Dateline St. Augustine; 2; Program 2

Palm Sunday March 22nd Nineteen sixty four. The bells of St. Augustine Florida called citizens and tourists alike to witness the blessing of the Trump book. A colorful annual event in the oldest city in America. Soon to celebrate its four 100th anniversary. Thousands of people lined the shore along Bay Street. And along the bridge of Lyons which separates the city from. Anastasia Island to the east. To watch a solemn procession file down the long catwalk to the city pier. Where holy water is sprinkled on the passing boats. And as a climax a floral reef in the shape of an anchor is cast in tribute into the water. Bay street is lined with bombs. And in this predominantly Catholic city many of the spectators carry in their hands the traditional Palm Sunday fronds from the same trees. And still others following a long tradition display in their lapels crosses

fashion from the palm leaf. Later. I saw a different sort of cross and this is a cross that's burned. By the Ku Klux Klan. There's a cross burned at their meetings as part of the ritual. And the particular cross you're looking at is a. Burlap wrapped across all about seven feet high. This room is burned in the area of Dr. healing's house the adviser to the local chess youth counsel of the NAACP. This cross was soaked in kerosene and planted about two or 9:00 one night. It was burned and we arrived at the scene. Oh well oh maybe within a half an hour after the cross was planted and by this time the police had kicked it down.

However nobody had seen it who had seen a call on the area and we picked the cross up and brought it back to the office and say within a week. A rash of violence broke out in St. Augustine burning a home shooting into a home. Mala tof cocktails being thrown at homes and so forth and also a few beatings. This was a sort of kickoff campaign that a kind of warning would you say. I believe it was a warning at the time the. Picketing and the strive for racial equality was in full swing in St. Augustine. What time of year was that this was about August early August of last year and since then there have been bombings and burnings and so forth most recently I understand one of the local ministers had his car burned up a second.

This is correct. Someone had placed what was believed to be a gasoline felt tire of macaw Antos under a gas tank in his car and ignited it and it was a total loss. Was. There an investigation and our arrest and were plashing his investigation at least the police said there was one but there were no arrests no suspects in the case of back to healing's House I understand that there was shots a number of them fired into his house or have there been any arrests in that case as you well know about in the case of the burning of the house. Same answer now and in the others. Now now as we stand here with many thousands of other people who are observing across the short expanse of water to the city out here we see the Catholic procession which has come.

Down The Here the priest and his acolytes and. Others are waiting now for the shrimp boat. But you may be able to hear in the background right now there are one two three four five six seven eight which can be seen all gaily decked and flags. They're proceeding towards the bridge and I assume Well you know and around toward the ceremonial area and the first of many boats is now coming down in front of us here. It's a Coast Guard boat which is leading the Marine procession but a Coast Guard boat is now approaching Lee here. There are four Coast Guard men aboard they salute both a hat and a sailor on the pier is about to throw a floral wreath in the shape of an anchor into the water in front of the city yacht here here at

St. Augustine Florida. The priest is throwing holy water. Blessing. A Coast Guard boat as it goes by. Now the draw of the Bridge of Lions has opened and folks are now passing to the north out to sea bearing the wreaths. In the shape of an anchor which was cast into the waters here just a few moments ago by. A young sailor from the United States Navy singing continues with three young girls. Eat. That was not only singing to be heard in St. Augustine.

A small group of Northern whites and Southern negroes met in the First Baptist Church in the colored part of town A. Bit closer. To that. At the end of the day with the heavy the. Light on Sunday evening a group of New Englanders arrived in St. Augustine

in response to a play from Dr. Robert hailing a negro dentist and advisor to the local and double ACP Youth Council. Dr. Hayling was one of four negroes who were as he puts it specially invited guests at a recent local meeting of the Ku Klux Klan. After 14 days he was sufficiently recovered from head and other wounds to be discharged from the hospital. His story is told by an eyewitness will be heard on a later broadcast on Monday following Palm Sunday. Dr. Hayling welcomed his white northern supporters at the First Baptist Church. You do what we do know what I am reading like you think you're cool or minister or your leader for the walk that's you know he will be interested. Yeah I was just you joined the march.

Thought he was being conducted by the state office for rights on Friday and we will have to formalize our plans on that. So now while the heads of state the state here and having this meeting as many of us feel so compelled to return to the rest and start out on action without little instruction course after that we will all feel free to go about some of those thoughts on contacting our religious town parks and those with ties that would do is give you those with Catholic ties you know to establish some Catholic Now were you not wearing a label.

