Sunday Freeman (Newspaper) - January 9, 1977, Kingston, New York VOL CVI No 70 Sunday Jan 9 1977 Sunday Chance of 10 Max 23 Did He Commit In For Two Murders By GEERTSEMA Freeman staff KINGSTON A Halcottsville man who Kingston police Saturday with a tale of murder anon burglary and antique peddling was arrested for a 1974 murder no one knew had been committed until he confessed it After moire than seven hours of in- and investigation by city detectives and a battery of state BCI investigators Edward of was turned over by city police to Cpt Carroll and BCI Inv Joe Moore of state police Troop C Margaretville for killing Vida Saunders in March of 1974 Costello 52 and reportedly a former inmate of a state mental institution had come to police himself Saturday with a story of crimes he said he committed over a period of several years in the ville area He told Kingston Police Chief Julius Classman and Detective Sergeant Joseph Feraca he was responsible for the death of his stepfather Alfred Glass in November 1973 and for the suffocation of the Saunders woman a family friend both of whom according to Costello's statements were living with him and his sister Alberta MacDonald at the time of their deaths Costello who was picked up on Mary's Avenue p.m Saturday after ing Kingston police and saying he had information to give them reconstructed events that initially led to a quandary about whether charges could be lodged against him According to his confession he ly forced the death of his elderly step- father by causing him to choke on his own fluids When Glass who suffered from Parkinson's disease was seized with un- controllable coughing Costello said he deliberately gave him a drink of brandy When he strangled on that Costello according to his confession y followed the brandy with water in the knowledge he would drown on his own fluids when the mixture went into his lungs Costello alleged he had suffocated the Saunders woman with a pillow while she was sleeping Both deaths had been attributed to natural causes at the time Feraca said Feraca had been in contact with Margaretville Hospital and state police in Delaware County he said and both had confirmed there was no cause for cion originally in either death tinct Glass's medical history was known and the Saunders woman won a pacemaker for heart problems But state police also told Feraca and Classman that her relatives had re- quested an autopsy That had been im- possible he said because her body had been cremated Costello in his con- maintained he had convinced the man and woman to sign their bodies over to the Albany Medical Center for scientific purposes in the event of their death before he had committed the crimes to which he confessed Why she had been cremated and Glass had not was yet to be ascertained fact that he had earlier entered the house through the basement and robbed it of silver antiques glassware and other items while Mrs Lawrence was out of town visiting relatives Costello also confessed to several other burglaries in the Delaware and Schoharie County areas and said that in each instance he had sold the antiques he had stolen in each robbery See CRIMES page 5 CHILLED WATERS m photo by Bob Baton Cold snow and a creek weren't enough to force the tug Prince Into a from its labors In this photo the tug is straining to force an oil barge Into its proper position on the Brief San Francisco Quake Causes Little Harm SAN FRANCISCO UPI San Francisco's strongest earthquake in 11 years and more than 50 aftershocks rumbled through the Bay Area day causing minimal damage but triggering thousands of telephone calls from worried citizens to police cies The big temblor measuring 4.6 on the open-ended Richter scale was re- corded at PST The aftershocks into evening but University of California seismologists said the worst was over Rome's Red Mayor Too Nice to Pope ROME UPI mayor came under attack from nil Socialist deputy Saturday for handt with Pope Paul VI and policy toward the Vatican Deputy Mayor Alberto in an interview with the Tempo Mayor Giulio Carlo frequent meetings with the Pope amounted to ing the Vatican and condoning its alleged land speculation I feel because from now M in thinking of wiM people will re- hands with Paul VI and not what food wt did in fcw Miami Hotel Strike Could Continue MIAMI BEACH UPI A nego- taid Saturday the strike against eight resort hotels in Miami Beach and Miami could could drag on for another two weeks or longer Union threats to extend the strike failed to materialise Saturday and Local 356 of the Hotel arid and union an- it had reached an accord with the Cutaways hotel at Sunny north of Miami Beach Claudine Longet Hides for Weekend ASPEN Colo UPI Singer Claudine Longet wearied by the first week of her trial for the manslaughter of pro aUer Vladimir Spider Sabich her lover cluded herself in her retort home Saturday to prepare for the ordeal ahead Twelve of Mitt Longet 35 were chosen Friday at her Jury and the prosecution taid it would open its case against the ex-wife of singer Andy Williams Monday liams wat subpoenaed at a witness The Purity of Childhood Page 17 Sporti Commentary 29 at the Ballet Tempo Classifieds Crossword Dear 19 Editorials Jeanne 26 Life 5 Social Security and You 23 Stock Market 36 Teen Weather 2 WELCOME TO KINGSTON photo by Alan Carry Not even a license plate from the Sunshine State is proof against an Ulster County