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Michael Jackson’s Morris Brown 43 Debt II Ann Johnson
dancing inspired awards doctorate to be pr v es new
by James Brown to Hosea Williams Friday nigm t show
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Augusta Neuis-Seuieiu
VOLUME 13 NUMBER 52
Jones testifies against Mclntyre
by Olando Hamlett
A jury of nine whites and three
Blacks this week began hearing the
testimony in the federal bribery
and extortion case of Mayor Ed
ward M. Mclntyre.
Defense attorney John H. Ruf
fin Jr. unsuccessfully tried to have
the jury “quashed” because of an
inadequate number of Blacks on
the jury and because the
prosecution struck seven of the 10
potential Black jurors. Prosecuting
attorney Leon Barfield countered
that Ruffin had used all of his
strikes against whites, adding that
“what’s good for the geese is good
for the ganders.”
To which Ruffin replied,
“We’re not dealing with geese and
ganders.”
Judge Dudley Bowen denied the
motion to quash the jury which
consists of five women and seven
men. The three Blacks are men.
In their opening arguments,
Barfield told the jury “This is a
case about greed. It’s about a
violation of the public trust.”
Ruffin told the jury the case is
about a dedicated public servant,
family man and churchgoer who
fell victim to the whealing and
dealing of Joe Jones —whom he
described as a political' enemy of
Mclntyre—and L.D. Waters, who
did not like the way Mclntyre was
awarding contracts to develop city
owned property along the Savan
nah River.
Jones, 37, said that he and
Mclntyre have been friends for 30
years. In his cross examination,
defense attorney Robert Fierer
pointed out that 30 years ago Jones
would have been seven years old
and Mclntyre 22.
Jones admitted that he suppor
ted Mclntyre’s opponents in races
where Mclntyre has run for public
office, and that he only supported
him for mayor the day before
Morris Brown awards Hosea
Williams honorary doctorate
Georgia State Repre. Hosea L.
Williams recently received a Doc
tor of Laws degree from Morris
Brown College during its Foun
der’s Day Convocation.
Accepting the degree, Williams
said, “This is the pinnacle of my
58 years of living.”
Williams ran away from his
home in Attapulgus, Ga. at the age
of 13 when a white mob tried to
lynch him; he fought in the United
States Army; taught high school
and worked as a research chemist
for the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
In 1963, he joined Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. and the civil rights
movement full time. During those
25 years, he organized and led
many marches, demonstrations,
and pickets against racism and
laws he felt were unjust.
Williams, a candidate for
Georgia’s sth U.S. Congressional
seat, said, “I have never forgotten
my past....l have never forgotten
where I came from. Even though
I’ve dined with heads of states, I
am not too good to serve the least
among us.” He adds, “These are
my people.”
Williams, a 1951 graduate of
Morris Brown College, now serves
on its Board of Advisors.
• -
s 4 MB
Edward M. Mclntyre
Mclntyre was elected.
Jones said that after Mclntyre
was elected, State Rep. Charles
Walker and State House candidate
Henry Ingram went to Mclntyre to
smooth things out. Walker and
Ingram went to the mayor on their
own, Jones said.
Mclntyre is charged with using
his office to extort money from
businessmen seeking contracts
with the city. Jones was named a
co-conspirator with the mayor in a
federal indictment after the two
men were arrested in December.
Jones pleaded guilty earlier this
month.
Defense attorneys described
Jones as a man who used Mcln
tyre’s name without the mayor’s
knowledge to lend credibility to
M. v
■ - r
Hosea Williams
Morris Brown is a four-year
liberal arts college which was
founded by the African Methodist
Episcopal Church by Blacks, for
Blacks, in 1881. Presently it has an
enrollment of 1,294 students and
42 fields of specialization.
Dr. Robert Threatt, president of
Morris Brown, in granting
Williams his degree said his alma
mater was rendering him a well
deserved tribute specifically for his
crucial but unheralded con-
1
I r J A.
Joseph Jones
Jones’ threats of extortion. “Joe
Jones,” said Ruffin, “was
wheeling and dealing for Joe
Jones.”
One of the tapes of Jones says,
“It took me a long time to learn
this game for what it is. Everything
is a deal.”
