Pag* 8 Portland Observer October 18. 1979
Behind the Wall
by Larry Baker »35021
O.S.P. Correspondent
LET THE NIGGER DIE
His education was limited.
His health was poor.
And his skin was Black.
1 he nineteen year old youth found
himself physically too weak to raise
his frail, bruised 125 pound body up
o ff the cold, dirty cement ja il cell
floor onto the iron bunk. He could
only lie there and wipe o ff the blood
caking his swollen lips. He dared not
move in fear o f the knife-like pains
striking sharply at his groins.
It had been only a few hours
earlier that he had been arrested for
trying to break in to a Northeast
Portland pharmacy in order to steal
and to feed his body on drugs. Yes,
he also was an addict
After his arrest, he had been taken
to the Rocky Butte County Jail, but
while being booked he found his
stomach becoming sick enough to
cause instant vomiting, he could not
recall the last tune he had eaten, but
this was a normal occurance when he
went w ithout drugs over a long
period o f time.
Suddenly the young Black youth
found himself being slapped, kicked
and cursed at by a group o f correc
tional officers and dragged into this
darkened cell he now occupied. And
now, after hours o f loneliness, the
‘ ‘ black outs" came with a com for
ting relief. Even though he knew it
would be impossible for him to ob
tain a " f i x ” , it was a more im
possible iask to call on any strength
in his body to rise himself o ff the
floor and onto that iron bunk.
O ften he found him self m ur-
mering out in a weakened voice to
the guards in a plea fo r medical
assistance, or if nothing else, for a
sympathetic ear. He only received
laughter as one guard would relate to
another, “ Let the nigger die.”
David Crawford »39830
Assistant Correspondent
The story is quite familar to many
o f the Black youths who are incar
cerated behind the walls o f OSP and
tahe fences o f the Oregn C orrec
tio n a l In s titu tio n . Many had to
escape the pressures and tortures o f
Rocky Butte Jail with a plea o f guilty
for what ever relief they might get
through the courts. Regardless, even
years later they have sleepless nights
remembering those words at Rocky
Butte: "L e t the nigger die."
Strange as it may seem, this story
was not written simply to discuss the
physical abuse our Black youth sub
ject their bodies to. It was written to
enlighten our readers to the process
being undertaken today inside this
prison - an effort to restore those
broken Black bodies which walk
through these gales after spending a
long period o f time in facilities such
as Rocky Butte. It is not surprising to
read in today’ s headlines, " M u lt
nomah C ounty C orrectio n A d
m inistrator Demotes Rocky Butte
Jail O ffic ia ls ’ ’ or "C o rre c tio n a l
A d m in is tra to r Hires New In
stitutional Director". The question is
why has it taken so long and how
much damage had to be done to
these youth incarcerated thre waiting
trial?
There is a phrase instilled into
many Black fam ilies. "C re a te a
healthy body and you create a
healthy m ind.” Many o f the Black
youth at this prison are trying to
restore that reality. Daily they work
the iron pile, wrestle with the extra 5
pound weight they could not lif t
yesterday or struggle nightly in their
cells for those extra push-ups failed
the night before.
Many have even obtained a motto
that encourages them to achieve such
strength. It ’s called "E at your heart
out, Harl Haas. They slate this in
retaliation lor "L et the nigger die.”
Other attorneys advised the jury
that since the defendents all lived in a
small community, many had gone to
school together, and many were
related, it is not unusual that they
would be in contact with each other.
Telephone calls or visits could not be
construed as a conspiracy. Terrance
Hunt, attorney for Freddie Harris,
said the investigation grew out o f a
desire to prosecute Jackson, Moore
and Waddy and the subsequent ef
forts were to accomplish that end.
The principal method was to get
others they believed to be involved to
agree to testify by holding over their
heads the threat o f prosecution.
Tommy Hawk, attorney for Kerry
Woods, said the government’s " in
side” witnesses are convicted fellons,
addicts, pushers, who are promised
immunity. "Listen to the promises
the governemnt has made to induce
them to give testimony - what they
have to gain and what they have to
lose.”
Neil Van Horn, special agent for
the
Drug
Enforcem ent
Ad
ministration testified that on June
27, 1979, he searched the 1964 Rolls
Royce belonging to Sherman
Jackson, finding a bill o f sale for his
Pool H a ll, an address book and
several receipts,
M ike McGone o f the Drug En
forcement Adm inistration testified
that he arrested Conway Waddy in
his C oldw ater Canyon home in
Beverly Hills. Defense attorneys ob
jected to witnesses descriptions o f
the luxurious home and automobiles.
