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Ex-Emporia Sniper 'Hated ; White Folks, Says Pastor :EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — A weapon found alongside a dead man atop a New Orleans hotel Sunday night was purchased at the Montgomeiy Ward's store here, James Sarr, store manager, said Tuesday.Police identified the man they said was a sniper as a former Emporia resident, Mark James Robert Essex, 23, He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark H. Essex of Emporia and was known to friends here as Jimmy.”According to information from federal authorities as to the serial number of the rifle involved in the New Orleans shooting and a check of our records, the rifle involved was sold in our Emporia store on April U, 1972,” Sarr said.He would not say what type of rifle it was. Police said they found a .44-caliber Magnum alongside Essex.Essex enlisted in the Navy here Jan. 13, 1969. A Navy spokesman in Washington said he was given a general discharge for unsuitability Feb. 10, 1971.” A discharge of this type, the spokesman said, involves character and behavior diaordets.”The Rev. W. A. Chambers,Mark Essex(1968 yearbook photo)pastor of St. James Bsptist Church, said, I baptized him.He always got along fine as a boy, but something happened when he went into the Navy.” Essex returned from naval service, the Rev. Mr. Chambers said, hating white folks.” The minister, speaking from a Topeka hospital where he is a patient, said:gI tried to work with him on nthis. His mother tried to talk to Fhim, too. But he wouldn’t lis- nten. He just hated white folks.” nEssex’ family — the parents, a daughter and three other sons c— were a good family and the £parents alwayB provided every- athing for their children,” Mr. £Chambers said. “I just don’t aknow what happened.” bThe family was in seclusion. nMrs. Chambers, the minister’s wife, recalled that Essex came home from the Navy and he couldn’t keep a job. He Jcouldn’t stand taking orders from white people.Merle Hayes, Emporia police uchief, said many questions he fielded after Essex’ identity was made known concerned the (youth’s possible involvement with militant groups. Hayes Isaid we have no evidence to (support” this line of inquiry. vWhen he was in Emporia, swhen he lived here, he apparently came from a normal fam- Aily which had no problems at sall” AThe family, he said, reacted like any family would in ,a aim- ailar situation. Of course they uwere shocked and 1 think the ocomraunty has a responsibility hto help them recover from a.i • n •
Newspaper Details
Hutchinson News
Hutchinson, Kansas, US
Wed, Jan 10, 1973
Page 36
Full Page
Clipped by
Salina P.
KS, USA 17 Jul 2023
Other Publications Near Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson Gazette
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