You're not wearing a banner. Why are you here and what you're doing you feel you know territory then you will be a segregation not committed but if you're getting somebody that you talk to so you be the judge that for the next be too loud you're going to go out on about. So for the record back home the community and we see the reception you've given in the war and we will know just with the reaction. Plus the wisdom and leave for America in the background so all to really go there. Got more jobs will be gone. Me on what's going on here. He is an interesting read. Nation go but we're back you know sane out there. Oh so

right throughout the country and local one thing that our nation always hated the founding city is this a pattern. Nothing you can be done to me in other words. Oh. Negroes was so horrible so thought about improving the light. What are you doing about Rachel. Communicate. What are you ready to reveal. We're so pleased that I guess it will all Barry's a comedian division the very worst of the next here with you know people think our viewers know my plan this week. All those other plans of trying to open up avenues of communication.

The revenue was coming so or so in other words like so I'm sure there will be like wow I feel insane. The last meet between ministers and the white ministers back about me they were told by the white president it was me. Well anyway at this time there is no end to the nomination. Into radio communication between the ministers This is one of the breakthrough that we have. We can establish to the average individual it would be common ground for religious leaders to have some communication even in South Africa with South Africa and the policies over there

in the old city in the county jail at this time we have seven persons who were convicted last fall for lying and due to legal difficulties and so for our county judge saw fit and had the opportunity. There was something wrong with the appeal presented to the court and they reverted and all our viewers had the opportunity to enforce the law so we have a high school. We have a policy that one young lady would drop of a 3 month old baby in county jail serving sentences of at least 30 days for lying. And we have four duties to serve six months and we have another one of those steel mills using up in the back who did an admirable job of knock down bowing down to outdo the judges wishes off sign here to whom Burke writes away back saying that they would not pick it up. Demonstrate a disobedient

evasion demonstration. Do away with least 21 years of the observer that dirty cur dog. So then Dr. Hayling introduced the coordinator of the New England group. Reverend William England associate chaplain at Boston University. I guess I should just say that we were very glad to be here. We are here we feel because the FDA the Doctor Varian and like you all we want to be at your disposal. I think you're a doctor my doctor and very well done tonight. Get all of us and to particular venture. Want to do everything we can. This is the inner city we want to be yours to use the way you want to.

We don't have any plan or program of our home. We are not coming down to tell the people of St. Augustine how to run their bid. We're coming down with people who say you know back. To work. Maybe some of my oh like Jesus I got. That from western Massachusetts chaplain Richard on's worth of Smith and Dr. Lewis Mudge Joplin at Amherst also made brief statements Joplin onto it. We're all here. I don't like the heat. And I did it my lawyer and I really did it all I would like to associate with who will land weary living the life I did it as I said you know the right. Side. Of it.

How are they going to be together when and where it really anything really. Really hard to bring me here. Oh no you're not going to say I was seeing that I saw a white guy who we saw with our cars were you know we have HeartMate II or our other inner city I think I. Heard. Only Zach. He was there for a minute. Fifty years they say that there were vague. How high are they are you Mike. Home. Town I would. Say you know I gather a lot. And they are all there. OK I agree

with you live a life guard. We were certainly downers. We really got here we thought it very well go over it said it as a matter of those are always our feet in the colleges and universities we really really study but there are those coming. Where we can get ourselves some by visit with President. Reagan ourselves you know the real you. I would like to underline that simple for the mere human beings for the simple fact that we have one here and yet here you have to get to know that. I'll use this to go back for errors or worse than all things that are wrong with holes and say oh

you're here to be with you for a few days at least. More so. You know in the morning before you hear this we're going to do all that noise Yeah yeah yeah yeah. OK this is crazy. That's where we had Yeah. Well you want to get him to sing with me you know what I mean is he what you call it. There's the United 3 0 2 0 6 senses house was fired upon killing Dr. Hillings dog and narrowly missing his wife and two small daughters. The dentist says send his family out of town and has moved into his office on Bridge Street there on Sunday evening. Young college student volunteers from the north were working with Glen Murray executive officer of the Youth Council and double ACP. Arranging accommodations among members of the Negro community for the rest of the visitors expected from New England.

