The Commercial Appeal from Memphis, Tennessee • 1

THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL VOL 8-NO 8 MEMPHIS TENN MONDAY MORNING APRIL 8 1968 VIETNAM EDITION fij- Riot Aftermath Eases As FBI Police Press Hunt For King Slayer 0 Tension Remains HeatedDebate Is The Byword Of legislature First Even-Year Session Marked By Progress And Turbulence fnUTTwCxmmarcMAKwd NoMlh Biwau NASHVILLE April 8 first even-year regular legislative session in Tennessee his xy accomplished momentous things It on some others And it captured no small amraint of public attention by hptng just about the most unruly assemblage of legislators upon occasion that anyone here can remember In action that turned out to be something of a shocker the legislature gave its approval to a bill that permits city and county governments to raise from one per cent to one and one-half pier cent the local sales tax It also made legislative history by severely tightening the regulations on small loan oper-ators them to the extent that some firms may have to cease operations The Senate agreed to a House bill that will force county courts across the state to reapportion themselves substantially according to population but the hill evidently was opened to judicial question when it was amended to make its effective date 1972 rather than 1968 There were partisan wounds galore administered during the course of a furious Democrat-Republican brawl over whether the Democrats were to completely take over election machinery across the state The Democrats won the battle hut the outcome of the war is open to question On the purely negative side the legislature balked at liberalizing the abortion law to permit abortions in such cases as where pregnancy resulted from incest or criminal assault An Outlook On Death Sober Question Why Memphis? By LOUIS CASSELS Unltad Rim Intomatlonol Senior Editor Why Memphis? Of all the cities in which Dr Martin Luther King Jr risked his life why was it this proud old Mississippi River spot in which a white assassin finally did what King always knew that some hate-filled person would do sooner or later? The fact the sober frightening fact is that there is no good answer to that question In Memphis as in hundreds of other cities white people are proud of the progress that has been made in race relations in the past 10 years or so They note that Memphis although a thoroughly Southern city in heritage desegregated its public schools in 1961 without incident It also achieved peaceful integration of its buses restaurants movies hotels and other public facilities Thanks to the militant crusading of The Commercial Appeal and its distinguished editor Frank Ahlgren Memphis has had Negroes on its police force since 1948 It had one of the first biracial Head Start programs in the south Negroes vote freely and 3 of the 13 city councilmen are Negroes It all sounds very progressive to the 323000 white people But the 213000 Negroes have a different view of the situation are in the photo At lower left is the bathroom at 420 42212 South Main from which the shot was fired At Ths view from fhe window which police say was used by Dr Martin Luther assassin shows the balcony of iha Lorraino Motel an assy rifle shot away Dr King was standing near the canter where several officers lower right is a handprint the fingerprint powder of on the wall dearly outlined by police technicians Photo bv Hobart Williams Strike Goes On White House Dispatches Umpire To Try To End Garbage Tieup Negotiations in the garbage strike that led to Dr Martin Luther visit to Memphis last week began again over the weekend under the umpirage of a representative from the White House President Johnson dispatched Undersecretary of La-or James Reynolds toMem-Saturday to resume ef-to settle the strike which began Feb 12 It was file first effort in this direction from the federal government and came two days after Dr death Gov Buford Ellington lad within hours of Dr King's death lent his strong urging to pressures to end the dispute I would think the happiest message the President could give the country would be that this has been settled1 said Mr Reynolds as he prepared to meet with both sides in the strike He stressed however come here as a meddling federal bureaucrat who has all the but he added that his presence reflects grave concern we in Washington have in respect to this relatively small labor The dispute has set off almost daily protest marches from Claybom Temple at Hernando and Pontotoc through downtown Memphis to City Hall Two marches led to disturbances with police The second one was a March 28 march led by Dr King which brought rioting looting arson curfews the National Guard and a promise from Dr King that he would return to lead another protest to demonstrate the effectiveness of his nonviolent philosophy He was slain before the promised march took place Before the arrival of Mr Reynolds representatives of the city and file local of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employes had met for short-lived mediation sessions with Frank Miles a former federal mediator now employed at Bruce and Co The sessions with Mr Miles were called off when union leaders accused the city of not carrying out the discussions in good faith Shocked Memphians Gather In Churches Stadium To