Any payments arranged by the
mayor from developers, according
to defense attorneys, were
legitimate contributions. The at
torneys portrayed Waters as a man
so “obsessed with the idea that he
alone should develop the city’s
waterfront that he went to the FBI
with a plan to discredit the mayor
when it appeared things mightnot
go his way.
But Barfield described a pattern
of official corruption dating back
tributions to the advancement of
the civil rights struggle of the last
two decades.
Said Threatt, reading from a
prepared resolution, “The
movement needed an experienced
specialist in group dynamics with
the ability to identify with the
masses, articulate their concerns in
their language, muster scattered
forces to the streets and persuade
them to attend rallies in throngs.
That master, person was Hosea L.
Williams.”
Dr. Threatt continued, “The
movement advanced because of
demonstrably fearless activists
whose strength of commitment to
its causes exceeded personal safety,
social approval and economic
gratification. Among the most
illustrious of these soldiers of the
movement was, and is, Hosea L.
Williams.”
Said Williams, “...And, as Dr.
King accepted the Nobel Peace
Prize on behalf of the
struggle—the many young men
and women who died in those mar
ches, pickets and demon
strations —scores of them went to
their graves; others bled across the
southland—many others landed in
jail—on behalf of the struggle to
redeem the soul of the nation, I
thank you.”
April 28, 1984
to Mclntyre’s first year in office in
1982. The government’s
case—built around Jones’
testimony and tape-recorded con
versations involving Waters, Jones
and Mclntyre—involves a number
of prominent citizens, including
former Mayor Lewis “Pop”
Newman. It focuses specifically on
two projects.
The first concerned a contract
for a $785,000 study to determine
whether a hydroelectric plant on
the Augusta canal was feasible.
Jones testified that after his initial
conversation with the mayor about
seeking payoffs, he approached
Newman, a partner in a local
engineering consulting firm, with
an offer to award the firm the con
tract in exchange for SIO,OOO. He
Michael Jackson says
James Brown, Jackie
Wilson inspired dancing
Singer—dancer—songwriter
Michael Jackson reveals his private
thoughts about the inspirations
and aspirations that helped him
become “the world’s greatest en
tertainer,” in the May Ebony.
Jackson says he draws his
greatest inspiration from God,
who he says is the author of his
songs, and all ten members of his
immediate family. He was also in-
11 1
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MICHAEL JACKSON—the “World’s famous, pauses for a rare moment to relax
Greatest Entertainer”—who reveals that he away from the spotlight,
always thought he’d become rich and
Less than 75 percent Advertising
and the mayor would split the
money evenly, Jones said.
The firm got the contract. Jones
said he went to Newman deman
ding the payoff, but that it never
materialized because Newman’s
partners balked at the deal.
“When you and Mclntyre*
discussed the SIO,OOO for the
hydroelectric project, did Mcln
tyre discussed the SIO,OOO for the
hydroelectric project, did Mcln
tvre indicate anv reluctance to
sacrifice his integrity for $5,000?”
asked Barfield.
“No sir,” replied Jones.
The second deal, according to
prosecutors, involved kickbacks
Mclntyre allegedly sought from
Waters in return for a contract to
develop a parcel of city property
spired by the raw passion of Jackie
Wilson and the fancy footwork of
James Brown as he watched and
learned from them backstage at the
Apollo Theatre in New York.
His aspirations became evident
at the age of five when he told his
kindergarten teacher he wanted to
grow up to become a great enter
tainer. Jackson has certainly
achieved that goal evidenced by his
stellar list of accomplishments that
on the Savannah River. Mclntyre’s
relationship with Waters was
initially founded on “good
business, “Barfield said, “but over
a period of time, the conversations
turned from betterment of the city
to ways Mclntyre could enrich
himself.”
The defense argued that Mcln
tyre was under the impression a
$14,000 payment he was to have
received from Waters was money
from the sale of tickets to a cam
paign dinner.
Mclntyre, 52, has appeared at
the courtroom each day with his
wife Juanita, and his mother.
The Rev. Essie Mclntyre. Looking
confident and relaxed, he chats
amiably with supporters and
reporters during recesses.
include eight Grammy Awards,
eight American Music Awards and
inclusion of his “Thriller” LP in
the Guiness Book of Records.
Jackson, 25, has now added
another first to his accomplish
ments by becoming the youngest
person ever to be selected one of
the 100 Most Influential Black
Americans. This prestigious list of
eminent men and women is also in
the May issue of Ebony.
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