Space City blues; Reel 2

Lieutenant singleton. Towers for lack. Of six or eight people who got the lowdown on. Some of the barefooted with. Afro hair. I don't know what that might now sway the jury to a little higher sentence. The jury was all white. I don't find it unusual that they were not when they wrote on the jury sometimes are no women I wonder why the prosecutor was the district attorney himself Carol bantz personally handling one of only three cases in two years. There was only one witness against Johnson. That witness was a black rookie policeman who had been used as an undercover made to gain Johnson's confidence and gather evidence against him to. A police officer. Please grow. An afro. The group.

During your work for the REVEREND BILL LAWSON pastor of the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. Obviously Johnson would not have been that much a danger. As a user of narcotics and there is no claim that he was an active pusher of narcotics but I think that in some real sense he became a danger to the social structure because there was this kind of charismatic skill in and in reaching and moving people. His life was basically living the movement. Morning afternoon and night Leona Johnson was talking about the system and about how it needed reform. And at almost any point you can find the autos whether in May or living room or on campus on the full box. I am I can recall the numbers of times that LEOs would come by

my home. That almost as soon as he arrived walking or riding there were squad cars which don't normally patrol south McGregor except for traffic surveillance that would pack outside the house across the street from the house on the corner near the house. When my first feelings were that LEO's was foolish to assume that they were following him. I fairly quickly got to the point that I recognized he was right. They were following him and when he left they were gone. I am I am I am.

On Sunday April 12 Johnson participated in a King Memorial rally at emancipation park in Houston. Mayor Louis Walsh was also on the speakers platform at the rally. But Mayor Welch was publicly humiliated by being refused the opportunity to speak on the following day. The mayor was still obviously upset. He told his regular press conference that the organizers of the rally had abused the memory of King by using the rally to agitate and advance their own political views. And the day after that April 14 LAODICE Johnson was indicted for giving the marijuana cigarette to the black undercover policeman an offense that allegedly occurred on March 8. Some five weeks before the indictment the big man in this particular case said well if you think you're going to get probably written by the Indian man there. Hasn't been there monk. This is simply not true. I mean there's a difference in a person expressing their opinion of a person. Going out and saying let's burn this city to the

ground. The death of Dr. Martin Luther King greatly greatly disturbed me. But on the night that Dr. King died and France needed to do something to at least stop the reaction that was being called for from Washington D.C. by Stokely Carmichael You may recall that kind of Michael said to the black man of the country get your gun let's burn up the city. For me I would have felt that this would be a better greeting of the memory of King and so he set out a can of our points to stop fellows from doing the heat perhaps. Plato played a very direct role in the background of the Texas southern route. They could no longer tolerate his freedom and this probably only took up with the crime maybe two and a half to three and. I think it was probably time well for revolution.

John a system is changing and you have to give me business there's I was going to get on the system to let you know when you can't make it to black people. And also sometime by Jonathan we're talking about children. Every time the police officer little played it out we played in the black community. God would he do it. You know we played in the black community as knowing what was necessary in the name of law and our he is never convenient go back take stock of who would only use your charge $5 out of our nation into our colleagues don't want to but I wouldn't go and this is state property. One window then took two blowers and took them down town like Calvin in you know on busses enough timber to shore

and then they came back and went back to the community and justified this action on the basis of who we DO YOU would know that or an adept at the majority of people believe they do you would know better. The Babylonian Houston Oh you're bad I walk around mean you madam not stand by me. They will take you to the bottom but. I think that the word plan runs not only with the news media with all the people a Klansman in every part. A dragon in every dungeon and three sheets in the wind.

We begin with Fred Brody past chairman of the Houston committee to end the war and we had. Meetings in front of three main street. He was always had asked by some. Look slain minister killed looks when richer people give out there. A newspaper of the Klu Klux Klan newspaper so I assume that the support that particular point of view i.e. if they are not members actually members but in somebody would that to try to disrupt. Yeah at least meeting an old man meeting was legal under the laws of the land and people with a sword and when they file charges in court he was. The perpetrator of the sword who

was found not guilty and was given the recommendation for Stern for the country. I did judge made as a statement that we had as well you know your portions of the city government we don't you know there are some people that is buying the city government and finding a place to park and justice are they fighting for you also your lifestyle and to keep them fresh and then to be able to know what's going on of the city affairs. We must keep planet secrecy. That's right the plan lies in the secrecy of the plan you may be working with Klansmen. I can only say this that if the chief sheep bearer wizard has any members in this department they would be ex-members of this department at the moment it comes to our attention that in any other group that bases its philosophy on anything other than objectivity in dealing with ever citizens. Yes

