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  • From: Will Dockery <will.dockery AT gmail.com>
  • To: ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Big Eddy Club by David Rose
  • Date: 3 May 2007 13:53:39 -0700

On May 1, 1:46 pm, internationalistbo... AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:
> Internationalist Books & Community Center
>
> 405 W Franklin Street
>
> Chapel Hill, NC 27516
>
> www.internationalistbooks.org
>
> 919.942.1740
>
> HAPPY MAYDAY!

<snip for brevity>

> MONDAY 21 MAY @ 7PM
>
> DAVID ROSE - BIG EDDY CLUB
>
> David Rose is an award-winning contributing editor at Vanity Fair and has
> worked for *The Guardian*, *The Observer*, and the BBC. He is the author =
of
> five previous books, including *Guant=E1namo*. *The Big Eddy Club *is a
> thorough and intriguing ten year exploration of facts surrounding the arr=
est
> of African-American Carlton Gary for the horrific 1970s murders of seven
> elderly white women. Though there is much to argue that Gary is the victim
> of a criminal justice system manipulated to deny him due process, he rema=
ins
> on death row.

Once again, our little town is the subject of international attention,
and once again, in not a way the big shots on the hill will appreciate
(Carson McCullers, who was born and raised here, described /
Shadowville/ in her books and captured the place well... and was
persona non grata up until just a few years ago... her books were not
even in the local library for decades after publication). I was here
during the time described in "Big Eddy Club" (a fairly mysterious
place up in Green Island Hills where only the biggest of the big shots
are allowed near), and those were indeed some scary days, and the
arrest of Gary didn't really match up with all the rumors and theories
going around at the time... that the killer was an insane rich kid.

Here's a pretty good synopsis of the book, but local writer Richard
Hyatt has been delving into the book for the last few days in the
local newspaper

http:.www.ledger-enquier.com/race_series

expanding on the details of history Rose covers, all the way to the
founding of the town in 1828 up to the present:

----
From: http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/books/authors.html?=
in_page_id=3D1826&in_article_id=3D443282

Violation by David Rose
(HarperPress, =A316.99)

By CLIVE STAFFORD SMITH -

Last updated at 13:43pm on 19th March 2007

Much non-fiction is a chronicle of events that have already taken
place: by the date of publication, history has passed by. The author
is a bystander, often witnessing tragedy, unwilling or impotent to
intervene.

Some non-fiction plays a far more active role, bending the course of
events and perhaps even helping to avert disaster.

Violation: Justice, Race And Serial Murder In The Deep South is David
Rose's latest, excellent book, and it falls into the latter category.

Rose takes on the case of Carlton Gary, a black man convicted and
sentenced to death in 1986 for a string of murders of elderly white
women in a small city southwest of Atlanta. Gary was dubbed the
Columbus Stocking Strangler.

In 1987 I played an insignificant cameo role in Gary's case, as a
peripheral witness. At the time, it was clear that Gary had been
subjected to a shambles of a trial.

The case against him was built mainly on the prosecution's forensic
evidence. His volunteer trial lawyer, Bud Siemon, faced personal
bankruptcy as the trial judge denied funds for defence expert
assistance a staggering 140 times. In the end, Siemon could not even
afford longdistance telephone calls.

Despite the unfairness, Gary was hardly an advertisement for abolition
of the death penalty. He was listed in the 'Serial Killers A-Z',
midway between Ted Bundy and Dr Harold Shipman.

His 'kill count' was estimated at more than ten, from New York to
Georgia.

The Columbus crimes went unsolved for five years, but when Gary was
charged, the evidence of his guilt seemed strong. The police said they
found his fingerprints at various crime scenes.

Using the limited technology of the time, experts testified that semen
found on the victims was consistent with his.

An eighth intended victim, Gertrude Miller, had fought off her
attacker and then positively identified Gary.

Nobody was protesting loudly about Gary's innocence. THEN came David
Rose. He was initially drawn to the case by the backdrop: Columbus has
an intricate history of racism that Rose weaves expertly throughout
his narrative.

Just as the ancestors of today's strangler might have been slaves, so
today's prosecutor pounding the podium for the death penalty, or the
judge imposing it, might be descended from members of the Klan.

Most of the victims of the Stocking Strangler were matriarchs of
Columbus society, dining at the fabled Big Eddy club where the only
black people were the waiters.

Rose's interest in the community drew him deeper into Gary's case. He
made lengthy visits to Georgia, and he began to discover evidence that
Gary might not be the strangler after all.

The local police department had been under enormous pressure to solve
these terrible crimes. First, Rose raised questions about whether the
fingerprint evidence was legitimate. Then he turned to the other
forensic trails.

