The Silsbee Bee (Silsbee, Tex.), Vol. 57, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 8, 1975 Page: 1 of 24
twenty four pages : ill. ; page 25 x 17 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Wfmm
'Excessive Force' Claimed In Arrest
Of Johnny Moulder By City Police
A 23-year old man, appar- cident may come up at the next,call reportedly came on April fore Justice of, the Peace Ben-
ently mentally afflicted^ ap-
peared before the Hardin Coun-
ty Grand Jury Tuesday in con-
nection with his arrest by Sils-
bee Police Officers on April 30.
After his appearance before
the Grand Jury, Johnny Lee
Moulder of Silsbee, was volun-
tarily committed to Rusk State
Mental Hospital by County
Judge Emmett Lack. Judge
Lack told the BEE that Mould-
er had been committed for no
more than 90 days “for obser
vation and/or treatment" under
State law, with his consent and
with that of his parents, Mrs.
Imogene Rogers and Johnny
Lee Moulder Sr.
Kountze Attorney Dwayne
Overstreet, appointed attorney
for Moulder, told the BEE that
the man’s family feels Silsbee
Police Officers “used excessive
force” in restraining and sub-
duing Moulder during his arrest
April 30. “No charges have
been filed yet and because this
involves Police Officers the
family wanted to take the mat
ter directly to the Grand Jury,”
Overstreet said Tuesday. The
Grand Jury took no action on
the matter Tuesday, but the in-
AARP Meets Tonight
Silsbee Area Chapter of Re-
tired Persons will meet tonight
(Thursday) at 6:30 at the
O’Neil cafeteria for a covered
dish supper. “Bring card ta-
bles and dominoes,” O. D. Hef-
ner, president, said.
regular Jury, meeting on May
16, the BEE learned.
Moulder was heard out of
order Tuesday afternoon dur
tag a special Grand Jury ses-
sion involving the Means-
Moore incident of April 25,
“The family is not mad at
the officers,” Overstreet said.
“They understand he (Mould-
er) could be hard to control,
but neither do they want him
abused,” the attorney added.
Overstreet explained that
Moulder had been partially
crippled and mentally afflicted
since his fifth year, when he
was run over by a motor ve-
hicle..
According to Silsbee Police
Chief Bob L. Ogden, Sgt. James
Boane had been asked by a
member of the family to detain
Moulder and keep him in cus-
tody until his father could
cotae and help with him. This
30, Ogden said.
Officer Dennis Allen and
Sgt. James P. Doane arrested
Moulder about 7:10 p.m. April
30 after they spotted him walk-
ing south on US 96 near the
Top Burger and the Caraway
Motor Co. used car lot. Accord'
ing to Ogden, when Allen spoke
to Moulder, he ran away, but
Allen and Doane caught |ip
with him and a struggle ensued.
Allen said Moulder strupk him
in the face; the Moulders, tael
their son was struck by Police Section.
Officers.
During the struggle, Moulder
apparently fell under the Pa-
trol car and grasped the rear
axle; Ogden said he suffered
abrasions when Officers pulled
him out. He was subdued after
the Officers used Mace, and
were aided by Officer Billy
Davenport.
Moulder was arraigned be-
nie Como, who set bond at
$1,000 on a charge of resisting
arrest, then Moulder was taken
to Hardin County Jail. He was
released to his family later and
was treated at Silsbee Doctors
Hospital from 12:20 a.m. until
1:23 a.m. on May 1, according
to Mrs. Carolyn Rice, director
of nursing. Mrs. Rice ’ said
Moulder was treated for multi-
ple, abrastons and contusions of
the head, face,,and left eye, and
was given a tetanus toxoid in-
’ said {he Police Offi-
cer^ did not strike or physically
abuse Mouldgr and that the. in-
juries were incurred when
Moulder struck Ijis head .on
walls at the Silsbee Police sta-
tion and Hardin County Jail.
Attorney Overstreet indicated
the family felt that the arrest-
ing officers had beaten and
abused him.
