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MfcDr'ORD MAIL IhUJUNt. MfcUtr'OflU. OHtliON
Sol
Leads Norma
Editor's Not: Few mm
have fallen a fait and as
iar iiom the pinnacle of re
aped and power at Billie
Sol Eitei. How ii Eite
weathering the storm? This
is a report from his home
town.
By JAMES T. YOUNG
Pecos, Tex. -tUPH- Last
March, one of the most regu
lar churchgoers in Pecos was
a wealthy young businessman
named Billie Sol Estcs. Four
months, three indictments
and a congressional investi
gation later, he still is.
There are enough charges
already against Estcs, 37, to
put him behind bars for life
if he is convicted. Grand
juries are loooking for new
charges. He is bankrupt and
m o s t of his possessions will
soon be sold. But he man
ages, thanks to $120,000
bond, to lead an almost nor
mal life.
On Sunday morning, his
bis white Cadillac pulls up
in front of the Pecos Church
of Christ at Fourth and Bois
O'Arc sts.
He, his wife and his five
children - one son and four
daughters, ranging in age
from S to 12 - attend Sunday
school.
Attend Church
Then they attend church.
Sunday night, the Estcs fam
ily is back for night servic
es. Wednesday night, the
whole family is back for
prayer meeting.
If Estcs is worried, he
does not show it in church
He wears expensive black or
dark blue suits. Sometimes
he spruces up with a red
necktie.
The congregation and his
pastor, the Rev. W. S. Boy
ett, greet him with out
stretched hands and smiling
ui.
BIHTHS RECALLED - Dr. Gordon L. Roscnc, chairman of
the Swedish Convent hospital, department of gynecology,
at Chicago, tells student nurses Grace Matscn, Joyce Ohm
and Barbara Lindcll, "you were just this big" as he recalls
officiating at their births in the hospital. The girls are
graduating from the hospital's school of nursing. Dr. Rosene
has been on the hospital staff for 35 years. (UPI)
Now They're Missions
Pentagon Goes Through Phases of
Task Forces, Operations, Missions
By DICK WEST
Washington - IUPII - At the
Pentagon, everyone and every
thing has a "mission." This
shows how
much the mil
itary lexicon
has changed
since World
War II.
During the
war, you'll re-
coll, everyone
and every
thing was a
"task force."
In the beginning, the armed
forces had more tasks than
forces. But toward the end
they had more forces than
tasks.
It finally got to the point
where two WAC corporals
couldn't go to the water cooler
without being called a task
force.
After the war there wasn't
much need for task forces, so
everyone and everything be
came an "operation.
No commander in the
past 15 years has planned a
troop maneuver, training
exercise, fire drill, cocktail
party or trip to the PX
without labeling it "Opera-
Forest Highways
May Be Slippery
Due To Recent Rain
Recent rains have made
some of the gravel and dirt
roads in the Rogue River Na
tional forest slippery, accord
ing to the weekly recreation
report from the forest.
Visitors are encouraged to
check on highway conditions
with the district rangers be
fore traveling in some of the
forest areas.
The recreational report by
district:
Applcgate District - The
Glade Creek rd. has heen
graded and is open to oil ve
hicular traffic. All other
roads are in good condition,
as they have been graded; but
logging traffic is still heavy
on the Reaver Creek, Thomp
son Creek, Stevens Fork, and
Sluriris Fork rds.
All trails are open, hut
there will lie logging across
the Slurgis Fork trail. Trav
elers are encouraged to use
caution when traveling this
trail,
The cool weather has dis
couraged many picnickers
and swimmers, it was noted.
The campgrounds have nol
been receiving ns heavy use
as they received several
weeks ago. The river has
cooled down to the point that
only the hardy souls are
swimming. The weather has
lowered Ihc fire danger; but
a citreless match, cigarette or
campfire will start a fire.
Fishing is fair in the small
er streams and nil lakes.
Butle Falls District - Sur
facing has been completed on
the Fish Lake rd. between
Bulte Falls and the Willow
Lake junction. The rest of the
Fish Lake rd. is in good con
dition. Heavy rains have
marie the unsurfaced roads in
the district slippery. People
planning to travel these roads
should check road conditions
at the district office before
starting out.
