Nevada State Journal (Newspaper) - October 7, 1977, Reno, Nevada PARENT Have you wondered how you as a parent can math grading homework learning problems and many other important educational topics Although the series covers the issues on a national scale many of the articles will be companied by stories on how Washoe County schools stack up on each day's topic Inside Yankees Tie Up Playoffs 33 TV Addict Convicted in Murder Page 2 Brymer Mistrial Declared Judge Cites e's Fraternizing With Jury Panel Members f Final Morning Oct 20 Sniper Hits Cars Unemployed chef Virgil Lee Davidson 52 160 Arietta st Reno g into a Washoe County Sheriff's patrol car Thursday after a shooting incident just west of Reno's city limits With him is Sgt Jim Diekson Journal Photo by Larry Man Overpowered by Deputies in Shooting A unemployed chef was overpowered and arrested by Washoe sheriff's deputies Thursday for allegedly firing shots at several passing cars just west of Reno's city limits One woman Dee Brown 56 Reno was hit in the arms by flying glass She and her husband Everett were returning to their home from California on Mayberry Drive at the time They drove to a nearby fire station on Mayberry and reported the incident at p.m Detectives said they know of no motive for the shooting Virgil Lee Davidson 52 of 160 Arietta St Reno was booked for investigation of one count of at- tempted murder one count of battery with a deadly weapon and one of in- a police officer His bail is The officer said the gunman aimed a revolver at him when the officer arrived Neither the man nor the officer fired Mrs Brown was treated at St Mary's Hospital and released In- said a bullet shattered glass in her car's door The other car hit was driven by Paul B Wise 41 of Carson City He was not injured Sheriffs officers said Davidson has been in the Reno area six months He came to Nevada from Florida and his car bears stickers from Pompano Beach police said Lt Mathews provided this account of the Mrs Brown was driving Her husband was riding beside her with the window closed As they made a left turn up from the Truckee River on Mayberry Go ahead you'll have to kill me Shoot me shoot me Drive across from Old U.S Highway 40 they noticed a parked car In this rural area only one house is visible through riverside brush and trees The parked car a large green and brown station wagon was stopped heading in their direction in a dirt and rock area just off the road The Browns saw a man behind the wheel holding something Then their car window shattered Flying glass cut her right arm but apparently missed her husband Mathews said The couple drove a short distance then stopped at the fire station for first aid Wise was next He was driving a large white sedan owned by his em- ployer He's a business agent for Operating Engineers No 3 Wise I just glanced thought I saw him raise something up I heard a boom I didn't know what it was I thought I hit something It scared the of me Wise continued driving about a quarter mile up a grade on Mayberry where he encountered a sheriffs truck He told Deputy Bob Wellems someone might have shot at him Investigating sheriff's detective Lee Bergevin later found one bullet hole in the wheel well into the engine compartment Wellems drove down the hill and pulled up behind the parked station wagon He said a man sat behind the wheel Wellems walked up to him with his pistol bolstered but unsnapped I tried to talk to him and he drew down on the deputy said about the pistol the man suddenly aimed at him I got down out of the way and radioed for assistance See SHOOTING Page 3 Col 5 West's Drought Still Critical MENLO PARK UPI U.S Geological Survey hydrologists Thursday said the western drought eased somewhat during the 1977 water year most notably in Alaska but continued critical in most other states in the west The preliminary calculations were based on monthly stream flow for the water year ending Sept 30 according to the study The department said monthly runoff in Northern California was less than 75 percent of normal Runoff ranged from 34 percent of normal measured on the Kings River to a low of 12 percent of normal at a measuring station on the North Fork of the American River Reservoir levels in California were at 32 percent of normal by the end of the year and Lake Tahoe dropped feet In Alaska a record snowpack caused streams in the southeastern coastal region to run higher than normal Streamflow in the Suow River set a record A lake on Skilak River burst resulting in a record on the Kenai River at Soldotna By