1958-08-16 — Page 14

SAZOON

SILVER DO

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, AUGUST, 16, 1958.

THE BOOK PAGE

Sixty years ago there was gun duol in Waco, Texas, Its ochoos have still not died down

TWO MEN DUEL OVER

A GIRL AND HER BABY

IN

by DEE WELLS

by the turmoil of its own adolescence. It was the die hard centre of a bigoted, funda- mentalist Baptist community. It was also a rip-rosting cattle town, offering girls and liquor to local cowboys.

I was a town where men wore guns more easily than neckties, Where, in spile of the disapprov- ng, licensed red light disttlet, boasted having almost as many

ing Baptists, there was a flourish.

And yet it was lown Qat

churches as suloons.

were

full high noon sunshine the dusty main street was hotter than a built-up back street in hell, Cow ponies drooped at tethering rails outside the saloons, and, inside, the ponies' owners drooped over hot poker games and even hotter raw whisky,

Some of them tossed

a matter then, and doesn't matter laconie "Howdy, Will," to now, The other was William

The era of rule by the fastest Cowper Brann. the tall man in a broad-

The crowd, wise to the way draw was not yet past. Law and brimmed stetson nursing a of bullets at 10ft, knew that order

not yet firmly quiet, pint of beer. Others Will Bren's life was finished catablished. ignored him. Some pointed Finished the way, he had lived In 1804, when Brann arrived -not with a whimper but a in Waço, it had two nicknames. ly turned their backs.

bang.

As the Athens of Texas" i The

named Will The dusty cow town Was

was peppered with schools and -owned his beer and pushed When, Texas, The date was colleges, The most important open the double swinging April 2, 1898. Oldtimers in Waco was the Baptist-run Baylor

They University, doors. Outside, he crossed slit talk about this day.

storgue about Brann. The the, swtering, main street, argument nare unew in a strolled past the barber shop book; BRANN AND THE and Finnie Williams's real ICONOCLAST,

Charles estate office. He didn't see Carver (Thomas Nelson, 15s.).

Will Brann, some say, was the large man loitering ter

lying, muckraking, casually in William's door- tongued, Papist-loving trouble Fazer maker, What he got, he had runing.

Way.

EMPTIED GUNS

But the foiterer saw him. And When the man calleg Will was a yard past, the man in the door- way levelled a gun straight at his back.

The gristol boolned like a cat- JH

Ti shot man staggered, Fourly fell, but drew bis gun whirled about, and shot bark bly

Only 10It, away the large man dropped on on knee, a bube in his leg. Both men test again and again, until their guns were empty.

by

Not so, say others, Brann was a fearless, truth-seeking Liberal, A helillant newspaper editor, Murdered in cold blood by an a. danifool, orbery nobody. narrow-minded Baptist whom he didn't even know.

BIGOTED.....

Was.

A SUCCESS But it was also known es "Six Shooter Depot." And the cow- boys, girls, and salvons were

the schools. #xtures of langer standing thun

Brann moved In. He bought a house, And in 1895, on shee- string savings, he launched monthly paper, the Iconoclast.

beyond Texas. 120,000 for tremendous.

Brann's balile

"An Intellectual

Cocktail."

BRANN'S ICONOCLAST.

TURBOLT AMERICAN MADAME

MADENÍM A MEGLE VER

Published Monikiyat Wien Tents

31 Year.

10 Centaur.

Leading newders Excrywhere.

D

+

"It Strikes To Kill"

NEY BOOK DED GAME

Circulation hit The baby died. Stein Morris those days wan tried for rope., The Jury couldn's agree, and bound him aver. Dut before the next court session, Antonia had been bribed in drop the charge and had left the country.

with

A

the skirmish Bapilsin was only und! one scandal caught and held his attention, A Brazilan ziri named Antonis provided the Issue for an all-out war,

Antonia Teixeira had come to Baylor University as a ward of the Baptists when she was 13

She lived with

years old, Baylor's president, the Rev. Rufus Burleson, and his family, where, in return for board and tuition, she helped with housework.

tho

Three years Inter the was front-pago news. Especially in the Iconoclast.