Stream fishing has heen
cood the past week. Several
limits of six ten inch trout
have been taken on flies on
tlie upper Sntth Fork of the
Rogue river. Fishing has been
slow at Willow lake, but may
pick up during the cool
weather.
All of the campgrounds arc
open. New visitor registers
have been installed at sev
eral of the campgrounds and
visitors are encouraged to
sign them.
Prospect District - All
roads on the district are open,
with heavy weekday logging
traffic on Woodruff and Jim
Creek rds.
The weather lias been cool
Willi rain the last three days.
Many of the smaller
streams are now in good fish-
lion Something-or-Other."
I understand that when a
patient in a military hospital
is being prepared for surgery
it is called "Operation Oper
ation." Now it apears that opera
tions arc being replaced by
missions. At least 1 got that
impression from a volume of
testimony just released by the
House subcommittee on mili
tary construction apropria
tions. Early In the hearing, Assist
ant Navy Secretary Kennedy
E. Belieu perplexed one of the
subcommittee members by re
ferring to the mission of the
family housing program.
Asked to elaborate, Belieu
explained that "the mission of
a house is to keep you warm
and contented."
He added, however, that "in
Alaska it is different than it
is in Florida." I took this to
mean that in Florida the mis
sion of a house might be to
keep you cool and contented.
Near t'ne end of the hear
ing, the subcommittee heard
about another type of mis
sion, this time from Col. W.
J. Woolwine, treasurer of
the U. S. Military Academy.
Testifying in behalf of a re
quest for funds to modernize
a government-owned hotel at
West Point, Woolwine boldly
asserted that "the mission of
the hotel is to provide rooms."
Ollhough Woolwine didn't
nay so, I deem it logical to as
sume that a corollory mission
of the hotel is to keep the oc
cupants of the rooms warm
and contented.
Its mission, however, defin
itely doesn't include keeping
them cool. Witnesses testified
that a proposal to air-condition
the hotel was rejected by
Army , headquarters, whose
mission is to curtail unneces
sary spending.
faces. The only difference is
that E s t e s is no longer an
elder of the church.
He resigned as an elder
while he was in jail in early
April.
What are Estes' troubles
four months after they start
ed piling up?
First is a federal indict
ment of 29 counts, charging
mail fraud, conspiracy and
transporting fraudulent docu
ments interstate.
Three co-d efendanls -Coleman
McSpadden, R u e 1
Alexander and Harold Orr -pleaded
guilty July 13 to
five counts of the indictments
while Estes pleaded innocent
to all 29. Their guilty pica
staggered Estcs.
If U.S. District Judge R. E.
Thomason gives McSpadden,
Alexander and Orr the maxi
mum, it will be 40 years each
in prison and a total fine of
$41,000 each. There is a wide
spread belief that McSpad
den, Alexander and Orr may
be willing to testify against
Estes when he comes to trial.
There is an additional fed
eral indictment of eight
counts of interstate transpor
tation of fraudulent docu
ments against Estes and the
others. Federal officials, it
was understood, will dismiss
it because the charges are in
corporated in the 29-count in
dictment. There are four untried
state indictments of four
counts each against Estes at
Pecos charging swindling,
theft, embezzlement and theft
by bailee. "Theft by bailee"
means theft of property left
in his trust.
Fined $554,000
A federal grand jury in
Dallas is considered indicting
Estes again. At least one
state grand jury is investi
gating. The federal govern
ment has fined him $554,000
for crooked cotton acreage
allotment deals.
He is in bankruptcy and
his creditors are busily fil
ing foreclosures against him.
Estes has admitted debts of
$38,387,935.87. He claims as
sets of $20,793,155.95. At
best, $67,594,779.92 of his
debts will never be paid.
Most of his unsecured cred
itors - those without mort
gages - will be left out in
the cold.
But there is no sign Estes
is suffering - yet. His broth
er John, an Abilene, Tex.,
dentist, pays a $177 a month
note on his big house. There
was a time when even the
Estes maid ran errands in a
Cadillac. Estes is now down
to the one he drives to
church, a 1981 model.
He will keep the house, its
furnishings and probably the
Cadillac, despite the impend
ing sale of his assets. In Tex
as, the house and furnishings
may not be sold out from
under him. If the court judg
es he needs the Cadillac to
make a living, he can keep it
too.
Many people in Pecos think
he has money put away.