Burglars
Take Drugs
At Kountze
Dangerous drugs valued at
about $100 were taken from
the Kountze Pharmacy early
Sunday morning, Kountze Po-
lice Patrolman Ed Thedford
told the BEE.
Officer Thedford said that he
and other lawmen responded
to a burglar alarm at the phar-
macy about 3:54 a.m. May 4,
and arrived only seconds after
the burglars escaped with the
drijgs. “We received the alarm
at 3:54 a.m., J arrived at the
pharmacy at 3:55 a.m.,” Thed-
Approval of an i alternate
building renovation program
for the Silsbee Independent
School District had been ex-
pected at a called meeting of
the Board of Trustees set for
7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7,
(BEE presstime), SISD Supt.
Weeks Crawford Indicated this
week.
“The Building committee is
expected to give the full Board
its recommendations for an al-
ternate building plan to utilize
funds derived from the Dis-
tricts’ successful $1,8 million
bond Issue,” Crawford said.
“That is the only item of busi-
ness slated for the Wednesday
agenda, and we expect the
Board to take action on some
of the recommendations at this
time.'
Trustees asked Crawford, the
Building Committee, and local
contractor H. L. Lackey to stu-
dy the existing buildings and
room, special cd and resource! Unofficial information indi-
room, and space for either a'cates that the O’Neil campus
gymnasium or a covered play
area. “Thia would continue at
the Read campus all curricu-
lum now existing at O’Neil for
fifth and sixth grades," Craw-
ford explained.
“We don’t want to give the
Impression that these are cheap
(in buildings,” the Supt- add-
ed. “These classroom buildings
will be arranged in complex
form, with corridors and halls,
might be sold for the property
location, the buildings consi-
dered a liability. The original
“school house” located on tbsa
eastern side of the campus was-:
built in 1012; the main building
was constructed in 1932-33; and
the row of frame classrooms on
the south side after World War
ii. y
Reports were expected on the
method of air conditioning all
and may be panelled and brick- campuses, a provision of the
ed for permanency." original Saxe plan.
fond said. He was assisted by the renovation building plan
Silsbee Police Officer Dennis
Alien, Deputy Charles Laird,
Deputy Mike Holzapfel, and
DPS Trooper Danny Smith.
The burglars caused about
$5Q0 worth of damage in the
breakin, Thedford estimated.
They climbed atop the building
and entered the attic via an
air conditioning vent, then fell
through roofing into the main
part of the store. After grab-
bing up several containers of
drugs, thpy escaped on foot, he
said
SUSPECT HELD WITHOUT BOND
Woman Suffers Stab Wounds,
Beating At Her Heme On 'Old 96'
approved by the Board in 1974.
Recommendations were to im
plement projects listed in the
original plan authored by Aug-
Ie Sasle, former school archi-
tect. Saxe’s program to reno-
vate all school'plants, includ-
ing the O’Neil campus, and to
Grand Jury Probe Into
Fight At Courthouse To
Continue On May 9
A Grand Jury Investigation
of the April 25 beating of of BEE presstime on May 7.
Buddy Moore, administrative
assistant to Hardin County
Judge Emmett Lack and Koun-
tze News publisher, will con-
provide air conditioning for the tinue on Friday, May 9, accord
Mrs. Frances Harris, 72, of Sheriff Billy Paine said.
Silsbee, was listed in good con-
dition at St. Elizabeth Hospital
on Tue'Sday “where she was be-
iqg treated for injuries she re-
ceived in an attack and at'
Charged with aggravated
robbery is Britt Dale Horn, 20,
of Star Route; Box 1563)1 Sils-
bee,. who was arrested about
a half mile from the Harris
tempted rape by a Silsbee man, home on “Old” US 96 last
Two Are Kille
Automobile
Two persons died and sever-
al others were injured in three Route One, Box 1122, Silsbee,
traffic accidents reported in
Hardin County on May 6, May
5, and April 30, Department of
Public Safety officials said,
DPS Trooper Ralph Seaman
told the BEE that Mrs. Elsie
Ray Rector, 49, of Beaumont
had been pronounced dead at
12:05 p.m. May 6 at St. Eliza-
beth Hospital after she was
hurt in a two-car crash north
of Silsbee. Mrs, Rector’s pas-
senger, Mrs. Margaret Madge
Ratliff, 52, of Dogwood Branch,
Tex., was admitted for treat-
ment. She was listed in satis-
factory condition Wednesday at
the Beaumont hospital.
