ustxtxb_obs_1961_04_15_50_00007-00000_000.pdf

If this citation is not served within 90 days after date of its issuance, it shall be returned unserved. Witness, 0. T. MARTIN, JR., Clerk of the District Courts of Travis County, Texas. Issued and given under my hand and the seal of said Court at office in the City of Austin, this the 20th day of March, 1961. .0. T. Martin, Jr. Clerk of the District Courts, Travis County, Texas. By A. E. Jones, Deputy. CITATION OF PUBLICATION THE STATE OF TEXAS TO Fred Green, Defendant, in the hereinafter styled and numbered cause: THE DEATHLY RITUAL Wilson Blasted CITATION BY PUBLICATION THE STATE OF TEXAS TO Maria Van Heerbeek McKinney, Defendant, in the hereinafter styled and numbered cause: vide just exactly what they ask for. “Sometimes they don’t want anything special. A lot of times they order for everybody there A colored boy ordered just quite a bit of stufffried chicken, ice cream. This last boy didn’t order a last meal. The most popular thing is fried chicken and ice cream. There’s a lot of ‘ern that will order for the whole group. Shrimp’s fairly popular. “He eats around 5. I’ve never seen a last meal. Then everybody just waits,” Heard said. “Usually from dark on, at least one of the chaplains is down there. They take turns going back and forth. They’ll be there when the execution comes off. I haven’t seen anybody yet who didn’t talk to ’em. It’s a pretty good time to talk to him.” “He is a member of the staff, one of the most respected men here,” Heard said. “We don’t . . . Of course, all the convicts know it. They know it now.” How did they find out? “Oh, well, you can’t keep that kind of secret. But oddly enough they don’t resent him. “Just to be completely honest,” Heard said, “none of us talk about it much. There are too many other things to talk about. We are careful not to get into the argument. I have very strong opinions on it, I don’t mind telling you.” But he would not say what they are. Is the executioner paid extra for his work? “The county that we hold ’em for sends a small token payment, $25. It’s a technicality. I’m sure it’s that amount. The money has nothing to do with him doing it,” Heard replied. Just Sits Down What happens, then, inside the chamber ? “Since I have been here,” Heard replied, “no one has assisted the condemned man to sit down. After he has said his last words \(if he he just sits down. The officers of the five-man detail just indicate that it is time to sit down. It is not a case of assisting the man to sit down, it is done automatically by the individual. “Two officers of the five-man detail usually strap the man in the chair and apply the electrodes. “A sign, such as waving of the LEGALS CITATION BY PUBLICATION THE STATE OF TEXAS TO Thomas Henry Hoover Defendant, in the hereinafter styled and numbered cause: You are hereby commanded to appear before the 126th District Court of Travis County, Texas, to be held at the courthouse of said county in the City of Austin, Travis County, Texas, at or before 10 o’clock A. M. of the first Monday after the expiration of 42 days from the date of issuance hereof; that is to say, at or before, 10 o’clock A. M. of Monday the 15th day of May, 1961, and answer the petition of plaintiff in Cause Number 121,454, in which Beatrice Speer Hoover is Plaintiff and Thomas Henry Hoover is defendant, filed in said Court on the 24th day of March, 1961, and the nature of which said suit is as follows: Being an action and prayer for judgment in favor of Plaintiff and against defendant for decree of divorce dissolving the bonds of matrimony heretofore and now existing between said parties; plaintiff alleges that defendant began a course of unkind and cruel treatment and that defendant was guilty of excesses, cruel treatment and outrages toward plaintiff; plaintiff alleges that defendant wrote checks that were not cashable due to no funds in bank, would not work, and that defendant showed complete disregard for his financial responsibilities; plaintiff alleges that no children were born of this marriage, and no community property was acquired; plaintiff further alleges that her name prior to marriage to defendant was Beatrice Speer; Plaintiff prays for judgment of divorce from defendant, for the restoration of her former name, Beatrice Speer, and for such other and further relief as the Court shall deem proper to grant, either at law or in equity; All of which more fully appears from Plaintiff’s Original Petition on file in this office, and which reference is here made for all intents and purposes; If this citation is not served within 90 days after date of its issuance, it shall be returned unserved. WITNESS, 0. T. MARTIN, JR., Clerk of the District Courts of Travis County, Texas. Issued and given under my hand and the seal of said Court at office in the City of Austin, this the 30th day of March, 1961. 