The Civil Rights Knights of Dallas Heights

By Van Guines

Uncover the untold stories of a city's past through the pages of The Civil Rights Knights of Dallas Heights. Immerse yourself in the captivating world of this murder mystery set against the backdrop of early 1950s Chattanooga, when the Civil Rights Movement was just beginn

• Language: English
• Publisher: VIG Books
• Release date: Feb 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9798218365875

Van Guines

Introducing Van Guines, the brilliant author behind The King Of Alton Park series. Born and raised in Chattanooga, Van Guines's deep connection with the place shines through in his captivating storytelling. Each novel in this series is a testament to his passion for weaving true stories and facts passed down from his ancestors.

Book preview

The

CIVIL RIGHTS NIGHTS

of Dallas Heights

VAN GUINES

Disclaimer

Copyright © 2024 by Van Guines

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the author.

This is a work of fiction.  Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

ISBN: 979-8-218-36586-8 (pbk)

ISBN: 979-8-218-36587-5 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

AKNOWLEDGMENTS

In this book, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Milton R. White for his valuable technical assistance. His expertise and support were instrumental in bringing this project to fruition, and I couldn't have accomplished it without him. Thank you, Milton, for your invaluable contribution.

The Civil Rights Nights of Dallas Heights

It’s been about a week since I was standing in East Lake Park wondering what to about this piece of land called the key. I had been given the responsibility of finding what to do with this deed to the three hundred acres of rich farm land in Del Rose Tennessee. The deed had cost one good woman her life and had been the catalyst for the death and destruction of countless others. Who out of greed and or hate had been drawn to a place where they would meet their doom.

I was sitting upstairs in what we called the sitting room of the King of Alton Park’s house. Eric Guano his Aunt Josie and Uncle Robert were all there. His Aunt Josie was holding the phone up away from her face so that her sister Margie in Del Rose their home town could hear what was being said in the room. Robert was sitting across from me. He was saying he wanted to make sure the key went to the right person.

Josie his sister- in- law said, ’’She just told you that Fanny May’s niece would be the best choice.’’

Robert said, ‘’How do we know she won’t just piss away the deed like the rest of the family has done.’’

Jose said, ‘’ we just heard her say Tammy and her husband is church going hard working folks. You don’t know your nose is on your face till you look in the mirror.’’

Eric stood up and looked from one to the other and said,’’ Why don’t you take the deed and go over to Del Rose and see for yourselves who’s who.’’ I could hear the voice on the telephone say, ‘’yes that would be a great idea. I haven’t seen you in ages. A trip over here would be a good idea.’’ Eric said, ‘’I will have one of the Bayou ladies drive you two out there.’’

When I left the room the deed was on the table. I was sure that it would be going to the right place. Robert being a friend of Fanny May’s who risked her life to hide the deed. Even under extreme torture she refused to reveal its where-bouts. I felt as strongly as Robert did that the land go to the right person. I had gone down in a deep whole to save the deed and now I was sure it would be in good hands.

I walked down the path we called the trail that ran between our house and Eric’s. The night air was cooler than it had been during the day. June in Chattanooga can be a hot month. When I walked in the house Doris was in our sitting room reading the newspaper. I could see the front headlines saying riots downtown when will it end. I sat down in one of the big easy chairs she had ordered. She put down the paper looked at me and said, ‘’I don’t know why all those colored folks are downtown sitting in and fighting. We don’t need no desegregation I think things are fine just like it is now.’’ I smiled thinking of how far she had come and why she would feel that way.

I said, ‘’I don’t think all of us feel the same way. I can name lots of things that are separate but certainly not equal.’’

She looked at me and said, ‘’Yeah but all this sitting in is doing is making white folks mad with us.  We had peace around here for years.’’

I looked at her and said, ‘’All that glitters ain’t gold we got a lot to gain if you ask me. ‘’Desegregation is the only path we got to being anything near equal.’’

Doris looked surprised for a second and said,’’ We got everything we need except for a real chance at life.’’

I said, ‘’It don’t look like we got a lot to lose and everything to gain by moving forward.’’ We went on up to bed after a shower. The new air conditioners had the upstairs right cool. We made love and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

In the morning I drove down Chamberlain to Dodson Street turned right on Main Street and drove into the alley behind my cab office. It was still early so the heat of the day hadn’t got going yet it was still a cool breeze blowing. I worked on the night drop box and paid some bills. I drove over to the cab stand in St. Elmo. I parked in the lot because I drove the grey Ford. I got out and walked down the cabstand speaking to the drivers as I went by. I stopped at Melvin Jackson’s cab. He and his brother Paul ran three of the five cabstands I had going around town. We said our hellos and got down to business. We talked a few minutes before a cab rolled up. Paul Jackson jumped out and asked, ‘’Have we seen Barry Turner.  ‘’He was riding around to all the cab stands with a gun looking for Tiny-man.’’  I looked at Paul who was the younger of the two brothers and said, ‘’Why the hell is he riding around with a gun?’’

Paul said, ‘’that fool is drinking he been calling round their house making threats and demanding his women come back home. He thinks that Ronda Baker who left him months ago is going to come back to him. She done moved in with Tiny-man Jacobs.’’

I asked, ‘’Where is Tiny-man now.’’

Paul said, ‘’He over on Main Street stand. Barry won’t look for him over there least not right away.’’

I said, ‘’Come on Paul we got to find that dam fool. I can’t have a shoot out on them cabstands.’’

We drove around to the Main Street cab stand. Tiny-man was pulling in from taking an early morning fare. We call them the early birds. Tiny-man Jacobs was a world war two veteran. I wasn’t surprised to see the .45 auto pistol on the seat next to him. I leaned on the door of the big Desoto of mine that he was driving and I asked, ‘’what’s going on between you and Barry.’’

He looked out the driver’s window pass me at Paul and said, ‘’He been calling my house acting like I done took his girl from him.‘’

Hell Paul, you know for yourself that she moved out of his house months before I took up with her. ‘’She was living with her sister and her kids. I ain’t stolen a dam thing from that fool.’’ I looked from Tiny to Paul and said,’’ Ya’ll know we can’t have a shoot out on this cab stand.’’ Tiny said, ‘’what you think I’m gonna do if that drunk ass Negro draw down on me. I’m gonna let him shoot me?‘’

I shook my head no and heard the screech of car wheels coming to a stop. I looked up to see Barry Turner’s Daddy’s old brown Chevy come to a stop at the front of the cab stand. He jumped out of the car with a bottle of booze in one hand and a big old pistol in the other. Paul ran towards him with his hands out saying ‘’hold on there boy. Don’t go do nothing stupid.’’ I told Tiny- man to ‘’be cool just stay in the car.’’ Tiny didn’t move he just put his hand on his gun and kept his eyes on Barry. Who drove away before Paul could get to him. I told Paul to ‘’Round him up before he hurts himself or somebody else.  ‘’Melvin and I will hold down the cab stands.’’

When I looked back over at Tiny-man he was out of the car with the gun in his belt. I said, ‘’we gonna need you to go home. I can’t have any gun play out here on these cab stands.’’ Tiny said, ‘’Shang I got to work all week I need the money. ‘’I can’t make no money sitting around the house, come on now.’’ I went in my pocket and pulled out two twenty- dollar bills and held it out for him. He took the money got in the car and said,’’ Shang y’all