comparison the flow was times greater than that of the Carson River in Nevada Northern Nevada runoff from the Truckee Walker and Carson Rivers reached record lows At year's end flow of the Carson was at a record low of 2.2 cubic feet per second 15 per cent less than the previous low Streamflow in Idaho continued to reflect extreme drought conditions the survey said ranging from 72 percent to 52 percent or normal Flow in the Boise River set an record low Oregon and Washington also set record low flows but Hawaiian streams were at nearly normal at year's end after fluctuating widely Index wells in Arizona and Washington showed extremely low levels The survey said however that reservoirs in Washington were near by year's end At Courthouse Brothel owner Joe walks into the Storey County thouse in Virginia City Thursday as former brothel guard Willard Ross Brymer stands nearby Journal Photo Doming Complaint Backfires ATLANTA UPI An escaped prisoner was arrested Thursday while complaining by telephone to a local radio station that his escape wasn't getting enough publicity police said Department spokesmen said Chuck Bowles 28 of Atlanta was arrested at a southeast Atlanta restaurant on a tip from radio station personnel He was still on the phone when les was originally arrested Sept 19 on traffic charges He and another prisoner escaped from the city jail Sept 23 police said Southern California Quakes PASADENA UPI Two small earthquakes struck ranging areas of Southern California early Thursday the strongest measuring 3.4 on the Richter Scale in the Los Angeles suburb of Montebello at The second temblor occurring south of the Santa Barbara County community of Santa Maria 180 miles north of Los Angeles was recorded at and as a series of three shocks ranging in magnitude from 2.5 to 2.8 on the open-ended scale There was no damage or injuries reported from the twin tremblers Index 6 Sections 88 Pages Entertainment Guide Health Markets 40 State News 10 TV Guide 38 Vitals is Weather 2 By DOUG MCMILLAN VIRGINIA CITY District Court Judge Frank Gregory declared a mistrial in the murder case of former Mustang Ranch brothel guard Willard Ross Brymer after a prospective juror accused brothel owner Joe Conforte of fraternizing with jury panel bers Dennis Greco a young Virginia City electrician told the judge Thursday afternoon he saw Conforte put his arm around a woman jury panel member in the hallway before the trial started Wednesday morning Gregory said ht Found no evidence of jury tampering by Conforte or else But he said because the accusing jury panel member raised the inference of in open court in front of the other panel members he had no choice but to rule a mistrial is charged with murder in the May 22 1976 shooting death of Argentine prizefighter Oscar The shooting occurred in the parking lot of Conforte's TV said he would meet with Storey County District Attorney Virgil Bucchianeri and defense at- torney Jerry in the next few days to set a new trial date Hie mistrial raises a stronger possibility of a change of venue from Storey County due to difficulty encountered in trying to a jury in Virginia City the judge said in his chambers after jury members were sent home After four days of arduous screening of prospective jurors at- were anally making headway m seating a final jury when took the sland C When asked him if Con- role in the case would him against Brymer Greco replied If Mr Conforte is going to be a witness in this trial and he's shaking hands putting his ami around jurors I'm going to have to take it into consideration is it he's allowed to us potential Greco did not identify he woman juror Rut when Gregory asked me jury panel members who it was Mrs Georgia rondos of Conforte's railer court west of he brothel shooting See BRYMER Col 1 Physician Botsford Dead at 44 Reno physician James I 44 died early Thursday Botsford a native of Elko graduated from the University of and the Medical College of Virginia He entered practice in Reno in 1965 Botsford had been a member of the staffs at Washoe Medical Center and St Mary's Hospital He was a- member of the Washoe County Medical Society and numerous J professional organizations Botsford's widow found the hanging in the family garage at about Thursday according to police and police reports Hie death as an apparent suicide said no note was left and no reason known He had long been active in the Alumni Association He homecoming chairman in 1 alumni vice president in 1967 president in 1968 and 1969 Funeral arrangements are at Ross Burke and Knobel
