The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 114, No. 45, Ed. 1 Friday, November 10, 1989 Page: 1 of 4
four pages : ill. ; page 24 x 14 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
i
in rr <ZIW*li ®b/30/9y .. ,
SOuTHWhST nnCHOPuBLx&H^ J
bc/ t VHNDfL. Dk
PMbD.
®fjc Hopkins (Cotntfa Edju
(ABSORBED THE GAZETTE CIRCULATION BY PURCHASE MAY 12, 1928)
VOL. 114-NO. 45.
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10,1989.
4 PAGES -25 CENTS PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
Ji
3*
Child slaying earns
couple life in prison
By SCOTT KEYS
ii
■
M'-
PM
Sr
■
: T •>•••
V'."
ii
if*
WSm
Hospital donation
Members of the Hopkins County Shrine Club ac-
cept a $500 donation from officials of the Hopkins
County Fall Festival Board of Directors. The
money will go toward the Shiner’s Hospital Drive
Fund. Presenting the check is, from left, Kim
Sill
Weaver, Fall Festival treasurer, and Mickie
Powers, Fall Festival president. Accepting the
payment are Frat Davis and TYavis Spencer. They
are co-chairmen of the local Shriner’s drive.
—Staff photo by Richard Hall
Ratliff outlines new plan
for workers’ comp-romise
By MARY GRANT
“The players haven’t changed.
The issues haven’t changed, The
pressure groups haven’t changed.”
But, a new plan by Lt. Gov. Bill
Hobby may begin to change
opinions held in the legislative bat-
tle over workers compensation,
State Sen. Bill Ratliff. R-Mount
Pleasant, said Thursday.
In Sulphur Springs to address a
meeting of the Hopkins County
Professional Agriculture Workers
Association, Ratliff discussed legis-
lation approved in two sessions
lucted this year and the
cond
workers
schoduk
vember.
compensation
for debate in
issue
n-a#Bo-
I think it’s a good bill... I think
he’s done a
the senator
Wallace
loses bid
for freedom
A ruling by a Texas Court of
Criminal Appeals in the case of a
Sulphur Springs man who was
convicted in 1981 in the hired
murder of his wife “closes the
final chapter in what has been an
incredibly lengthy appellate proc-
ess,” the case’s prosecutor said
Thursday.
Billy Ray Wallace lost his fries
before the high court after being
given a life sentence in the stran-
gling death of Janyth Kay Wal-
U.S. Rep. Jim <
served as Hopkins
attorney at the tin
said, “In addition to serving jus-
tice in this particular case, dm
court ruling will assist other pros-
ecutors in other criminal cases in
bringing criminals to justice
where tape recorded evidence is
important to the caae.” _
Jim Chapman, who
County district
time of the trial.
said of Hobby’s proposal. How-
ever. Ratliff noted that any changes
to current worker compensation
laws involves a battle with the
state’s Trial Lawyers Association,
which opposes the measure.
Although not all senators who
are lawyers disagree with Ratliff’s
views, he noted dial the lawyer ver-
sus other occupations of the mem-
bers is a ratio of 31-19.
“I don’t know if we can do any-
thing about this, but if we don’t, it’s
a disaster for the state of Texas,” he
said.
Ratliff said current laws deter
economic growth in the state by
discouraging prospective com-
panies which might otherwise es-
tablish their organizations in Texas.
Ratliff is also opposed to product
liability and deceptive practices
laws, that he said he rounders far
too liberal.
In the cases of “truly injured”
people, “truly gross negligence,”
the plaintiff is deserving of com-
pensation, but, he added, “the pen-
dulum has swung too far.”
He also noted that the lawyer’s
association spent more than
$260,000 in a campaign against
him.
Ratliff is saving his first term in
the Senate after a hard-fought race
last year against incumbent Demo-
crat Richard Anderson of Marshall.
At that time, Ratliff campaigned on
a platform for increased job oppor-
tunities in the 1st Senatorial Dis-
trict To accomplish that goal, he
said Thursday, requires changes in
the workers compensation laws.
November brings 20th
weather record for ’89
November ended its L-st week
by edging out a record high that
had survived for 26 years.
The mercury climbed to 85 de-
grees on Monday. 1 degree warmer
that the record set on Nov. 6.1963.
By comparison, the average
temperature for that date is 70 de-
grccs.
