Gideon's Trumpet

by Anthony Lewis

  I suppose, I am what is called individualist a person who will not conform. Anyway my parents where always quarreling and I would be the scapegoat of those quarrels. My life was miserable. I was never allow to do the things of a ordinory boy.

  At the age of fourteen year, I ran away from home, I accepted the life of a hobo and tramp in preference to my home. In a month or so I made it to California. At this time I begin to learn the facts of life. How good people can be and how bad they can be I wandered around over the west for all most a year and came back to Missouri. When to my mother’s brother and started living with him until my mother found out where I was at and she came and got me. Had me place in the jail at Hannibal which I excaped from the next day and went back to the country to hide out at this time it was extremely cold weather and a short time later I burglarist a country store for some clothes which I was caught the next day by the store owner with all the clothes on. I was tried in juvnile court in Ralls County Missouri. My mother ask the court to send me to the reformatory which they did for a term of three years. Off all the prisons I have been in that was the worst I still have scar on my body from the whippings I recieved there anyway I was paroled after a year. I was then sixteen years old. Paroles did not mean much in those days. I went to work in the shoe factory at two dollars a day. But was soon put on a piece work job where I made about twenty-five dollars a week I soon married a girl my own age and started a home of my own we done very well together for better than a year until I got without a job and I comitted some crimes in 1928. I was caught and thru a court appointed attorney was sentenced to the Missouri Prison for ten years for robbery with three sentences of Burglary and larcney running concurantly. I was eighteen years of age at this time and prisons where bad in those days. This prison had about five thousand inmates at that time and at the end of three years and four months I was paroled as I said before paroles did not mean much then.

  When I was released, around the sixth of January 1932. I was twenty-two years old. This was in the middle of the depression years and jobs just could not be found even for experence labor and trades. I know nothing but shoe factory which I worked at in prison. I lived by my wits and only had one job in a shoe factory up to sometime in later part of 1934. When I was arrested for stealing government property to wit a armory. I was tried in Federal Court and on a plea of guilty was sentenced to Ft. Leavenworth Kansas prison for a term of three years with a concurant sentence of three years for conspiracy. I worked in shoe factory again. During this time I saved a little money that I was paid by the prison my parents had lost their home during the depersion. So I sent them my money to make a down payment on another place. I done a little over two years and was released on contional release January 1937. There still where not any jobs all though the government was helping the people by this time I was not entitled to any of this because by this time I am a outcast.

  During the years of 1937 thru 1940 I done the same as always was arrested in Pike County Mo. some time in Later part of 1939 and escaped from jail was arrested about a year later in Adrain County Mo. for the crime of Burglary and Larcney was tried under the second affender law by a jury and was found guilty, sentenced to state Prison for a term of ten years for Burglary and five years for Larcney to run concurantly admitted to Prison December 31st 1940 escaped from Prison in September of 1943. I falsified a personal record and draft card, went to work in train service as a brakeman. Southern Pacific Railroad in Houston Texas. Work there during the war. Until October of 1944. When I was caught thru the wanted list of the True Detective Magazine, taken back to Mo. state and stayed there until January of 1950 when I was released. Went back to Texas and started gambling was married to Virgil Hoff in 1950 seperated in 1951. Was arrested in Orange County Texas in July of 1951 and on a plea of guilty was sentenced to the State Prison for a term of two years in about thirteen months I was released. Went back to Orange Texas to live. Worked as a cook on tug boat out of Orange Texas and gambled. Taken sick and broke down with Tuberculosis of my right lung in april of 1953. Was hospitalized in the Marine Hospital, U.S. Public Health Service at New Orleans and recieved medical treatment for about eighteen months in October of 1954 received surgery of a section of the upper lobe of my right lung. Left the Hospital for Christmas of 1954. Went back to my mother’s at Hannibal Mo for a visit on New years day of 1955, married Mrs. Velma Cooper of Hannibal. We went back to Orange Texas to live. At this time I had quite a lot of money and I bought a the Orange Domino Club there a Pool hall, domino’es and beer palor. about six months later I left my wife and sued her for divorce which was granted thirty days later. In October, 1955, I married my present wife, Ruth ada Babineaux. Ruth worked for me at this time and I seen her beat down in a Court Room at Orange for the custody of her two boys Ralph Babineaux who is now thirteen years old and Joe Babineaux who is now twelve years old they were taken by thier father Sofastand Babineaux of Lake Charles La. Ruth had a daughter Donna Marie who remained in her custody Donna is now seven years old. Later I married her and taken Donna out of a Foster Home I remember it cost me eighty dollars, and a short time after our marriage I taken back the two boys. In July of 1956 my first boy was born Ronald Earl Gideon who is now six years old. At this time I sold the Domino Club for two thousand dollars to Mr. Roy H. Stokes who now lives at 501 Duval street, Tallahassee Florida. I went back to working tug boats and gambling. On December 31st 1957 my second boy was born David Wayne Gideon who is now almost five years old. I started another place of business in Orange some time in 1957 which was never very successful I worked most of the time then as a guard or watchman for the Orange protective association. I decided to leave Orange because my personal record was holding me down so I came to Panama City, Florida. I went to work as a Auto Electric mechanic and a month later my wife sold out the place in Orange Texas which was named Smitty’s Bar. The same being my nick name which I recieved from my Alias name when I worked on the railroad of Barney Adrian Smith. She brought the children and came to Panama City at this time we had five children. I found that the standard of living and wages in Panama City was much lower than those of Texas and I just barely could get by so I started gambling again. I run afoul of a poker game which was run by Mr. J.C. Tyndall of Springfield Fla. which is ajoining Panama City but has it’s own municipality. I believe that the only organize crime in this state is in this form. Which consist of a mayor who is also Judge about three commissioners a chief of Police and a night policeman Anyway J.C. Tyndal had been a commissioner but was not at this time. He was running this Poker game close by my house and I am known as a mechanic in playing cards. I beat this game serval times the last time for about one hundred and fifty dollars. This game was protected by the chief of Police a man by the name of Charlie Kitteral. I was arrested by him and charge with Breaking and Entering to comitt a misdemeanor. This was July of 1959 I was placed in County Jail never given a hearing nor preliminary Trial and on 16th of September I went to trial without counsel, the Court refused to give me counsel. There was only one witness ever to take the stand that was J.C. Tyndal the Trial Judge the late Clay E. Lewis stop the trial and give me a direct virdict of not guilty, with the District attorney asking the court to hold me so he might file further charges. The judge allowed him three days after five days I was released after filing a petition for a writ of Habeas Corpus. J.C. Tyndall a few months later was arrested and convicted of transporting whiskey was sentenced to two years by Federal court to U.S. Prison Tallahassee Florida.

