The Michigan Daily-Thursday, July 12, 1979-Page 7
City officials discuss end to loitering
(Continued from Page1)
vagrancy.
He said he would talk to the State St.
Merchants' Association, a group of
campus-area merchants, about ap-
plying pressure to "amusement
establishment" in that area that attract
unruly individuals.
"WE MAY BE changing some city
ordinances," he said, "probably in the
area of amusement establishments."
Noting that "some businesses police
themselves," he said that businesses
which did not police themselves could
have their licenses revoked.
Police Chief Walter Krasny said he
probably would step up police patrols in
the area "to stop the problem before it
really breaks into a disaster." He
discussed plans to add one part-time of-
ficer and one full-time patrol officer on
foot to try to squelch the problem, in the
Diag area, which stretches from S.
University Ave. to Thompson St., and
north to Liberty St.
Krasny also indicated he is meeting
with University security officials to
work out a dual arrangment to combat
the problem.
Commenting on whether the $5 pot
law may facilitate informal gatherings
near the Diag, Krasny said, "I don't
think there's any question." He said if a
person with a valuable amount of dope police do a good job," he said. But he
is caught, only a $5 fine is assessed, and added that police officers need to be in
the person could return to the location the area consistently because their
the next day. "We're hamstrung by presence intimidates loiterers. "It's
laws." (more police presence) the only way to
SEVERAL STATE ST. area mer- handle the problem. It solved the
chants expressed strong concern over problem before (last summer). We
the problem, which they said has been need protection. You can't walk down
increasing during the past few sum- the street," he said.
mers. Most said they have complained Jerry Maines, manager of the Tower
to the police many times and the Plaza apartments on E. William St.,
'It's (police protection) the only way to handle
the problem. It solved the problem before . . . We
need protection.'
-Mickey Rats Manager Dave Maurer
problem ended temporarily. However, and Maurer have been trying to per-
they said, the vagrants and loiterers suade city hall for five years to take ac-
would simply return, because, as one tion. Maines said some of his tenants
storeowner said, "they know what the have recently moved because of verbal
police can do to them." abuse they claimed to receive when
Dave Maurer, owner of the Mickey walking on E. William St.
Rats pinball parolor on E. William St., MAINES SAID he and Maurer are
echoed other area merchants. "The trying to persuade City Council to enact
a loitering law. However, no action has
been taken, he said.
Maines indicated he has been trying
to rally support for the loitering law
from other merchants, but pointed out
that most stores close at 5:30 p.m. and
"don't have to see what happens here at
night."
Maines said most loiterers in the area
are not students and the pinball parlors
"give them a place to go."
HE CLAIMED the State St. merchan-
ts want more police protection, but "the
city wants us to pay for it. They (the
merchants) already pay for it (through
taxes). "
Councilman Earl Greene (D-Second
Ward), who also attended yesterday's
meeting, said merchants with shops
near State St. had complained to him
that the pinball halls attracted unruly
elements.
He said citizens had complained of
"people just in general hanging out."
GREENE SAID part of the problem-
was that when police cleared the
streets, those who were loitering simply
moved to the Diag.
"I hope there would be some dialogue
with the University in connection with
cleaning up the Diag," he said.
Estes convicted for swindling on four accounts
DALLAS (AP)-Billie Sol Estes, the
financial wizard whose wheelings and
dealings in the early 1960s landed him
in prison, was convicted yesterday of
concealing his assets from the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) and conspiring
to defraud investors.
The federal court jury found Estes
innocent on three of five counts outlined
against him in two indictments and
could not reach a verdict on a third,
five-count indictment.
THE JURY convicted the paroled
swindler on one of four counts dealing
with a scheme to bilk leasing com-
panies out of more than $600,000 in an
allegedly phony oil field equipment
steam cleaning operation.
And the eight-woman, four-man
panel also convicted him on one count
of concealing his assets from the IRS.
Co-defendant Raymond Horton, a
West Texas oil and real estate finan-
cier, was convicted on a single count of
concealing assets from the IRS.
THE JURY AT first deadlocked on a
third indictment, naming Estes and
Horton, which also dealt with non-
existent oil field steam cleaners and
outlined violations of interstate com-
merce laws, specifically transportation
of more than $5,000 across a state line.
The jury vote on that indictment was
9-3 for acquittal for both men.
U.S. District Judge Robert Hill or-
dered the panel back into deliberations
to try and reach a verdict. But after an
additional 90 minutes of discussion, the
jury reported it was still hopelessly
deadlocked although the vote changed
to 10-2 for acquittal of Estes and 8-4 for
acquittal of Horton.
AFTER HILL asked if they were
convinced they could not reach a ver-
dict, he said the jurors "have toiled
long enough" and declared a mistrial
on that indictment only.
The other convictions stand.
aEsts, 54, faces a maximum 15 years
in priton and fines up to $20,000 on the
convictions. Horton, 51, faces five years
and a $10,000 fine.
Both defendants stared straight
ahead as the verdicts were read just
before noon. Estes' wife, Patsy, and
their three daughters began crying.
A COMPOSED and friendly Estes
said later: "I don't have any comment
at this time."
Estes faces a parole hearing July 17
in Abilene. His attorney said he didn't
know what impact the verdict would
have on the hearing.
The government based its case
largely on 29 hours of secretly recorded
conversations between Estes and a
federal undercover agent posing as an
investor.
IN THOSE conversations Estes
boasted about his financial dealings
and his one-time political clout. Defen-
se attorneys argued the paroled swin-
dler was a chronic liar and Estes ad-
mitted on the stand that he had a
"weakness" for lying.
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Much was made in the early 1960s of
Estes' links to national political figures,
including then Vice President Lyndon
Johnson. However, no firm connection
was proved.
Beginning in the late 1950s, Estes
earned a reputation in Texas as a fast-
talking businessman with a soft heart
for indigent minorities.
HIS EMPIRE collapsed with his
arrest in March, 1962 for allegedly
scheming to defraud the government
and about 400 West Texas farmers
through the sale of non-existent fer-
tilizer tanks.
He became the subject of intense
media attention when a federal judge
allowed television cameras into the
courtroom for his trial for fraud. But
the Supreme Court overturned the con-
viction because of a "circus-like at-
mosphere."
He was retried, convicted and sen-
tenced to 15 years in prison.
In March, 1965, after exhausting ap-
peals, he entered federal prison, ser-
ving six and one-half years before being
paroled in 1971.
His current problems began more
than two years ago after a former
Mississippi promoter, Don Trull, told
authorities he had documents that
would uncover a second hidden Estes
empire. Federal and state agencies
began an inquiry that lasted more than
a year and led to his indictment.
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