David Lane Kirkendall, 17, of
Route One, P.O. Box 1240, Sils-
bee, identified as the driver of
the second vehicle, was treated
for injuries at Silsbee Doctors
Hospital following the accident,
old Lonnie Wayne Williams ofKPD Officer Ed Thedford said
according to a hospital official.
The Rector vehicle, a 1070
Plymouth, was traveling south
on FM 92 1.5 miles north of
Silsbee at 10:49 a.m. May 8
when it collided with a 1968
Chevrolet Camaro driven by
Kirkendall, Seaman said. Ac-
cording to the Patrolman, the
Camaro apparently spun after
the brakes were applied and it
struck the Plymouth with its
rear Section. The Camaro was
headed north at the time of the
crash, Seaman said.
Two Kountze youths, 16-year
old Virginia Dale Mayo and her
passenger, 12-year old Lillie
Dale Boykin, were treated and
discharged from Hardin Mem-
orial Hospital this week after
the 1974 Ford Pinto they occu-
pied went out of control and
Oscar Hoffpauir will be the
as was his passenger, 19-year struck a power pole in Kountze,!guest speaker.
The pole is located near the
Smith-Feagin addition on the
north Kountze City Limits, and
power was reported off for
about 15 minutes following the
accident, Thedford said.
On May 1, a man identified
as Bobby Reider, 25, of Orange,
died as a result of injuries he
received in a tractor-trailer ac-
cident on April 30, it was re-
ported. The accident took place
about eight miles north of
Beaumont on US 69 at 11:30
p.m. when Reider’s tractor-
trailer rig collided with a se
eond vehicle, driven by David
Yarborough of Tyler, Tex.
The annual “Mothers Day”
program will be held at 11 a.m.
Sunday at the Knupple Ceme-
tery.
WST
Thursday, He was arrested by
Deputies Mike Holzapfel, Char-
les Laird, and Ira Moore, along
with Sheriff Paine, at about
7:20 p.m, on May 1.
Horn was arraigned before
Justice of the Peace Bennie Co-
mo, who had set no bond in the
case, Patne said. The suspect
was being held in lieu of bond
pn fne^ay. ■
According to the Sheriff, Mrs.
Harris was albhe at her tome
around 7:15 p.m. May 1 Whan
a man came to the home seek-
Mrs. Harris was taken to St.
Elizabeth Hospital where she
first was listed in critical con-
dition. On Tuesday, hospital populations would be afforded
sources told the BEE that Mrs.
Harris was doing “beautifully”
and was in good condition. “I
have never seen anyone as bad-
ly beat up and cut up as Mrs.
Harris was," Paine told the
BEE this week. "They told me
If it ware not JtoiMter-attl
and activity, she would proba
bly have been placed In Intern
sive Care,” he added.
campuses, was accepted at
projected cost of $1.8 million.
When the work was let for bids,
the only contractor to bid the
entire job priced his services
at more than $8,000,000. Since
receiving and rejecting bids in
1074, the Board fired Saxe and
has been seeking alternate
routes.
The plan that was to have
been presented Wednesday,
Crawford said, would Involve
phasing out the O’Neil campus
and moving the fifth and sixth-
grade casses now housed there
to two elementary schools,
Kirby and Read - Turrentine.
Kirby, which now has first and
second - grade populations,
would absorb the third grade
from Read, allowing the fourth,
fifth, and sixth-grades to be
Read-Turrenttoe campus.
Additional space for the new
a ing to the District Attorney’s
office.
