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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1980)
VlcNiel says Caperton in ‘Aggie Mafia’ By STARR MOORE Battalion Reporter [lie democratic state senate candidate ht Caperton is a member of an “Aggie fia” which threatens Texas A&M Uni- sity, the Republican candidate charged dnesday. fiiJ.A. McNiel, in a Wednesday morning sss conference, described the “Aggie y ifia —which he said includes Caperton, fry Mauro, the former state Democratic hy executive director and others — as I most serious threat that he’s seen to xas A&M. IcNiel is battling Caperton for the Fifth trict senate seat currently held by mocrat Bill Moore. larry Mauro, Caperton’s former Texas ItM roommmate, and his cousin, Don luro, Caperton’s law partner, are of Ita- B descent — hence the name “Aggie [afia. ■IcNiel said liberals and Democrats have ■reat potential influence over Texas ItM. ■I think that this institution should not tontrolled by a single party, and certain ly not by a group of liberal Democrats,” he said. McNiel said he heard that Caperton was N.A. McNiel carried to the Texas A&M Board of Regents by Board Chairman Clyde Wells and intro duced to the regents. “The Board of Regents has endorsed a member of the Aggie Mafia,” McNiel said. After the May primaries, then-President Jarvis Miller hosted a reception for Caper ton at the Miller home on campus. Several regents attended the reception, which one University administrator described as a “mend the fences” gesture. Caperton also attended the next morn ing’s board meeting and delivered a small, conciliatory speech to the regents. The regents and University administra tors had unofficially endorsed Moore against Caperton in the primary. Caperton defeated Moore in the primary, thus the mending of the fences. Don Mauro said McNiel's statement that Caperton has the regents’ endorsement is untrue. The regents have not endorsed Caperton, as they are not in the business of endorsing anyone, he said. The regents are some of the smartest and most successful men in the state, he said. They will not be influenced by “a young group of Aggies in their early 30s.” Mauro added that the “Mafia” is merely a group of friends, willing to work with and for each other. Caperton, reached by telephone while campaigning in Conroe, said he has known Wells since Caperton was a junior at Texas A&M, when Wells was an administrative assistant to former President Jack Wil liams. Wells has been a regent since 1961, and is serving his third two-year term as chairman. Caperton said he appeared at an open board meeting after the primaries, at which time he announced to the regents that he was the Democratic nominee. Caperton said he has a good and candid working relationship with the regents, “in stark contrast to McNiel.” McNiel said he wants to “remove any ability of the liberal Democrats to take charge of what is regarded as one of the most conservative universities in this country. “Texas A&M University has earned the reputation as being a conservative school, and this image has attracted many students to our campus,” McNiel said. McNiel is a former genetics instructor at The Battalion Vol. 74 No. 39 32 Pages in 2 Sections Serving the Texas A&M University community Thursday, October 23, 1980 College Station, Texas USPS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 Texas A&M, and holds the title of professor emeritus. He cited recent top-level shakeups in the Kent Caperton Texas A&M administration, such as the re moval of a chancellor, a president, and the “exodus of people of reputation” as evi dence of the undesirable influence. In January 1979, Chancellor Jack Wil liams resigned under regents’ pressure. In July of this year. Miller was removed as Texas A&M president after disagreements with Chancellor Frank W.R. Hubert. Several deans and University adminis trators also have departed the University, voluntarily, in the past six months. McNiel said he offers morality, integrity, and leadership. He said he can give the office the experience it requires and not just use the job as training experience. He also said he feels the Fifth District would be better represented by a person other than a lawyer. McNiel said his support is strongest in Brazos County because that’s where his opponent is best known. He said the “Aggie Mafia” is active, but he said he can not say to what extent. Caperton said McNiel’s statements are a desperate move. “He’s obviously grasping at straws,” Caperton said. The Weather Yesterday High 77 Low 58 Rain 0.00 inches Today High 80 Low. 52 Humidity muggy Chance of rain none Too many juror doubts cause Clayton acquittal S' ....... . . ... „ . United Press International HOUSTON — In the end, one juror said, House Speaker Bill Clayton’s explana tions overrode the charges by Brilab pro secutors that secret tape recordings showed he took a $5,000 bribe. “The government tried to read between the lines and there wasn’t any lines to read between,” juror James Haynes said after Clayton and two co-defendants were ac quitted of conspiracy, fraud, extortion and racketeering Wednesday. “It was pretty simple. Clayton wasn’t there to take money.” Clayton was accused of taking $5,000 from FBI informant Joseph Hauser through Deer Park union leader L.G. Moore in exchange for helping reopen bid ding on a state insurance contract. Hauser posed as an insurance salesman. Clayton admitted accepting the money but said he ordered it placed in a drawer to be returned to Moore later. Clayton testi fied he delayed returning it to avoid embar rassing Moore, a political ally, in the other man’s presence. Haynes also cited testimony