Officer Mike Johson o f the Port
land Police bureau testified that he
Its hard to say good-by from this far away
Its hard to tell who’s crying when it rains
Its hard to say you’re alone.
The words fall softly but only the truth remains;
“ What am I chasing now” ? I ask myself out loud
Acting proud...
I'm only made o f straw, thats how it is something seems
I ell me how can you sleep when you have no dreams
The moon has cease to be a friend o f mine,
It hides behind the tree's and refuses to shine
Refuses to shine...
n
1
12x12
25C e a .
A lth ou g h the Oregon State
Penitentiary is desperately in need of
a drug program that would help cure
those inmates who search for treat
ment during their incarceration, it
does make available plenty o f body
building equipment and encourages
inmates to utilize it.
t harles W. Colson, former coun
sel to Richard Nixon and author o f
Born Again , has accepted an in
vitation from the OSP Class o f Legal
Processes to visit the penitentiary on
October 24th. Colson will talk with
the class, a d m in is tra tio n and in
mates. His Prison Fellowship w ill
present a live day seminar at the
prison in December.
WE W AITING
This morning
Fog on the beach
Blowing wetness cold
I knew
You walking there
I behind these bars
This afternoon
Cold on the strand
Clear bitter own
You knew me waiting here
You out there
This evening
Cold bitter dark
Severe bleak stark
tYe knew
We our own
Survives
Robert Benjamin Franklin
EXODUS
t 'e n f a
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Knowing how to recognize and use the important Key to unlock what you
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For instance, can you recognize the key to the following objectives?
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Even w ith that in m in d, this
correspondent can d efin itely state
that at least f if t y per cent o f
something is better than one hun
dred per cent o f nothing. It is a
thousand times better than those
words, "L e t the nigger die.”
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Now the sun has gone down, the clouds are threatening
And I stand alone like some sort o f king
This is my kingdom but theres nothing here
I he peasants have left, they had nothing to bring
Selfishly I drink my wine
I close my eyes in the midst o f time
Someone strike a match I ’ ll go up in flames
Like the saint I am playing holy games
You can watch me die, my ashes flow away
And I ’ll be reform, that's the price I pay
The price I pay...
. Michael Stephens
Roher't r h ° d K Gre9, M ° rm an‘ Te- V Kenndy. Fred Trainer. Roy Branch.
Robert Chambers. Jake Forrest bring it all together
had investigated the September 24,
1975 robbery o f Sherman Jackson’s
house. He stated that Jackson
reported the theft o f $15,000 in cash,
which he said was obtained from the
sale o f a car, and $16,000 in jewelry.
O ffic e r Johnson testified that he
asked Jackson, “ Are you still in the
nacrotics trade?” and that Jackson
replied that he was. Assistant U.S
Attorney Charles Turner said he was
attempting to show that Jackson’ s
only income was from the narcotics
trade. This testimoney was given
without the jury present.
The trail is estimated to last from
five to six weeks.
BLOW IN INSULATION
Grenoble
« a
1
BANK CAROS WELCOME — YOUR CHECK TOPI
U - P A K 'T E T E ”
lArm*,ron9 CEILING TILE
The last thing she said was “ Every broken heart mends”
But tell me who can you call when you’ ve got no friends
| What can you do in the wintertime
Where do you go when the highway ends
They say "Keep on singing those blues!” And I guess thats true
But how about something new
Its always the same old song about love and death
W on't you please hold on, let me catch my breath
Sweet sunlight - sweet rain
I m lost at night with the same old pain
The same old pain...
Robert Chambers developing a healthy body.
Building Material
1
Julius Snowden 380/3
Editor
SCARECROW
(for the blues singer)
Drug conspiracy trial begins
(Continued from page 1 col. 6)
there are three Crawfords -- Larry,
Donnie and Ronnie, and that the
prosecution has confused them on
ocassion.
Lucid Walls o f Time
SOUTHSIDE
15Ì23 SE McLOUGHLIÑ
M ILW AUKIE, 654 6508
the key to successes
the key to happiness
the key to health
the key to wealth
the key to money
the key to respect
W hat is
-
-
-
-
•
-
the key to failure
the key to misery
the key to sickness
the key to poverty
the key to lack of money
the key to disrespect
Can you identify the keys to:
- maintaining a successful! business
- finding and holding a good job
- raising a successful family
Answers to these questions will be shared by Dr Thomas Rnnth«, n
Marketing (o, American State Bank and author of t ^ o l ^ h r S
cept. During the month of November, cell 284 7997 for schedules
”
♦
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