Death Letter To Nixon Being Probed By Schools

Public school officials are in the midst of a thorougli investigation" of a death warning mailed to President Richard Nixon by a 10-year-old Northside School pupil, allegedly with the aid of his teacher. Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. had been in conference with the boy's teacher for two hours this m o r n i n g to "determine the teacher's relationship to what happened. We will have a formal statement when this is completaed," Westerman said. The letter, part of a school project in which students were to write to "important people," predicted t h a t the president would be killed after the inauguration with a .22 caliber rifle. "I cannot tell you where," ] the boy wrote. When two U.S. Secret Service i men attempted to question the youth at the school Tuesday and obtain a sample of his handwriting, the teacher refused them access. Westerman today defended this action as entirely proper. School regulations do not permit this without the par-' ents' permission. The boy was later questioned;; in the presence of his parents!; and reportedly told the agents then that the teacher had helped; him with spelling and composi-' tion of the letter. His mother said she could not talk her son out of mailing the letter. The agents, who have left, said no charges are planned.