Talk:Booker T. Spicely

Evets70 (talk) 18:13, 28 August 2008 (UTC)

Spicely murder and warehouse fire
I'm very glad to see this article, and believe that Booker T. Spicely deserves more historical attention (and a plaque at Walltown Park, very close to where he died--and four blocks from my house). But there is one likely mistake in the current text, and in the Endangered Durham blog, that has been repeated again and again--the connection of the murder to the warehouse fire.

One thing I am sure of--the warehouse fire took place the night of Spicely's death, not after the trial. See next day's edition of Durham Herald, Raleigh News, Charlotte Observer. Moreover, the papers do not mention arson. The fire started in the basement of a furniture warehouse, and newspapers say the cause was unknown. Cristina Greene seems to bring up the possibility of arson, but really offers no proof. Even if it was arson, there was clearly no public riot involved. There was a "race riot" in Durham during the war, but it was in 1943 not 1944 and involved an altercation at a state liquor store involving a soldier, and had nothing to do with the Spicely murder.

I know several old timers in the warehouse business and will ask them about the fire, which was indeed destructive.

I haven't yet found anything about Black reaction to the verdict, but the newspapers do not mention any violent reaction.

Bob H. Durham —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.10.251.86 (talk) 01:18, 20 March 2009 (UTC)

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Bob:

Interesting... I was actually thinking about that awhile ago, as I was talking to a friend who is in his 60s or 70s who grew up in Durham and said he didn't know that the fire was linked to Spicely's death. He assumed maybe it was just downplayed by the local government/police/newspapers if that was the case.

Do you think it was because of his death (but, as you pointed out, not post-trial)? Or it was just random? I used secondary information for what I wrote about the fire aspect... I'd like to look into some old newspapers articles and etc. to see what was being said back then/originally (but it looks like you already have). It could all be revisionist rumor perhaps!?

Thanks for the info. I think I will rewrite it as I'd like to be accurate with the story, of course.

Evets70 (talk) 16:29, 1 June 2009 (UTC)