October 13, 1976

career sketch; por (L)

Swine flu vaccination programs in 9 states and in Pittsburgh and suburbs are suspended after deaths of 3 elderly persons who recd vaccine at Pittsburgh clinic; Fed and Pa health officials say there is no evidence that deaths resulted from vaccinations; all 3 patients were known to have had heart disease; autopsies show 2 died of heart attacks; family of 3d did not permit autopsy; Sencer comments; Phila County authorities to postpone further use of vaccine from batch involved in Pittsburgh deaths; Parke Davis & Co mfd bivalent vaccine; Bachman says vaccination effort will continue in state generally; NYC health authorities press ahead with immunization program; illus (M)

Fed appeals ct reverses conviction of Robert C Mardian but upholds convictions of H R Haldeman, John D Ehrlichman and John N Mitchell on Watergate conspiracy charges; finds John J Sirica, presiding judge at '74 cover-up trial, erred in failing to grant Mardian's request for separate trial after it became clear that evidence against Mardian ‘was not as strong as that marshalled against his co-defendants,’ and after Mardian's atty was forced to withdraw from case because of illness; dismisses contention of other 3 that Sirica allowed personal bias against them, as well as tech errors, to pervade his conduct of trial; also rejects argument that defense was hampered by inability to gain testimony of ex-Pres Nixon; concedes that publicity surrounding Watergate was ‘extraordinarily heavy,’ but not so inherently prejudicial that it prevented defendants from receiving fair trial; remands Mardian case for new trial; spokesman for Watergate special prosecutor Charles F Ruff says decision has not been made on whether to appeal reversal, retry Mardian, or let matter rest; Mardian, Mitchell, Ehrlichman and Haldeman illus (M)

Cincinnati wins NL pennant by defeating Phila; illus (M)

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Greater NY is seeking 25.9% hospitalization rate increase for 4-million policyholders in NYC, Long Island and 10 other downstate counties; requests increases of 10.1% for surgical-med coverage and 29.3% for coverage that supplements basic Medicare supplements (M)