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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Ar)— U8. Alty. John Field II read three alleged confessions Wednesday made by Larry Stevens, a defendant in the anti-textbook school bombing conspiracy trial The statements were made during December and January. Two were allegedly made to federal agents and the other to a grand jury investigating textbook related violence, including the Oct. 22 bombing of Midway Elementary School in Campbell Creek, Field said Stevens and the Rev. Marvin Horan, a fundamentalist preacher and leader of the textbook protest, are on trial for conspiring to blow up two elementary schools and to destroy other property. According to one statement, Stevens and opponents of the controversial textbooks were trying to get the books” removed from schools. ’ “T felt something had ‘to be done to get the board of education’s attention. Stevens allegedly told the grand jury. We couldn't get the books into the courts where they belonged on we had to do something.” The statements also link Stevens with the construction of a bomb designed, but never used, to blow up the Valley Grove Elementary School, and with the burning and dynamiting of a bridge. Horan is not implicated in ‘any of ‘the statements. The government called six Witnesses Tuesday, four of whom were agents for the Treasury Department's Divi sion of Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms. Glen Wildt, an explosives expert from Cincinnati, Ohio, testified that two schemes discussed by protesters at the height of anti-textbook violence could have had disastrous effects. Wildt said wiring an electrical blasting cap to the brake lights of a tar or school bus and placing it in the gas tank’could turn the vehicle into “‘a ball of fire” when the driver applied the brakes. He also said placing a full gas can on the boiler at Midway Elementary and turning up the thermostat would seriously damage the floor and walls and possibly rupture fuel lines, feeding the blaze with a steady flow of natural gas, Horan was present during discussions of various bom bings and allegedly paid for the explosives used in the Midway blast, NECOPUANE,to several government witnesses. Witnesses also have testified that Horan offered his own gas cars for use in blowing up Midway, Rose was one of six persons indicted on the charges. He subsequently pleaded guilty and is testifying for the government. Also indicated were.. Michael ‘Wayne Blankenship, who also’ pleaded guilty and is a govern ment witness, Melvin, Dickerson ‘and Stevens’ wife, Jeannie: '
Newspaper Details
Post Herald
Beckley, West Virginia, US
Thu, Apr 17, 1975
Page 29
Full Page
Clipped by
Laura P.
USA 05 Jun 2026
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