by Assistant Secretary of State Chip Holt that Clayton legally could have kept the money for months and then returned it as if it never had been accepted. The turning point in the trial was what Chip Holt said, that he could hold the money as long as possible without return ing it and that was the one thing that made him innocent in my mind,” Haynes said. Jury foreman Tye Holman Jr. said another key was the jurors’ feeling that no deal really had been made. “There is the concept of going to the store and paying $5,000 to buy something,” Holman said. “It (Clayton’s action) is not the same as a transaction at a store.” Haynes said he was surprised when the prosecution rested after presenting 26 hours of tapes — 25 minutes of which in volved Clayton — and a ragtag group of prosecution witnesses, some of whom actually defended Clayton. “All along I wondered when they were going to get to something that was solid enough for me to send somebody to prison on,” he said. Haynes also said, in the end, the fact that jurors were not convinced “beyond a reasonable doubt” forced acquittal of Clayton and co-defendants Randall Buck Wood and Donald Ray. “I think we all had doubts at one time or another and that was probably the biggest single issue that kept us from going ahead and saying guilty,” Haynes said. Holman said several jurors were trou bled by the government’s technique — “the underground, the scam, the under handed method of spying” — of sending a two-time convicted swindler to Clayton to bribe him and then inform on him. “1 feel they got two people (Hauser and Moore) who were very good at what they did, very good at going into his (Clayton’s) office, confronting a very honest man,” Haynes said. “There was some talk about entrapment, but we didn’t reach any big conclusions about it,” Holman said. He added he was not personally offended by the investiga tive and prosecution methods. “I think this trial may serve as a lesson for others,” Holman said. Holman said jurors also had mixed opin ions of the government’s prime witness, Hauser, who had plea-bargained his parti cipation in the investigation in an effort to lighten his own sentences. “Some believed him,” Holman said. “Some felt sorry for him. Some thought he was a crook. Some thought he played a good game.” No comment from Washington on meeting Khomeini demands ola ’s last free meal a gem United Press International CHICAGO — Lola Chambers has arned the hard way that sometimes what- ;r Lola wants, Lola doesn’t get. Ithe 49-year-old Romeoville woman fces up to five years in prison for her con- Iction on charges of stealing a $7,000 di- imond which disappeared after she reatened to swallow it during a dispute er service at a jewelry store. During the woman’s trial, it was testified »t Chambers purchased a $4,500 di- nond ring in 1979 at S.A. Peck & Co. Prosecutors said she claimed the di amond fell out of her ring in February 1980 and was lost. The disgruntled customer wanted to have the diamond replaced, but a Peck employee told her he could do nothing ab out the loss because more than 30 days had elapsed since the purchase of the ring. So Chambers returned to the store on Feb. 14 and had a salesman show her a diamond to match her setting. She choose a 1.28 carat gem worth about $7,000 and popped it into her mouth. “I want to see the top man or I will swallow this diamond,” prosecutors quoted her as telling the stunned salesman. An assistant vice president warned her she could injure herself by swallo^Ving the gem, but Chambers said she didn’t care. Chambers was arrested and taken to Henrotin Hospital, where X-rays failed to show a diamond in her stomach. The woman then told police she had thrown the diamond near a plant in the display room before her arrest, but a search failed to produce the gem, prosecutors said. Tuesday Cook County Circuit Judge Daniel White found her guilty of theft, cit ing the loss of the gem. United Press International LONDON — Iran’s prime minister says the United States is ready to accept Ayatollah Khomeini’s conditions for the release of the American hostages, raising sudden new hope the 52 captives may be released as early as Monday after nearly a year under guard. In Washington, the State Department would neither confirm nor deny the reports. The signs of a possible break in the year-long crisis came from Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Rajai in a Tehran news confer ence Wednesday. Rajai said he believes the United States is ready to accept Khomeini’s four conditions for the release of the hostages held 355 days, but stressed their fate ultimately must be decided by Iran’s parliament. A parliament debate on the hostages is scheduled for Sunday. Khomeini’s conditions were return of the late shah’s wealth, freeing more than $8 billion of Iranian assets frozen in American- owned banks, a pledge not to interfere in Iranian affairs, and an Amerian promise not to make any claims against Iran as a result of the hostage issue. State Department spokesman David Nall said in reply to ques tions: “We’ve said all along we’ve been in indirect contact with the Iran authorities but we re not going to discuss the substance of those contacts.” Nall would not confirm or deny the report the Swiss Embassy, which has handled U.S. affairs in Iran since the occupation of the American embassy Nov. 4 of last year, transmitted a comprehen sive U.S. reply to Khomeini’s conditions that led to the agree ment. But a White House spokesman called reports the United States has responded through the Swiss Embassy to Khomeini’s condi tions for release of the hostages “implausible.” “We are not formally or informally responding