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ests Prove Sniper'sIn PoliceBy RICHARD E. MEYERAssociated Press WriterNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Police have identified the sniper they killed on a hotel rooftop as a young Kansas black whose minister says he “hated whitefolks.”Supt. Clarence Giarrusso told a news conference Tuesday that the sniper was Mark J. Essex, 23, of Emporia and added: “There’s some evidence of a conspiracy by other people, butI cannot positively tell you yet.”Six persons were shot to death and 17 injured in the sniping incident.Giarrusso also said:— Ballistics prove a .44Left the Navy Hating White Folks'Mark Essex of Emporia, Kansas Identified as Young SniperEMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — Mark J. Essex’s hometown minister says the young black identified as a sniper killed in New Orleans hated whites. But the local police chief says there’s no evidence here that Essex was connected with militant racial groups.The Rev. W. A. Chambers, pastor of St. James Baptist Church who baptized Essex, says “he always got along fine as a boy. But something happened when he went into the Navy.”When Essex left the Navy nearly three years ago afternounces New nch Policyon reduced prices will go to free lunches if their income is within the guidelines.Parents of students who might now qualify should make application to the individual school.Family Size Maximum Income Guidelines—dollars12,66023,49034,32045,14055,90066,66077,35088,04098,640109,290119,9101210,530Each additionalfamily member620serving 13 months he came home “hating white folks,” the Rev. Mr. Chambers added.Essex, 23, was identified as the young sniper killed by police Sunday in the bizarre New Orleans hotel shooting spree which left six other persons dead and 17 injured.Authorities in New Orleans are not certain whether Essex acted alone or if more than one sniper was involved.Merle Hayes, the police chief in this city of 19,000, said Tuesday that “we have no evidence to support” speculation that Essex was associated with militant groups.John Collier, one of Essex’ friends who went with him to New Orleans about six months ago, agreed. Asked if Essex was a member of the Black Muslims, Collier said:“No. I know he wasn’t associated with them. He didn’t believe in them.”Collier said he returned to Kansas City, but Essex found a job and remained in New Orleans.Chief Hayes said Essex had only two minor traffic violations on his record in Emporia. He had another speeding violation in Pittsburg, where he attended Kansas State Teachers College for one semester before entering the Navy.The Rev. Mr. Chambers, speaking from a Topeka hospital where he is a patient, said he tried to work with Essex on his new-found hatred for whites when he returned home from the Navy.The Rev. Mr. Chambers said “His mother tried to talk tohim, too, but he just wouldn’t listen. He just hated white folks.”The Essex family — the parents, a daughter and three other sons — were reported in se-culsion.The minister’s wife said Essex “came home from the Navy and he couldn’t keep a(Continued To Page 2, Col 1)magnum carbine found next to Essex’ body was the same weapon that killed a young police cadet and wounded a policeman in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve.— Police “have evidence that would lead to both conclusions” — that Essex was the only sniper on the roof of the DownTown Howard Johnson’s hotel, and that one or more fellow snipers were with him and escaped.Asked whether his reference to conspiracy meant he had evidence Essex belonged to a militant organization, Giarrusso said:“I’m not certain about that yet ... (but) conspiracy in the sense that it may have been two, three or four people; a small number — you know, it doesn’t take many to form a conspiracy — who were intent to kill people. And that’s the sum and essence of it.”He said the carbine was the same weapon that cut down cadet Alfred Harrell, 19, as he(Continuf’d To Papp 2 Cot 3sHarry Johnson DiesAt The Age Of 102Harry Johnson, 102-year-oid Wellington resident and a retired Wellington Fire Chief, died unexpectedly at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon at his home 405 N. Park.Harry Johnson was bom in Quincy, 111., on Aug. 7, 1870 and was brought to Wellington by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hen-re Johnson in 1873 when he was three years old. He had lived in Wellington since that time.When he was a young man working in various jobs in Wellington and trying to make a living for his family, he sometime worked for fifty cents a day. He worked at the old Woods Opera House, in the salt mines, for several Wellington theaters as a professional bill poster, did odd jobs of carpentry and plumbing. In addition he had a garden and a cow to help out with his family’s food supply.Then he joined Wellington’s fire department where be worked fnr fiftv-five vars. Dunne hisIn his years on mainstreet as a boy and man, Harry Johnson has known all of Wellington’s famous citizens and he loved especially to tell tales about his good friend “Pawnee Bill.”For many years he lived at 411 N.F, in Wellington, first with his wife and children, then later with his daughter, the late Mrs. Edith Larmore. His son, Ralph Johnson, died a number j of years ago.At the Wellington Centennial Dinner, held at the Wellington Elks Club on April 4, 1971, Harry Johnson was one of the honored and very special guests.Survivors include two granddaughters, Mrs. Louise Sargent, 401 N. Park, Wellington and Guestian Johnson, Clovis, N. Mex.; a grandson, Wilbur Johnson, Clovis, New Mex.: four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Edith Larmore on Sept. 2, 1972.Praver services will be at 11
Newspaper Details
Wellington Daily News
Wellington, Kansas, US
Wed, Jan 10, 1973
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Salina P.
KS, USA 17 Jul 2023
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