50 years ago: Tucson mourned with nation after assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Local Rites Planned

Murder Stuns City Leaders

The senseless slaying of civil rights leader Martin Luther King left Tucson stunned last night.

As news of the Memphis assassination spread, Tucsonans expressed their shock and horror.

“What can I say,” said a shaken Robert L. Horn, president of the Tucson chapter of the NAACP. “I think what there is to be said should be said by the white populace. There is nothing for us as Negroes to say.”

Horn continued, “Here is a man who has dedicated his whole life to nonviolence, a man who never raised a hand in anger. When such a man is shot down, what is to become of us? It’s too horrible to think about.”

He said he would have to wait until funeral arrangements for Dr. King are made before planning any action for the Tucson NAACP.

The Rev. Paul D. Sholin, chairman of the Tucson Commission on Human Relations expressed the commission’s “shock and profound grief.”

“As the group officially designated to be concerned with civil rights in our city,” the Rev. Sholin said, “we will miss his leadership desperately. He personified the only way we can ultimately deal with our national problems. He would not compromise with evil nor would he resort to violence. He did everything in his power to arouse the American conscience toward constructive democratic change.”

The Rev. Sholin added, “although the human symbol is dead, the American dream of which he spoke so eloquently and for which he worked and died, must become a reality as all Americans dedicate themselves to fill this void and follow this dream.”

University of Arizona students and faculty will start a silent vigil at 10:30 a.m. today in front of the Student Union Building in memory of the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

“I’ve heard they’ll stand anywhere from 30 minutes to two days,” said Stephen Z. Malkin, a liberal arts union who was elected president of the student body Wednesday.

Memorial services for Dr. King will be held at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 210 E. Lester St., at 7:30 p.m. tonight. A revival scheduled last night also was turned into a memorial service.

Standing Ovation in 1962

King Visited Tucson Twice

The Rev. Martin Luther King, killed yesterday by a Memphis assassin, was no stranger to Arizona audiences. The nation’s foremost civil rights leader has appeared twice in Tucson and twice in Phoenix since 1959.

Not all of the Nobel Peace Prize winner’s memories of Arizona are filled with sunny skies and waving palms. In September 1959, Dr. King recounted a personal experience with discrimination to a Sunday Evening Forum audience at the University or Arizona.

He said he and some companions had stopped to spend the night at a Phoenix motel. “Even though the vacancy signed were up,” the Negro leader said, “we were informed that they had just rented the last room.”

“At one place,” he continued, “we watched and saw some white people check in. We had to sleep in our car all night. The next morning we went into a restaurant to get breakfast. They told us they didn’t serve Negroes. They were very apologetic about it, but we couldn’t get breakfast!”

King was to have made another forum appearance in March 1959, but had to cancel because he was recuperating from a stab wound inflicted by a Negro woman in New York City.

The Negro minister also spoke before the Sunday Evening Forum in March 1962, when he used the occasion to announce he would submit to President John F. Kennedy a second emancipation proclamation aimed at abolishing discrimination in housing, education and employment.

The Tucson audience gave King a standing ovation after he hammered hard for 55 minutes on the thesis that integration was progressing, had a long way to go but would triumph eventually.

Sr. King returned to Arizona in May 1964, to speak at a Spiritual Crusade rally in Phoenix. He returned to Phoenix a month later and sharply criticized the campaign of Arizona favorite-son Barry Goldwater for the GOP presidential nomination. He said then that a Goldwater victory would be a setback to civil rights.

“We would not have the kind of executive support we would need to solve our civil rights problems if he is nominated and elected,” King said. “There will be virtually no Negroes who will vote for him.”

Young Negroes Disquiet Tucson

Scattered bands of Negro youths roamed the downtown Tucson area late last night throwing rocks and bottles at passing motorists.

Tucson police also reported several gunshots in the Mansfield Park area near the KGUN-TV studio, the same area in which disturbances broke out last year.

A fire was reported at a business establishment at 3rd St. and Tyndall Ave. Two engine companies responded to the blaze.

The fire had been brought under control at press time, but the extent of damage was undetermined.

Mayor James Corbett arrived at City Hall shortly after the first reported of the vandalism.

Between 10:40 and 11 p.m., police reported four groups of 30, 15, 7 and 24 youths wandering up and down downtown area streets.

Shortly after 11 p.m. the large brands broke into groups of three and four and continued tossing rocks and bottles at cars.

Police said the windows of the Ryan Evans Drugstore at 5th and Congress had been smashed.

Tucson police had more than 60 patrolmen, in uniform and in plain clothes, patrolling the troubled area.

