Page 6/The Battalion/Wednesday, November 16, 1983
White Sands group
seeks compensation
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Six elder
ly New Mexico ranchers urged
Congress Tuesday to approve
up to $40 million in compensa
tion for 150 families displaced
41 years ago in the government’s
seizure of land for the first ato
mic bomb test.
The ranchers, along with
members of the New Mexico
Congressional delegation, and
state and federal officials were
among 13 witnesses at the over
sight hearing by a Senate Energy
and Natural Resources subcom
mittee.
The ranchers were led by
David McDonald, 82, a southern
New Mexico rancher who
gained national attention last
year when he and his niece,
Mary, returned to their home on
the White Sands Missile Range.
They refused to leave for
four days until members of the
New Mexico delegation flew
there and promised to try to
reach a solution to the problem.
Upon leaving New Mexico Mon
day, McDonald said he was pre
pared to occupy the land again if
he is unable to get restitution
from Congress.
Rep. Joe Skeen, R-N.M., has
introduced a bill to pay up to $40
million in compensation to the
estimated 150 ranching families
displaced by the establishment
of White Sands during World
War II.
Skeen’s bill has been referred
to a House Judiciary subcom
mittee and hearings are ex
pected to begin after the first of
the year.
The families say they first
were told their land was needed
only for the duration of the war
and they were allowed to return
to their homes in 1948. Howev
er, they were again moved in
1952 and 1953.
In the meantime, they said,
they made improvements to
their homes under the assump
tion the homes were no longer
needed by the Army. Few have
received lump sum compensa
tion for their property since the
establishment of the missile
range.
The 100-mile long by 40-mile
wide range, the site of numerous
missile development and test
programs, is near Las Cruces to
the southwest and Alamogordo
to the east. The world’s first ato
mic bomb was detonated in an
area now known as Trinity Site
on the northern part of the
range on July 16, 1945. About
40 miles south of Trinity Site is
an isolated landing strip where
the space shuttle Columbia re
turned to Earth in March 1982.
Taking it easy
The beautiful weather Tuesday
students out of their dorm rooms
lured many
and into the
sun. These students were
Memorial Student Center.
Texas con man paroled
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United Press International
BIG SPRING — Legendary
con man Billie Sol Estes, re
leased from prison for a second
time since his paper empire
crumbled 20 years ago, said
Tuesday he has no desire to be a
financial wheeler-dealer again.
“I’ve got no ambition t<j> build
an empire again,” Estes told re
porters. “I’m not a man that’s
bitter at anybody. I done the
crime. I walked alone.”
Estes, 58, left the medium-
security federal prison at Big
Spring and checked into a Salva
tion Army halfway house 100
miles away in Abilene. He will
live there until he starts parole
on Dec. 15 for his 1979 convic
tion for fraud and income tax
evasion. He served four years of
a 10-year sentence.
A $250 million personal for
tune — and close associations
with Texas’ leading Democrats,
including the late President
Lyndon B. Johnson — fell apart
in 1963 when he was convicted
of swindling millions of dollars
from West Texas banks by using
non-existent fertilizer tanks as
collateral.
“I have come to be
lieve really that I am
an insane person,”
Billy Sol Estes says,
quickly adding, “God
can keep me sane. ”
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NA 29
MEDIA
Behind
the
Headlines
February 15-18
In 1979, Estes was convicted
of two counts of fraud and tax
evasion in a scheme involving
the leasing of non-existent oil
field equipment cleaners. A total
of 22 charges were filed against
Estes and Abilene businessman
Raymond Horton, but most
charges were dropped.
The Dallas also jury found
Estes and Horton guilty of using
the mail service to promote their
scheme.
Asked about his current
financial situation, Estes pointed
to his five grandchildren and
asked how anyone could believe
he was broke. He said govern
ment records show him having
few assets.
“They spent 23 years looking
for it, but they looked in the
wrong place,” Estes said with a
smile.
About 100 prisoners formed
a line, knelt and prayed on his
behalf as he walked past them on
his way out of the prison. Some
inmates had offered him finan
cial assistance, he said.
Dressed in light blue slacks, a
blue flowered shirt and a black-
and -white checked jacket, he
walked into the prison head
quarters to find his wife Patsy,
his eldest daughter Pam Estes
and five grandchildren waiting
for him.
ngsv
:d a
which included a news confer
ence at a restaurant after his re-
L 4
Q
OF
LET PEOPLE
KNOW YOU
CARE!
M O P ^
Buttons on Sale for $1.00
at the MSC Nov 16-18.
Available from members of
Phi Eta Sigma & Alpha Lambda Delta
lease, contrasted with his
departure from prisonii
after he was paroled
1963 swindling convictioi
“When I left prison
left in the wee hours
night,” Estes said. “I didntl
to talk to the press. 1 did
to look into the past. Iw
walk into the sun andforw
He said he plans toheiM
who was 13 when he first*
prison, promote herbo«
“Billie Sol, The King of
Wheeler-Dealers."
M iss Estes said the
publisher had leased thet I
f eu red black limousine I
transported the family I
Abilene and took Estes 11
halfway house.
Estes said he wouldhel;!
final arrangements ontltt |
do some fishing and en| I
family. Hesaidheplanstoil
the rest of his life in West! I
“I intend to be theinl
hors, I intend to be theirfc I
I intend to be buried the: F
said.
Salvation Army Capt I
Turner said Estes wont I
with three other menim j
connected to the Abilene bonbli
lion Army headquartet f
said residents must fit I
keep a job to stay at theto ^
house.
Calling himself “just® I
deal away from doinglifef ^
on,” Estes said heisconli I 1
changing.
“I am a compulsivep I
but that’s notthewayl®! I
to do things from now,”! 1 * |
He said he plans to® I
with lawyers on any futo 11 |
ness deals and thathevil ^
his past habits of claiming I
one else’s inventory as b* f
“I have come to belief I
that I am an insane per® r
former financier said,? ^
adding, “God can k ff
sane.”
Il
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