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DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA — SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1998
TELEPHONE (919) 682-2913 PRICE:30 CENTS
Black College Sports Page
See Page 12
Elna Spaulding Awards
Given at Banquet
See Page 9
Durham Man Breaks Mold
In Operetta
See ’Insights' Front
mm ^
By W oody Baird
MliMI'HIS. Tcnn. (AP) - With
I'.iiii Ra_\ dead, bcllexers of a
;_\ in Muriin I..ulhet
Jr.'s assassinalion nuisi find a
oruiii, oilier than ihe eoiiris. lo
'.■iIkii .ireuinenis heard.
iimiLih he pleaded ^uiliy lo ki!l-
Kini!. Ra> managed lor almosl
.HMis (o keep his claims ol' in-
cnco hel'ore !he priblie. larijely
coiirl appeals and olher
|>orr> Murraj, professor of histoi s. oas iianied l>JV7-9S Teacher of the Year at the school I’he
(rtMiilntion was made to Dr. Murray diiriii); ceremonies for Dr. Molly Broad as part of her installation
asiciciit of the University of North Carolina system. (Photo by Lawson)
Ms. Lrline Williams, social worker with Family Plannins for the Durham County Health Department
explains tamily planning information with youth and parents during a health fair held at the department'
.See story on page .1. (Photo by Lawson) noeiii.
King Conspiracy Probe Must Take
New Direction After Ray’s Death
suppniicrs, incliidtny ihc
ItiiniK. htiped III gci his gmlty
liriHvn oLil so Ray cuukl go lo
he xoluniarilv dc-
^iin.si thi'ec decades ago.
\niding ihc pos.sibility oC
dieil in Naslnillc from
lixcases aiui die legal elTor!,"
''him his guiliy plea died widi
\^idou. C’orelia. 'who
her husband was die \'ic-
II murder conspiracy and noi
y’liiiiiian. \owci.l lo continue
"I'f! I'>i a killer invcsiigalion of
;|•'^a.sslnalion in Memphis m
I'iis iiiei with Allorney Cicn-
‘"I'-'l Rciiii .seeking dial inves-
Jhh die lorm such an un-
inighi lake was noi im-
tell dear,
King apparciilly wants an
modeled along die
irulh and reconciliatioi.
'""’^mii 111 SoLidi Africa.
^ hli-’a IS lo gadier lesiiiiiony
P'-'uple who may have in-
‘"""1 ahnui die murder bul are
I'l conic forward for fear ol
'"'ll prosccLiiion.
alive, conspiracy advo-
''|■‘l•'ll(^ated primarily on his
hin.s. bill die courlroom was
'^Wly lough environment for
jllic wide-ranaiiiii claims of
'l^'hicy heard.
^ |■'"U|■| is not the place for
*’N-cnded invcsiigalion ...
h might come up in court.
■’'Ihe loruni for |usi inves-
I'hid Barbara Kriichevskv.
a law professor al the Lhii\ersii\' of
-Memphis
do gel a trial, Ray had io first
have his guiliy plea thrown tint and
there was no evidence it was
coerced or he vxas unaware ol whal
he w as doing when he gave il.
'I'he plea litis been upheld eight
limes by slate and federal courts,
wiih die U.S. .Supreme C'ouri refus
ing lo hear Rtiy's argunients.
Mrs. King 'and son Dexlcr lokl tt
Memphis Judge in I-ebruar\ ihe\
wauled ;i trial for Rtiy. De.xier King
ktier mel wiih Ray in prison, stiying
he believed Ray's ckiini he was an
unknown ptiwn of oilier con-
spiraiors.
Since shorlly afler he pletidcd
guiliy in iWJ.'Ray has claimed he
was set up by a shadows un
derworld figure he knew oni\ as
Raoul.
Ray said die rifle lound near die
murder scene with his fingerprinis
on it was pul there lo frtmie him.
'i'hrouglioLii Ray's figlil to Ittke
back die guiliy pleti. aulhorilies
heki lliiil his guili wtis obxious ttnd
his coin iclion soumi.
'i'he King ftimily and other Ray
supporters often say he wtis denied
his day in court, bul piaiseculor
John Campbell said Ray hail lots of
days in court and al die highest
lex'eis ol the judicial system.
''He's had more dtiys in court
than most criminal delendaiils.’'
