Panther Chief Denies Ordering Victim Slain NEW HAVEN, Conn., Aug
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Panther Chief Denies Ordering Victim Slain NEW HAVEN, Conn., Aug. head of the Student Nonvi- 21 (UPI)—The defense rested olent Coordinating Commit- its case today in the murder- tee, "was begging" him to let Sams back into the party. conspiracy trial of Black Sams, a former bodyguard to Panther Lonnie McLucas with Carmichael, had been "kicked a flat statement by Panther out" of the Panthers when he party chief Bobby Seale that "stabbed a brother in the leg," he never ordered the death of Seale said. an alleged police informer. "That's when I saw him the "I never ordered anybody first time. I've never seen him killed," Seale said. "The party since," Seale said. never orders anybody ,killed." Seale said that after leaving Seale, under cross-examina- Panther headquarters he went tion by State's Attorney Ar- to the home of fellow defend- nold Markle, said the party ant Erica Huggins where dealt with informers by print- "there was a group of people ing their piotures in the talking." Asked whether. Rack- Panther newspaper and expel- ley's name came up, Seale ling them. said: "No, the first time I heard Trial Resumes Tuesday BOBBY SEALE Rackley's name was after all Seale, national Panther . final defense witness the people got busted." Party chairman, was the de- McLucas testified Thursday fense's final witness. Attor- a mon ear er. that he had taken a message neys' summations were to George Sams Jr., a Panther to Seale at the apartment begin. Tuesday when the trial who has pleaded guilty to sec- where he heard Miss Huggins resumes, and the case will ond-degree murder in the case say, "There was this brother probably go to the Jury late and testified for the prosecu- from New York being ques- Wednesday or early Thursday. tion, told the court earlier that tioned," and Seale reply, "I Seale testified that he had Seale gave him the order to don't have time to relate to never heard the name Alex "off" Rackley, meaning to kill nothing like that. Whoever is Rackley, the alleged informer, during the in charge will deal with it." until a group of fellow Panth, Newton, free off.' bail to await a retrial on manslaugh- Meaning of "Off" ers were arrested for Rack-, ley's torture-murder. ter charges in the ,death of a Under Koskoff's question- He took the stand againit California polictan, told e ing, Seale also denied that the advice of chief Panther at news conference n the nearby "off" means to kill in Panther Charles A. Garry of , officCs of the New Haven venacular. Asked the meaning San FratigiOCO, Council of Churches that nf the Panthers' phrase, "Off McLucas, Seale and six "George Saw and the pigs the pigs," Seale said: other Panthers are charged are responstale for the murder "It has a very symbolic with conspiring .to kidnap and' of Alex Radkley." Describing 'Meaning. It means getting the to murder in the May 21, 1969, Sams as "0. maniac," Newton power structure out of the death of New York Panther said "Sams and Sams alone ghetto." Alex Rackley. Seale and the He flatly denied it meant ei- others are awaiting trial and ther to kill police or anyone Garry said he had therefore else. advised Seale not to testify. gave the order to shoot Ades The 33-year-old co-founder Rackley." of the Panther Party con- Seale said he "never entered ferred with Garry and his two top fellow Panther leaders— the Panther headquarters ex- fellow founder Huey P. New- cept to make a phone call" ton and chief of staff David briefly' to his office in Califor- Hilliard—before taking the nia. Under questioning by de- stand in Superior Court "to fense attorney Theodore I. testify about the truth." Kosk/off, he saidle knew noth- ing about "a"brother being in- Describes Visit [ terrogated at Panther head- Seale described his visit to quarters" and that if he had the New Haven Panther head- known someone was being quarters dining the time "tortured" there: Rackley allegedly was' being "I would have' raised the tortured there with boiling devil, It is totally alien to how water to make him confess the party operates." that he 'had informed on the Tells of Meeting "Panther 21" arrested in an al- leged bomb plot in New Ytirk Seale said the only time he met Sams ams was s inn 1968 when Stokely Carmichael, former .