That's right. Given the work he did here usually regularly. OK yeah. Jimmy Graham will. Moderate a youthful and energetic negro from White Plains New York holds what he calls a white collar job in a local factory after Dr. Hayling took it over. The picketing started and along with the picketing we start having a rest. Among the first group of children arrested were four children under the ages of 18. We face pickets are all members of the youth. Very true. We have for you. You had Council members arrested who were under 18 bow to high school seniors and I believe two in the eleventh grade. These are boys two girls and two boys. And why were they arrested. According to the for participating in a sit in demonstration at St. George

pharmacy one of one of the laws here in the end is that in St. Augustine as a well they were arrested under a Florida Code trespassing after warning. It states that if you have been in a place and asked to leave and then return they arrest you for trespassing. These children had not been in the place before that although another group had been in. They were arrested and charged with trespassing after warning but thrown in the county jail were common criminals where they were detained for about a month. They were then shipped out the boys to a Mariana a training school for boys and two of the girls to a training school down near Ocala Florida. They were convicted they were convicted and there were a dozen conviction that they used.

I'm trying to think any way they wind up being detained and the correctional schools for a period of six months before we were able to get them released for trespassing. And they have been released now about a month. And that was the among the group of the first arrests the picketing continued. And. We had another group picked up in jail for zigzagging and this was supposedly walking a picket line and not walking in a straight direction. Maybe they step six inches out a line of whatever it was. I have pretty strict rules in San Augustine. Yah they make them as they go. And this is the truth believe it or not. They make them as they go. And what happened this instant and they were put in jail and released on how many sacks. I think there were a 4 on that age and

all of them are in the vicinity of 18 and 19. And they're released and they are still they were tried convicted and still on appeal. So far we have many. Any answer from that appeal I just don't mind of it there was some of Judge objection by some of the people who were picketed that the signs were not appropriately worded and he got me and I didn't remember what the sign said some of the signs said they claim that your signs were inflammatory. Well inflammatory in a way of speaking only if I was white I may say the inflammatory such as if Cubans and Mexicans that can eat here why can't I have my dollars go to the drug out of wine out of the lunch counter segregation must die. We want freedom.

We will walk outside until we can walk inside with dignity. And if this is inflammatory then I guess I must call them inflammatory. Day off in the morning I say get me on Labor Day we had a rally in the old slave market in St. Augustine. That's right the center of town it's the square right. It's right in the center of town. What a pretty place part of the plaza too isn't yes I was shops. Sort of like in I think our new when the nurse listening would call it a small bird version of the village green. It would be comparable to a village green. It's called the city park of the town plaza and we had tried for several days to get a permit to hold a public rally which is which in accordance with the city ordinance and we were either if she was flatly or shuffle from official to official. The old I mean special fast in the book

and we were granted to that. So we went ahead and had the rally anyway and as the rally was going on it had been in progress about 45 minutes. Policemen start converging on the place with dogs and the guns and the rest of paraphernalia and it's not a loud speakers blaring break up the rally and go home. And finally they claim that they said everybody was under arrest. They caught it off twenty seven people to jail. That particular time and it may be noted revenue Banks was one of the most more outspoken on anti segregationist in the city was struck by a deputy sheriff Everett Haney over the eye with a cop arrived and he hadn't done anything. What would you explain what it is. Yes a cop right is a

little cylinder or about a foot and a half long it's charged with a high powered battery and it gives you an electric shock when it's stuck to you which has been described as strong enough to make an elephant jump ribbon Eubanks a negroid lighter here group revenue banks as a negro member of the adult chapter then ECP and he was attending a rally that particular day. You also mentioned in that there were dogs involved. We've seen a number of dogs in police cars. In fact they were they were attending the blessing of the shrimp boats which was about one thirty this afternoon. There were two cars parked there right next to the river and on each police car it was a big police dog. At that time they had just brought the dogs and the dogs were inadequately

trained and for this reason I believe they did not use any dogs however I don't doubt that they wouldn't hesitate to use to their you know sensor dogs have been trained to do the violent nature of the said city and that so many incidents of violence other demonstrations have had to be temporarily called off a slowdown. As a result we have no use of dogs but I might imagine that when they were training the dogs they had two dummies. It's training aids. One was black and one was white and the dogs were taught to attack black dummies. And to leave the white dummies alone so you can actually draw your own inferences to what they were intended for. On tomorrow's program Rev. Irvin Cheney gives an eyewitness

account of a recent Ku Klux Klan meeting and the brutal beating of four Negro girls. This is teed off calmly with Ted mascot in St. Augustine.