winter storm Mark a Fort Lauderdale resident visiting in Kingston has found that out Still more of the white stuff in light amounts ia forecast for today Drive Only Short of Last Year United Way Nears Mark Hoping to match last total contributions the Ulster drive is currently making a final bid for funds We're only short of the collected in the previous said Chairman we hope to make that amount to ment of the we said Wagner the drive has raised or 93.3 percent of this year's goal of If take in just over the community would suffer no bad effect through cutbacks in services by agencies depending on donations But while plus would solve that problem Wagner said United Way was hopeful the campaign might go beyond that in as much as that would get us up to he said the largest giving year Ulster County United had And we're not backing down on trying to accomplish our current goal of The chairman said workers have attempted to contact everyone at their place of employment to request pledges or contributions If people have not been contacted and want to give we hope they'll consider contributing he said to provide the support so vitally needed by these human service agencies He noted many cases in which county residents of limited means had been as generous as possible to the campaign even though they faced difficult times selves One Woodstock woman on a income he said had sent a check for than she had ever given before She had high praise for the services performed by two United Way Family of Woodstock and the maker Service Wagner also said that a Kingston man who hid been unable to find work for the last four months sent a check for He had noted that he had always supported United Way while he had been employed and wanted to continue to do so even though he know when his next job would become available It is gratifying when you have people like that supporting our United Way said the campaign chairman It graphically shows the fine support many people in the community are giving us The Margin of Victory Was 11 votes Whispell Catalinotto For County GOP Chairmanship By CHAZY DOWALIBY Freeman staff KINGSTON It took two and a half hours some bruised egos and no small amount of vering but when the voting was over Kenneth Whispell was the new Ulster County Republican Chairman More than two-thirds of the county's 300 Republican committeemen took their chances with snow drifts and icy roads to cast votes Friday night in what may have been the campaign in recent GOP history The Town of Kingston chairman and long-time party plodder by no means won by a landslide but Whispell carried 134 of of a possible 237 votes and it was enough His opponent Saugerties attorney Michael Catalinotto who kept right on swinging until the final bell sounded pulled 103 votes The voting was done by secret ballot something new for chairmanship tions and a move that Whispell had been pkm by Aln Cuty CATALINOTTO lort but Mt a KENNETH WHISPELL ponders a close vote in his favor espousing since he announced his several weeks ago The vote to go private on the balloting came early in the evening was pasted unanimously and and was an indicator of the no-nonsense mood of the town com- members They were outspoken sometimes hostile and made it clear that they would not be pushed around by either candidate or their party leaden Outgoing Chairman Albert Spada tat on the stage along with the executive committee of the party He took in the scene gracefully and kept up his end of the bargain by supporting no candidate and and anyone with his characteristic smile Spada resigned the position after eight years in the wake of heavy criticism for the GOP defeats in the November tions Both Whispell and Catalinotto had a chance to speak to the wary assemblage before the final voting The Saugerties lawyer came in with a strong defense of himself hit perty affiliations and his leadership Nobody controls shouted an mant Catalinotto For too long tion has been coming from the top down winds are blowing for a change When he was through acting Chairman Edwin Callahan took some exception to a remark about letting rascals into the party I hope you weren't referring to anyone sitting he asserted Catalinotto came back with a soft firm No Whispell played the crowd a completely different way He didn't say anything I think I've expressed my and the issues are he told his I suggest we get on with the ballot They did won When it was all over Whispell made a gracious acceptance speech thanked ryone who voted for him and everyone who didn't He asked Catalinotto to say a few words but the barrister commented that he'd said enough for one night He asked Spada to speak for a moment and the somewhat out-of-place party faithful pledged hit support to Whispell and urged harmony and party strength in the coming election year Whispell himself didn't say much of anything new He reaffirmed his for an open administration for consulting with the committeemen and being accountable to the people and the prat He urged a party to help wive tlie problems of unemployment high taiet and inflation in the county in this ysar of The biggest question still unanswered however it whether Whispell can muster the and the new ideal to lead the Republican party up from decline and defeat in the months If not he could face an even fight for hit newly won sett cone next lummer when the party chooses its and its leader til over again