Commercial Solvents corpor
ation, which furnished most
of the fertilizer he sold to
farmers, loaned him $400,
000 just before he was ex
posed. The $400,000 has not
turned up in any bank depos
its, although Estcs has sworn
that he has no hidden assets.
Never Seen
E?tcs is never seen on the
streets of Pecos. He has a pa
tio and swimming pool be
hind his big home where he
whiles away the lime. His
children act as if nothing has
happened.
They play in front of the
house and stay overnight
with friends. Friends stay
overnight with them.
He still has many friends
in Pecos. There was a time
when nearly everybody in
Pecos was for him. The bal
ance now appears to have
changed so that the majority
of the townspeople is against
him.
Openly. Estes docs not ap
pear to hold a grudge against
those most responsible for
his downfall. He shook hands
Attends OEiurch
S,'8N57 trM
recently In a courtroom with
Oscar Griffin, former editor
of the semi-weekly newspa
per Pecos Independent.
Griffin probably is as re
sponsible as anyone for call
ing the attention of Estes'
creditors to his s h a k y em
pire. Griffin now works for
the Houston Chronicle.
Estes even asked Griffin
how he was getting along in
his new job. But Estes will
not be interviewed.
Best Known
Estes had made Pecos one
of the best known small ci
ties in the country. Pecos ap
parently has not been hurt
by his exposure.
Ray McPherson, executive
vice president of the First
National bank, told stock
holders recently that the
scandal even appeared to
have helped the local econ
omy. He said retail sales in Pe
cos were the highest in his
tory, up 15-20 per cent. Ho
tels and motels, have more
business the first six months
of this year than they did
last.
McPherson said, the future
looks bright for Pecos. It is
doubtful that it does for
Estes, but if he is worried
he does not show it.
NORTH
ONE HOUR
FROM
MEDFORD
ON
HWY. 99
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
The Wolf Creek Inn Has
Re-Opened Its Fine Steak House!
Possibly you were a bit too young to be one of our
patrons when we were serving the likes of President
Rutherford B. Haves, General U. S. Grant, Jack
London, and Sinclair Lewis. However, we were known
far and wide on the stagecoach line for our fine food
and modest prices. Today, over 105 years later, the
Wolk Creek Inn still stands, the stage road is still
there, (but now it's called Interstate 5 or Highway 99
a joint operation owned by the Federal Government,
the State of Oregon.) The food is still superb; prices
are still modest. We invite you to dine with us any
day from about high noon.
VISIT THE HISTORICAL
Wolf Creek Inn-
SERVING THE STAGECOACH LINE SINCE 1857
4-H FFA OPEN CLASS
Thousands Of
EXHIBITS
Everything From
Abalone To Zircons
I
1
rw5
I
DOUGLAS
AUGUST 15-19
R0SEBURG
iltiififiTtihi ifHfci iiiri-p-
HI Pi SJ
f WiwJifiiiifltii,; .J iUmel
Iverne, Marian and
Paula
RECORDING ARTISTS
Have appeared at various
well-known night spots in
Reno, Lake Tahoe, Port
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wood. Highly acclaimed
everywhere they've been.
Enjoy them tonight!
INSTRUMENTAL
VOCAL SPECIALTY
Group and Solo
Playing 9 p.m. -2 a.m. Monday thru Saturday
M
Bar of Music
HOTEL
E0F0S.D
ing shape and the upper
brandies of the Rogue are al
so improving from the recent
rain.
The station will be open
throughout the week. Travel
ers should feel free to ask for
any Information needed.
Union Creek District - All
campgrounds and roads arc
open on the Union Creek dis
trict. Clear skies and warm
wealher make camping and
fishing conditions ideal.
START ON MONDAY SWIM ON SUNDAY
Healthful living and i-nmily pleasure at pnet tiyant
cjn aMoid OcMUc pools ire comUuctod with feibulou
tibrgU$s suiewalls nd poured concrete bottom, in 4ll sbp&
and sues, carries a 10 ven Qiurantee.
Priced From $2,700.00 Includes:
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J -IV&.p I J.TfM -fldd.1
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Trvi-l
CnitrvliM
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Undtrwel., liM
NO PAINTING
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CADILLAC POOLS
"The Ultimate in Pool Luxury"
Phone 773-68S8 "Gene" Burgess
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