Oregon daily emerald., January 06, 1971, Page 7, Image 7

Testimony finds
Armsbury, Oba linked to Eugene bombings
By JOHN LANIER
Of the Emerald
Legal proceedings involving
two former University students
continued to make the news over
the Christmas vacation in
hearings dealing with the setting
of bail and in testimony allegedly
linking the two to a series of
bombings in the Eugene area.
The two are:
Charles Duane Armsbury, 28,
currently serving two con
secutive 10-year terms at McNeil
Island federal penitentiary after
his conviction last year on a
charge of illegal possession of a
sawed-off shotgun.
Armsbury is a former teaching
fellow in sociology at the
University. He was also a can
didate for mayor of Eugene in
1968 and a member of the Eugene
Patriot Party.
Richard J. Oba, presently free
on bail pending an appeal in
federal court of his conviction for
violation of the federal firearms
control act stemming from a
series of bombings in the Eugene
area on the night of May 19, 1969.
Oba had pleaded guilty to
illegal possession of a destructive
device and was sentenced to an
eight-year prison term in con
nection with the charge. He was a
University student at the time of
his arrest.
Oba testified in a federal
judge’s chamber in Portland on
Dec. 24 that Armsbury had at
tended discussions in Eugene
prior to the 1969 bombings in
which the bombings were
discussed.
He also testified that he was at
least partially responsible for the
bombings, which did an
estimated $100,000 in damage to a
University office, the- Eugene
Register-Guard building, a state
highway department building
and a church.
The testimony, before U.S.
Dist. Judge Alfred T. Goodwin,
was part of a hearing on a motion
which would have established
bail for Armsbury while he ap
peals his conviction and 10-year
sentence.
Oba had earlier refused to
testify at a similar hearing and
had been jailed under provisions
of a recently passed crime
control measure.
Answering questions posed by
U.S. Atty. Sidney I. Lezak, Oba
failed to confirm that a definite
meeting had occurred in which
plans for the bombings were
discussed.
According to the Portland
Oregonian, another government
witness, former Black Panther
member Arthur Cox, has testified
that such a meeting did take
place, but Armsbury has denied
it.
Cox testified that the meeting
took place in Oba’s apartment
and that Armsbury was involved
in the planning of the bombings.
Cox said he had given the in
formation in the hope that it
would help him in a probation he
is presently serving after being
convicted of being an ex-convict
in possession of a firearm.
Oba testified that he had had
conversations with Armsbury
about the bombings, but that
Armsbury’s role “was secon
dary.” “He didn’t say much,”
Oba said, “he just nodded his
head.”
Oba also said that Armsbury
didn’t have dynamite in his
possession, that “it was given to
him,” and that he understood
Armsbury was “I suppose to
explode (the dynamite) like I
did.”
The former student said he had
discussed the purpose of the
bombings with Armsbury and
they had concluded they would
raise the awareness of the people
about conditions in American
society.
After the bombings “I think we
both came to the conclusion that
the bombing was a mistake,” he
said.
Oba told the judge he does not
' ‘Devastating’ if not
Lallas says building funds
need to be given University
Criticism of Governor Tom McCall’s building
construction cutbacks in his 1971-73 budget has been
aired by University Planning Director John Lallas.
Lallas said, “it would be devastating” if the
University goes another fiscal year with major
construction funds from the State Legislature, at a
December 10 meeting of the Campus Planning
Committee.
University President Robert Clark and Roy
Lieuallen, chancellor of the State System of Higher
Education, are presently “analyzing and examining
closely” McCall’s recommendations, Lallas said.
The governor’s proposal is that $6 million be
allocated for capital construction for the entire
State System of Higher Education. This allows
for an emphasis on restoration and rehabilitation
with a minimum of new construction. The board
had requested $63 million.
The director of planning said the University’s
requests for construction of three building
projects—administrative services, College of
Education and Behavioral Sciences—are “simply to
mwke up for existing deficiencies. Somehow this is
not perceived in as serious terms as seen here.”
In conjunction with the budget limitations, the
State Board reduced both size and budget for the
administrative services building.
