet bloc. He also promised to investigate charges of police brutality against pro-democracy demonstrators earlier this month. The new leader, who succeeded Erich Honcckcr as Communist party chief and president, was in charge of police at the time. Officials admitted for the first time Tuesday that police had at tacked peaceful protesters. In a report carried by the official news agency, the government said: "There were instances where security officials exceeded their authority and illegal acts were committed against some of those detained.” ADN said officials decided police shoOld use restraint “unless there is violence or the threat of violence,” and had prohibited the use of fire arms. It said police commanders had apologized to victims of verifiable brutality. ADN said 83 complaints were under review and prosecutors had taken up four eases, according to the report prepared by the parliament committees on national defense and justice affairs. Krenz said in his speech that “proper steps will be taken if the evidence . warrants them. Anyone who was treated unjustly has the right to take advantage of their legal rights.” Twenty-six members of the 500 seat People’s Chamber voted against Krenz for president, although he was the only candidate, and 26 abstained, ADN reported. It was the first time in East Ger man history that members of the Communist-controlled chamber had voted against the sole candidate for president. Pro-Iranian kidnappers offer hostage swap BEIRUT, Lebanon — Pro-Iranian kidnappers holding at least two American hostages reiterated in a statement released Tuesday their of fer to trade their captives for at least 15 Shiite Moslem comrades jailed in Kuwait. “We renew our firm emphasis on the need to free our struggling breth ren from the jails of the collaborating Kuwaiti regime, and declare that the Mujahedeen (holy warriors) shall not rest until they see their brethren free,” said Islamic Jihad, or Islamic Holy War. The type written statement in Arabic was delivered anonymously to the offices of the independent newspaper An-Nahar and a Western news agency in Moslem west Beirut. The text was accompanied by a photograph of American Terry A. Anderson, the longest held of the 18 western hostages in Lebanon. Ander son, chief Middle East correspondent for The Associated Press, was kid napped March 16, 1985. The picture showed a clean shaven, smiling Anderson. He was wearing glasses and a yellow sweater. Anderson, who turns 42 on Friday, already has marked four birthdays in captivity. Islamic Jihad also holds Thomas Sutherland, 57, of Fort Collins, Colo. He was acting dean of agriculture at the American University of Beirut when he was abducted June 9, 1985. The Shiite Moslems arc jailed in Kuwait on terrorist charges stem ming from the December 1983 bombings of the U.S. and French embassies. Kuwait has refused previ ous demands to release the prisoners. The copy of the statement deliv ered to An-Nahar was accompanied by two pictures of the U.S. Marine base and the headquarters of the French paratroopers that were blasted by simultaneous truck-bombings on Oct. 23, 1983. Islamic Jihad said it issued the statement to mark the anniversary of the bombings in which 241 American servicemen and 58 French soldiers were killed. Andy Manhart/Daily Nebraskan Beer guide wants to bring class to drinking vocabulary luinlajin -it a oeer tastes like a wet dog, beer lovers should know it, according to a new guide to British brews. But if it has “a clean, crystal malt palate with more than a hint of Seville oranges about it,” that, too, should be stated out loud with out fear of sounding like a wine snob, says the Good Beer Guide. The guide, published Monday by the Campaign for Real Ale, aims to go beyond the time-hon ored but undisccming request for “a pint of bitter, please” and put a touch of class into the beer-drink ing vocabulary. Among terms appearing in the guide is “wet dog.” as in: “Light, dry and hoppy, often with an excel lent finish, but can sutler from a lack of any particular aroma, or smell a little sulphury like a wet dog.’