Ford savior in 'private hell'

From Wire Reports

A lawyer said yesterday that ex-Marine Oliver Sipple, 32, who deflected the aim of a woman shooting at President Ford Monday in San Francisco is "going through his own private hell. This is his reward for saving the President's life,"

Shaking and red-eyed, Sipple appeared with his lawyer and the pastor of a gay-oriented.

RJ

People ___

church at a news conference to say that his mother was distraught and shamed by publicity concerning her son's sexual preferences and had hung up on him when he phoned her in Detroit.

Sipple declined to state whether he was a homosexual, saying, "My sexuality is part of my private life.”

Newspaper columnist Herb Caen has strongly intimated that Sipple is a homosexual, active in gay politics. White House press secretary Ron Nessen said Ford does intend to thank Sipple and others who protected the President and rejected as "ludicrous" suggestions that Ford was hesitant about thanking Sipple.

Lawyer John Wahl said invasion of privacy suits may be filed against news media that have run stories about Sipple's sex life.