Arizona sun., 1962-10-04
There Is Still a Heaven


Tuesday morning Sept 26 Representative j. D. Holmes
called me about 1O45 am to say just
who was along Freedom Riders Mississippi He had
shot the leg and crippled and destitute ne waneo 70
bring him TO my could hear his story and write it up
for 'he paper. .sss ase
thought the ministers college students and
that interesting know him and hear his story SO sad
I'll be here for time yet was little surprised
when driveway and began helping out very
carefully elderly who obviously poor and very
and he talked knew that he had very little scnoone
Later as we my living he told that he didn
quite finish the third grade and what education ne has ne leaned
by himself, reading what he could get his hands on
Everything about his life Mississippi had beenl
difficult perious because He had been brick mason
by trade and had good v but the unions in and
things for Negroes because they couldn't get into the
unions and they couldn't get jobs as bckayers 30
and anor at less wages He married at about age
year old When he realized that was writing
for newspaper he living with his wes sister
aw him from down there he would not
anything get back there and get they house
down promised HIM would not put ms name IN ne s'1ly inn
time bought little house and to make things
decided to have wire fence put around The
fence to cost $4,000 The company winch nao oeen pus
credit the fence let her make all the payments
he tried to get her not put up the fence but she
afraid for the boy that ne couldn't tell her nutnm al
knew what could happen because ne had seen done
others the fence she found that she was being
charged several hundred dollars more nan sne was oo @ e
promise down payment and several years
pay forgotten by the and the burden
much greater than she nao hough Inc notes on e renee
were the house and no time given for
the payments They lost the house which had
taken all savings his wife lost her mind and had be
the state hospital for the insane They dos oe coored
& Il don like talk about wife 1t hurts my eelns
M s Mrtold me other things about the business trckery
andtreahery dealing They have killed o
or five for regis One man was on with his arms head
cut off His wife identified him. King get
vestgated but nuthin's been done yet.
back to the arrival of Mr.--in Phoenix MIR
Traways bus from Ell Paso Tex and
told him where ne could get cot Tor the night IN private
End and jefferson Mexican place
buhe didn't have any trouble He could have got cot IN the DOR
them white At this place he able to get show
and washed his underwear When he got up next morning and
got out the street ne met over near the BUS station ana
him he looked like nice respectable person
like preacher who could help him get assistance to get
ITO his sister in Bakersfield, California.
This got into the picture; I'D" brought him to
ame the story Well, by questions found that Mr.
Freedom Rider himself He sympathized with the Free
Riders because of the they were being treated and pushed
At the time he proud of the young Negro
and white Students both kinds had been struck in the face
M & was the 9th of these preachers
came They knowed what they do and they
take no They pay
keerd Them youngsters shore hadder lot OF grit There
ghtn language when they tried keep them
oue the rooms they pushed
them police and went in That ain never happen before n
ssspp talked about 10 u Is the uden and preachers
AN 1 wus terribly proud Wv them young people,
@el left an when went ouen door, swhut
thought but uh fuller gnant type drunk whites drove by
leg jess buv the knee coulder been w They ooude got
that an kilt I'm uh ole an I'D ruther be shot
college boys tried but leg gve
way an laid there police up an
time later uh amberance came an took me the hospital
They operated knee an pin through the bone
Ito hold my place They didn put jus
ged teeth They didn take the bullet either
$50 guess I'll halter have ernother operation befo we'll
lef the hospital about weeks little better at home
and then could drag around and try to get to California;
Bakersfield would be like going Heaven
70 get to California
Mr-didnt really ask for any help. He only told his
story said that stranded and would take
Bakersfield he had his last cent His story had fully
decided that would undertake get together
Mr. With little effort and trouble,
including Ministerial Alliance contributed
tears said that there lot of good people in the
the addresses of all who him
He write back from Bakersfield all
MS it is like Heaven to California, MrhaS gone on
to his Heaven with the help of Arizona angels.