I could not conceive and I suppose I am proud of this and I even take that that this could exist without it becoming knowledge of the of our chief or some of our supervisors. I simply could not conceive that this could be the situation and that is that the Klan or any other militant group has been able to invoke trade partner. I can't conceive conceive it. Sure the Houston Chronicle October 12th 1970 page 6 section for the women's section. Kern short. Agree with KKK on law Sheriff CV Buster Kern and chief of police Herman short said today they agreed with Ku Klux Klan leaders that all Americans should work within the framework of the law in attaining goals. But both said they knew of no officers who are KKK members. United Clans of America staged a

rally Saturday night at which Robert Shelton of Tuscaloosa Alabama and local KKK Chief Frank converse praised Kern in short and said some KKK members are deputies or police officers. I am not a Klansman and I know of no police officer who is a Klansman said Short. You can't fault a man however for praising God Country and obedience to law and order. That's what we all stand for. Short So there was no policy against a policeman joining the KKK. But we would probably take issue with his membership if and when whatever group he joins takes part in illegal or illicit activities. No this is not a true stance. There is always a possibility for a misinterpretation perhaps from something but this is not the chief stance achievers always very adamantly denied membership in this department of reentry into the form of doing any member of any militant group that cannot be

objectively with their adversaries and I can only say that this is this is not a peace plan. He can hardly disagree. Certainly we stand for law and order and I think the chief shark does too. I mean he has protected in the past lawbreakers of the right to being point of view. They have never been ever one brought to trial is one who I was brought to trial he was. Found not guilty. And as I just mentioned before the perpetrator of us are given a commendation medal church. But I mean it's it's something makes nice like a duck and walks like a duck. For now we did find out to you however that the Klan publishes a rat list. And there's a memory graph he had of stencil drawing says Rats did a cat food tomorrow with this cat in the

thread. Then they have a list of people that were on this rat list these are communists you know or subversives or whatever. Well I like the rats a chad is let it go. Why would they have their address and phone number that sort of thing. Well I suppose they want the general public to know who these people are that live in their neighborhood. Maybe they put the number of lesser men have a chance to defend itself you know you can call them up and ask him about it discuss it grow and maybe that's the purpose of it. Larry Lee a radio station manager Fred Brody past chairman of the Houston committee to end the war and. Flight number to. The pyrotechnic will tell you Fredricka. On October 30th. I

was in bed about 1 10 and I was sure I will grab some noice was strange noise. I first thought it was. A back door bird beating against the screen. No it's going to bring us out of it like a bus bomb. I do investigate addressed investigated locked around the house couldn't see anything in them my wife put on the light in the. Bedroom. And then she noticed to her to know. That I'm somebody. How did I know. Automatic weapon and shot about 10 bullets in house but not in our bedroom as we're sitting here. The better they end the bedroom for a son who was at the time. I think it was you know the time when we had No

it wasn't real No. I got the telephone call that. Renders as follows. Did you hear his old man. I said yeah. But the next time he's going to come straight at you. Then in February. And February. Night I had to be very hard at the time I was in the city but. Now on annual business I was. And he was mailing the annual I will and it was a newsletter and I got the telephone call

I was down the other end of town. He said. Somebody shot in the house and I said been home you had been or the doctor that particular last known and badger person. That medicine to even been taken and she lay down under a couch in the living room and when I came home and found out about. 6:45 sloths had penetrated the house. Now luckily for him her dead she didn't feel well. She laid down and if you had been fooling around in the kitchen she might get killed. Wow. Shifted pubmed

came out and investigated looked at the bullet holes and took note and George three days after special investigators came out there on talk to me as to. Why I think that would happen. Who you are and what type of people are not our sort of stuff and I. Know I stated my mind and I said nothing of my as to activity or indeed of all movement I strive and presently as chairman of the annual committee on. This to people who I have been given the good committed trouble over a period of years. Is the KKK or. Maybe Minuteman. Richard put are supposed to be some here in Houston and. Andy took that under advisement and left or.

About AB The house was sandbagged towards the street or part of the side and a light was put on the corner of the house to illuminated the front yard and the street and somebody to shoot at odd with a shotgun. On May 8 most An attempt was made to burn down the house. Not until the fire department and the sheriff's department to be brought out. Through investigators from the Euston fire department and they stated that it was awesome. No accident whatsoever as was arson and of course I haven't heard from

the sheriff's department to hold. Anything as to what he has done about it. No nothing never being questioned about that at all any more you know it's just. I just happen to know. Her. Which meant this to any person who has information regarding his house being shot it would provide information the police refuse to act on it. If that individual would simply take the strength of his conviction a conviction

before any before the mayor of the city council or the grand jury or the FBI or an anonymous phone call or even under a flat rock on a country lane that somebody will take action. The alternatives to political repression. There are a few things you can do. One and this may not really be work there that are in the present rate but you can you can go to the cheaper place and make it right. You go complain about something that the police to the police. I just can't believe that we're going to get this going to get an independent hearing you sing. Another thing you can go before the city council and present a complaint. Fred Brody went to City Council after members of the Houston committee to end the war were beaten

by off duty Marines participating in a march supporting the boys in Vietnam and the rain snow which are supposed to be cracks or just did not march in formation. You just walked along around him like a bunch of. Bored couse you know and then they got a medal the fan and the star turn about science and started being not certain people especially black blacks who are among us. And no police could be found. That came there was the end of our participation in that particular march and and Mimi's representations for 40 people for the city council at that time city council men's Belliard referring to ice birds there. Then Bryce was taught a lesson out there. So he was mighty proud of her to Princeton to

us another thing and perhaps the most. If not the most powerful weapon. At least the least effective weapon. Namely you can go before the Harris County grand jury. Look at the most shocking thing and it is you can you bring yourself it's the grand jury system with. THE LEAD. Here for your you know late Kenya big style recently. That really go on are the same deal. And I cry at all think writing and I'd love to give people the support cost to operate your pistol let the commission. That are supported. By.

The commission also elected. They are free and Big Black. They are calling for him to court. Dan Luray state chairman of the new party.