Newspaper Page Text
Lee Elder
disappointed
in black press
Page 1
VoLB,No. 49
Receivership
Cop ruling means
more promotions
for black officers
Judge Anthony A. Alaimo’s
decision to place the Augusta
Police Department in
receivership Thursday is more
significant in terms of
promotions than hiring,
according to plaintiff attorney
John H. Ruffin Jr. “That’s
where blacks are being cut
out,” he said.
Only two blacks have been
promoted in the department in
the last six years, Ruffin said,
citing David L. Jones and E.C.
Wilburn, both of whom are
sergeants. Ruffin said those
promotions were made under
the threat of court action.
The list of officers eligible
for promotion contains only
one black and about 10 whites,
Ruffin said. “And they have so
few women (five out of 135).
Oliver was promoted to
lieutenant in 1973 because
former Police Chief James G.
Beck wanted him to be named
affirmative action officer
Ruffin said.
On the other hand, Ruffin
said that since 1973, A.L.
Scott has been promoted from
lieutenant to police chief.
J.L. Jones a black officer
with the vice squad has been
on the force 23 years, and a
white officer with less seniority
has been promoted over him
Ruffin said.
Alaimo said city officials
had agreed to have the
percentage of blacks in the
police department up to 40
percent by September 1977;
The department is presently
Augusta woman
kidnapped by man
inspired by devil
By Rob Green
An Augu«ta woman,
kidnapped by a prison escapee
who said the devil made him
do it, told The News-Reivew,
“1 just thank the good Lord
that everything turned out the
way it did.”
Susan Arlene Baker, 22, was
leaving the Primitive Baptist
Church on Metcalf Street
around 4 p.m. April 6 and was
walking to her car when she
saw a man walking up the
street, she said.
Before she could close the
door of her Mercedes 220 D,
the man, William Joe Gibbs,
was upon her, asking her how
much money she had.
Gibbs told her that if she
did not try anything she would
not be hurt. He told her to get
over, she said. “He did not
force his way in. He had to
wait until I moved over before
he could sit down,” Ms. Baker
said.
She offered to take him
anywhere he wanted to go if he
would let her drive, she said,
“but he would not stand for
that.” He said he could not
catch the bus because “they”
would be looking for him.
Auniuita Nma-ltariein
only 36 percent black.
The judge appointed Police
Chief Scott to be the receiver
and affirmative action officer
Lt. Hansel Johnson as his
assistant. Asked by city
attorney Sam McGuire if
Johnson’s position meant that
he was over all of the captains
in the police department, the
judge replied, “You’re a
lawyer. You figure it out.”
Ruffin said he felt the judge
wanted to have one person he
could hold responsible for
getting the job done rather
than continuing to deal the
five-man Civil Service
Commission which has had
jurisdiction of hiring and
promotion in the police and
fire departments.
The commission will no
longer have authority to hire,
fire and promote. However, it
will continue its authority in
the fire department.
Ruffin said he was
disappointed with the ruling.
“1 thought there should have
been a fine and some back pay
awarded (to the black officers).
He said the fine should be a
“deterrent... some kind of
sanction” against the
defendants who “disobeyed
the order of this court.’
The police department has
been under court order to
increase the number of blacks
and women in the department
since March of 1973. At that
time blacks made up 18
percent of the force.
Gibbs said he knew how to
drive, but Ms. Baker said she
“regretfully” had to show him
how to start the diesel engine.
Stopping in a vacant lot on
Milledge Road, Gibbs took a
drinking glass from the car and
broke it in half telling Ms.
Baker that if she did anything
foolish he would cut her
throat.
At this point, Ms. Baker said
she realized that the man had
been virtually unarmed. He
then began to drive around
Augusta “aimlessly” and Ms.
Baker asked him where he
wanted to go. He said
Statesboro, and she directed
him to Highway 25. Gibbs
promised to let her go in
Statesboro.
On the way to Statesboro,
Gibbs told Ms. Baker that he
had escaped from prison where
he was serving a 20-year
sentence for breaking and
entering. “He said the devil was
really in him to be doing
something like this,” Ms. Baker
said.
See “KIDNAPPED”
Page 6
Augusta woman
kidnapped by man
inspired by devil
Page 1
P.O. Box 953
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JI
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mJ O
Gary Player
Lee Elder 7th in Masters,
disappointed with black press
*
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I V
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Lee Elder
Deadline, Wednesdays
Ann Brown
elected president
of Women Voters
Page 2
April 21,1979
At the Masters
Gary Player lauds Elder,
balks on majority rule
By Mallory K. Millender
South African Gary Player
had just completed the 18th
hole Sunday, effectively ending
his reign as Master’s champion.
“But that apparently was the
last thing on his mind. He
seemed to want to talk.
1 was standing between the
clubhouse and the 18th hole
chatting with former County
Commissioner Edward
Mclntyre when Player walked
up, smiled, and extended his
hand. He didn’t know us.
We exchanged greetings and
complimented him on his
round for the day. It was clear
that he was in no hurry to
leave the sun-drenched greens
of the Augusta National.
He was careful to point out
that he’s a professional golfer
h-nd not a politician, hut he did
not avoid any of my questions.
“I don’t think that black
majority rule is a good thing at
this stage,’’ he said. “The
standard of education among
blacks has not reached the
standard it should. It will take
some time.”
I was quick to remind him
that whites in this country
used the same argument to
keep blacks for assuming
Lee Elder, the only black
golfer to play in the Masters,
was critical Sunday of the
coverage he has received from
the black press.
“The black press coverage
could certainly improve,” he
said. Take this tournament, 1
don’t think the black press has
sent anyone here.”
Elder didn’t realize that he
was talking to a representative
of the black press.