Eleven persons testified be-
fore the Grand Jury during a
special session here on Tues-
day, but the Jury recessed at
about 6:20 p.m. with no action
taken. Pet. Commissioner Hugh
Bevil Means, who is said to
have beaten Moore at the end
of a courtroom discussion oh
Friday, April 25, testified be
by the purchasing pf perman-
ent buildings. Sixteen of the
units would be placed at Kirby,
for eleven classrooms, a library,
special education and resource
room, a Title I resource room,
and restrooms. At Read-Tur
some thirteen new
classrooms would be provided
by the metal Structures, as well
25. No charges were filed as
Witnesses and others who
eould be called to testify to-
morrow include Talmadge
Combs, Sheriff Billy Paine,
Kountze physician Dr. H. A.
Hooks, and former Hardin pro-
bation officer Spencer Honey.
County Attorney George
Kirkpatrick Mid Wednesday
that he would not like to “ae-
cond-guess" the Grand Jury,
but that he felt the body first
would have to determine whe-
ther of not to file charges
against Means, and if charges
were filed, would have to de-
cide of the Incident warranted
fore the Grand Jury, and Moore felony or misdemeanor charg-
testlfied also. es. Felony charges would call
Others appearing before thfrflpr indictment for the 89th Dis-
Grand Jury on Tuesday were
County Judge Emmett Lack,
County Extension Agent Jimmy
McCelvey, Texas Ranger Has-
kell Taylor, Justice , of the
trlct Court; a misdemeanor case
would be reduced to County
Court, over which Judge Em-
mett Lack presides. “If the mat-
ter went to County Court,"
Peace Cedi Overstreet, Con- Kirkpatrick said, “Judge Em
stable L. C. Kirk, Silsbee BEE mett Lack probably would have
reporter Lee Kelly, and three to recuse himself because he
Beaumont physicians, Dr. Char- was an eye-ball witness," the
les R. Heart, an eye,ear, nose County Attorney told the BEE.
and throat specialist; Dr. Al-
fred Bessell III, a bone special-
ist;' and Dr, Charles Walker,
who had been on call at Hardin
Memorial Hospital April 25- Dr.
Bessell and Dr. Heare treated
Moore; Dr, Walker is said to
have read Moore’s X-rays.
Moore reportedly suffered' a u
shoulder dislocation and a bro-
as a band hall, library, music ken nose in the affray op April
The regular meeting
racks 2641, Veterans of World
Wit I and Auxiliary, will be
Held Saturday, May 10, at 2:30
p.m. in the First National Bank
building.
Jof^L Riclwrilon ta5*fhe
President erf the Auxiliary is
Mrs. Jack Jeffcoat.
tag her grandson. She told him
the grandson was not at homo,
and then, it is alleged, he
struck her, threw her onto
bed and= attempted to rape b
After the unsuccessful rape art-
tempt; Paine said, Mrs. Harris
offered her attacker money to
leave her alone. She handed
him two five dollar bilk), then
attempted to run away; the
man caught her ahd beat her
with his fists and feet, then
drew a pocket knife with a
blunt - point four - inch blade
and cut her across the forehead,
left eye, face, and throat, and
stabbed her once in the chest
with the knife. Then the at-
tacker fled the home. Mrs. Har-
ris managed to' reach the near-
by Flamingo Club, then told
men inside she had been,at-
tacked. Paine said a group of
men led by tav?™ owner Gene
Townsend pursued a man bear-
ing jeans and a T-shirt down
“Old” US 96 until they caught
up with him, then held him
for the lawmen, who arrived
iopn afterward.
Court Pays For Land
Work; Buys Truck
At a called meeting May 5, sive. He said he had checked
Hardin County Commissioners
paid surveyors’ bills in the
amount of $3,650.27 for work
on the 20-acre solid waste land-
fill site; bought a truck and
trailer for use in cleaning up
County dumps for $17,790.25;
and paid $2,307.88 for labor
costs incurred in holding the
State Constitutional Amend-
ment election in April.
Silsbee surveyor D. D. Shine,
whom the Court hired on Dec.