Weather records have fallen fas-
ter in 1989 than the Dow Jones In-
dustrials and it seems the year will
continue to nibble away at ex-
tremes right through to 1990.
Record heat in November, record
lows in Augint, record rainfall ■
July rod higher than normal rainfall
for the year to date has left local
residents speculating on what kind
of winter Sulphur Springs will
have.
The city recorded three record
lows in October, two in September,
four in August, two in June, one in
April, two in March rod three in
February. Record highs include
one to date in November and one in
February.
July brought record rainfall.
All of this adds up to 20 weather
records this year.
Do these weather extremes point
to a mild winter or a severe winter?
Will the precipitation be wa or
white?
Who knows?
An Emory couple was sentenced
to life in prison by a Hopkins
County jury Monday after being
found guilty of murdering the
woman’s 4-year-old daughter.
John Harvey Miller and Debbie
Tucker Loveless received the max-
imum sentence from the seven-
man, five-woman jury, including
both being found guilty of using a
knife to kill April Tucker, which
will prohibit them from receiving
any '‘good time” benefits in their
sentences.
Both defendants will be eligible
for parole in 15 years.
The jury deliberated for 54
minutes before finding the couple
guilty of the January murder, but
look more than two hours to decide
their sentence.
“I am really happy with the job
this jury did,” Assistant District At-
torney A1 Smith, who prosecuted
the case for the state, said. “They
did what they had to do, the only
thing they could do. It shows the
system can work.”
Although seemingly confident
throughout the trial. Smith said he
was worried about the outcome.
An important case
“Sure I was scared. Anytime you
go through something (a trial) like
this you’re scared,” he said. “Other
prosecutors say ‘Don’t worry about
it, you won’t be losing a client any
money. The worse thing that can
happen is a guilty person goes free,’
but with fittle 4-year-old April
Jvckff — 1 did not want to loan
this case.”
Loveless’ court-appointed
defense attorney Charles Mack
Cobb said his client will appeal the
verdict.
“I’m disappointed in the jury’s
decision. I honestly don’t believe
my client had anything to do with
this (April’s death),” Cobb, a for-
mer district attorney from Mount
Pleasant, said. “We are going to try
and get a new trial based on
severence (the two defendants not
being tried separately). That is not
the only one (point to base an ap-
peal on), but it is what I objected to
from the start.
“If they would have been tried
separately, then some of the evi-
dence presented against him
(Miller), would not have been ad-
missable against her, such as his
statement (to Rains County Sherif-
f’s Deputies). That would have
been hcresay against her in a sepa-
rate Inal," Cobb added.
Miller’s co-attorney, David Lan-
caster, had no comment on the trial
or sentence. His other attorney,
Paul Chitwood, left the courthouse
before the jury reached its verdict.
Closing arguments
Before a standing-room-only
crowd in the 8th District
Courtroom in the Courthouse Mon-
day afternoon, the four attorneys
made a final appeal to the jurors.
Smith opened the closing argu-
ment phase of the trial, reminding
the jurors of the testimony present-
ed during the proceedings.
“I told you when this trial started
that on Jan. 4, 1989, April Tucker
was brutally and savagely attacked
and she was murdered,” Smith told
Mb jurors. “I told you that after all
of the evidence is presented, those
two (pointing at the defendants) are
liars on what they said happened on
that day.”
“April Tucker got beat, and she
got beat and beat and beat by this (a
curling iron which was entered as
evidence). They had to do some-
thing because they had hurt her.
The only thing they could do was
come up with a story that a dog got
after her. Then they slowly and
methodically cut that chunk out of
her leg,” he said.
“If you apply the facts to this
case, along with your common
sense, you will find them guilty
beyond any reasonable doubt.
Defense attorneys followed
Smith with their closing arguments,
with all three stating dial the state
had not proved either defendant kil-
led the child.
“We are here because two
people are charged with a murder
that we don’t know who did,” Lan-
caster said in his opening remarks.
“I believe it was a murder because
I don’t know what else it could
be.”
“April told him (Miller) that the
dogs did it. He didn’t say that.
There were even doubts in their
(Miller and Loveless) minds that
the dogs did iL Admitted, we don’t
know where this happened, but that
is for the state to prove, not us. I
would like to see somebody pay for
this — but the right people should
pay,” Lancaster said. “Let’s don’t
let our emotions get away from the
facts in this case. There is only one
verdict you can bring back — not
guilty.”
