( ■ Lugone, Oregon 97403 • TLAND ■ 1 OBSERVER Volume 7 No. ,0 Thursday, January 20, 1977 10c per copy Where does our money go? Last August the Department of Vital Statistics, the Public Welfare D epart­ ment and other agencies were informed that state employees and former em­ ployees were dealing in false documents obtained from the V ital Statistics De­ partment. A fter a cursory investigation, by Public Welfare, the case was closed. Later, two friends of the employees admitted that they had received false vital statistics information for use in obtaining false identification. Larry Baker reported the criminal activity to Marian M artin, State Regist­ rar of V ital Statistics. He told Ma. M artin that at least three women had obtained the documents, one who was still an employee of Vital Statistics and two who had moved to another agency. Further, one was continuing to sell confidential papers from the new agency. He charged that some of these docu­ ments had been used to obtain identifica­ tion to cash returned welfare checks. The investigation was passed from Public Welfare-to the Attorney General's office, where it waa assigned to Clark Meara. Later Mears reported back to R. H. Williams, Assistant Chief Investigator for Welfare that his office would not handle the investigation due to lack of funds, but would assist Public Welfare’s investigation. Williams was authorized to go ahead with his investigation. He checked with Discuss death “New World African Danas to the English wording for a Black ballet drawing upon the conventional movements of African peoples, inspired by the of Black Africa, visualized in sweat filled taverns strung throughout I (a section on the south aide of Chicago), daydreamed about under the 63rd Street “L " tracks, baptised by the Holy Ghost residing in a storefront church called Green Grove Baptist, legitimtoed by an ocean of caaketa in the first minute of a new a) i t a Black street dancer one of a long line of tots of all stage dance. From the folk cornea authenticity, emotion, faith, love and above all else, style-beeause all people are individual, even Black people, especially at midnight." (Please see page d, col. 5) L In light of the move to bring capital punishment to Oregon, a panel discussion on the Death Penalty has been scheduled for January 20th. Speakers include Reverend John Jack- son. Nathan Proby, Charles F . Hinkle, ACLU; Reverend Dale Stitt, and Ruth Frankel, W IL P F . The social, legal and moral implications of the Death Penalty - including the Gilmore case - will be discussed. The meeting w ill be held at Mallory A venue Christian Chureh, 126 N .S Alberta at 7: 80 p.m. 1 the Oregon State Police and found that the women had no arrest records. Baker, on the other hand, had a very extensive felony conviction record and was on parole. In the meantime. Baker had been charged with rape, sodomy, assult and malicious mischief by a friend of the "suspects" in the vital statistics ease. A seven-state “AU Points Bulletin" for his arrest had been issued. Williams contacted Detective Roberta Ledyard of the Portland Police Depart- uaent, who told him the events leading to the warrent for Baker. “Those events do not involve the Public Welfare Depart­ ment, but do provide a motive for Baker's allegations about the accused state em­ ployees," he wrote in his report. Williams and Ledyard interviewed the accused Public Welfare employee, who denied the charges. She authorized a search of her home by W illiam« amt Ledyard and nothing belonging to Public Welfare was found. The employee was advised that she might be asked to take a polygraph test. A week later she was informed that the case was closed. None of the additional employees nam­ ed by Baker, or the persons he alleged had received faltofied documents were President interviewed. Later, during the investigation of the charges against Baker, two of these persons admitted receiving the records, ^ n e | a Why wasn’t the investigation more thorough? Why weren’t the other “sus pects" interviewed? " It’s obvious that they want to protect the reputation of the state employees - young white women from good families”, Baker says. " I even told them which of the women would be the most willing to admit it . They were not even seen." Baker charges that the women made the rape charges against him because he had reported their activities. He pleaded "no contest”, charging that his attorney had not adequately prepared his defense. Failing to be allowed to change his plea to “not guilty”. Baker is serving a twenty- ' five year sentence to the Oregon State Penitentiary. z A ' & ' _____ HK Jimmy Carter a e .e m Cllll