to the ayatollah’s conditions or other statements from myriad sources that are issuing them,” the spokesman said. Tehran sources reached by telephone from London said Rajai left it unclear whether the parliament would impose further con ditions. Indicating that was possible, Rajai said, “Of course, we have to explain what is meant by all the demands. ” Nevertheless, Rajai’s remarks indicated new flexibility by a representative of Iran’s hard-line Islamic fundamentalists. Supporting the theory the Islamic fundamentalists capitalized on the hostage seizure to rally the Iranian masses behind them and consolidate power, Rajai said, “The nature of the hostage-taking was important for us. We got the results of it long ago.” leans must still approve College minor bill clears ' ■ s. I ll By NANCY ANDERSEN E Battalion Staff ('The student senate unanimously passed ammended version of the documenta- ion of academic minor bills Wednesday light. I The bill recommends to the University ^ministration that the Registrar’s Office pee a student’s minor on his official trans ept to ensure official recognition of a com- Jfted minor. mAn amendment replaced the phrase “if jJlplicable with “in colleges where minors E specifically designated in the Texas University catalog.” |The bill was originally reported unfavor- &b;y out of the academic affairs committee tad was referred back to it at the last Meeting. ; However, after some additional research pe committee voted the bill out favorably sfter deciding the original action was based on several misconceptions. Kathleen Mil- Pr, vice president for academic affairs, said that contrary to the committee’s under- fcnding minors are recognized in the cata log Coordinating Board approval of the iange was another misonception, she id. 1 “It will just have to clear the deans,” she plained. Bill sponsor Phil Hannah said the bill will 'tely affect students in the College of Liber- ■Arts and possibly computing science ma- ijors in the College of Engineering. R In other action, the senate voted down tin Only One Date A Semester Bill after {be student services committee voted it taifavorably out of committee. This bill proposed the sale of individual football game date tickets on a per-game basis. Cur rently, those purchasing tickets for non student dates must buy a $50 coupon book. Jim Barolak, a student services commit tee coordinator, said the bill is impractical as written. A possible problem with the bill, he said, would be a slowing down of the allocation process if money were ex changed at the windows. Also, the bill has no limitation on the number of date tickets which would be available. Twenty-four thousand student ticket books were issued this fall for the 27,000 seats available on the student side. A problem would arise if all 24,000 ticket book holders tried to buy date tickets for any one game, he explained. “Date tickets would be taking away from student alloca tions,” he added. A possible solution is a ticket exchange area similar to the Travel Board in the MSC, which would provide a central place for any signs offering to buy or sell tickets, said Eric Langford, vice president of stu dent services. The Basement Competitiveness Resolu tion was held in the student services com mittee. Langford and Student Body Presi dent Brad Smith urged the senators to get in touch with their constituents’ feelings on the bill. This bill would have the senate request that permission be granted for the Coffee house to apply for a permit to sell beer on weekends. The Coffeehouse attracts enter tainers like Shake Russell, and the bill’s purpose is to make it more competitive with similar off-campus establishments. Speaker of the Senate Ken Johnson cal led the bill one of the most important to be acted on this semester because, if approved, it would recommend the first legalized selling of alcohol on campus. The senate heard the Ticket Distribution and Drill Field Memorial bills on first read ing and referred both to the student ser vices committee. The ticket bill would recommend that the Athletic Department issue tickets ran domly only from sections 133-136, 228-235 and 329-334 on senior draw day. This would guarantee a 10-yard line or better seat for seniors and graduate students with out creating long lines or a new allocation system, said bill sponsor Brian Shepherd. The memorial bill would recommend re placing the missing plaques on the oak trees surrounding the drill field. The trees serve as memorials to Aggies who died in World War I. Also, the senate approved the internal affairs committee appointments to 10 sen ate vacancies. They are off-campus ward 1 Dale Collins, ward 2 Richard Salerno, ward 4 Frank Meckel, graduate off campus Kevin Ludwig, university apartments Keith A. Morgan and College of Engineer ing sophomore Mike Holmes and graduate Cliff Walton. Also, College of Liberal Arts Tim Cavell, College of Science at large Scott Staton, College of Veterinary Medicine Mark A. Vara, College of Agriculture at large Jim Harris and Aston/Dunn Halls Scott Hall. No one applied for the two remaining vacancies for the College of Medicine and College of Education graduate. . ..... . .. . |pf o I . > 11! lilll ^ IWllilliMiMi - - - : 11 1 IvSSt lljill I I 7 __ ill * mm ill Biii tu'. It tfiffc It mU\k jMiiii!!: ■iiiMMpimni in 1 1 5 ^ . '“'‘f* IRi sms ^§11 . ■■>■■■*****»*. l | i - « * * —-WS***- '•'i fclM « ?**' ...... By the light of the moon Photo by David Einsel This shot of the moon by the Texas A&M University tive. The photographer was standing on the fire escape water tower was created by double exposing the nega- of a nearby building. The light streaks are stars.
