DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Ed Spannaus correspondence, June-September 1964 | 1964-08-12 Ed Spannaus to his parents Page 1

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Ed Spannaus correspondence, June-September 1964

1964-08-12 Ed Spannaus to his parents Page 1

609 Bown
Moss Point, Miss.
12 August 1964

Dear Folks:

Yesterday and today we have had a rather unique experience with an apartment we were using in Pascagoula.  Two of the COFO workers were staying there and I was there quite a bit of the time.  The place is in a city-owned housing project--all Negro   The guy who is renting the apartment was a day late in his rent; generally people are allowed up to a couple of weeks for rent.  But instead of serving us with the legal ten-day eviction notice, the manager took off all the doors and windows!  Even the bathroom and bedroom doors, and the stove.  So ouir lawyer went to talk to him and told him we were staying for ten days, as all the personal belonging of the guy who rents the place are still in there, and this guy is out on a fishing boat all week.  So er slept there last night--along with about ten thousane mosquitoes.  Today when we came back from canvassing, the doors and windows were all boarded up, so I guess we are through there.  Any other place we could sue him, but not in Mississippi.  He told the lawyer that the Citizen's Council was warning him about having COFO workers in the housing project.  And he has been threatened-other tenants with the same thing if they are seen with us.
As I mentioned on the phone, 62 people were arrested here (Pascagouila) so COFO received permission to use a vacant lot owned by a Negro doctor.  The previous Friday the police had arrived when a meeting there was ending and told them they needed a permit for an outside meeting.  Some of the staff went and looked it up and found that there is no ordinance to that effect, so a meeting was scheduled for Tuesday at 5 p.m.  We expected arrests; Jackson said that only four staff people should go.

As people began arriving for the mass meeting, police in cars and motorcycles started coming around.  A COFO;er told the people that they would probably be arrested in a few minutes, and about 12 left.  About five minutes later, they were placed under arrest.  Then a busload of coips arrived and armed with tear gas, riot guns, etc., marched over in formation and surrounded the group.  It was really fantastic.  Then everybody was herded into the police bus and taken to the county prision farm.  I was across the highway by a service drive and would hae also been picked up except for the fact that there were some lawyers with us and the cops were a little confused.

Saving...

609 Bown Moss Point, Miss. 12 August 1964 Dear Folks: Yesterday and today we have had a rather unique experience with an apartment we were using in Pascagoula. Two of the COFO workers were staying there and I was there quite a bit of the time. The place is in a city-owned housing project--all Negro The guy who is renting the apartment was a day late in his rent; generally people are allowed up to a couple of weeks for rent. But instead of serving us with the legal ten-day eviction notice, the manager took off all the doors and windows! Even the bathroom and bedroom doors, and the stove. So ouir lawyer went to talk to him and told him we were staying for ten days, as all the personal belonging of the guy who rents the place are still in there, and this guy is out on a fishing boat all week. So er slept there last night--along with about ten thousane mosquitoes. Today when we came back from canvassing, the doors and windows were all boarded up, so I guess we are through there. Any other place we could sue him, but not in Mississippi. He told the lawyer that the Citizen's Council was warning him about having COFO workers in the housing project. And he has been threatened-other tenants with the same thing if they are seen with us. As I mentioned on the phone, 62 people were arrested here (Pascagouila) so COFO received permission to use a vacant lot owned by a Negro doctor. The previous Friday the police had arrived when a meeting there was ending and told them they needed a permit for an outside meeting. Some of the staff went and looked it up and found that there is no ordinance to that effect, so a meeting was scheduled for Tuesday at 5 p.m. We expected arrests; Jackson said that only four staff people should go. As people began arriving for the mass meeting, police in cars and motorcycles started coming around. A COFO;er told the people that they would probably be arrested in a few minutes, and about 12 left. About five minutes later, they were placed under arrest. Then a busload of coips arrived and armed with tear gas, riot guns, etc., marched over in formation and surrounded the group. It was really fantastic. Then everybody was herded into the police bus and taken to the county prision farm. I was across the highway by a service drive and would hae also been picked up except for the fact that there were some lawyers with us and the cops were a little confused.