December 4, 1998

Stanley Hill's downfall discussed; some say his easygoing style led in part to his being pushed out as District Council 37 exec dir; even some of his suporters say that he was brought down partly because he looked the other way when associates gave themselves large raises and took other self-serving actions; many union officials now say Hill must have known about, if not approved, efforts to fix a 1996 contract ratification vote and excessive spending by union officials, including $685,000 in overtime to Charles Hughes, who was expelled from presidency of local representing 25,000 crossing guards and school cafeteria workers; Hill has repeatedly contended that he is innocent of any wrongdoing, insisting he was at worst ignorant of any misdeeds byu associates; photo of Hill with Mayor Giuliani; photo of Hill and Victor Gotbaum in 1971, when Gotbaum was leader of District Council 37 (L)

Body of Escapee Is Found Two off-duty corrections officers fishing near the prison that houses Death Row in Texas found the body of the inmate who escaped last Friday in a hail of gunfire. Page A18.

Northwestern University, four months after point-shaving scandal embarrassed its basketball program, suffers another blow involving gambling when four former football players are indicted on perjury charges related to betting on their own games; indictments, announced in Chicago by Federal prosecutors, charge players with lying to Federal grand jury when they denied betting on Northwestern games in 1994, as Wildcats finished dismal season with record of 3-7-1; only one of players accused, Dale Lundy, is accused of taking action to throw a game; others indicted are Michael Senters, Gregory Gill and Christopher Gamble; case reviewed; photos (L)

Connecticut legislators, uncertain about costs and many other aspects of plan, are moving swiftly to approve deal that sports economists think will be biggest giveaway in history of professional sports: a new stadium for New England Patriots; in the two weeks since Gov John G Rowland stunned the public and sports establishment by luring Patriots' owner, Robert K Kraft, to Hartford, fine print of deal has prompted round of second-guessing by legislators of both parties in General Assembly who are alarmed by price tag that could rise to more than billion dollars, and by host of unanswered questions (M)

Analysis of how Exxon chmn Lee R Raymond and Mobil chmn Lucio A Noto pulled off world's largest corporate merger, deal between two companies that were once part of a monolithic whole but that, during 87 years apart, had grown as proud and self-sufficient as sovereign empire; they assembled merger of their companies largely in secret; photo (M)