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Started By
Message
re: New Orleans old timers - Mark Essex
Posted on 12/22/16 at 6:23 pm to Athis
Posted on 12/22/16 at 6:23 pm to Athis
Good article. Here's a snippet.
Three black hotel employees saw a man with a rifle running down the hallway. Seeing their fear, Essex tried to reassure them. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going to hurt you black people. I want the whites!” The maids ran into a hotel room and locked the door behind them.
A white man named Robert Steagall, on a honeymoon with his wife Betty, opened a room door. He saw a man holding a rifle. Robert screamed and rushed at him.
Essex shot Robert Steagall in the chest.
Betty Steagall screamed, then knelt beside her wounded husband and cradled his head in her arms. Jimmy shot Betty in back of her head. Both Steagalls soon died.
Three black hotel employees saw a man with a rifle running down the hallway. Seeing their fear, Essex tried to reassure them. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going to hurt you black people. I want the whites!” The maids ran into a hotel room and locked the door behind them.
A white man named Robert Steagall, on a honeymoon with his wife Betty, opened a room door. He saw a man holding a rifle. Robert screamed and rushed at him.
Essex shot Robert Steagall in the chest.
Betty Steagall screamed, then knelt beside her wounded husband and cradled his head in her arms. Jimmy shot Betty in back of her head. Both Steagalls soon died.
0
Posted on 12/22/16 at 6:24 pm to SoFla Tideroller
I was 13, it was my older brothers birthday and we were in NOLA. Naturally my dad drove downtown to see the action. We were several blocks away but close enough to see the HoJo hotel and hear the gunshots. The sight I most remember was a gentleman nonchalantly walking in a purple leisure suit. When multiple rapid shots started ringing out he then started low-rider running down the block. Today my dad says it was stupid of him to bring us that close.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 6:49 pm to Athis
Good read. Thanks for the link.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 7:10 pm to SoFla Tideroller
Yes. I worked in the CBD at that time at National American Bank. They shut down the CBD but I was curios and drove downtown and managed to get to Poydrus. Do not ask me how I did this. But it was real crazy. Awful.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 7:16 pm to ginms
I was in 6th grade and watched Alec Gifford when I got home. You could here the rounds over the TV. Amazing.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 7:18 pm to SoFla Tideroller
Remember that well. We were in the car near the area and saw the commotion, so like stupid teenagers we parked and walked the neutral ground right by City Hall. We hear the pops of gunfire and ran the other way.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 7:27 pm to Isabelle81
There's a huge difference between guns shooting away from you and guns shooting AT you. I bet that grabbed your attention.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 7:28 pm to SoFla Tideroller
I remember it watching unfold live on TV. I believe it was a Sunday because first day back to school of the new week all the kids were talking about it
Posted on 12/22/16 at 7:31 pm to Isabelle81
You guys were close to me. I also saw the Rault Center fire and about threw up in 1 minute to that also saw the fire at the gay bar that guy burned down and I had just moved to New Orleans in August of 72. You can only imagine what I thought.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 7:40 pm to ginms
Rault Fire Video
Sorty about survivor who jumped from 15 stories
Sorty about survivor who jumped from 15 stories
This post was edited on 12/22/16 at 7:42 pm
Posted on 12/22/16 at 7:53 pm to LSUTANGERINE
Dear God that was awful.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 8:26 pm to SoFla Tideroller
(I had heard of this years ago when flying in the USMC. The general in charge of Marine aviation, Chuck Pittman, was the one who sent the helos that lit him up on the roof.)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Chuck Pittman was a LTC at the time and in command of the Marine Air Reserve training unit at Callender Field (Belle Chasse). He flew a CH-46 in poor vis (dusk, fog, misting rain) up the river and to the Superdome construction site. He picked up 3 NOPD shooters there and they started making passes over the roof of the Howard Johnson's.
It was a big deal, because he didn't have explicit authority from the Pentagon. Eventually, later that night, the Pentagon shut them down. Supposedly, Moon Landrieu got F. Edward Hebert, who was on (might have been chairman) the house appropriations committee, to make a few phone calls to the Pentagon and get Pittman flying again.
The Marines also got an NOPD escort to drive a (apparently street illegal) 6,000 gallon fuel tanker from Belle Chasse to the Superdome for refueling operations.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Chuck Pittman was a LTC at the time and in command of the Marine Air Reserve training unit at Callender Field (Belle Chasse). He flew a CH-46 in poor vis (dusk, fog, misting rain) up the river and to the Superdome construction site. He picked up 3 NOPD shooters there and they started making passes over the roof of the Howard Johnson's.
It was a big deal, because he didn't have explicit authority from the Pentagon. Eventually, later that night, the Pentagon shut them down. Supposedly, Moon Landrieu got F. Edward Hebert, who was on (might have been chairman) the house appropriations committee, to make a few phone calls to the Pentagon and get Pittman flying again.
The Marines also got an NOPD escort to drive a (apparently street illegal) 6,000 gallon fuel tanker from Belle Chasse to the Superdome for refueling operations.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 8:33 pm to White Roach
Posted on 12/22/16 at 8:43 pm to SoFla Tideroller
The DC sniper remembered too.
This post was edited on 12/22/16 at 8:46 pm
Posted on 12/22/16 at 9:02 pm to SoFla Tideroller
I was in High School then and watched it on TV. I was amazed at the fire power they brought to bear on the roof of the HoJo once they had him cornered in the stair well. I'm not sure but I think they brought in a sniper with a 50 cal. in an effort to shoot through the cinder brick walls. When ME finally ran out of the stairwell he got chewed up by the snipers. Even then they thought there was another perp and continued shooting up the rooftop stairwells.
Then the police were chasing suspects through the streets for hours. TV people were losing their minds.
Then the police were chasing suspects through the streets for hours. TV people were losing their minds.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 9:33 pm to SoFla Tideroller
That was good ole fashioned TV time for us. I was a teenager.
Posted on 12/22/16 at 9:35 pm to CHEDBALLZ
Nope. Didn't military go to Waco?
Posted on 12/23/16 at 3:13 am to 6R12
Yes the did I stand corrected. I read an old book from before Waco that my firmer boss had.
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