The and story had had a long Brann might have let it run,

THE PARTICIPANTS IN TUŻ MALO QUIL

The duellists Brann (left) and Tom Davis. On the left: an advertisement for Branin'à TECWIDADOR.

She was anopping shut the last suitcase when they brought Brann home. By two o'clock next morning he was dead,

THE NEW

TOP-LINER

W

Can

you name him?

THE CYRIL STAPLETON COLUMN

WHERE are the pop song stars of the future? The entertainment scene is littered with near-stars, young hopefuls, and has-beens.

But the real article-people of That's rich from a dyed-in-the- the calibre of Frankle Vaughan, wool Australian. And yet an- David Whitfield, Ronnie Uitton, other that will figura as an Dickie Valentine, and Alma Eddie Calvert release. Coffatt just doesn't noem to be And casually, Marie tosses in forthcoming.

u mention that she is writing a In the two years Tommy musical show (words, music, Steele has, been prancing around story) singlehanded, in the spotlight no now British Whataboy! The Blur has arrived to offer him

I've been lending an ear to the Waco quietened down

serious competition, extinct.

of volce fiery Iconoclast was

Peter Elliott, Ho Laurie London? The Slamford Carrie and her children moved

Hfl lad worked a near-miracle in Fool Lice An Old Foo!" with the handles "Devotion" and "No back to Oklahoma,

gelling "He's Got The Whole aplomb of a veteran, atill World In His Hands" to the lop

And” `although Waco

drop thes and laken his talents wonder why Tom Davis did it, on bigger crusades. But he is really makes no odds. He could't let it drop. Ifls attacks did what a lot of people would on the Baylor Baptists increased have liked to. He got Brai

In October, 1807, he was kid- naped at pistol point by Baylor students, dragged off with rape around his shoulders and cruelly beaten.

A

create the same

Actually he's a mere 25 and

spot in Amerien. Yet the disc plunged into the entertainment failed to feverish interest in Britain. And me back in 1853 as a chorus the London follow-ups have been boy in the West End stage musical, *Wigit You Wero from the diruppointing

sales lere." Plunged is right! Peter It this curious was national springboard cham- But why did Brann do ? polit of view. why did he almost deliberately vacuum

persists, with neither

diver plan

and represented hor get himself killed

TV, nor even records over an E-

record shows on TV investing England in the 1048 Olymple treated Brazilian wait?

Games, new

with singers

enough It's a sad postscript.

He was singing in a Plecadilly Brann's favourite child was glamour to draw thousands of his daughter Inez. In 1890, she fans to the theatres, then the restaurant when Frank Sinatra whole of show business will be dropped in recently. Sinatra called the Sheerness lad over. facing a big problem, was 13, and very pretty.

Boys pursued her. They hung

"You did a great job," com- Siecle and the rest will be up ..there with their lilt records and menied Frankio boy, "Best I've heard in this country. You've for the teenagers cavorting

got a boat like Sammy Davis." when they are old and grey.

Which may be an American And Carroll Levis might just way of saying that singing diver

weil call it

a day.

Elliott is due to make a bit of a NOW-14 Ike to know who splash. YOU think is the rising new {star. There's a £20 prize for the.

25-word postcard which I think j gives the best reasons why your favourite up-and-coming record- star will make the top line. Your choloe must be British. Send your entry - remember stamped (2ħid.) postcards only

VICIOUS ATTACK They screamed to lynch him, "Stand him out of the Rev. Burleson, this

For while under the wing and "Hong him!"....

up against a wall and shoot about the house.

quito Brazilian child had been raped the But they didn't three times, and was pregnant, dare,

cinimed her Moreaver, she

Four days later Brann was, at Strin Morris, tacked and beaten again-with a assailant brother of the Rev. Silas Morris, heavy cane and a vicious long who was the Rev. Burleson's bullwhip. son-in-law.

