On September 1, 1977 the DMN had an article about the repeal
of the 1967 Texas law that required motorcyclists to wear helmets. This is an
ongoing debate that persists to this day. Sometime after this 1977 repeal, the
helmet law was put back on the books. This author remembers the next repeal of
the law in the late nineties. Yep, everyone threw away their helmets (including
me) as we hung out at Blue Goose on Lower Greenville Ave. But as most of us
that continued riding to this day and have “seen the elephant” as they said in
the Civil War and is used by motorcyclists today, most experienced riders (and
there are exceptions and yes it’s a personal choice) would not leave home
without a helmet.
As I said it’s still an ongoing debate and is a touchy
subject to many all these years later.
On another entirely different subject, the Dallas morning
News reported on September 4th that Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell has
stayed the September 13th execution of Edward Lincoln King. The 34
year old man was convicted of killing Dallas police officer Leslie G. Lane. The
attorney for King said that the court had given him until November 5th
to file an appeal on behalf of his client.
The shooting of Officer Lane had happened on March 2, 1974
after a 5 hour spree in which he beat an off-duty female police officer outside
her apartment and kidnapping two other women at the corner of Birmingham and
Oakland.
King was later executed by the State of Texas.
On September 11th an article was written that ironically
had to do with two other Dallas police officer’s widows. The first story was
about how Jeanette Moore, who was the widow of slain DPD officer Alvin Moore,
was coping with life after the death of her husband. Officer Moore was slain on
November 13, 1976 while trying to talk a disturbed teenager into surrendering
his gun. As the DMN reporter asked Jeanette about her life after her husband’s
death, there was a long uncomfortable silence, then she softly said “I really
just don’t want to talk about it.”
Mrs. Moore’s life was further complicated at the time
because a grant of $50,000 from the Law Enforcement Assistance Association
(LEAA) under the Public Safety Benefit Act of 1976 was on administrated hold.
The agency was investigating claims by other survivors of Officer Moore. The
agency said that it would be a month and a half at least before the claims
could be fully investigated.
The mother of the widow of DPD Officer Robert Wood, who was
killed by Randall Dale Adams, 28 of New York on November 28, 1976 said that her
daughter also doesn’t like to talk about the death of her husband. Mrs. Wood
was majoring in business administration at nearby Grayson County Junior College.
She also plays piano at the Calvary Baptist Church in Bonham. She said that her
decision to live alone was made shortly after the death of Officer Wood. “I
knew it would be easier,” she said. “I wouldn’t have any family pressures. At
the time she just wanted to be by herself.”
A couple of months ago in this space we spoke about the new
and controversial plan by the City of Dallas to fine homes and businesses that continually
have false burglar alarms. Two Dallas city councilman were critical of the
plan, which initially charge the offending owners a $50.00 “service charge” for
each burglary alarm after the first four reported by police. There would also
be the fifty dollar fee for the same number of false robbery alarms and a
$100.00 fee for every fire alarm after the first three false reports.
City councilman John Leedom took issue with the city report
of over thirty thousand false burglar alarms in 1976. He said that “The word
false is not really fair. Just because a burglar isn’t at the store when the
police arrive, doesn’t mean he wasn’t jiggling the door trying to gain entry.”
HMMM…
Leedom went on to say that “And what happens to the persons
who have their permits revoked?! Will they just let themselves be robbed or
allow their buildings to burn down?”
Another Dallas city councilman, William Cothrum, who owns an
estimated 30 burglar alarms for his various business’ in Texas, said he
believes the requirements in the ordinance are “bordering on the absurd.” He
said that the only answer to the burglar alarm problem would be a technological
one that would upgrade the quality of the alarms.
Dr. Cates from the City of Dallas reported that 70 percent
of the false alarms reported in 1976 came from only 17 percent of Dallas companies
using alarms.
One other story from September, 1977 comes from the Dallas
County Sherriff’s Department. Their High Sheriff Carl Thomas, who at one point
wanted a General MacArthur type of uniform, was seeking to build a wall
constructed between his largely glass office and the public hallways of the
courthouse ground floor.
Thomas said the wall was not for his personal safety. “I
know someone could shoot me if they wanted to.” Thomas went on to say that ‘” Drunks, everyone
can stagger in here. I had someone come in here and ask me for an aspirin the
other day!”
Sounds like the need for a wall to me.
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