Seek Answers Tension mostly of the quiet kind replaced the initial shock that Memphis felt with the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr Thursday By Sunday the rate of disturbance calls coming over the police radio was slackening although fires were still breaking out at a heavier-than-usual pace Policemen deputies highway patrolmen and National Guardsmen patrolled the streets cancellation of scheduled social business and cultural events came in wholesale lots and streets cleared of traffic as soon as the sun set At church services through the city Sunday Memphians were called upon to pray and meditate on the events of the past week And about 6000 of them poured into Crump Stadium despite the threat of rain for a program aimed at demonstrating that The stadium service was an effort to focus attention on the need for united efforts to solve the problems Dr King was shot at 6:01 pm Thursday as he stood alone on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel at 406 Mulberry He died an hour later at St Joseph Hospital Within minutes police and FBI agents instituted the largest manhunt in the history They were looking chiefly for a young white man who checked into a rooming house near the motel and was seen eaving it shortly after the last that struck Dr King in the jaw Within minutes of Dr death police radios began carrying alerts to trouble throughout the city A curfew which tad been lifted only the night before was reimposed and the National Guard was ordered back into the city Here as in Detroit and Newark and Los Angeles and Washington and countless cities that have not yet exploded Negroes see plenty of evidence of continuing racial discrimination in jobs housing and in the way people are treated by the police and pubic officials With the exception of a few areas such as a handsome Negro-built suburb called Walker Homes the housing available to Negroes is as shabby overpriced and overcrowded as it is in all the other black ghettos of America Although instances of actual brutality may be rare as city officials assert Memphis Negroes have the feeling that there are more than a few members of the police force win eagerly seize upon any ustification to pound a black head or pour bullets into a black body Dingy Flophouse Is Perfect For Plan The assembly also refused to back away from its 1967 decision not to permit the limited repeal of the death penalty with first offenders generally to be spared the electric chair It had been anticipated the local sales tax increase bill it really result in an increase unless the voters on foe city and county level approve would fail bemuse this is a legislative election year and most tax proposals are unpopular with the electorate Lawmakers turned their prudently in the view of many observers on proposal that they more than double legislative salaries next year and more than quadruple them in 1971 Though this session lasted only about half aa long as that of 1967 (it was actually only a continuation of last meeting) it was considerably more tiring One of the reasons for the increased tension was the exercise of greater legislative independence from the domination of the executive branch On the final day of the sion one lawmaker said wearily wonder if the damned independence- is worth all staying and concealed himsel to shoot the civil rights leader le seems to have carelessly eft behind many clues fingerprints the rifle and other items Most of the evidence was being studied in Federal Bureau of Investigation laboratories early yesterday morning Atty Gen Ramsey Clark who flew to Memphis told crowded news conference am confident that effort wil result in early Mr Clark said there was no conspiracy The assassin seems to be (me man The arrest of should wrap it up There were indications his real name may be known to authorities already with bar but his neatness was' noticeable "He spoke like any other she said She said she never asks questions Mr Stephens said he heard the shot was in there (the kitchen) working on my radio When that explosion went off it sounded like a German 88 I went to the door and walked out into the hall 1 could see the man at the offset in the hall He had in his hand something wrapped in a The killer climbed a flight of 25 steps to reach the rooming house office on the second floor at 422 South Main He fled by going down 20 steps at 4184 South Main The 16 units are connected by a walkway His actions between 3:15 pm and 6:01 pm when he squeezed off the fatal shot while standing on the bathtub and propped against the window shelf are cloudy Between 3:15 pm and 5 pm the killer apparently left file room wait down to Main Street and came hack with the weapon No one recalls seeing him during this time There was bright sunshine at minutes before sunset when file killer fired the rifle Dr King had stepped out of his $13-a-day room (for two) to a breath of The second-floor bathroom window holds a commanding view of the Lorraine Motel at 406 Mulberry There also is evidence that the killer walked away from his crime instead of running got a glimpse of him going away after he dropped the rifle in front of my said Guy Canipe part owner of an amusements firm seem to be Mr Canipe said he walked south on Main If Dr King had looked up and to the west from the balcony