Chitwood also played on his con-
tention that there was no hard evi-
dence linking Miller to the crime.
“There hasn’t been one person
or one piece of evidence brought to
the stand that said John Harvey
Miller look a knife to any part of
her,” Chitwood said. “In the
statements, you may find some inc-
onsistencies, but you have to re-
member that they were under an
impulse to do something now (at
the time of the incident). We are not
here to solve this crime. We don’t
have enough to solve it. And if we
don’t have enough evidence to find
someone else guilty, then we cer-
tainly don’t have enough to find
these two guilty.”
Cobb also argued that there
wasn’t enough evidence to convict
his client, and argued against some
Please see Trial, Page 3
Three band members
place in All-Region
Sulphur Springs JHigh School
had three band members place in
the All-Region band Saturday, Nov.
4 in Longview, with two of the
students being named first chair,
the highest honor given.
Scott Knabe made First Chair
alto saxophone and Rick Smith
made First Chair trombone in com-
petition against band members
from the entire region.
Jason Hansen was named first al-
ternate in the trumpet competition.
Students placing in the competi-
tion are placed in one of three
bands, according to how they place.
Top students are chosen for the
Wind Ensemble with the next
group placing in the Symphonic
Band, and then the Concert Bind.
Knabe and Smith will be per-
forming with the Wind Ensemble
and will continue their competition
in January in the All-Area contest.
A high placement in that competi-
tion assures winners a position in
one of the All-State bands, which
will be performing for the Texas
Music Educators Convention in
San Antonio next February.
Hansen was placed on the Con-
cert Band.
The All-Region bands will be
rehearsing all day on Saturday,
Dec. 9, and a free concert will be
held that evening in Mount
Pleasant.
mwmm
m
m
■
HR
fell
New restaurant, four homes top monthly building
ByDANAL CLEAVES
The total value of building per-
mits issued in October fell 20 per-
cent wher compered to the serne
month leu year, but the decline
hasn’t affected.....““
official’s <
Joe Cermroi referred to the four
as pood news on the cay’s con-
“Four houses is food, rod thnt
l to $617,750.
Building activity in S
Springs has been on toe decli
year, wito six of the 10 at
reporting periods to dare w
behind toe comparable
However, Cerretroi is optimistic
monthly report
> newly penalised
Beard’s Catfish K
is
ch
is roder consouctioa at 1220
Mockingbird Lane. The permit for
$250,000 far more tiuB
■if of the October reporL
The report totaled $490J7S, rod
of 1988
T’ve got
for November, rod it’s ottiy toe
7to," he said. “I think we’i
The four
finest report <
$217,0007
T5351300.
Far toe yeas, the cinr’s buildmg
permits total 092.068, which is
down about 35 percent from tori
year’s com
totaled $6,1
101
mm • i niwiv*- • w srmsswH^
Jy permits are listed below by value,
at location, applicant and type of con-
$75,000, 100 Winfield Drive.
Cooper and Cooper, house.
$50,000, 844 Meredith, John
*&ST146 Meredith, Sieve
^S^OOO**DO Meretoto. Sieve
^OcTfc Artis Sc. Tfauy
Owpff, remoto
Stood. 113
$2,800,
$2,500. 1211
sy. fence
402 1
$1,500, S^Ts '^orr
Haven Apartments, remodeling.
$1.300, 1505 S. Broadway Sl,
SU00, 217 Glover St., WJL
B7LOOo!Tl»l5^kingbud Lane.
UjOaTiaaO^ Broadway Sc.
Gober-Menefl, sign.
$1,000, 1708 Posey Lane. John
Campbell, name shed.
$800, 1426 Church Sc. Norbert
Demptner. tone
$tJ~1409 Dora Drive, JM.
^ $500.<42l*SpriB Drive, Johnny
1300. *2?^ S. Broadway Sc,
$400, 1067 VUte 1
aato Alton. remodelM.
$300, 118 $. L
^siof itsTsT
c,;.-
'ii
All-Region performers
liwtfl
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Keys, Clarke & Hillsamer, Dave. The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 114, No. 45, Ed. 1 Friday, November 10, 1989, newspaper, November 10, 1989; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth779960/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.