Was

TAILOR-MADE

The news broke on a sleepy June Sunday. By nidday the town was buzzing--Brann louder than most.

From the very first he adopted a polley that seemed crazy for any editor who wanted to make him

The story was tailor-made for

Sin in the Midst

F1

of

even

He was-chot-in-the wrist us ho fled for his fc. It seemed DS if these acts, of violence might make Brann faller In his fcud.

One day, Brann accused Inez of encouraging them, and of

them secretly. meeting dented it, and he shouted ungrily that she was lying.

She

THE TRAGEDY They found Inez next after- nom in a mock behind the This note, in her most The November Iconoclast was careful writing was near by

"THAT devoted to a "ual" blast. This

Mama: Tomorrow time he pronounced himself con- this time I will be dead, tent to "let it go at Ual,"

house,

1

|

as

IN

SEARCH

OF 'KICKS'

took all of that morphine. Io Cyril Stapleton Competi- ON THE ROAD,

don't want to live.

I could

never be as good as you want me to, I was born for a rowdy and you would bn ushamed of me, Goodbye till I see you and Papa and Gracie Heaven. Give all my things to Gracie." Brann never got over the tragedy of his pretty Inez, and

tlun, 4, Racquet-court, London,

.C.4, by last delivery next

Monday.

Whatagirl!

In one of the film shorts that the Show Band made I included a song called "A Smile Can Hide a Mion Tears." Composer, ac- cording to the sheet music, was David John.

By Jack Kerouac. Deutsch. 15s...

THIS wild,

unrestrained, anorchle nbvel hit America hard a year ago,

It is a sort of ecstatic hyma to responsibility und craziness Llc is, to use its own terms, "for kicks," and nothing else do what you want to do, immediately you want to do it and do it_hard..

But somehow he couldn't, In Editor by trade, doomed man' " commercial success of his Sunelity. He spread it all over December, he was back sniping. by virtue of his opinings and paper, Ile crashed down on the Iconoclast,

By spring the fight was raging the thes in Texas, Brann was

the local Baptist Church, Ho

again, Moba menaced his house. The Baptists shrieked Back and pilloried the

Now famous outside (and in- something, of all these things, scourged

Baptist elders for their hypo- and, unwisely, tried to defend famous within) Texas, Brann Murdered he certainly

themselves by smearing Antonta. was persuaded by friends to go They branded her

thief, a But the blood was hol, not cald, eritical organised virtue.

on a lecture tour. Attacked:

Such a thing had natural bawd, and not and he had set it aboli,

never happened to the smug much help in the klichen,

His wife Carrie was delighted, Baptists, But they had iwo Brann was incensed with rage, Mer Rfe had been a nightmore be blamed himesif for her

I've just discovered that this comforting thoughts. fiell and Hic made Antonia ་་ cause for months, and she saw the death.

was the pen-name of singer damnation would deal with celebre, And dragged the tour as a second honeymoon. Human gullt takes strange Marle Benson. Despite working Brani. In the meantime nobody Baptists rough deeper mua in Brann went into town on routes, But the pathetic story with the band, site didn't even would read his Bliny rng.

This is not a new philosophy, every edition,

April 1 to see to last-minute of Inez makes it easier to see tell me, They

Marie tells me that she has but it is new to these children destroyed his life were

The wrong.

When the baby was born, he details, while Carrie draped dust why Brann Iconoclast was

"The an immediate wrole;

Brazilion girl's covers over the best furniture over the wronged Brazilian girl. others about to be recorded-one of a great industrial society, who One of the dying men was This ex-Indian village, ex- success, I attracted attention 'diploma' from Boyter

In as "Ain't You Got A Home Tuleei crushed by its weight, rebel- is and explained the household In a way he had to.

Go To" a cockney

ious at its authority and yet novelly. Tom Davi- whose name didn't trading post was torn every wak, even in the sinfet

rouline to the new hired girl. world three-pound chill”

way she was his Inez.

curiously proud of its hugençsa and variely.

Main Street WILS no longer quifel, or deserted, Salons open Merchants dashed from cool, shudowy buck room la the cloud of simple and clus! Where two men by dying.