outside his room Room 396 he could easily have seen his assassin He was looking down and talking to friends in the courtyard below when struck While the assassin obviously knew where Dr King was By WILLIAM SORRELS Dr Martin Luther King Jr's assassin said his name was torn Willard He spoke with a Southern drawl He paid for his $850-a-week room with a crisp $20 bill fishing it out of his right front xxket and holding it in both lands before handing it to the andlady at 422 South Main He wore a dark suit and appeared to have little in common with men forced to stay in a flophouse He took no more than 13 steps when he walked from Room 5 where a 50-watt light bulb snapped off when he pulled a ceiling chain to a dingy bathroom where he lay in wait to shoot Dr King His mission was accomplished at 6: 01 pm With unerring aim he cut down Dr King standing alone on the balcony erf the Lorraine Motel exactly 205 feet and 3 indies away across Mulberry Street He did not have the 30-caliber pump-action Remington rifle and telescopic sight with him wehn he checked into the him when he checked into the roominghouse about 3: 15 pm Brewer said she Mrs With Mr arrival the two aides were meeting again for the first time since the union walked out of media turn sessions March 27 The main issues in contention remain city recognition of the union local as representative of the sanitation workers and a check-off system whereby union dues are deducted from pay checks Mayor Henry Loeb has said he would not agree to those two conditions Seven of the union leaders have been held in contempt of court because of the strike but are appealing the decision to higher courts The contempt convictions arise from a previous injunction barring the strike Although there was a brief period shortly after the strike began when the city had virtually no municipal garbage collects pickups have been averaging once a week throughout the city in recent weeks Municipal Union Stumps Hospitals Legislature Gets 4 Road Measures Campaigns have been con ducted during the past year to get major firms to provide more job opportunities for Negroes But Jesse Turner local president of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People said the response has consisted mostly of token Unemployment and part-time low-wage underemployment is still a serious problem for the Negro community The kind of employment op-portunities available to Negroes is dramatized by the labor dispute which brought Dr King on his fatal visit to Memphis Gty sanitation department employes went on strike Feb 12 seeking higher wages and union represen ta tion The strike became at least in the eyes of the Negro community a racial struggle between the underprivileged of the black ghetto and the white power structure symbolized by Mayor Henry Loeb That race relations in Memphis have been dangerously strained by the prolonged strike is beyond argument It is debatable however whether the strike can be said to have a direct cause-and-effect relationship with Dr assassination Memphis has long had a small but truculent minority of unreconciled white segregationists who spoke of Dr King as though he were the devil incarnate And takes just one hate-filled man with a rifle to plunge a nation into tragedy and a city into shame as Dallas learner before Memphis Spectacular fires lit up the night but their number gradually diminished and attention on rioting and looting was soon focused more on cities like Chicago and Washington than on Memphis Thursday night also brought reports of disturbances in many Mid-South cities In Mississippi Gov John Bell Williams told a statewide TV audience he had given authority to caH as many National Guardsmen as needed to halt any outbreaks of violence He spoke after ordering 1400 Guardsmen to active duty because of disturbances in Jack-son Itta Bena Clarksdale Greenwood 1 0 i Holly Springs and Oxford most serious trouble came at Pine Bluff where police and National Guardsmen patrolled the streets this weekend after gunfire broke out between police and Negroes More than 350 persons were arrested Nashville was the scene of numerous disturbances Friday and Saturday A curfew was ordered for the city and National Guardsmen sent to keep order in the area of Negro colleges there Guardsmen also ringed the state capitol Police reported yesterday they have a in Dr King's murder but declined to give any details It was known that they were investigating numerous clues Rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction now total $100000 The Commercial Appeal started file fund with an offer Thursday night of $25000 The Scripps Howard Newspapers added $25000 and local business interests are making up the remainder Indications are the search is being pursued far from Memphis on either clues or assumptions that the killer left town immediately after firing the fatal shot At the week's end leaders in the strike of sanitation workers which brought Dr King to Memphis were making final plans for a memorial march Monday to Gty Hall They met with law enforcement officials over file weekend in an effort to assure that the march did not touch off further violence Overton Expressway Route Is Approved 'With The City Council with some of its members voting in favor with regret last week approved an