  My youngest child and daughter was born April 30th 1959. So this left my wife with six children. During the time I am in jail my wife went to work in a Beer joint in order to feed the children because we where not entitled to welfare. Please bare in mind that this part of the Country is in what is known as the Bible Belt, practically everone is a good Christian, there is lot of churches. During my time in jail the welfare Dept. decided that my children where not being taken care of proper which they where not. They taken the children and placed them in F
oster Homes My wife broke over this and started to drink and I don’t think she ever got over it.

  When I was released from jail I went back to work that day as a Auto Electric Mechanic on commission basis I hunted up my wife and went to the welfare and got my children. But my wife was to far gone to straiten out and I could get no help from the social workers Once hearing a wise old Doctor say that the best thing for a poor person who did not have the money to hire psychiatry, the best thing is to send them to church. So I decided to use the church. I do not like the idea of forcing my children are enticing them to believe in any certain religion but I have always wanted them to learn the moral respect that the people of this country has and of all the great religions I have pick the christian religion because it is based on love. So in my desperation I pick a Baptist church because that had been my church when I was a little boy Now I class that organization in the same class as I do the K.K.K. Because they hate to many persons and things anyway for the want of something better I took this way

  I started ever Sunday morning of dressing the children and myself up and going to the Cedar Grove Baptist church at Cedar Grove Florida another one of those little municipality I mention before I believe it is listed as one of the worst speed traps not to even be on a major highway by the A.A.A. The people of the church accepted my children with all thier heart but me they just tolerated cause they where mind. My strategy worked my wife decided to go to church with us so I bought her some new clothes and she took a big interest in everthing.

  About this time I took down sick with a terriable pain in my chest having no money I went to the county clinic for a X ray and later went to the Welfare the family service of Panama City. They would not help but sent me to the hospital and the Doctor on duty Doctor Webb sent me back to the County Clinic for Sputum Test. At this time the family service paid my rent. The first sputum test that went to the hospital at Tallahassee, Fla. The W.T. Edwards Hospital. Came back positive. The County Nurse was there next day asking me to sign papers to go to the Hospital at Tallahassee which I did. I did not work no more nor did I go to church any more. The welfare or rather the family service gave us ten dollars a week then and until I went to the Hospital which was December 31st 1959.

  My wife’s interest in the church had matured to the point that when I went to Hospital the church was practicable taking care of my family. But did you ever try to take care of six children on a bill for ten dollars in groceries.

  I sent my wife to the Dept. of Public welfare and they said they would investigate which after a time a month or two they said they could not pay my family the American Child Support which in this state is only eighty-one dollars a month they rejected it on account of my record of course my wife’s too. Now most of this money comes to the states to be admisterated by them, but there is restrictions on not giving it to needy children. I don’t know for sure but I can find out and I will. That most of the dollar that comes to this state goes to the cost of admisteration and not to needy children.

  In the meantime the church is helping to take care of the children and after three months of examinations the staff of Doctors diagnosed my trouble as Atypical tuberculosis. That there was a infection in my lung and I would have to have surgery. Remember, I had surgery before and I hated to take it again but I sign for it.

  I am treated the best of kind in this Hospital any thing I want chicken ever day. Can you imagine how I felt ever time I ate my meals of steak and chicken when I would think of my children hoping they had anything at all.