Tucsonan Gives $500 To Begin Scholarship

A Tucsonan, who wishes to remain anonymous, has donated a $500 check to the Star toward the establishment by the Tucson chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People of a scholarship fund for Negro dropouts from high school.

The Tucson, in presenting the check to the Star editor, said she hopes other Tucson’s will respond and that the fund might grow to perhaps $100,000. Robert L. Horn, president of the Tucson chapter of the NAACP, lauded the gift and said he hope others would come as its result.

“This is an excellent idea,” Horn said. “Certainly we appreciate the suggestion that the NAACP be used as the vehicle. We already have a fund for this purpose and we will welcome additions to it. We long have felt that scholarship aid should start below the college level, for money is a critical factor with many youths in getting through high school. It does no good to have scholarship help awaiting the college level unless such students can be gotten through high school.”

Contributions can be sent to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund, Tucson chapter, NAACP, care of the Star, P.O. Box 5058, Tucson 85703.

UA Vigil Marred By Vandalism

Student Leaders Quiet Demonstrators

By JUDY DONOVAN

An aftermath of the slaying of Martin Luther King stirred reactions of prayer, tearful pleas for non-violence and some vandalisms on the University of Arizona campus yesterday.

A group estimated by University police at 300 to 400 persons, about 120 of them Negro Tucson High School students, gathered at 10 a.m. on the grass beside the UA Student Union for a silent vigil commemorating the famous Negro leader who was assassinated Thursday night in Memphis.

On the way to the observance, a few of the high school students damaged at least five automobiles parked in front of Arizona Hall, a woman’s dormitory on East 5th Street and Park Avenue, despite attempts by other Negro boys and girls in the group to prevent the vandalism.

Jeanine Farmer, a resident of Arizona Hall who watched the occurrence from her windows, said, “They banged in the tops of cars, ripped a convertible top, broke some windows and tried to tip over a Volkswagen.”

The group then proceeded toward the Student Union and according to reports by UA security supervisor Douglas C. Paxton, an unidentified white law student was “roughed up” in front of the Arizona State Museum.

“He got some bruises but there was no serious damage,” said Paxton. “A few of the boys were upsetting garbage cans along the way but most of them were well-behaved kids who tried to hold down the ones that were causing trouble.”

Robert L. Houston, director of the University physical plant, echoed Paxton’s praise for the Negro students’ effort to calm the excitement, and said the student body president, Bob Moore, who is also a Negro, was an enormous help in keeping youths orderly.

Tucson High assistant principal, Dareld Hendrickson, commented that the students were allowed to leave classes to attend the campus observance if they would bring notes from their parents on Monday stating they were not opposed to their children taking part in the vigil.

At the memorial vigil, the Rev. Clinton Fowler, pastor of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church and a civil rights activist, gradually organized the assembled students and faculty, as individuals expressed their opinions and reactions to King’s death.

One Tucson High student, who tried heatedly to explain his opposition to non-violence, drew the comment from Father Fowler, “We’re not here to indulge our own personal hang-ups, we’re here for Dr. Martin Luther King. Martin and I were getting beaten up for civil still rights when many of you were in diapers.”

All but a couple of the impromptu speakers urged a continuation of King’s tradition of non-violent civil rights action. A Negro UA student from Yonkers, N.Y., Edgar Ramsey, commended the assembled Negroes for the tribute to King, but chided them for the earlier rough treatment of the white students.

Ramsey urged the white people at the gathering to be true to the Negro and not just appear to stand with him.

The half-hour vigil included five minutes of silence for King and prayers led by Father Fowler and the Rev. Don Eckerstrom of the Lutheran Student Center. Tears came to the eyes of many as the group joined in hymns, including “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” the song requested by King just moments before he was struck by a bullet.

Following the observance, a group of more than 20 bearded and long-haired hippies, some of them members of the Student Peace Assn., seated themselves in a circle in front of the Student Union. Joined hands they chanted a mourning monotone and later approached University officials requesting them to lower the U.S. flag at Old Main to half-staff.

UA officials carried out the request once they were notified of a flag-lowering proclamation by President Lyndon Johnson.

Two Juveniles Arrested In Wake Of Marauding

By NICK PROFFITT

Tucson police arrested two juveniles early yesterday morning after bands of marauding youths left several fires and a trail of broken windows in their wake Friday night.

Police said the two youths were turned over to juvenile authorities after they were arrested for tossing a rock through the windshield of a police cruiser.

Late Friday night, fire swept through Clifton Smith Ltd. men’s clothing store at 940 E. 3rd St., causing nearly $105,000 damage. Fire Capt. Ellis Franklin said the blaze was started by a molotov cocktail.

