The Texas Observer An Independent-Liberal Weekly Newspaper A Window t6 the South Voulme 53 TEXAS, JULY 27, 1962 15c Per Copy Number 17 SHOOTING AFTERMATH ATTORNEY GENERAL DISCUSSES: Ft. Worth Police The Oil Survey Fund AUSTIN financed by the majors, and that's surveys of suspected wells have Chief On Spot MAJOR OIL COMPANIES true—largely." On request, he been completed before deciding readily provided the Observer how to proceed against defend- FORT WORTH Scott case. When asked by Kent have financed almost all of with a list of contributions to the ants for violations of commission "The sister of a 195-pound Biffle, Dallas News reporter, why the state's expensive well sur- survey-financing fund, dated be- orders against deviating wells, and berserk man, who held eight his men did not use a net to sub- veys that have confirmed what tween June 5, 1962, and July 19. against government personnel policemen at bay with a 14- due Scott, Captain Johnson said, Atty. Gen. Will Wilson, in an They total $178,775; almot all the who are culpably implicated. inch double-pronged fork for "That's a good idea but we didn't Observer interview this week, money came from majors. (The only exception to these poli- almost two hours last night, have a net. Somebody suggested called "probably the biggest cies so far is a state lawsuit that today thanked the officers that we should have used a hypo trespass and possible theft in has already been filed against the for the humane manner In gun too, like they use to drug wild Texas history in the amount one discovered deviated well in which they captured him." animals, but we didn't have one of money involved." Harris County.) of those either. If we had used a Wilson said at least 100 The above paragraph led off Wilson said that the defense hose on him, it might have set slant-hole wells have been a news story in the Fort Worth he had heard is being advanced by him to running. He could have drilled to bottom out under Press last Friday. The story the accused drillers is that "it was reached a bystander and hurt other owners' leases. (This went on to describe how the a common practice, and every- somebody." week, 64 had been definitely eight policemen captured the body was doing it." So they shot him. Nine pistol proved.) "berserk man" by using a sheet Aggrieved private parties, of shots were fired. Six hit the tar- "It's been estimated," Wilson and a rope "to bind him with course, may seek to recover dam- get. said, "that there could be al- The run-down: to keep him from getting ages in private suits. lowables for between 300 and Humble, $30,000; Continental, hurt." These could take at least three 'Don't Shoot' 700 wells involved in it." This $13,500; Gulf, $15,000; Hunt Oil forms. One would be suits by own- Scott's mother, Mrs. Susie Stol- is possible because often the Co., $6,000; Sun Oil, $6,000; Mobil, ers of leases under which the den, 51, said, "I cried and begged crude pumped up from the $9,000; Texaco, $10,500; McAlister deviated wells bottomed. In the them not to shoot my baby. When Fuel Co., $6,000; Ohio Oil Co., slant-hole wells was funneled water-drive East Texas field, a bull gets loose in the city the $6,000; Atlantic Refining Co., $7,- through underground pipes to these leaseholders may have trou- police go out and catch it. They 500; Pan American Petroleum nearby wells that were not ble proving actual damages. An- don't shoot it. They could have actually producing, but on Corp., 24,000; Shell, $15,000; Cities other would be suits by leasehold- done as much for my baby." Service, $8,000; Socony Mobil, $10,- which the slant-hole producers ers on the west side of the East Captain Johnson said the moth- claimed allowable production. 000; L. F. Bueke, $60; Tidewater, Texas field alleging that their er had changed her story since $7,500; Luling Oil & Gas, $1,000; wells went to water earlier than the day of the shooting. "She Parallel Interests General Crude Oil Co., $2,500; they would have because of the Following the description of said then she didn't hold any Not a single major oil com- Goldston Oil, $1,000; Vaughn Pe- deviated wells at the east side of the humane capture, came this grudge." pany has yet been implicated; troleum Co., $200; and C. M. Lang- paragraph : "The police recent- John Ohendalski, Fort Worth Wilson says that none has been ford, $25. the field. And a third might be a claim by a driller on a lease ly were criticized for shooting Press staff writer, wrote last charged with slanting a well, to Wilson said that it has been a adjacent to one on which a de- a berserk Negro to death. They week: "Several city council mem- his knowledge. Wilson explained customary policy of his office to said that incident had nothing bers recall that Captain Johnson to major that money is not ap- accept such contributions from viated well had turned out to be a producer. The adjacent driller to do with the way they han- is a controversial man who has propriated by the state for oil people who have an interest par- might content he was misled by dled the man yesterday. 