Campbell stiid. "And il doesn't
make any (.lillerence whether he
pled guiliy or was found guiliy.
he'd still be trying lo say he was set
up." Ray also got lo tell his\ide of
die story ici a congressional coni-
miliee. It concluded in 197S that
Ray w'as the as.sassin. though he
may have had some help from
Olliers before or afler the killing.
Prosecutors, loo. say they have no
way of knowing if Ray acted alone
but there is no evidence lo charge
anyone else in the murdeiv
if Ray did have help, Campbell
saitl. il was likely from a lew close
associates, not a wide-ranging con
spiracy.
Delense lawyer William Pepper,
meainvliile. contends King was the
victim of a conspiracy reaching lo
die highest levels of government
and organized crime.
Aulhorilies say Ray's motives for
killing King are still unclear.
ihoLigh he may have hoped lo col
led a .$50.{)()() bounty ol'fered by a
small group (d' racial bigots in .Si.
laniis. The people who allegedly
led that group are now dead.
King was killed by a single rille
shot while in Memphis to help lead
a strike by sanitation workers. Ray
Lyons: 'It’s Been a Living
Heir ; National Baptist
Leader Sums Up Legal Ordeal
escaped from a Missouri prison ihe
year before the shooting, and
aulhorilies say he stalked King u.
enher soulhern cities before catch
ing up with him in Memphis.
Ray. a lifelong ne'er-dt>-well with
an eighth-grade educalion. was an
admitted career criminal. He often
is described as a peity thief unlikelv
to commit a crime t)f violence.
But Campbell said dial descrip
tion is inaccLirale. Ray was .serving
a 2()-year senlence for robbery
when he broke out of the Missouri
prison.
"Most ol Ills,crimes were rob
beries. and armed robberies al
dial." Campbell said. "He w'as a
career criminal wIk^ died in
prison."
By Kendall Wilson
Special to the NNPA from the
"It's been an absolute nightmare...a living hell I"
lhal is Ihe way the Re\'. Dr. Henry J. Lyons, the cmballled president ol'
the Nalional Baplisl Ciinvemion LISA Inc., summed up hl.s siormy ordeal
over Ihe past nine monlhs.
"But r\e been able lo cope, despite Ihc constant How ol ongoing is-'
sues. It hasn't been easy. It's been a living hell Irying to stay locuscd'and
keeping the National Baptist Convemion alloat. ButTve prayed each and
erery day and nighl.
"We all agree lhal ihere are Iwo sides lo every issue and you've only
heard one side. My lawyers would kdl me if I loid my side', bul 1 want
vou lo know lhal I anxiously wail for lhal day. lhal day in courl when Ihc
Iruih will he known and my name wdl be cleared."
A federal grand jury has indicled Lyons on rackelcering
Ihell
l.y
I he was disappoinled and hurl lhal do/.ens of proieslers in
cluding members of Ml. Olivet Tabernacle Baplisl Church in Philadel
phia and their supporlers blocked Ihe entrance lo the church and pre
vented him from addressing the Rceognilion Services of ihc Independenl
Ministers Conference of Pennsylvania and Vicinily.
He was able lo deliver his addrc.ss an hour laler when the Rev. M.
Loren/.o Shepard, pastor of Ml. Olivet and a founding member of Ihe
new minislcrs' group, was able K' come up wilb a conference room
several blocks away.
Carey Sims, chairman of ihe Ml. Olive! Deacons Board, said il was the
will of the congregalion lhal Lyons noi be allowed lo appear al the
chureh. Proieslers used a van lo block Ihe from doors,
I his was Iheir vole," he said. "They did noi feel il would be in Ihe besi
inicrc-sts t)f the church al thi.s time."
We didn'i think.he should be here, especially wiih all ihe controversy
surrounding him," .said one member. "The group should have selected a
sue where he was more welcomed."
Lyons admilted lhal he made "some misiakes ' which led lo his indiel-
meni by a lederal grand jury, bul eonlinues to profess his innocence and
s.ud he. is looking iorward lo his "day in courl."
You've all heard only one side ol the story." Lyons said. "I'm only as
king we wail until I have my day in court. I'm hurl by this, bul 1 under-
sland lhal Ihe people who are doing this really dqn'l know me If ihev
did, Ihis w'ouldn'l have haiinened
Northgater
the Health Fair. .See story on page .1. I