0. T. MARTIN, JR. Clerk of the District Courts, Travis County, Texas. By A. E. Jones, Deputy. CITATION BY PUBLICATION THE STATE OF TEXAS TO Ernest Rodriguez Defendant, in the hereinafter styled and numbered cause: You are hereby commanded to appear before the 126th District Court of Travis County, Texas, to be held at the courthouse of said county in the City of Austin, Travis County, Texas, at or before 10 o’clock A. M. of the first Monday after the expiration of 42 days from the date of issuance hereof; that is to say, at or before, 10 o’clock A. M. of Monday the 1st day of May, 1961, and answer the petition of plaintiff in Cause Number 121,337, in which Angelina Rodriquez is Plaintiff and Ernest Rodriquez is defendant, filed in said Court on the 14th day of March, 1961, and the nature of which said suit is as follows: Being an action and prayer for judgment in favor of plaintiff and against defendant for decree of divorce dissolving the bonds of matrimony heretofore and now hand, is not actually given. After the individual is strapped in, the officers then step back, and there is quite possibly some nod of the head, but not a signal in the true sense of the word, as everybody steps back and takes their position behind the railing. Then the executioner knows it is time to proceed. “It takes a maximum of 1,800 volts of direct current for a maximum of two minutes; however, this current alternates from a low range of 200 volts to 1,800 volts during this two-minute period. Death is instantaneous. There is no time for pain. Immediately after the current has completed its course, a doctor steps forward to ascertain death. “The doctors keep an official record for the death certificate: The Warden’s Office of the Huntsville Unit notifies the county officials. “The nearest relative is notified, and if they desire to claim the body it is turned over to them. If they do not, we are required by law to turn the body over to the State Anatomical Board.” There was one more thing Heard wanted to tell about. “Probably one of the most noticeable things you’ll find, you can’t describe. Shortly before to shortly after, this is the quietest place you ever heard. There’s a certain amount of noise where people live. For about five minutesit’s nothing you can describe. It’s something you feel.” AUSTIN A week after a House investigating committee released a purple report of laxity on the part of Coke Stevenson Jr., head of the state liquor control board, in allowing wide-open saloons to operate in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area for years, the storm brewed by the report seemed to be blowing over. The committee said that Stevenson’s inaction “raised grave doubts on the part of the committee as to the future of the Liquor Control Board Administrator,” but so far no move has been taken against Stevenson that would make his future doubtful. Specifically, the committee denounced Stevenson for merely demoting El Roy Mauldin, who was district supervisor in the wideopen Gulf area and whothree liquor board underlings charged steadily blocked any effort to enforce the liquor laws. Mauldin is now working with the liquor board in San Antonio. The Dallas News’ Dawson Duncan finally cornered Stevenson, which is quite an achievement in itself, for Stevenson is very skittish with the press, and elicited this rebuttal from the liquor czar: “There was no proof of corruption.” The same investigating committee also reported it found “a disturbing laxity on the part of” Attorney General Will Wilson in meeting the situation in Beaumont and Port Arthur, noting that “in 1958 Ray J. Lighthall made an investigation that revealed widespread gambling, prostitution and liquor violations and submitted this evidence to the cases or injunctions were filed nor was the 1951 injunction against Western Union’s use of ticker tapes for gambling purposes enforced.” Wilson, in rebuttal, argued that his office has “no jurisdiction to enforce criminal law,” that they do not have “a single investigator on our payroll,” and that he expected