  After more examinations I was put to surgery by a master Doctor but I still hardly made it after about two months I begin to get better my wife had quit writing to me and I heard thru different sources that she had quit the church and started back to drinking. I left the hospital and went home and the stories I had heard where true my wife was working in a jute joint and the children where taking care of thier self my wife was living with another man and after the fight and everthing. They had me arrested. But failed to press charges against me so the County hung a drunk charge on me rather than stay in jail I had a friend pay my fine and I went back to Hospital which I left before very long against medical advise. I went to Baton Rouge La, where I had friends and went to work. I sent my wife twenty dollars a week for the children (at this time I was a very unhappy man and I had been hook on drugs during my surgery and recovery which I know now affected me than.) After about a month and a halve I recieved one of my money orders back. I was cooking on a spud barge and we where down in the swamps at Golden Meadows La. then. I called the officer of the Juvnile Court in Panama City and ask him about my children. He told me that the Court had the children but he did not know about my wife. So I made arraignments to go to Panama City the next day.

  I went to the Public Welfare and learnt that my wife had given up the children to them and had gotton herself arrested for drunken driving at Blountstown Fla and had been in jail for about thirty days but was out then. also she had recieved three of my money orders and spend them I recovered three which I give to the Welfare Dept. I went and vist the children and contacted my wife so I left her alone

  I made a deal with the welfare Dept to pay them one hundred and eighty dollars a month or forty-five a week I went back to La. and went to work I worked another month and halve and was let go on account of the health Dept. because I left the hospital against medical advice they had turn me in to the La. Health Dept. I came back to Panama City and attempted to make a living by gambling. About then I found out my wife was pregnant. sometime in January I was with a Friend of my Sgt. H. Stickell on Tyndall Air Force Base I had been living at his home for about a month we where building a club for squad service there, when out of the blue sky I was arrested one day he was with me by the F.B.I. office, shrieffs office and the City Detectives of Panama City also they serched St. Stickells home. I was not locked up. There had been a Burglary of the Armory in Panama city. So for no reason except that twenty-five years before I had rob one

  I was still sick and could not make any money. My wife had her baby thru one of those professional dealers in little children. also thru the Public Welfare of Panama City, it seems to me that they approve of a woman doing that away, any way they all wanted me to sign the adoption papers for the baby which I did, I was not very happy about the whole thing.

  By this time I realized that I would never be able to live with my wife and make a home for my children and I started to make arraignment to have my sister and mother take my children and to get a divorce from my wife.

  a short time later I was arrested one night in my bed at the Hotel I lived in, for no reason atall, for investigation and vagrancy. Investigation of a two thousand dollar robbery of the Bay Harbor Bar which was across the street from where I lived. After two weeks in jail they put a charge of vagrancy against me a set bond at two hundred dollars in four more days I was arraigned in County Court and plead not guilty and was turn lose. The Public Welfare seem surprised.

  About a month later on June 3rd 1961 I was arrested for the crime I am now doing time on. I was charged with Breaking & Entering to comitt a misdemeanor and was convicted in a trial August 4th 1961 sentenced to State Prison August 27th 1961.

  This charge growed out of gambling and was very near simalar to the charge I was tried on before in Panama City I worked in this place and did run a Poker game there. About a month before the Shrieff had been suspended by the Governor Mr. (Doc) Daffin. In the last election he was elected back to the office and will be back in for a four year term begining the first of the year.

  I did not break into this building nor did I have to I had the keys to the building and if the building was broke into it was done by one of the parties involed. A short time before Ira Strictland and I had a falling out over a Poker Game he was suppose to fix with the Sheriff in Washington County there is a dog racing tract at Eboe a short ways from Panama City and his sister has a sort of motel there. He failed to do it and with the investagation going on in Panama City. I
closed the game there which was not making any money. The State witness Cook who was supposed to identify me. Had a bad police record and the Court would not let me bring that out. Nor that one time I had at the point of a pistal made him stop beating a girl

  I always believed that the primarily reason of trial in a court of law was to reach the truth. My trial was far from the truth. One day when I was being arraigned I seen two trials of two different men tried without attorneys. One hour from the time they started they had two juries out and fifteen minutes later they were found guilty and sentenced. Is this a fair trial? This is common praticed thru most of this state. This penitentiary is full of men who are here with five years for Petty Larcney, drunk and minor sex crimes. Of course this is the Bible Belt and the customs here are a lot higher degree of morals. I am a electrician here and one of my fellow workers has two years for drunk and resisting arrest. Most city Police courts would give a citizen a twenty-five dollar fine for the same charge he was tried without a attorney and convicted. This week he is filing a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of Certiorari to review a writ of Habeas Corpus. This state still runs there courts on the principal of the common law. And there are actual cases here now of citizens who have sentence with no statues covering the charges. The Supreme Court at Florida handed down a ruling last month involing the rights of man to have charges put against him within a resonable time. This man was held for about three weeks befor being charge. They upheld the lower courts one Justice disenting. They said that it was right that that was the law, but this is different. What it amounted to anyway. The one Justices said “That these laws where not made in Jest.” The desenting vote.

  There was not a crime comitted in my case and I don’t feel like I had a fair trial. If I had a attorney he could brought out all of these things in my trial.