Press passes are not provided
for weekly newspapers at the
Masters. Weeklies receive the
same admission badge as
paying customers. But they are
not identified as press, and
cannot take in a camera or tape
recorder.
All of the more than two
hundred black papers in the
continental United States are
weeklies except the Atlanta
Daily World, the Chicago Daily
Defender and the New York
Challenge. Elder’s wife, Rose,
said they gave an exclusive
interview to Ebony Magazine
that was never printed.
Elder fired an even par 71
Sunday. Commenting on his
Masters play this year, he said,
“I hit the ball well, but 1 didn’t
putt well. The greens were very
positions of leadership.
“Your level of education
was much higher than in South
Africa. You can’t make
comparisons between the two
countries,” he said, adding that
education among non-whites in
South Africa is rapidly
improving.
“1 have never believed in
apartheid (racial segregation),
and I’ve always stood up and
said that.”
Asked what he would expect
to happen if black majority
rule were achieved, he said “I
don’t know. 1 just don’t know.
Rhodesia will be interesting to
watch.” Majority rule elections
will be held there Tuesday.
Blacks and whites in South
Africa have a genuine love for
each other, Player said,
occasionally stopping to sign
autograph books shoved in
his face from the crowd that
had gathered around him.
“I have been all over the
world and I have never seen
black and whites who have as
much genuine love for each
other as in South Africa. There
are extremists on both sides,
but I’m talking about blacks
and whites in South Africa
generally.
slow, knowing how fast they
have been in the past.”
By finishing in the top 24 in
the Masters, Elder assured
himself an invitation to return
next year.
Last year was his best
money winning season on the
pro tour. He earned $153,000,
placing 13th among the top
money winners. The biggest
part of that came when he won
the Westchester Classic, which
until last year awarded the
largest purse on the circuit,
$60,000.
This year Elder will compete
in the British Open and the
Rider Cup. Both will be firsts
for a black golfer.
Mrs. Elder, who travels with
her husband serves as his
manager, said they have always
been especially well-received in
Augusta. “We have adopted an
Augusta family, Dr. and Mrs.
Julius Scott. They have really
been especially hospitable,
making sure that we are taken
care of, that all of our people
are picked up at the airport.”
Mrs. Elder has eight sisters
and brothers who come to the
Masters each year.
» » VZA<V»A
in murder
of husband
Page 1
Less than 75% Advertising
“1 do not agree with Andrew
Young’s ideas. I agree with
some of the things he says. I
don’t even know what all of his
views are.
But you must always have
respect for the other man’s
point of view. You must be
prepared to listen and discuss
the other man’s point of view.”
Player said that the State
Department should give black
golfer Lee Elder a Medal of
Service for his contributions to
race relations in South Africa.
“He came to South Africa
when many people said he
should not. Since then we have
one of the most integrated golf
circuits in the world.
“Elder played a great role in
this coming about. Here you’ve
got only five or six black
golfers on the PGA circuit.
We’ve got 40 or 50.
“l n South Africa we have
black leaders that stand up and
say what they like. In another
six months all sports in South
Africa will be completely
integrated.
I have tremendous optimism
about South Africa because we
have good white leaders, good
black leaders, good colored
leaders and good Indian
leaders.”
Woman charged in
murder of h usband
An Augusta woman was
charged with the murder of her
husband who died from a gun
shot wound received during a
struggle between the couple for
the firearm.
Mrs. Essie Lee Ghant said
that she returned home from
work about 3:40 on Sunday
afternoon and found her
husband drunk. Around 11:30
p.m. her husband started an
argument and picked up a
hammer and started following
her around the house, she said.
She said she went to the
Burglar demands
sex and money,
gets shot at
Awakened by a noise in her
Magnolia Lane home last
Tuesday between 2:15 and
2:30 a.m., a young woman saw
a man standing at the foot of
her bed.
The unknown man
demanded that the woman
have sex with him or he would
kill her. The woman refused
and the man got into the bed
with her. She rolled off the bed
onto the floor and saw that the
intruder had a .25 caliber
pistol, according to police
reports.
The man demanded all her
money, but she refused that,
too. He then layed the pistol
on the bed. got on the floor
Says Dent
lacks desire
Gary Player, last year’s
Masters champion was recently
quoted as saying Augusta
native Jim Dent who plays on
the PGA Tour does not have
“the real, burning desire” that
it takes to be an outstanding
tournament player.
Player expanded on those
comments Sunday. He told
The News-Review: “I think
he’s got unbelievable potential,
a great swing; he hits the ball
so far. I’d give anything to hit
the ball like he can.
“But I don’t think he drives
himself hard enough to reach
the potential that he has. I’d
just love to see a man with that
much potential have more
motivation.
“Maybe he’s got so much
talent that he doesn’t feel that
he has to work as hard to
exploit it.
“A lot of guys hit the ball
well. But it takes desire and
dedication, not just a good
swing.”
bedroom and got a .38 revolver
and came back into the den.
Her husband grabbed her and
they began struggling over the
weapon when it went off, she
told police.
Mrs. Ghant said she drove
her husband to the hospital.
The bullet entered the man’s
upper right chest and exited his
left shoulder, reports show.
Ghant was pronounced dead
on arrival at University
Hospital.
Mrs. Ghant was charged with
murder.
and started to kiss the woman.
She began screaming for help,
grabbed the gun, and tried to
shoot the man, but the gun was
empty.
The man grabbed the gun
and fled south toward
Chestnut Street. The woman
fired after him with her own
gun.
The man entered through a
kitchen window, police
discovered. Efe was wearing a
brown shirt, beige cap and was
mustached wh a goatee and
long sidebums. He is said to be
about 5’4” tall and weighs
150-160 lbs. with a medium
afro.
25 e