Molotov cocktails were also blamed by fire inspectors for starting fires at Mann Lumber Co., 1909 N. Stone Ave., and at the Harris Bearing and Supply Cp., 430 W. 22nd St. Damage to both firms was slight.

Police also suspect arson in a residence fire at 432 W. 41st St. early yesterday morning. The one-story home, owned by Frank Czatar, suffered $5,500 damage, according to fire officials. A gasoline explosion was cited as the cause of the blaze.

Arson also was blamed for a fire at the Apache Tire Co., 601 N. Stone Ave. The blaze was restricted to a large stack of tires and firefighters had it under control shortly after arriving at the scene.

Large bands of youths began grouping shortly after 10 p.m. Friday and roamed through scattered areas of the city, particularly in the downtown section, before breaking up in smaller groups of three and four.

Tucson police linked several acts of vandalism to the marauders.

The windows of the Ryan-Evans Drugstore at 5th St. and Congress were smashed and $800 worth of plate class at the Circle K market, 36th St. and Campbell, was broken. A band of 15 youths kicked in the windows of the Taco Bell at 828 E. Speedway shortly after midnight Friday.

Reports of smashed windows and damaged automobiles discovered yesterday morning continued to pour into the Tucson Police Dept.

Police also reported several gunshots in the Mansfield Park area.

Later, four young Negro girls walking on 31st St. near Tyndall Ave. told police they were shot at by a carload of Negro males. One of the victims said a yellow car drove by slowly, made a U-turn, and drove past again. Police said someone in the car then fired a shot that struck within 10 feet from the girls.

Tucsonans Mourn Dr. King

Tucson mourned fallen civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. yesterday with a march and rally at City Hall and a memorial service at Randolph Park.

About 100 Negroes and whites, including Mayor James Corbett and several city councilmen, marched from the Mirasol Shopping Center on Tucson’s southside to City Hall. There the marchers sat in the grassy square adjacent to the new City Hall Building and listened to speakers and tapes of Dr. King’s more famous speeches.

Mayor Corbett, wearing a black arm band, told the gathering, “This great land of yours and mine has troubles. I feel there is a duty on my part to respond in kind to the movement of Martin Luther King.”

The march was sponsored by the Afro-American Coordinating Committee. Committee chairman Roy Cooksey congratulated Corbett for marching with the group and congratulated the marchers for keeping the procession orderly.

“I’m happy to see the march was orderly,” the Negro said. “There were some in Tucson who were against the march. These are the people who are afraid of Negroes. I’m not.”

Cooksey urged the young Negroes in the audience to follow the example of Dr. King and work toward equality in a constructive manner.

“You will not throw rocks,” he said. “You try it Dr. King’s way. I know his methods are best. If you give an honest effort and those methods still don’t work out, I’ll help you throw rocks.”

The marchers, many carrying signs reading “The King is with us,” and “We shall not be turned around,” ended the rally by singing “We Shall Overcome.”

The group then disbanded and left City Hall to join nearly 1,000 people at the Randolph Park bandshell for a memorial service for the Rev. King.

Councilman Conrad Joyner announces for the mayor and council that all city flags would be lowered to half-mast until after Dr. King’s burial in Atlanta tomorrow. Tucson NAACP leader Robert Horn flew to Memphis yesterday to attend a memorial march and will go to Atlanta for the funeral.

At the Randolph Park service, ministers from all faiths spoke and Rev. James Milton of Grace Baptist Church told the crowd, “Now Martin Luther King belongs to the ages. His philosophy will live on even though he is physically dead.”

“He is dead,” the Rev. Milton continued, “and the days ahead will determine if there will be further casualties. Government officials, businessmen and educators all will have to determine who other casualties will be.”

He also discussed the plight of Living Negroes.

“There is no greater affront to justice,” he said, “than to require a man have integrity and then deny him a job. There is no greater affront to justice than to tell a man to keep clean and well dressed and then make him live in a slum. There is no greater affront to justice than to deny a man an education and then call him intellectually unfit.”

The hundreds gathered at the bandshell, many of them weeping, then softly sang “We Shall Overcome.”

In other developments yesterday, Dr. King’s office informed the Peace and Freedom Assn. center in Tucson that Mrs. King requests no flowers be sent for the funeral.

However, John Chesshir, director of the local center, said that contributions to continue Dr. King’s work may be sent to the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial Fund, 330 Auburn Ave. N.E., Atlanta, Ga.

Chesshir said the local center, located at 348-C N. Park Ave., has volunteered to coordinate the fund drive here.

Chesshir also announced that 1,800 Tucson’s have signed the memorial forms expressing condolences to Mrs. King. They were mailed to her last night, he said.