local officials to follow through on data supplied to them by his office. Jim Tucker Insurance Agency Auto Home . . . Business 6511 South Park Blvd. Houston, Texas Phone MI 4-1641 Always Listening Major Williamson, the night captain at the prison, observed, “I would say your most popular book on that last day is the Bible. They might listen to the news.” There are five telephones in the offices at the prison, and, said Heard, there is someone on every one of them during the evening, waiting for the possible call of reprieve. “We keep five people on the lines, just in case. Then we have a line direct down there, too, you know.” \(“There,” of When the time comes, two men go into the prisoner’s cell, a couple of captains or an assistant warden, and “escort the man in.” The chaplains always go along on this short, last walk, and usually there is one more man. Members of the public are not encouraged to attend. Don Reid of the Huntsville Item and the Associated Press is the regular reporter present. “We do not refuse a newspaperman,” Heard said. “Then, of course, the man who pulls the switchyou don’t see him,” Heard said. The electric chair is located in one room near the end of Death Row, and an adjacent room contains the generator and switch. A one-way mirror lets the three men in “the control room,” as it is called, see into the death chamber, but prevents those in the chamber from seeing into the control room. They Know The three men in the control room are an electrician, a technician, and “the man who pulls the switch.” And who is this man, the executioner? Some Figures WASHINGTON Only two states have executed more prisoners than Texas in the last 31 years, the Justice Dept. revealed this week. The report said 276 prisoners were executed here from 1930 to 1960, behind Georgia with 358 and New York with 325. Of the 276 put to death in Texas, 167 were Negroes. Last year Texas and Arkansas each executed eight, which was exceeded only by California’s nine. THE TEXAS OBSERVER i Page 7 April 15, 1961 existing between said parties; Plaintiff alleges that defendant commenced a course of unkind, harsh and tyrannical conduct toward plaintiff and that defendant was .guilty of excesses, cruel treatment and outrages toward plaintiff; plaintiff alleges that she did nothing to bring about this treatment; plaintiff alleges that no children were born of this marriage, none adopted, and that no community property was acquired: plaintiff prays for judgment of divorce from defendant, restoration of her maiden name, Angelina Torres, and for such other and further relief, in law and in equity, general and special; All of which more fully appears from Plaintiff’s Original Petition on file in this office, and which reference is here made for all intents and purposes; If this citation is not served within 90 days after date of its issuance, it shall be returned unserved. WITNESS, 0. T. MARTIN, JR., Clerk of the District Courts of Travis County, Texas. Issued and given under my hand and the seal of said Court at office in the City of Austin, this the 14th day of March, 1961. 0. T. MARTIN, JR., Clerk of the District Courts, Travis County, Texas. By A. E. JONES, Deputy. You are hereby commanded to appear before the 126th District Court of Travis County, Texas, to be held at the courthouse of said county in the City of Austin, Travis County, Texas, at or before 10 o’clock A. M. of the first Monday after the expiration of 42 days from the date of issuance hereof; that is to say, at or before 10 o’clock A. M. of Monday the 8th day of May, 1961, and answer the petition of plaintiff in Cause Number 121,404, in which Emma Guerrero Bouma is Plaintiff and Robert Bouma is Defendant, filed in said Court on the 2\(Jth day of March, 1961, and the nature of which said suit is as follows: Being an action and prayer for judgment in favor of plaintiff and against defendant for decree of divorce dissolving the bonds of matrimony heretofore and now existing between said parties; Plaintiff alleges that defendant commenced a course of unkind, harsh and tyrannical conduct toward plaintiff until Sept. 1952; Plaintiff alleges that defendant was guilty of excesses, cruel treatment and outrages toward plaintiff of such nature as to render their further living together insupportable; plaintiff alleges that one child was born of this marriage, to-wit: lenry Bouma, and that defendant ‘ias said minor child at this time nd plaintiff asks that Court for