A drifter, Brann might have Telled anywhere. A million-to- ne chance made him choose Waco. 31 was a choice that east him his fe.

VIGNETTES OF LIFE

THE SHOAL WATERS HAVE BEEN SAPELY

| NAVIGATED AND ITS FULL SPEED AHEAD WHEN THE SUMMER ROMANCE STARTS ADDING ONIONS TO HAMBURGERS.

WHEN CHEMISE, SACK, AND TRAPEZE

BATHING

SUNS

APPEAR.

IT'S TWO TO ONE

THE GIRLS

ARE MODELS.

THERE WAS A TIME LIPSTICK WAS A DEAD. GIVEAWAY"----- NOT ANY MORE-

A FELLOW

. MAY HAVE

DROPPED IN

TO SEE HIS

Į GRANDMOTHER

AND GOT

THE MARK THERE.

Dead Giveaways

- AND WHEN A GAL

REMEMBERS

THE ACTORS IA

THOSE OLD, OLD

LATE, LATE MOVIES,

IT'S JUST LIKE TELLING THE WORLD THAT SHE'S NO SPRING CHICKEN,

THE FIRST TIME

THEY SIGN THEIR NAMES MR AND MRS`

IT ISN'T THE OLD SHOE

THAT IS A

DEAD GIVEAWAY ---

IT'S THE SHINY NEW LUGGAGE ›

TIED TO IT..

7-27

DONE, TRE BY SINERAL, PRATURRE COMF, YHWORLD NIGHTS FRONTUA

By Harry Weinert

"HOW DID You KNOW I PLAY BASKETBALL?'

WHEN AN ELIGIBLE BACHELOR SHOWS UP

IN A BATHING SUIT

WITH A TOP, IT'S A CINCH HE DRIVES A CAR

WITH A

RUMBLE

SEAT.

ITS A BAD SIGN WHEN A MAN DUCKS EVERY TIME A WIFE RAISES HER HAND ---- SHE MAY BE

ONLY FIXING

HER HAIR.

ITS NO

SECRET

Bop road

So they take as their hero an ex-refarin" school young man, Dean Moriarty, and where he leads, they follow....to where life la fastest; where giris pro ta bu had, "bop" la to bu heard, marijuana is to bo smoked, or rond can be taken at 100 m.p.h. Three times in the book they eroas from New York to San Francisco, in ento hired, borrowed and stolen hitch- hiking, bussing, scrounging....

And they love it is this which redeems them every manifestation of vitalily Ahey como across, however squalld its source, On the Road is just a record of these three protracted "Jags across the highways of America in the pursuit of "fo." Dean himself spawns four children and abandons three wives and becomes, in the eyes of the narrator, a sort of saint. of craziness.

No one drives faster theart Dean; no one gets more girls; no cat lu so cool; no one else so "gets it" and "keepa i and "holds It" whatever "It" may, bu.

La

Wildly overwritten as the book is, stuffed with false poetry and bogus mysticism, it catches us up into the hectic, nerve-wracked centre of what they call over thero. "the beat generation,"

RICHARD LISTER -(London Express Service).

Bitter Sweet

GENERATION has passed. alace Beverley Nichols wrote "Twenty Five Today, In Tho Sweet ала Twenties (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 214), Mr Nichola has re-captured the. gossip aha gossamer of an era that is nostalgic to most, of' us. who have passed our halt century. The book is at times. dippant, at others frivolous, but, underlying the racy, stories that flow from the author's pen, is A more serious note,

The foreword is as biller na quialno and as stringent as neid. dropm...

But not all, by any means, is gloom, and the story that amused me moet was the one of Mr Noel. Cownrd arriving at the pearly gates. All the hosts' of heaven.. are ranged in a semi-cirle on towering steps awalling the great Muster. Noel strides in. surveys the scene for a moment and then, in the staccato voice; so well known to all theatre-. goera, says, "Dell me, which, of you £s.........God?”

****-James- Norbury