Rose tracked down a law enforcement officer who said the killer left a
shoeprint at one scene - it was no bigger than a U.S. size nine, far
too small for Gary's size 13 feet.

Next, Rose visited Gary in the Georgia Diagnostic And Classification
Centre - the euphemistic name for Death Row - and brought out a semen
sample for testing.

Denied the right to compare it to the DNA evidence from the victims,
Rose then relied on less sophisticated testing to provide strong
evidence that Gary could not be the rapist.

One of the women had been bitten by her assailant. Gary's lawyer had
tried to get his hands on the plaster cast made of the bite mark, only
to be told that it had been destroyed.

Rose tracked down the dentist and discovered the truth: the cast still
existed, but the trial prosecutor, a hunting buddy, had told the
dentist not to let the lawyer see it.

Twenty years after I met Carlton Gary, the accumulated evidence points
towards a miscarriage of justice.

I can report that just one month ago, since the book went to print, an
odontologist testified in federal court that the plaster cast from the
bite mark excluded Gary to 'a reasonable level of scientific
certainty'.

Nevertheless, the federal judge is a scion in a prominent Columbus
family. He has relied on arcane American procedural law to deny full
DNA testing or a hearing on the shoe print - both integral to Carlton
Gary's innocence.

It is to Rose's credit that he published without being able to answer
the most important question: Will the protagonist live or die?

Rose could have opted merely to observe injustice, but in undertaking
this investigation, he may succeed in saving the life of an innocent
man - that is, if Columbus can face up to its history and overcome its
prejudices.

Clive Stafford Smith is Legal Director of Reprieve
(www.reprieve.org.uk) a UK charity providing frontline investigation
and legal representation to prisoners denied justice by powerful
governments across the world, including people facing the death
penalty.

--
* Shadowville All-Stars present: Beatnik Night at Rhino's! *

Every Thursday starting in May, 9pm-midnight and beyond, Ty & Friends.
Ty is a musical master of guitar and vocals encompasing a sound that
at turns evokes for me everything from BB King to Hendrix to Prince to
a whole other level that only he knows... magic brillance right here
in our little town. The plan for Beatnik Night as it develops is a
place for poets, artists, musicians, madmen open mic & poetry slam!
Sign up at 9, bring your own bongos) 21+. May 3rd we'll be having a
trial run as we spread the word on this weekly event, come by and get
a feel for the stage and the friendly staff of Rhino's, bring your
poetry, songs and art.

Rhino's http://www.myspace.com/rhinoslive 1239 Broadway, Columbus
GA

"The Ride (Combat Zone)" by Dockery-Mallard-Beck:
http://www.myspace.com/shadowvilleallstars

"Wobble" by Dockery-Conley:
http://www.myspace.com/willdockery

> And support our friends, too! Here are some other upcoming events that we
> think you should check out as well:
>
> all are welcome! SUNDAY, MAY 6TH SECRET CAFE DINNER PARTY AT: THE CARRBORO
> GREEN SPACE
> 5-9PM 116 OLD PITTSBORO RD. (across from Open Eye, past Carr St.)
> $8-10 SUGGESTED DONATION ALL FOOD DONATED BY LOCAL ORGANIC FARMS AND MARK=
ETS
> PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT SOUNDSCAPE MOVEMENT FEST!!!
> an experimental sound and movement based festival, MAY 18-19th at the
> NIGHTLIGHT
> to learn more: go to!!www.soundscapefest.orgwww.nightlightclub.com
> RSVP to 919.923.7910
>
> Come to the Carolinas Consulta, May 12-13 in Chapel Hill, NC, to discuss =
and
> make plans for the upcoming Democratic and Republican National Conventio=
ns
> (in the summer of 2008), because it is essential to go into these protests
> with a well developed and widely known strategy. Also, this will be great
> place to meet like-minded people from across the carolinas, and to share
> information with each other about the campaigns, community organizing,
> mutual aid projects, and actions we are currently involved with across the
> states. plus games, food, movies, direct action skillsharing, and more!
> PLEASE RSVP soon! It will help us with housing and food logistics, etc. Y=
ou
> can reach us at unconventional_act... AT mountainrebel.net . Please let us
> know if you have any special housing or food needs! Housing will be provi=
ded
> (some of which will be camping) on friday and saturday nights. Meet up at
> Internationalist Bookstore--405 W. Franklin St--for housing information a=
nd
> directions on Fri. May 11th from 1-8pm. Or you can contact us to work out=
an
> alternate time.
> -- ch-scene: the list that mirrors alt.music.chapel-hill --http://lists.i=
biblio.org/mailman/listinfo/ch-scene






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