Evening star., 1960-01-21
Ex-Convict Holds Answers
To Crash Probe Questions
Continued From First Page

Spears waived preliminary
hearing and was jailed in lieu
Of the bond.
".I doubt if I could make it
If you knocked $4,000 of it."
he said when the bond was set.
Investigation into the two
craShes-both of National Air
lines planes-iS continuing by
the Civil AeronauticS Board
and the Senate Aviation SUBJ
committee in Washington. So
far, their investigations have
not established that a bomb
was responsible for either
crash.
The crashes claimed rs lives,
a. in the Gulf and "a near
Bolivia. N. C.
A reporter asked DR.. Spears
as he was booked in the jail
If he had bombed the plane.
He laughed and replied, mo.
I may make a statement to-
morrow"
Served Time Together
He is accused of driving Tay-
lor's car from Dallas to Ari-
Zona, while he had permis-
sion to drive it only from
Tampa to Dallas.
Testimony at a CAB hear
ing showed Taylor, go, a Tampa
tire salesman, served time with
DR.. Spears in 1886. The two
we're said to have talked in
Tampa before the Gulf of Mex
leo crash. Only 10 bodies
none of them Taylor's-were
recovered.
Mrs. Alice Steele Taylor Of
Tampa said she believed her
divorced husband was on the
plane under DR.. Spears name,
possibly hypnotized.
II am waiting for DR.. Spears
to tell me what happened to
Mr.. Taylor" she told the
Tampa Tribune. II do thank
God that Spears has been
found. Without Spears the
finger Of scorn has been point
ed at Mr.. Taylor and in all
the years I have known him he
was not a bad man"
Mrs. Taylor said DR.. Spears
kept occasional contact with
her former husband during the
18 years she and Taylor were
married. They were divorced
three years ago.
Has Been in Trouble Before
The stocky, white haired
Spears is no stranger to trouble
with the law. He calmly ad-
mitted as much at his arraign-
ment.
The record shows that since |
1927, DR.. Spears has been con-
victed of mail fraud, forgery,
larceny, false pretenses, vio-
lation Of immigration laws,
false personation and robbery.
He served prison terms in
Leavenworth, Kan; Missouri,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan,
Florida, Oklahoma and Mary
land.
He was free under a $500
bond on a California indict-
ment for abortion when he dis
appeared. A co-defendant in
that case said DR.. Spears told
him he knew New York lawyer
Frank.
DR.. Spears was a practicing
naturopath in Dallas. A ma
turopath claims the ability to
heal but uses neither drugs nor
surgery. He relies, instead. on
system of physical culture
which supposedly stimulates
natural recovery from illness.
Got Maryland License
In Maryland, officials have
said that DR.. Spears was IL
cenSed by DR.. Robert H. Red
dick, who is now serving a peni-
tentiary sentence for forging
medical licenses.
James H. Norris, assistant at
torney general for Maryland.
revealed in Baltimore Tuesday
that DR.. Spears wrote to DR..
Reddick in March, 1856, claim
ing he had lost his license and
requesting a duplicate.
DR.. Reddick was then chair
man of the State Homeopathic
Board Of Medical Examiners,
and authorized to issue licenses.
The board has since gone out
Of existence.
In another Maryland develop
ment. Baltimore contractor,
John A. Plea, 33, said he had
business appointment with
Mr.. Frank on January 6, the
day after the crash.
Mr.. Plea, a former member
OF the city council, said he was
convinced Mr.. Frank had no
intention Of committing suicide.
They were to meet in Mr..
Franks New York Office to sign
a 100000 contract for sale of
some Maryland property, he re-
ported.
Mr.. Plea said he represented
the owners, and Mr.. Frank
was attorney for the group
purchasing the property.
The manager of the Bali
Hi Motel said DR.. Spears,