Recarving the past: Homes become our banks / page Hartford restores Economy; 9 cemetery / page 5 I: Starling comes home champ / page 11 iMaudiriitrrVldfichi'stur A (jly ol \/illflqp Ctinrin Hrralii Monday, Aug. 24, 1987 30 Cents Navy chases Escape Iranians away worries from convoy elderly By Bruce Matzkin Herald Reporter MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — U.S. in the gulf, came too close to the Navy helicopters and two warships convoy. Residents of Mayfair Gardens, today chased off an Iranian gun­ the housing complex for the elderly boat that came too close to a convoy The sources said the ships were where an 88-year-old woman was escorting the mine-damaged super­ told to stay away. When they didn’t strangled in March, today ex­ tanker Bridgeton in the Strait of alter course, flares were fired and pressed concern over the weekend Hormuz, shipping sources said. the dhows then heeded the warning escape of the man considered a and left, the sources said. s u s p ^ in the case. The incident was the first signifi­ It was not known if the Pentagon cant confrontation between the U.S. and shipping sources were describ­ “ We all got frightened. Last night and Iranian navies since the United ing the same incident. we took extra precautions, and we States began July 20 escorting 11 didn’t go out for walks like we The shipping sources, speaking Kuwaiti tankers reflagged with the normally do,” said one woman. on condition of anonymity, based Stars and Stripes to protect them Residents asked that their names their reports on ship sightings and not be used. from Iranian attacks. Iran accuses radio contacts. Kuwait of supporting Iraq in the They gave The Associated Press Frederick R. Merrill, 40, for­ 7-year Iran-Iraq war. this account of the exchange merly of Tolland, was waiting trial The interception in the narrow between the U.S. and Iranian at the Connecticut CoiTectional Strait of Hormuz, gateway to the vessels; Institution in Somers on several Persian Guif, came as a new The Crommelin; “ Iranian naval charges stemming from the beat­ convoy of three Kuwaiti tankers warship, this is U.S. Warship 37. I ing and sexual assault in March of a flying the American fiag was am at the head of a coiumn of three South Windsor woman. reported heading into the gulf ships transiting the Arabian Gulf. Merrill was discovered missing escorted by U.S. warships. Request your intentions Sir.” from his cell Sunday morning Three other tankers that had Iranian gunboat; "W e’re operat­ during a 7 a.m. bed check. State and ing in international waters and we sailed from Kuwait with the Brid­ Somers police, corrections officers have no actions.” geton on Saturday were beiieved to and police dogs searched for him The Crommelin; “ Roger. Thank be catching up with the supertanker Sunday. The National Guard has you Sir. Have a good day.” as it steamed through the Strait of provided a helicopter to aid in the Iranian gunboat; “ And you have search. Hormuz past Iranian anti-ship a good day.” missile emplacements on the way Last March, Merrill was questi­ out of the gulf. The sources didn’t know whether this exchange took place before the oned in connection with the murder The shipping sources said the Guadalcanal scrambled the of Bernice Martin, who lived at helicopter carrier Guadalcanai and helicopters. Mayfair Gardens. the frigate Hawes intercepted an It was not known which warships Gary Wood, a spokesman for the Iranian gunboat that came too close were with the three tankers in the Manchester Police Department, to the Bridgeton convoy and forced inbound convoy and what its exact said today that Merrill is still a it to move away. The Navy has position was. suspect In the Martin murder. ordered ships to stay one mite away Three more reflagged tankers The mood at Mayfair Gardens from the convoys. were at Kuwait's main oii terminal this morning was one of fear. The Guadalcanal scrambled one at Al-Ahmadi loading crude oil for “ I hope he’s not around here,” or more helicopter gunships to the return trip down the gulf as the said a woman at Mayfair Gardens. shadow the gunboat, said the Bridgeton and the three others "Last night I really locked up.” sources, who spoke on condition of were sailing out. Another woman, who has moved anonymity. That means 10 of the ll reflagged into Mayfair Gardens since the The outbound convoy with the tankers were in gulf waters at one murder, said she was surprised Bridgeton was escorted by the U.S. time. The gas products tanker Gas when she heard on the news that the destroyer Kidd and the frigates Prince is