June 4, 1993

The celebrated libel trial pitting Jeffrey M. Masson against Janet Malcolm ended inconclusively today when a Federal jury deadlocked on monetary damages after deciding that the writer had defamed him with five fabricated quotations in her article about him in The New Yorker. A new trial is now likely in the tortuous, decadelong case between a prim East Coast writer and a flamboyant West Coast analyst. But it remains to be decided by Judge Eugene F. Lynch of the United States District Court here whether the entire case will be heard again or merely the damage portion, and whether The New Yorker will remain a defendant.

The Government and most of South Africa's opposition parties settled tonight on a date -- April 27, 1994 -- for elections in which the country's black majority will cast their first votes. The tentative agreement, coming after a year and a half of fitful negotiations, would set a timetable for ending more than three centuries of white rule.

Eluding elaborate security measures, a gunman apparently bent on vengeance made his way to the 11th floor of the Essex County Court Building here today and fatally shot a Newark police detective in the back of the head. The detective, John Sczyrek, 30, of Belleville, had been returning to the courtroom to testify as a key witness in the drug trial of a relative of the gunman, officials said.

Companies Car and truck sales rose in late May, extending a string of increases and suggesting strengthening demand. Ford had record truck sales for the entire month while Chrysler had its best overall May sales in five years. [ Page D1. ] General Motors hopes to gain market share by holding the line on retail prices. [ D4. ] A small-town lawyer has battled for seven years to return the Pacific Lumber Company, which was acquired in 1986 by Charles E. Hurwitz, a Houston financier, to the Murphy family that had managed it since the turn of the century. [ D1. ]

Providing an unusual glimpse of sensitive behind-the-scenes manuevering, lawyers and investigators say a prime suspect in the World Trade Center bombing has had sporadic discussions with Federal authorities over the possibility of becoming a cooperating witness. The suspect, Mahmud Abouhalima, has not agreed to any plea bargain, but officials said prosecutors believed they had been close to a deal with him at least once. But a new lawyer for Mr. Abouhalima, who was retained late last week, said he thought that the Government had a weak case against his client and that he would advise against cooperation.