                              UNPUBLISHED

                    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                        FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT



                              No. 97-6971



MICHAEL CAUGHMAN,

                                                Petitioner - Appellant,

         versus


LAURIE F.    BESSINGER,     Warden;   CHARLES    M.
CONDON,

                                            Respondents - Appellees.



Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
South Carolina, at Columbia.    Henry M. Herlong, Jr., District
Judge. (CA-96-3644-3-20BC)


Submitted:   May 14, 1998                        Decided:   May 26, 1998


Before WIDENER and MICHAEL, Circuit Judges, and BUTZNER, Senior
Circuit Judge.


Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.


Michael Caughman, Appellant Pro Se. Donald John Zelenka, Chief
Deputy Attorney General, Lauri J. Soles, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL OF SOUTH CAROLINA, Columbia,       South Carolina, for
Appellees.


Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:

     Michael Caughman seeks to appeal the district court's order

denying relief on his petition filed under 28 U.S.C.A. § 2254 (West

1994 & Supp. 1998). We have reviewed the record and the district

court's opinion and find no reversible error. Accordingly, we deny

a certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal on the rea-
soning of the district court. Caughman v. Bessinger, No. CA-96-
3644-3-20BC (D.S.C. June 26, 1997). We also deny Caughman's motion

for appointment of counsel. We dispense with oral argument because

the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the ma-
terials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional

process.




                                                         DISMISSED




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