'We been criticized for spending too well surveys of this kind and ac- allel to the state's, for example, the fruits of his neighbor s fradu- go and do the best we can,' much time putting out and ad- cepted contributions to "the At- for surveying costs in land law lent procedures. Captain Derden said." packed magazine which has been torney General's Trust Fund" to suits. "I see nothing wrong with So far the only names that Captain Derden's statement disapproved by at least one Bet- finance them. it,' he said. have worked their ways into notwithstanding, the Fort Worth ter Business Bureau in Texas. "We have accepted donations Wilson says he will survey wells police obviously have learned Chief Hightower was criticized from anyone having an interest of "anybody we have information court records have been those of oilmen enjoined by Austin dis- something about handling "ber- for allowing one of his officers parallel with the state, ' he said. has deviated," but that so far no from serk men" (if not "berserk Ne- to do this. When the controversy "That turns out to be people in majors "that I know about" had trict judge Herman Jones groes") since John L. Scott was died down, the officer (Johnson) the middle of the East Texas been accused. "If there is we'll preventing the surveying of wells to see if they have been deviated shot to death on June 29. (Obs., was promoted to captain after field. That's nearly all majors jury survey their own wells" with July 7) Scott's death brought passing a Civil Service exam." . We just tell 'em there's no their own money, he said. from the vertical. forth a flood of protests after a "Where there's smoke there's appropriated money for this sort In the standard, formal plead- film of the shooting was shown fire," said one city council mem- of thing. They don't select the 'Everybody's Doing It' ing of these cases, it is alleged on a local television newscast. ber recently, "and smoke has wells to be surveyed." So far the Attorney General's that in one unspecified instance, Chief in Trouble? come up often from the police Referring to criticisms of the office has filed penalty suits only a district court in Gregg County department in the past year." fund, Wilson leaned back in the on the basis of alleged violations enjoined the Railroad Commis- Even before the Scott shoot- Publicized incidents of the past swivel chair of the airy office he of a Railroad Commission order sion's district supervisor from ing, however, Fort Worth Police year include: will vacate in January and said, prohibiting plugging suspected conducting a deviation survey, Chief Cato Hightower was in (Continued on Page 4) "They say that this is being wells. Wilson will wait until all (Continued on Page 4) trouble with his immediate supe- rior, City Manager L. P. Cook- Ingham, and some members of the city council. Hightower has A Daring GOP Expedition been Fort Worth police chief longer than anyone else, but AUSTIN The tone of the text of Find- such a challenge been offered to there is talk that he will be fired TEXAS' NEW REPUBLI- lay s invitation may have been Texans who are willing to stand soon, or demoted, unless he makes CANS, and their interim sym- an answer, in kind, to a statement up for freedom. The Duke of sweeping reforms in his depart- pathizers, are intensely serious issued a few weeks ago by Duval Duval and his Crown Prince have ment before Cookingham's con- in trying to link John Connally County Judge Archer Parr, guaranteed 'safe conduct' to all tract comes up for renewal in with George Parr in the pub- nephew of George Parr, after it Republicans entering Duval Coun- October. The city manager knows lic's mind. The Duval county was known that GOP Candidate ty on July 28 (naturally the am- that more "embarrassing" inci- political boss' unique role in Cox planned to speak in San nesty expires at midnight).