Lallas recalled the University “received a
shattering blow during the 1969 biennium” when
it“literally lost” the proposed new College of
Education and behavioral sciences buildings.
The 1969 Legislature authorized funds for the
projects, but they were held up last March when
McCall ordered a “freeze” on new construction
financed primarily with state funds. The freeze was
applied in connection with a plan to try to trim an
anticipated deficit in the state’s welfare program.
The State Legislative Emergency Board post
poned action on the two buildings at its May
meeting, then voted 6 to 1 in September to return the
building requests to the full Legislature when it
convenes January 11.
In other buisness, the committee agreed to in
vestigate the possibility of replacing the metal
barricades presently located at either end of 13th
Avenue on Kincaid and University streets with
more attractive posts.
Track coach Bill Bowerman, a committee
member, said a questionnaire on parking problems
will soon be sent to each department to determine
the extent of traffic problems in the University
community.
Bowerman said parking problems are “generally
less acute than a year ago.” Several committee
members observed that both student and faculty
parking lots have many more spaces available
because of increased fees for parking permits.
“I suspect a lot of people are riding bicycles and
enjoying it,” Bowerman added.
1
Neil Young to perform Sunday
Singer and guitarist Neil Young will perform at the University
Sunday.
Young’s concert will be in McArthur Court at 8 p.m.
Known for his high-pitched voice, Young has been a member of the
now defunct Buffalo Springfield and a sometime performer with
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (CSNY). Before, after and inbetween
his group efforts, he recorded three albums on his own, his most
recent effort being “After the Gold Rush.”
He authored the songs “Helpless,” “Country Girl” and “Down by
the River,” some of which were performed when CSNY came to
Portland early last summer.
Billed as his only college concert this year, Young’s appearance is
part of a West coast tour. Young will perform in Seattle this Saturday
Tickets are available at the EMU Main Desk, Mattox Pipe Shop
and Viscount Records for $2, $2.50, $3.50and $4.
$300.00 Reward for return of
16th Century Cannon
removed from 308 W. 27th
approximately March 1st ,
1970. No questions — call
342-2686.
believe Armsbury is a threat to
the community, and that the
former teaching fellow is now
dedicated to helping the poor and
dispossessed.
Lezak said after the hearing
that it was the first time Oba had
“admitted” his part in the
bombings. He added that the
government would not attempt to
prosecute Oba further in con
nection with the bombings
Lezak also said that Oba had
refused an offer of immunity
from prosecution because “he
said he didn’t want people to
think that was the only reason he
was testifying.”
Goodwin had originally set bail
for Armsbury at $25,000 for his
appeal, but later revoked all bail
on the grounds that Armsbury
was “a threat to the com
munity.”
The Dec. 24 bail hearing, and
one earlier that week, were held
on order of the Ninth U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals, which ordered
that Goodwin conduct a public
bail hearing at which both sides
could present evidence.
Goodwin still has not set bail,
however, and has instead asked
for an explanation of the Circuit
Court’s order, the last legal
maneuver open to the judge
before making a decision.
At the earlier bail hearing,
Armsbury stated “I know I’m not
a danger to the community.”
He also said that he opposed
violence, that he was seeking an
end to it, and that the weapons in
his possession at the time of his
arrest (February 1970) were for
self-defense against earlier at
tacks on the Patriot Party
headquarters.
At the Dec. 24 hearing Arm
sbury testified that he wasn’t
involved in the bombings and that
he knew Oba but didn’t know he
had dynamite.
Armsbury and his lawyer, Ross
Brown, objected to Oba’s being
allowed to testify and called the
session “a trumped up hearing,”
because the public was excluded,
his regular attorney was out of
town and no witnesses were
present who could have coun
tered Oba’s testimony.
Brown told the judge that Oba’s
testimony supported Armsbury’s
contentions because there was no
evidence linking Armsbury
directly to any specific meeting.
U.S. Atty. Lezak contended
that Oba’s statements did link
Armsbury to the bombings and
said: “We now have established
that he is a bomber.”
Goodwin is expected to rule on
the bail request sometime this
month. Meanwhile, Armsbury
remains in custody and his ap
peal remains in the court system.
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