Tales from the Morgue

1958: Three Held In Theater Incident

May 17, 1958

Three young Negro men were free today following their arrest last night at the Plaza Theater, where they created a disturbance when they were refused admittance.

Two of the Negroes are Ft. Bliss soldiers and the other is a Texas Western College student.

A white youth, 18, also was arrested and held for Military Police because he had no military pass or identification card.

Loitering Charge

The three Negroes tried to buy tickets to see "St. Louis Blues," a movie with an all-colored cast. Told that it was not theater policy to admit Negroes, the three blocked the front window of the box office so that the line in back could not buy tickets.

Two Radio Patrol officers went to the theater and asked the Negroes to move away, but they refused. The officers arrested them on charges of loitering. The officers reported the white youth stood by and made remarks and "seemed to be attempting to cause more trouble." He also was arrested.

John Paxton, manager of Interstate Theater in El Paso, telephoned police headquarters that his company would not press charges, an the three Negroes were released with a warning. Police said the trio wore buttons of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People.

Not at Theater

Mr. Paxton, who was not at the theater, said he received a telephone call at his home from a man who identified himself as a Negro, but not by name, half an hour before the incident. Mr. Paxton said the caller informed him he was going to enter the theater regardless of whether he was sold a ticket.

Mr. Paxton said he has met with Negro leaders several times and explained that present policy of Interstate Theaters, with headquarters in Dallas, is not to cater to Negro clientele.

He said he was informed that Texas law still permits privately operated, non-tax supported institutions to select their customers.

 

1932: Gen. Molony Quits Brewery Job To Crush Honduras Revolt

Nov. 17, 1932

GEN. GUY MOLONY was back in the fighting today, leading Honduran federal forces into the same region where he once led the rebels.

The famous soldier of fortune, who was in El Paso during the Pancho Villa troubles of 1916, offered his services to the government of Honduras to quell a post election uprising.

Here in El Paso his friends are certain he is in the field where the fighting is thickest.

Tracy Richardson, a noted soldier of fortune himself, now in El Paso, heard with Interest today of the exploits of his former buddy and commanding officer.

"Molony is as Irish as he can be," mused Richardson. He. is an honest-to-goodness soldier of fortune and a square-shooter. I saw him last in New Orleans. There he gave his blood in an effort to
save the life of our general In Honduras, Lee Christmas."

Back in the states Molony is a "colonel." In El Paso in 1916 he was a major with the U.S. artillery.  In Honduras and Nicaragua in 1910-12 he was a "general.'' Now he has deserted his brewery in San
Pedro Sula and is a general again.

Richardson recalled the famous, fighter's Honduran campaign many years ago, when he was the mainstay in the anny of Gen. Lee Christmas.

Christmas had been an engineer on a banana train in Spanish Honduras. He went to New Orleans and organized an expedition to capture the country. Molony, a veteran of half a dozen wars and
uprisings, was induced to accompany him as "commander of the machine gun regiment."

On landing at the Central America destination, Molony found he was the whole regiment. There was one machine gun and one burro at his disposal.

Nevertheless, the expedition carried on. It was decided to take the city of La Ceiba, original scene of the present uprising.

Molony, his burro and machine gun, stormed the place. Molony was wounded twice.

"We were about to take La Ceiba,'' Molony said, "and we asked Gdn. Christmas for something to eat before the battle. He told us we'd get a good meal in La Ceiba if we captured it, and if we failed,
we would go hungry."

The town was taken.

During the hectic Honduran fighting, Richardson was a machine gunner with Molony.

The present adventure is one of-a long series in the life of the 46-year-old fighter. When still in his teens Molony shipped out of New Orleans to Capetown, South Africa, taking mules to the
British forces fighting the Boers.

He enlisted in a British outfit and was wounded in the thigh by a Boer sharpshooter.

At the age of 18 he was in the thick of the fighting In the Philippines during the Spanish American war. He served as police chief in Guatamala City following his Honduran expedition and returned to the United States in 1912.

Shortly afterward he enlisted in the United States artillery. Promotions came quickly. By the time of the Villa expedition to the border he was a major. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel during
the World war and saw service in France.

After the war Molony returned to New Orleans, and was chief of  police there for three years. When he retired that city presented him with a check for $5000.

With this money Molony bougbt a home for his wife and their two children. Molony visited them there in October.

"Molony was heavy set." observed Richardson today. "I'll bet the old boy is getting fat now."

1932: School Band Disbanded After Musicians Give R.O.T.C. Major 'Razzberry*

Nov. 17, 1932

Austin High school's band was being reorganized today after Principal H.B. Fort ordered it disbanded because of a trombone "razzberry" chorus played by some of its members in answer to a reprimand from Maj. J.P. Moore, commander of the high school R.O.T.C. unit.

Fort ordered the disbandmcnt Monday, when band members reported their version of'the affair,
as it happened just before the Armistice day parade last Friday.

Tuesday and yesterday there was no Austin High school band. Fort relented today, and allowed
members to re-apply for membership.
'
L. A. Kirchner, bandmaster and orchestra leader at Austin High school, said the incident that led
to the disbandment occurred as the band assembled on Montana St. just before the parade.

He said some of the boys, were laughing, "cutting-up," and producing discordant sounds on their
instruments, when Maj. Moore hurried up and ordered them to quiet down.

The hush that followed as he strode away was suddenly and painfully broken by the characteristic
and unmistakable blare of derision, that only a trombone can produce, when expertly manipulated.

Maj. Moore kept going, without looking around.

Kirchner said the glorified Bronx cheer for Maj. Moore was the final straw in a long series of similar incidents. He said other members of the band requested the reorganization for the good of the re-
mainder'of the boys.

"It was just a case of too much pep." ' Kirchner said. "You know how boys are. I guess they were
just blowing off excess steam."

Fort said, lie notified band members of the disbandment and told them they could re-apply for
membership.

"I just added that those who thought they were responsible for the matter should not re-apply,"
he said.

Kirchner said seven members of the band have not yet applied for renewal of membership. They are
Herman Litman, Truman White, Virgil Bluth, John Valkenaar, Peter Burgard, Harry Williamson
and John Ainsworth.

Kirchner said he expects some of them to apply later.

"We may lose three, but we still will have a 50-plece band," he said.

Roy Chapman will be re-appointed drum major.

Maj. Moore said he didn't know anything about the "razzberry" incident. He said he disciplined
some band members, but that similar incidents happen every day in thc life of an officer. He dismissed reports of the razzing with the remark that "the death has been grossly exaggerated."

Kirchner announced a new rule today,' that students who get 15 demerits in the future will be
ineligible for band membership.