10, 1973, to do survey and soil
testing on the 20-acre tract se-
lected as the landfill site for
solid+waste disposal, told the
Court he was requesting pay-
ment of his bills.
Shine said his original esti
another landfill site that cost hardware will be used for
just $1,900 for all work requir-
ed to meet State Health De-
partment regulations. County work. Barrington, who recently
Judge Emmett Lack made
motion to pay the claim, and re-
ceived a second from Commis- ty’s seven dumps, mentioned
sioner Rex Moore. The order
passed with Comm. Hugh Bevil
Means, Rex Moore, and J. L.
Loftin voting aye and Comm.
Barrington opposing.
During discussion, Means
asked Shine if all State Health
Department regulations had
been met and if the site were
ready for use as far as the
State was concerned. Shine
agreed, and Means said, “We
could go to dumping garbage
mate for his part of the work there if we got the easement
\'Jry
■
pvas $2,288, and Charles P.
Smith and Associates, an Or-
ange engineering firm, had pro-
posed that soil testing would
^cost the court between $1,420
and $2,085. Problems were en-
countered during the work,
Shine said — the Texas High-
way Department had been un-
,«ble to complete core sampling
because of equipment failures.
Referring to the Court’s failure
to pay the bill, he'said he felt
tils charges were justified and
that “If this was out of order,
I you shouldn’t have hired me In
the first place. I think we have
justified ojur charges ahd we
| have worked within our cost
and have carried out your or-
ders.”
Shine presented bis firm’s
bill'of $2,020 and a bill from
Smith and Associates for $1,-
630.27. Commissioner Barring-
| ton objected to the invoices be-
i cause he felt the cost is exces-
Southland Paper Co. promised
us. That’s all we need, is that
pnrrppt^’
“That’s right,” Shine said.
Use of the garbage system
had been delayed by State
Health Department regulations,
but on April 14, Wayne Lee, an
engineer with the Department,
told the BEE that the County
was free “to operate under he
law” as far as the State was
concerned. The rub now Is that
the Court is waiting to receive
an easement from Southland to
use a tract of land hear FM 770
and FM 326 for landfill. Means
said that Southland had been
having second thoughts about
granting the easement because
of the recent passage of the
Big Thicket Park bill.
Commissioners voted unani-
stailed and for a trailer. The
transporting the County’s bull-
dozer to dump sites for cleanup
accepted most of the responsi-
bility for keeping up the Coun
used equipment he had seen
which was for sale, then rec-
ommended the County buy the
new truck and trailer. Unsuc-
cessful bidder was Michel Ma-
chinery Corp. Of Beaumont,
with a 1970 GMC diesel truck
for $6,500 and a 1973
trailer for $5,500, a total bid
of $12,000. Comm. Means said
he preferred the used truck’s
tandem axle, but voted with
the rest to buy the new items.
Also, the Court OK’d place-
ment of a footbridge over
Beech Creek as requested by
County Attorney George Kirk-
patrick in behalf of the Jesus
Christ Church of Latter - Day
Saints.
Commissioners began work-
ing up Monday’s regular meet-
ing agenda, and Comm. Bar-
rington said he would like to
invite some of the landowners
along the Beo D. Smith Road
to attend a discussion of right-
of-way costs. Prior to last sum-
’ J election in which Bar-
rington regained his poet, he
offered to accept the taak of
negotiating with property own-
ers to obtain the right-of-way
necessary to allow the State
Funds for the purchase will I Highway Department to confer
come from the remaining $25,-j Farm-To-Market Road status
000 of the current Revenue on Ben D. Smith. Up to the
Sharing installment earmarked present time, he said Monday,
for solid waste disposal, Coun- only one of fifteen landowners
ty Auditor Horace Moye said.
Thieves Take Spare
Parts From Busby
Garage On May 5
About $50 worth of spare
auto parts were stolen from
Busby’s Automotive Junction
Garage on May 5, owner John
Busby told Silsbee Police this
week.
