The Laconic Lumberjack by Frank W. Butterfield

Author:Frank W. Butterfield [Butterfield, Frank W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: N04
Published: 2016-10-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

New Albany Hotel, Suite 601

Tuesday, July 21, 1953

Just past 3 in the afternoon

"What did you find out?" That was my first question as we all gathered in the living room of our suite.

"We were comparing notes in the lobby while we were waiting for you and Carter to get here. No one we talked to was there when Mr. Jones fell into the saw." That was Dawson.

Henry was leaning against the wall near the door to the bedroom on the right. His arms were crossed and he was not happy.

Andy was sitting on one of the sofas next to Dawson. He was very specifically not looking at Henry. This was as good as it was going to get.

Andy said, "They were all on a break outside the shed."

I nodded. "What happened?"

Dawson answered. "There were five men, all Negroes, working at that particular saw. Mr. Jones came in and told them all to go take a break. That happened at 2:50 p.m. The five men went outside to where the canteen keeps a kind of lean-to shack. There's a gal there who sells bottled soda pop kept on ice, chewing gum, and candy."

Henry added, "Hard candy. The kind that doesn't melt."

Dawson nodded. "There's also a sort of open spigot and a ladle where the men can get a cold drink of water. They were passing the ladle around when they heard a scream and the saw seemed to get caught on something." He looked over at Carter. I followed his gaze and saw that Carter, who was standing next to Henry, had turned pale.

I said, "We get the picture."

"Yeah, anyway, the men ran into the shed and—"

Henry interjected, "One of 'em, Hank Johnson, shouted, 'Turn off the saw!'"

Dawson continued. "So, Jimmy Robinson did just that. There's a big breaker that you can throw that cuts the juice. Otherwise the saw is on continuously."

I glanced over at Carter, who was now leaning against Henry.

"What happened next?" I asked.

Dawson replied, "Well, one of the other men, Ronnie Thompson, ran over to the phone shed and called the main office. In about ten minutes, the doctor on staff came out. He arrived with a manager. After he, the manager, realized what happened, he told the men to go home. They don't know anything beyond that. And they were told to take a week off, with pay. That's why we found them all at home."

"Did the manager ask them what happened?"

Henry said, "No. That seems odd. Whenever there was an accident on any job I was on back at Bechtel, no one was allowed to leave until everyone was interviewed."

I nodded.

Dawson said, "The only time I've ever heard of anything like this kinda procedure is when someone was anxious to cover things up."

I asked, "And no one saw Earl Waskom on site that day?"

Andy piped up. "He hasn't worked there since '39. And the whole place is fenced in with gates and a guard."

Dawson looked over at Henry. "Tell 'em what you heard about that.

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