the only one that has so far escaped prisoner may have had Hawes and Ktakring from Kuwait. been escorted to Kuwait, loaded, Harsid photo by Tuekor something to do with a murder The frigate Crommelin joined the and escorted out of the gulf. It is there. group after the Bridgeton entered now heading for Japan. " It’s kind of scary,” she said. “ I the Strait of Hormuz at 8 a.m. “ The inbound convoy is escorted Artist at work said to myself I had better really In Washington, Pentagon sources by about three warships, and the lock the doors.” two small dhows, traditional outbound convoy is escorted by Dan Nichols of Manchester works on a painting in an exhibit of his works at the painting of the South United Methodist "W e are all very frightened,” wooden sailboats that ferry cargo about four or five warships,” a public library in Woodbury from mid- said another woman. “ We don’t Dubai-based shipping executive Church at Main Street and Hartford September to mid-October. leave our houses to play cards any said. Road on Friday. He plans to include the more at night.” “ This means that the U.S. Navy Other residents did not know wiil be practically monopolizing the Merrill was a suspect in the Martin Pole strait for a number of hours.” murder. But they said they, too, are U.S. Rep. Stephen Solarz, D- afraid now that they know. N.Y., said Saturday that Kuwait Reagan Still wants a summit, “ We are on edge,” said a woman. blacks out would charter two American “ I looked to see if you had a tankers, the New York and the mustache.” she said, referring to Massachusetts, to add to its fleet the photo she saw of Merrill on the under U.S. protection. but no meeting in September television news. thousands The arrival of the inbound Another woman said, “ I didn’t convoy, the sixth one-way convoy to SANTA BARBARA, Caiif. (AP) know he was connected with the More than 4,000 Northeast Utili­ be given U.S. flags, surprised the Nancy Reagan will interrupt their dent Reagan and General Secre­ — President Reagan's invitation to ranch vacation Tuesday and spend murder here, but if he is the man, I ties customers in Manchester and shipping executives. The Navy has tary Mikhail Gorbachev in connec­ Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev the rest of the week in Los Angeles. wish they would catch him.” Biolton lost their power this mom- been trying to camouflage the tion with the U.N. General for a summit meeting on U.S. soil Reagan plans a foreign policy Merrill has a history of prison fiic after a utility pole caught on fire convoy movements to minimize the Assembly meeting.” still stands, but there is no basis for speech, billed as a major address escapes dating back to 1967, when on Keeney Street, according to Jose risk of Iranian strikes. “ When he was in Geneva, the a newspaper report that the two on East-West relations, in Los he escaped from a prison farm in Chavez, community relations man­ The 10-unit U.S. Middle East president invited the general secre­ leaders will meet in Washington in Angeles on Wednesday. Enfield. In 1968, he used a gun that ager for Northeast Utilities. Force provides escort for the tary to the United States and that September, the State Department The Times report, attributed to was hidden In a peanut butter jar The company is unsure how the convoys as they shuttie aiong a invitation still stands,” Ms. Beck says. an officiai the newspaper did not said. given to him by his mother. Gladys fire started this morning, he said. SSO-mile path between Kuwait and Department spokeswoman name, said the Soviet Union had Merrill, 80, was sentenced to two The fire, which staled at 9:43a.m., the Strait of Hormuz. Gorbachev agreed in principle at Nancy Beck denied the report of an informed the United States that years in prison for her role in that shut off power to 4,280 customers in Iran has deployed Chinese-made his first meeting with Reagan in impending meeting, which ap­ Gorbachev planned to visit New escape. the two towns. Customers in Silkworm missiles on its side of the November 1985 to visit the presi­ peared in Sunday’s editions of the York in late September to attend southeast Manchester and around water channel, which is the only dent in the United States, but never Los Angeles Times, as Reagan the U.N. General Assembly meet­ Bolton Center Road in Bolton were gateway to the oil-rich gulf. has formally accepted the presi­ affected by the outage. rested at his ranch north of Santa ing and then meet with Reagan in dent’s invitation. Iranian Revolutionary Guards Barbara on the 11th day of a 25-day Washington.