SPD Sgt. A. L. Burleson re-
ported that Busby had told him
he heard noises outside the ga-
_ __ ____ ______ rage at about 6:30 a.m. on Mon-
mously’to "accept the Morrisjday. When Busby opened a door
Moore Chevrolet Co. bid of; on the north side, he said he
$17,790.25 for a new single-,saw three black males run to
axle truck with fifth wheel! in-
THE COVETED SWEEPSTAKES AWARD was
presented to the Silsbee High School Band at the
UIL Region X Concert and Sightreading Cbntest
held in Woodville April 23. The Silsbee band re-
ceived first division awards in both concert and
sightreading competition in Woodville, to make a
‘'clean/sweep" of UIL competition this year. In
November, the Marching Band took a first division
at the UIL Marching Contest. Band secretary and
Head Twirler Patty McAdams holds the trophy,
and she is flanked by band officers (from left)
president Mike Thompson, Junior representative
Randy Grissom, treasurer Bobby Taylor; Drum
Major Robert Stanton, Miss McAdams, Drum Ma-
jor Gary Clark, Senior representative Kevin
Wright, and Freshman representative Mark Stew-
art. (See story on Page 8, Sec. 1)
Bands Are To Present
Grand Concert May 13
The Annual Grand Concert I bee Junior High Concert Band,
of the Silsbee Instrumental Mu-1 «nd ,the Silsbee High Concert
sic Department will be P«-®a£,e highlight of the evenlng
sented on Tuesday night, May^ be the presentation of-the
13, at 7:00 p.m. In the High j0hn Phillip Sousa Award to
School Gym.
The O’Neil 5th Grade Be-
ginner Band will open the pro-
gram, followed by the 6th
G r a d e O’Neil Intermediate
Band. The second portion of M
concert will feature the Sils-
the outstanding senior band
student, who is selected by se-
cret ballot by band members.
Directors of the bands are
B. W. Ross, William Holt, and
Abfam Miles. The concert is
free.
a red pickup truck, which was
loaded with spare parts, and
then flee in that vehicle. A man
driving a truck similigr to, the
getaway vehicle had tried to
purchase parts from Busby, on
May 2, he added.
Stolen were four motors, two
rear ends, three transmissions
and a number . of generators,
fuel pqmps apd starters, an
classified as “scrap iron”, Sgt
Burleson reported.
Sgt'. Burleson also Investigat-
ed an attempted burglary at
the Wilde Clinic, *55 North
Fourth Street which was re-
ported at 11:15 a.m. May 5.
Someone apparently had at-
tempted to pry open the west
fcidfe door of th* clinic, using a'
half-inch pry bar with no suc-
cess. The door was barred from
the inside, Burleson added.
he had talked with had ap-
proved his terms.
The Court plans to consider
appointments to the Hardin
Memorial Hospital Board.
Members whose terms expire
this summer are Conley Brad-
shaw, Dr. Eugenia Gauntt, and
Ed Spears.
BIRTHS
MMM
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Biddlo, of
Silsbee are the parents of a lon.
Brian Wayne, born April 25 in
Women’s and Children's Hos-
pital ip Beaumont.
Mr. and Mrs. Billy G. Cren-
shaw of Silsbee are the parents
of a son born May 5 In Tyler
County Hospital in Woodville.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold L. Wil-
son of Silsbee are the parents
of a son born May 6 in Wom-
en's and Children’s Hospital.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl E. Lux
tat Silsbee are the parents of a
spn born May 3 In Wbipen’s and
Children’s Hospital.
A daughter, Tarsha LaneU,
wag bom April 20 to Mr. and
Mrs. James Allen Wilson of
Silsbee in Silsbee Doctors Hos-
Mr. and Mrs. Billy Byron
Shoate of Buna are the parents
of a son, Kenneth Wayne, bom
April 3h in Silsbee Doctors Hos-
pital.
A son, Robert Earl Jr., r
^S^BLrth^ &cMi,'
■ ■
i
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Read, R. L. The Silsbee Bee (Silsbee, Tex.), Vol. 57, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 8, 1975, newspaper, May 8, 1975; Silsbee, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth820714/m1/1/: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Silsbee Public Library.