* That description is applied to a Kentish brew, one of 342 beers described in the guide. Other terms include marzipan, rancid, spicy and worty. Then there is “Tom Cat” -* any brew with a “pungcntly urinous, skunky” flavor. The campaign’s tasters at tended training sessions to educate their palates, and approached the job like wine experts, sniffing first and sometimes nibbling bread to refresh their taste buds when mov ing from one brew to another. i-——r:-1 Crews search tor victims or Monday blast r AbADfcN A, lexas — bmer gency crews searched the charred, twisted rubble of a plastics plant Tuesday looking for 22 missing workers feared dead in fiery explo sions that hurled wreckage miles away. At least two people were killed and 124 injured. • “There’s just nothing left,” Har ris County Sheriff Johnny Kleven hagen said alter venturing into the still-smoldering plant No. 5 at the Phillips Petroleum Co. complex. Officials located but could not remove the body of a second victim Tuesday, partly buried in mounds of concrete and steel beams. They said it would take heavy equipment to fully search the ruins. One body was found Monday. Fires that followed the blasts and were fueled by highly flammable chemicals had been contained in small areas. Only a thin column of smoke rose from the plant Tuesday, 24 hours after the first explosions, which shattered windows three miles away and were felt 25 miles away. Some enure buildings inside the chemical plant complex had disap peared, Klevcnhagcn said, and else where pipes and metal framework were broken and dangling. “It is devastated,” Klevcnhagcn said. “Major, major damage. It’s going to take extremely heavy equip ment to remove the debris.” Geologists predict 50-50 chance of damaging aftershock SAN FRANCISCO ~ Only nine people remained unaccounted for Tuesday -- one week after Northern California’s ravaging earthquake -- and geologists predicted a 50-50 chance by Christmas of a major after shock capable of causing consider able damage. “The people that are (unac counted for), 1 believe arc respon sible people. Many of their cars have been found on dial interchange and for whatever reason their loved ones have not had contact with them,” Zsa Zsa Gabor sentenced to three days jail BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - A judge Tuesday sentenced Zsa Zsa Gabor to three days in jail and 120 hours of community service for slap- i ping a police officer. “If you strike a cop, you go to jail,” Municipal Judge Charles Ru- j bin said in sentencing the Hungarian torn actress for battery on a police officer, driving without a valid driver’s license and having an open container of alcohol in her car. “The law applies equally to eve 7body, whether they’re rich or poor md whether they’re famous or not,’’ fcubin said. said Sgt.Greg Hughes of the Oakland Police Department. ‘ ‘ We’vc sent officers out to check their homes, check their jobs, and every four hours we’re talking to the families,’’ he said. A week after the devastating earthquake, the death toll rose by one today to 63 when the coronor’s office reported finding a 39th victim in the rubble of Interstate 880 in Oakland. There is no hope of finding anyone alive there, authorities said. A California Highway Patrol spokesman, Capt. Mike Garvcr, said authorities did not know of any bod ies in the rubble of Interstate 880. “There’s always a possibility, but what’s the probability1/’ ’ Garver said. Crews today were dismantling a shaky but still standing section of I 880, which was the first elevated Ireeway built in California. The U.S. Geological Survey on Tuesday also revised upward the magnitude of the Oct. 17 quake, from 6.9 to 7.1 on the Richter scale. Church bells tolled at 5:04 p.m., one week to the minute after the quake. And 83 minutes later, at 6:27 p.m., the strongest aftershock in four days, with a Richter scale reading of 4.5, rattled the area. There were no immediate reports of damage. Nebraskan Editor Amy Edwards 472- 1766 Managing Editor Jana Hlrt Assoc News Editors Brandon Loomis Ryan Sleeves Editorial Page Editor Lee Rood Wire Editor Victoria Ayotte Copy Desk Editor Deanne Nelson Sports Editor Jeff Apel Arts A Entertain ment Editor Llaa Donovan Diversions Editor Joeth Zucco Graphics Editor John Bruce Photo Chief Eric Gregory Night News Editors Eric Planner Darcle Wlegerl Librarian Victoria Avotle Art Directors AndyMannarl Sower Editor Lee Rood Supplements Editor Chris Carroll General Manager Dan Shattll Production Manager Katherine Pollcky Advertising Manager Jon Daehnke Sales Manager Kerry Jeflrtes Professional Adviser Don Walton 473- 7301 The Daily NebraskanfUSPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, Ne braska Union 34, 1400 R St., Lincoln, NE, Monday through Friday during the academic year; weekly during summer sessions. Readers are encouraged to submit story Ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by phoning 472-1763 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public also has access to the Publications Board For information, contact Pam Hein, 472-2588 Subscription price Is $45 tor one year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St..Lincoln, NE 68568-0448 Second-class postage paid at Lincoln, NE. ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1989 DAILY NEBRASKA
