"The Phantom Killer" by James Presley (2014)

This is a case which they still speak of in Texas. It has never been solved. The Phantom Killer; so dubbed by the local press in Texarkana; is America’s Jack the Ripper. We think we know who did it; but then again, we’re not quite sure. And the fascination with the case may be more entertaining than actually finding out who really did it. It’s kind of like JFK and Dallas. We want to know, but then what would we do about it?

The town of Texarkana straddles the two states of Texas and Arkansas. The old joke was that a man could stand in the center of town with his mule and claim he was in Texas while his ass was still in Arkansas. With the advent of the oil industry; and later the war; work was plentiful and Texarkana was somewhat of a boomtown. But with all of the quick money came increased crime and a transient population. 

The author; James Presley; is the nephew of Sheriff Bill Presley; who was the the chief investigator on the case and; as a trained historian with a Pulitzer Prize nomination to back him up; has taken all of the eye witness accounts and affidavits from the investigation, distilling them down to a very convincing argument as to who the Phantom was. In addition he draws upon his knowledge of the local folk lore and geography to paint a portrait of the town; as well as the effects the crimes had upon the average citizen.

Eventually, after the town has been literally terrorized as they wait for the next killings; which occur with regularity; every African-American is pulled in for questioning. Eventually, though, the leads all point to a white man named Youell Swinney and his girlfriend Peggy. But catching him proves difficult, until his alibis don’t seem to match up. And just as the noose is tightening in the case against him, he marries Peggy, thus avoiding her having to testifying against her new husband. But, still their stories don’t match the facts and the investigation continues for years.

Swinney had a rap sheet going back decades by the time he was prosecuted again in 1981 for other violent crimes. Fans of CSI will be aghast at the way the investigation was done; with officers from 2 counties trampling over evidence and not roping off crime scenes. They even allowed the public to swarm all over the terrain where the killings took place; rendering any evidence gathered useless.

In the end Swinney walked free. But he continued to have problems with the law until 1981, when he was finally convicted of larceny. This is a great insight into the way that justice has changed; along with crime detection; over the last 6 decades. It is also look at what society was like in the heady days after the end of World War Two, when life sometimes seemed more perfect than it was. And to this day no one has been proven guilty of the 5 murders that terrorized the entire town in the summer of 1946.

  

Old Textbooks - Foundations to Build Upon

When I was in Junior High School (W. Arthur Cunningham JHS 234 in Brooklyn, NY) there was a bookshelf in the back of my homeroom class. It was filled with older, obsolete textbooks. I used to browse through them with great interest, as they were from the years that my parents had attended school. I also have always loved old books, and so, accordingly I was very interested in what these books contained. There were all kinds of subjects represented on that shelf; science, literature, history and math all come to mind. But the book that held my interest the most was this little gem "Energy and Power" by Morris Meister. The copyright date is 1930, with a second printing in 1935. Inside the front cover there is one of those book stickers that we used to place inside the front cover to identify the owner of the book. This made the book even more desirable to me.

I was a good student in Social Studies, History and English. Anything which allowed my mind to wander was a welcome respite to the tedium of the classroom. Science and Math were my two worst subjects, which is kind of funny when you consider that I went on to become a Navigator aboard ships at sea, a position steeped heavily in my two worst subjects. Even more surprising, at least to me, was that I was good at it! And this little book had a little something to do with it.

While not paying attention in class one day, well, one day might be short changing myself, I came across this book and realized that it was old enough to contain all the basic information that I lacked in my understanding of all things mechanical. So, I took it home to read. And I never took it back. I've never felt badly about it, mainly because those books were destined for the trash and had been out of use for several years. I had to blow the dust off the book before I read it.

The book covers all manner of scientific subjects, among them are; Sources and Transmission of Light, Reflection and Refraction of Light, Cameras and Photography, Projection Lanterns and Motion Pictures, Color, Gravity, Friction, Inertia, Engines and Automobiles. These were all subjects for which I held very little, if any, interest. This was mainly because all of the basic information on these subjects was missing from the newer textbooks. They assumed that we knew these things. They were, in my case, wrong. And so this book became my friend.

From this little book, about 241 pages, I have learned all of the basic principles of science and the little bit of automobile mechanics that I know. I have even used this book to help me figure out how to explain stuff to my kids while they were growing up and in school.

When is a book too old? I don't think they ever really age. The information contained in almost every book is timeless in some respect. And this book is even more important now, when everything is so complicated that you can sometimes feel overwhelmed and under informed. That's when I turn to my small, but potent, collection of outdated textbooks. I even have two books from my Mom and her time at James Madison High School. One is H.G. Wells', "The Outline of History”, copyright 1931, and the other is Bassetts' "Short History of the United States", copyright 1921. Both books have been invaluable to me when trying to unravel the history of the Middle East, or even something as contemporary as the roots of the Vietnam War.

All books are sacred; they all contain something that was worth writing down. But as our knowledge continues to grow, it often becomes necessary to omit, or condense, the things we already take for granted, in order to include the latest information. When that happens, some of the basics, and the understandings that go with them, are often glossed over. It is then that I turn to my older books to solidify the foundation of the subject I am reading about.

Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beech Nut Show (1958)

Nothing evokes memories of the 1950’s more than the tight harmony singing which was so popular then, or the appearance of Dick Clark introducing the public to music, as he does here on The Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show. This particular performance was introduced by a forever young Dick Clark in the balcony of the theater from which the show aired on February 22, 1958.

The Chordettes are an absolute mainstay of the late 50’s. From their gowns and hair, right down to the innocuous songs, they are emblematic of the era.  Both "Lollipop" and "Mr. Sandman” are songs which have appeared in many movies; and memories; over the years. 

American Bandstand went through many incarnations after its beginnings in Philadelphia. In February of 1958 Mr. Clark was cast as the host of The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech Nut Show, which broadcast on Saturday nights at 7:30 from the old Little Theater in Manhattan. That theater is now the Helen Hayes Theater. The show aired until September of 1960. During the shows run, Mr. Clark was still hosting the American Bandstand in the afternoons in its usual dance format.

Although American Bandstand had been on the air in Philadelphia in some form or other for several years, it was not until 1957 when Dick Clark began hosting it that it began to make any traction. And even then, with a core audience of teenagers, it was being relegated to the rear in favor of other shows. The time allotted for each show was also changed several times over the years. At one point it was 90 minutes long; at other times it was cut to 60 and eventually even 30 minutes.

Dick Clark knew that this prime time show would fail simply because its core audience; teenagers and housewives; were engaged in other activities on Saturday evenings. But when it did, he simply went back to concentrating on American Bandstand, which, by 1960 had an audience of over 20 million viewers. In 1961 ABC shortened the show from 90 to 60 minutes, and by 1963 they were airing 30 minutes versions of the shows, which were now being taped 5 shows at a clip for the coming week. The airtime then was aimed at the after school crowd, broadcasting from 4-4:30 each weekday.

Just browse through You Tube and look at the many changes in American Bandstand over the years. They reflect the changes in our unique American culture. From the music to the way the audience dressed, these shows are time capsules of their era. 

Fatherly Encouragement

"Punch his eyes out! Slam his head on the ground! Throw him punches, son! Knock him out!" These are the words Philip Struthers used, he says, in order to encourage his son last week in a fight over a girl. His son, who was not charged, is 15.

"I regret having gotten caught up in the heat of the moment" says the elder Mr. Struthers, 41, of Tampa, the boys father. But truth be told he simply regrets that it was the wrong moment, and of course, that he got caught.

"I was encouraging my son to settle the issue", says Mr. Struthers. I wonder if he ever thought that encouraging his son to "Slam his head on the ground", would be discouraging to the other 15 year old involved in the incident? Quite simply, one must wonder if he thinks at all?

Here is the link to the video;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-MHXik73AA

Hanging Out In Taylorsville

Taylorsville is a small town about 60 miles Northwest of Charlotte in Alexander County. Passing through it seems like your typical town in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, with the usual assortment of box stores, supermarkets and restaurants. But Taylorsville has one thing that many other towns lack, that is Police Chief Tony Jones.

All across America there is a vacumn in relation to the activities available for teenagers caught in the social void between the ages 16-21. Too old to want to be at home at night, and too young to cruise the bar scene, these teens are like folks without a country. And in many towns a group of these kids simply hanging out, or skateboarding in empty parking lots, can become a source of concern and complaint.

Taylorsville is the only incorporated town in Alexander County. But there still isn't much to do at night. So, like teens everywhere, they needed to come up with a place to meet, and horse around a bit, with their friends. With such a large parking lot, and most teenagers having access to cars, Walmart seemed like a good idea.

Now you might be thinking, "I've heard this before.... group of rowdies hanging out in a parking lot, spinning donuts and screeching tires, vandalism, etc." But you would be wrong. I had the same initial reaction when I saw the article in today's Charlotte Observer.

It turns out that this is simply a good place to hang out with friends, exchange local gossip and arrange other activities. Both the store and the police allow this activity to exist unhindered, as long as there are no problems. And so far, so good. Apparently things have been going on in this fashion for the past 10 years with no major mishaps.

Between 9 PM and 3 AM the kids come and go. Some do shop in the store, but most simply hang out away from the entrance, near the Garden Center, and exchange gossip or make plans. The Taylorsville Police Department passes through periodically to say hello and to see that all is well.

This is where the leadership of Chief Tony Jones and the management of Walmart come into play. Together they have done something that is rarely done nowadays; they have treated a situation with common sense. They have shown their faith in groups of young people to hang out and have a good time without hurting anyone or damaging anything. And this faith will pay off in the long run. It will make more tolerant and sensible adults of the kids. It will also prove wrong the stereotypes of today's young people as rude and arrogant. And it also allows the Police to do their job more efficiently.

Knowing where the town's kids are, and in many cases, who they are, makes it easier to seperate the good from the bad. Knowing who is who, and where they are, can make a Police Officer's job alot less complex. So, I just wanted to give a big "high five" to Chief Jones and the Taylorsville Walmart for their innovative and tolerant approach to "hanging out." Thanks for using your hearts and heads to deal with a common issue that is often perceived as a problem. In the long run this measured approach will pay off in ways that cannot even be quantified.