expressway route through Overton Park A resolution drawn up in executive session and read in an open meeting called the route a and prudent and said its design was acceptable Eight coundlmen voted for it are hemmed in to the present said Councilman Wyeth Chandler who ob In Boost In Gasoline Tax Is Sought In Mississippi Bwn Tho Cernnordal Aeooal Jockoon Ml Buoou JACKSON Miss April Four bills to implement Gov John Bell highway improvement program were introduced in the legislature last week by Representative Boteler of Grenada House Highway Committee chairman One of the bills would raise the gasoline tax 15 cents to 85 cents A second Organization Pressed City Facilities Tight Curfew I Hobbles Gty Memphis and Shelby County have spent the lart two weekends under curfew The first curfew was ordered after a March 28 demonstration downtown led to looting With the curfew came a ban on all liquor beer gun and ammunition sales But the first curfew was relatively lenient in that restaurants and movies among other establishments were permitted to remain open during the 7 pjn to 5 ami period With the shooting of Dr Martin Luther King last Thursday a much stricter curfew was ordered again with the ban cm liquor beer gun and ammunition sales In the second curfew only essential or emergency traffic was permitted on Memphis and Shelby County streets and roads Cars and pedestrians were stopped and questioned in some cases on the streets during the restricted hours All businesses except those regarded as essential were ordered closed The ban on liquor beer gun and ammunition sales extended to DeSolto County Miss and Crittenden County Ark left the inside chain latch on the assassin knocked at file office door "He was a clean neat she said said his name was John Willard and I wrote out a receipt He paid with a $20 bill He reached into his right pants pocket pulled it out and unfolded it with both (Police investigators took the receipt carbon and the $20 to headquarters) Mrs Brewer said the man was as tall as her husband shout six feet Charlie Stephens in Room 6 between the room taken by Willard probably an and the also got a good look He saw the assassin when Mrs Brewer was showing him Room 5 He was clean shaven and had a long sharp nose He ha( normal eyes and a square chin thick hair at the front and receded cm each side was wearing a black solid-color dress suit white shirt and a very dark or black narrow fie He combed his hair straight back" Mrs Brewer said Ms features register too much The same union seeking exclusive recognition for striking sanitation workers has been attempting to organize City of Memphis Hospitals employes city officials have confirmed A source said organizers for the American Federation State County and Municipa Employes (AFL-CIO) have been recruiting among kitchen laundry and maintenance employes and licensed practical nurses Union officials declined to comment More than half of the five-unit hospital 2700 employes are Negroes So are about 93 per cent of the patients Pay considerably 1 0 than at private hospitals and work schedules are the chief grievances of employes Improved working conditions hiring of more male employes equal opportunity and promotion from the ranks will be among the hospital goals Highway Commissioner Charles Speight said think got the best the most feasible and least expensive Opponents of the route argued it would destroy a valuable undeveloped area which could not be replaced The council cm March 5 approved a resolution which asked that the expressway be rerouted around the park or at least along its north bender The expressway a section of Interstate 40 will provide direct east-west route through Memphis The south part of Interstate 240 a loop around the city is complete and in use A new Mississippi River bridge for Interstate 40 is under construction served decisions made as long as 15 years ago obligated the council are taking something in the name of progress and we replace said Councilman Fred Davis Jr who abstained in the voting Lowell Brldwdl the federal highway administrator told the council the day before it had three alternatives to drop plans for the expressway build it outside the park or build it through the park He said the first would demy the city a limited-access highway and the second would be offset because all the right of way has been purchased and plana are underway that are foreclosed" would set up a special supplemental highway system including 900 miles of four-lane highways Another would authorize sale of 350 million dollars in bonds to be repaid over 20 years to finance the four-lane highways The fourth would ask for a constitutional amendment to exempt the bond issue from the present limit on bond ed indebtedness Representative Boteler said other bills were planned to upgrade other roads Not covered in bills were plans to allow issuance of more bonds to provide up to 300 million dollars and repea of a requirement that federal Interstate funds be equally distributed among the three highway districts Patron Is Victim Of Barbefs Tonic MOSS POINT Miss April 8 Oscar new haircut was so bad he thought there ought to be a law against it There was Police booked barber Horace Pope on a charge of public drunkenness And Mr Evans was left with Vie consolation that he asked for shave.