They claimed a piece of lead pipe and a shotgun barrel were all detectives found. Brazier said T.W.O. received $935,000 in federal funds for its youth projects last June, and will submit a new budget request sometime in April. The CHAIRMAN. The next question is: Do you have any direct evidence which refutes this? In other words, that it didn't happen, that they didn't poll them. Do you have any evidence that would refute it? Mr. GRIFFIN. I couldn't say whether they were polled or not, sir. The CHAIRMAN. One other question: Is it not true, Commander Griffin, that you arranged to allow a peaceful demonstration march by the Rangers recently and vouched for the fact they would be peaceful? Mr. GRIFFIN. No, sir. That was arranged by Deputy Chief Reardon. The CHAIRMAN. By whom? Mr. GRIFFIN. Deputy Chief Reardon, my boss. I had worked 26 straight hours and I was informed that the Rangers were forming on the street and I thought that it may be an attempt at violence. I threw some water on my face. When I got out there, the march had terminated. The CHAIRMAN. Then it may have been arranged by your boss? The CHAIRMAN. Not by you personally? Mr. GRIFFIN. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. We will confer with you about your other testimony. Mr. BRACKETT. Could we have a 2-minute recess, Senator? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. We will take a 2-minute recess. (Whereupon, at 11:28 a.m., the subcommittee took a brief recess. Members present at time of recess: Senators McClellan, Mundt, and Curtis.) (Whereupon, the subcommittee reconvened at 11:33 a.m. after a brief recess, with the following members present at time of reconvening: Senators McClellan, Mundt, and Curtis.) The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. The next witness will be sworn. You needn't get up. Hold up your right hand and be sworn. You do solemnly swear that the evidence you shall give before this Senate subcommittee shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mrs. MARTIN. I do. TESTIMONY OF MRS. ANNABELLE MARTIN The CHAIRMAN. State your name. Mrs. MARTIN. My name is Annabelle Martin. The CHAIRMAN. Do you live in Chicago? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Have you lived in Chicago for a good many years? Mrs. MARTIN. Twenty-three years. The CHAIRMAN. Where did you formerly live last year, recently this year? Where did you live in Chicago? and up Mrs. MARTIN. I lived in Woodlawn area, 1370 East 62d Street. until Mrs. MARTIN. Yes; I know Mr. Fry. The CHAIRMAN. What are their ages? Mrs. MARTIN. Seven to fifteen and one-half. The CHAIRMAN. From seven to fifteen? Mrs. MARTIN And a half. The CHAIRMAN. From seven to fifteen and one-half. How many are boys and how many are girls? Mrs. MARTIN. Nine boys and one girl. (At this point, Senator Curtis withdrew from the hearing room.) The CHAIRMAN. Is your girl the youngest? Mrs. MARTIN. No. She is a twin. She is 13. The CHAIRMAN. She is 13. Does she have a twin brother? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. What is the name of your two oldest boys! Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. And who else? Mrs. MARTIN. And Sanders Martin, Jr. (At this point, Senator Curtis entered the hearing room.) The CHAIRMAN. Would you spell Sanders? Mrs. MARTIN. S-a-n-d-e-r-s. The CHAIRMAN. Marvin and Sanders? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. How old is Marvin? Mrs. MARTIN. He is 1512. The CHAIRMAN. Fifteen and one-half. How old is Sanders? Mrs. MARTIN. He is 14. The CHAIRMAN. He is 14. Do you know Eugene Hairston? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes, I know Eugene. The CHAIRMAN. How long have you known him? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes, I know Jeff. The CHAIRMAN. How long have you known Jeff? Mrs. MARTIN. I knowed Jeff before I did Gene. Probably about 3 years. The CHAIRMAN. There are a number of others here on the chart. I will first ask you what was Hairston known by? What was his nickname? Mrs. MARTIN. "Bull" and the "Chief." The CHAIRMAN. "Bull or "Chief"? Mrs. MARTIN. They call him "Bull" but they call him “Chief,” too, because he was the chief of the Rangers. The CHAIRMAN. What about Jeff Fort? Mrs. MARTIN. Jeff Fort is the vice president. They was calling him "Angel", but I heard they done changed it now to "Black Prince." The CHAIRMAN. They changed it now to "Black Prince." First they called him "Angel." Do you know George Rose? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes, I know George Rose as "Watusi." The CHAIRMAN. As we testify, it may be that we will refer to some of the others on the chart and you may advise whether you know them or not. You are the mother of Marvin and Sanders Martin. Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Were they recently involved in some trouble? Mrs. MARTIN. They was recently involved in a murder and two shootings. The CHAIRMAN. A murder and two shootings. It was all one incident, as I understand it. Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. But one was murdered and two others were shot? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Are your boys, these boys, members of any group or gang or organization? Mrs. MARTIN. I had eight boys-eight of my children was Blackstone Rangers. The CHAIRMAN. Eight of your children are Blackstone Rangers? The CHAIRMAN. And the other six would be younger than these two? Mrs. MARTIN. Well, one was a girl. She wasn't. And the baby, he was too young. He was 6. He was 6 then. The CHAIRMAN. These two and there would be six more who were members? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. And your girl was not a member? Mrs. MARTIN. No. The CHAIRMAN. And the young one was too young. This young one who is 7 years old is not a member? Mrs. MARTIN. No. He just made 7. That is why he wasn't a member. The CHAIRMAN. That is why he wasn't. They don't take them under 7? Mrs. MARTIN. They be 6 years old and up. The CHAIRMAN. Six years old and up? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. So you know something, I reckon, about the Rangers, the way they operate, do you? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Have these men been to your home at different times, Hairston and Fort, and others? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. Eugene Hairston, most of the Main 21, Eugene Hairston, Jeff Fort, we was very good friends. The CHAIRMAN. Fort and Hairston were very good friends. They would come to your house occasionally? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. When was it your sons got into this trouble? The CHAIRMAN. When? Mrs. MARTIN. September the 12th, I believe, 1967, I think it was the 12th. Last year. The CHAIRMAN. Last year. As members of the Blackstone Rangers, did either of your boys occupy any position, official position? Did they have any authority? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. Marvin Martin was called El Toro. He was the leader of the Conservative Rangers. The CHAIRMAN. El Toro. The leader of what? Mrs. MARTIN. Conservative Rangers. The CHAIRMAN. The leader of the Conservative Rangers! Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. That was the name of his group? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Do you know how many were in his group? Mrs. MARTIN. It was a whole lot of them. He had a lot of the juniors. He was one of the leaders. No; I don't know exactly. There was a whole lot of them. The CHAIRMAN. You don't know how many? Mrs. MARTIN. No. They meet more at the church. I didn't let them meet there. There was too many of them. The CHAIRMAN. You didn't let them meet at your home? Mrs. MARTIN. No. There was too many. The CHAIRMAN. They met at the church? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Where did he get his name El Toro? Mrs. MARTIN. Eugene Hairston give it to him. The CHAIRMAN. What does it signify? Mrs. MARTIN. I don't know. It made him be bad or top man or something, I guess. I don't know what it made him be. The CHAIRMAN. It made him be bad? Mrs. MARTIN. That is what he thought it did. The CHAIRMAN. Is El Toro a name associated with the bull, sometimes, too? Mrs. MARTIN. I imagine so. The CHAIRMAN. Do you know who gave him the name? The CHAIRMAN. Very well. Was it about September 12, as you recall, last year, that the shooting occurred? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes; I think it was about the 12th. I am not too sure. The CHAIRMAN. Do you have any information as to who actually did the shooting and the circumstances under which it was done? Mrs. MARTIN. The circumstance was who did the shooting was Dennis Jackson, which was my godson. He is 14. The CHAIRMAN. Dennis Jackson was with them? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Go right ahead and tell us what you know about it. Mr. MARTIN. Well, Sanders, Junior, 14, told me that he was on his way home from school. He was going westward. He said he met Eugene Hairston between Kenwood and Dorchester on 63d Street. Eugene Hairston pointed to a car and told him to see the mens in the car to hit. The CHAIRMAN. To hit? Do you know what that means? Mrs. MARTIN. To hit it mean kill them. That is what it means in the Blackstone Rangers. Hit or burn means to kill. The CHAIRMAN. Hit or burn means to kill. Go ahead. Mrs. MARTIN. He came around to the house. I was sitting in the front yard. He said he went in the back and he called Cheri and told Cheri to tell Dennis to come downstairs. Dennis was at my house. Dennis came on downstairs to see what he wants. He was telling Dennis what Bull said. And the time that he was telling Dennis, Robert Dancy, which was one of the boys there, he came on down, too. Sanders, Dennis, and Robert Dancy sent on on the corner of 61st and Kenwood. There they met Paul Martin, one of the Blackstone, one of the Main 21. He is an older man. The CHAIRMAN. Met who? Mrs. MARTIN. Paul Martin. He is not related to us. The CHAIRMAN. Is he on this list? Mrs. MARTIN. He should be. He is supposed to be the spiritual leader. That is what they say. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mrs. MARTIN. I see him. He is up there. The CHAIRMAN. That is Paul Martin who is supposed to be a spiritual leader? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. All right, go ahead. Mrs. MARTIN. Paul Martin pointed to the car and told them that was the car. By that time, Marvin Martin was there on his bike. He was looking, when Paul Martin pointed to the car and told them to get it. Sanders said when he saw the car on 63d Street, there was four mens in it. The next time he saw the car, when Paul told him about the car, there wasn't but three mens in the car. He walks over to the car, looked in the car at the men, came back and told Dennis. Dennis exchanged guns with Robert Dancy and went over to the car and told the men that he heard that they had been messing with the chief. The CHAIRMAN. Messing with the chief? Mrs. MARTIN. The chief means Eugene Hairston. Not chiefs; chief. The CHAIRMAN. They were messing with Eugene Hairston? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes, the chief. So he fired six times. He killed one of the men and injured the other two awfully badly. The CHAIRMAN. Who actually did the shooting? Mrs. MARTIN. Dennis Jackson. The CHAIRMAN. Your boys were present and saw him? Mrs. MARTIN. My boys was present. Marvin said then-well, he knew what was going to happen Mr. BRACKETT. Dennis Jackson has not yet come to trial for murder. She is testifying as a hearsay witness on what would be in the criminal courts of Chicago. I will leave that to your judgment. Mrs. MARTIN. Eugene Hairston has. The CHAIRMAN. Has that come out in the trial? Mrs. MARTIN. Yes. Mr. BRACKETT. This lady was not called on a hearsay basis, I understand. |