Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-27

charges involving millions of
treasure at a hearing which a
q civil antitrust suit, tried to
block.
Harold E. Orr, 81, president
of the Superior Manufacturing
Co., said about $3.5 million re-
ceived by enterprises of Estes,
the bankrupt West Texas fl
nancier, has disappeared.
Discussing a Pecos (TexO
mortuary owned by Estes, Orr
testified he knew of only one
funeral handled by it during
the period in which the money
vanished-a charity case.
What was the place used
for?" District Attorney Frank
Baughman asked.
1T is just my personal as
sumption" Orr said. but 1
think it was so he could. store
all that loot in some poor old
boys grave"
SIS Million to Estes
Orr also testified:
/. Worthless notes and sales
contracts through which SUI
perior Manufacturing obtained
the money funneled $18 million
to Estes. Coleman T. McSpad-
den, As. of Lubbock, Tex, ma
jority stakeholder in the firm,
got 50 million in the same
manner.
2. Representatives of several
financial firms we're aware that
thousands Of commercial fer
tiliZer tanks on which they
lent the money didn't exist.
8. Estes conferred on numer-
Gus occasions with representa-
tives of the Commercial Sol
vents Corp, New York supplier
of anhydrous ammonia fertil-
izer which Estes distributed at
drastically cut prices in an
effort to corner the West Texas
market.
4. More than one threat has
been made on Orr's life since
he gave FBI agents information
about Estes operations I'M
March. He gave no details.
5. Fictitious collateral sup
ported the notes through which
Orr. McSpadden and three
other men raised $780, 900 to
buy the Superior Manufactur-
ing Co. on April 81, 1960-the
date on which other dealings
in worthless securities started.
Robert E. Clements of Amarillo,
who sold the tank-building
firm, was aware of some of
these dealings, Orr said.
Lists Other Owners
Orr said he and Ruel w.
Alexander, SO, of Amarillo,
shared an $4,000 interest in
Superior Manufacturing, Dor
rowing $4,000 from Estes and
putting up $4,000 out of Orr's
personal savings. He said Nc
Spadden's share was 1902 900.
Other purchasers of Superior
Manufacturing were listed by
Orr as R. w. Davis of Fowler,
Colo, $4,000! and John w.
Simmons of Wildorado, Tex,
$4,000.
Orr, Alexander and McSpad-
den have pleaded guilty to Fed
eral charges of fraud under an
indictment also naming Estes.
and await sentencing. Estes
also has been indicted on State
charges of theft.
State antitrust laws afford
those testifying at the court of
inquiry automatic immunity
from prosecution. Waiting to
give evidence we're McSpadden,
Alexander and Claude D. Lew
sader of Pecos, formerly a pilot
for Estes and Superior Manu-
featuring.
Assistant Attorney General
Richard A. Wells testified Estes
apparently bilked the Nashville
(Tenn) Christian Institute, a
small Church Of Christ Negro
College, of more than 100000
in surplus housing deals.
Mr.. Wells said Estes agreed
to turn over property to the
colleges Batavia Corp. in re-
turn for $166,000 in 1856. In
cluded in the transaction, he
said, were 40 housing units at
Orange. Tex; IS at Albuquer-
que, N. Mex; 100 at Cheney
land Spokane, Wash, and any
profit to be realized from the
Delta housing project at
Blytheville, Ark.
INSTEAD of giving Batavia