Deee-Troit

Other Scenes

by

Fifth Estate # 102, April 2-15, 1970

WABX DJs Larry Miller and Dave Dixon both emphatically deny the report of last issue that they came to blows over station policy. “The real miracle of the station is how well we work together,” Miller said. Sorry fellas, we had thought that the info came from a “reliable source…

The ad for the Chicago Conspiracy trial that appeared on the back page of our last issue was refused by the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times. Several other major dailies did accept the ad…

There has been a sharp increase in various venereal disease cases this year in Detroit (that the authorities know of and figure are 20% of the actual cases), so take care of yourself. If you think you’re infected, check with the free Medical Clinic at Open City (831-2770)…

The FBI (who never say die) recently went all the way to Boston to see if MC 5 producer Jon Landau knew where Pun, White Panther Minister of Defense could be found….

Pat Murphy, Detroit’s dynamic new Police Commissioner, has asked for 600 new officers, 75 new cadets and at least 19 new civilian positions for the police force (what does that mean, Pat? undercover piggies?) His request was toned down from an original 938 new officers, 225 new cadets and 49 civilian positions because “of the fiscal situation and because of problems in recruiting new officers.” Anyone want a job?…

Speaking of police, ex-Commissioner Spreen, writing in a regular column in the Detroit News in response to a reader’s question about the real worth of “cop watching,” said “A police force that has to be ‘watched’ by citizens to insure proper performance of duty is intolerable and should be torn down…

“RIGHT ON, JOHANNES!…

One of the Fifth Estate’s readers called us to relate a little happening he said he witnessed at the Eastown the Saturday that Joe Cocker was to appear. It seems that the dude going in before him was fingered as a troublemaker, and during the ensuing verbal hassle to explain they must have him mixed up with someone else, was told by the ticket-taker that “you all look alike to me.” That weekend the Eastown had some real trouble: people got pissed off at paying $5 apiece for a three hour show after which they had to leave immediately to make way for another capacity (2,282) crowd (at $5 a$p$i$e$c$e). Things were so bad that Joe Cocker refused to do a second show on Saturday, which made matters all the worse. While the Eastown must have made a fair sum of money, keep in mind that Joe C. did too, and although he is a killer performer and does have to pay a lot of people, what does he need so much money for? (Around $20,000 to $25,000 for three shows.)…

The 24 billion dollar moon rocks are on display in Southfield—what a drag…

Two Detroit pigs got caught with the goods. The two, stationed at the Conner Station got off work and were later discovered in what seemed to be the act of ripping off tires from an East side service station. The officers, who were suspended by Commissioner Murphy, said they were actually investigating a window smashing….

Mike Quatro will play organ (or piano) for the Frosts next album…

Gary Grimshaw, people’s hero and revolutionary artist, will soon be home to face dope charges in Traverse City. Welcome, welcome….

A brother recently released from Ionia says David Valler is literally crazy: he still talks as if he were President (isn’t he?). The released brother, incidentally, was told by reformatory officials not to say anything about David’s “strange” behavior…

A booking agent to be called simply Trauma will start bookings in Detroit July 15th. Although the rate charged will be the same as other agencies in the area, 5% will be diverted to Open City…

“Can America Survive?” is a recent LP by a right-wing, Bible swinging, gum chewing, short-haired flag-freak from Royal Oak. Great for parties, gifts, etc. The holy man sez John Sinclair is a Commie who uses dope, music and sex as a Plot To Overthrow Amerika. He also cites the MC 5 as a part of the misdirected youth of today who just won’t stop at anything….

For the last 100 years the best apprenticeship a law school graduate could try to latch on to was that of a law clerk to a justice of the Supreme Court. Since before the civil War there have only been two blacks and three women (white?) to hold such a post. Equal opportunity for all, fellas?…

Guess who is the Administration’s representative to the Department of Indian Affairs? Why, who else but that ol’ redneck Spiro Zero himself. The Indians on Alcatraz, by the way, plan a Department of Caucasian Affairs…

The big Door, Jim Morrison, was found guilty of horsing around and using profanity on an airplane, and faces a maximum penalty of $10,000 and up to 20 years in jail….

Arthur Godfrey (referred to as a revolutionary in the current issue of the Argus) had this to say after the Ecology Teach-in at U of M: “The radicals were there alright, and they behaved like misbehaved brutes. The radicals and other college students must face the facts—that it is the ELDERS who will effectively win the fight against pollution, and it’s the older folks who run this country and will continue to do so.” Yeah, Art…

Three EMU professors who helped out a student underground paper last year in Ypsilanti have been suspended. The university had tried to discipline the students involved, but the student court threw the case out…

Joe Pyne, roaring talk-show celebrity died of cancer a couple of weeks ago…Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary, pleaded guilty in Washington to “taking immoral and improper liberties” with a 14 year old girl that came backstage to, ahem, get his autograph last August…

For some reason, unfathomable to the Michigan National Guard’s chief, they just haven’t been able to recruit more blacks. Maj. Gen. Wilson, bureau chief of the National Guard, said “I can’t get a handle on it—it’s one of the most confusing problems I’ve ever faced.” The National Guard is presently being used to break a strike by postal workers in New York, and they have been used for riot control during people’s uprisings in Chicago, Detroit, Watts, etc, etc, etc….

The AFL-CIO plans to promote a nationwide police union during their convention in Chicago May 25-27 to provide better wages, conditions and status for the porkers…

Ann Arbor sheriff Doug Harvey says he’d make sure even Uncle Sam and Abraham Lincoln got haircuts in his jail. He also says that women are generally cleaner than men, so they don’t have to have their hair cut. These remarks were made as part of Harvey’s testimony at a trial in which he is being sued for $200,000 for cutting the hair of 8 men arrested in Ann Arbor following demonstrations against G.E. February 18th…

Oh yes. Harvey’s latest scheme is to put up an eight-foot fence around “his” jail. Tighter security—but not for inmates. The fence is to be used to ward off radicals storming the gates and taking over!

FADING NOTE, in the upcoming film version of the Chicago 7 trial, Groucho Marx has been offered the role of Judge Hoffman. WHAT?

Top