WYSO (Antioch College Public Radio) radio news programs covering local protests in Xenia, OH
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| Unidentified man 1: …Quite a stink around Dayton and that part of town. | 0:00 | |
| [audio changes] | ||
| [telephone ring] | ||
| [Noah’s voice softly in the background] | ||
| Noah Miller: …he admitted that all the information they had was falsified, however, there was such a good job done on it, that it, it would be very hard for me to disprove it. I’ve been under a very bad strain, and it’s not easy very easy to have your life threatened. I’m not that strong of a person. I’m not afraid of death but I, of course, I am not neurotic enough to want to die; however, I, I’ve made my decision when I started this, I realized the gravity of it and I will stick by it. | ||
| Interviewer 1: Do you have any family? | ||
| Noah Miller: I have a sister and two—her two children, whom I take care of. Her husband is separated from her. I have my own house and my car that I own part of. A finance company owns the rest. | ||
| Interviewer 1: Have you made any contact with the federal authorities? | ||
| Noah Miller: I have cooperated with them ever since I started this. | ||
| Interviewer 1: Have you had any contact made about this arrest? | ||
| Noah Miller: I should hope to know about it right now. I spoke with them last night and told them that I had been threatened with arrest before I even came up here. | ||
| Interviewer 2: They threatened you with arrest before you even… | ||
| Noah Miller: Yes. City officials threatened me with arrest. | ||
| Interviewer 2: In Yellow Springs? | ||
| Noah Miller: Yes. | ||
| Interviewer 1: I still would like to pinpoint these false charges. Can you be specific on what parts of your life or things they are planning to discredit you with? | ||
| Noah Miller: No, I can’t be specific, all I, all I know is what he told me, and, and the [core man?] had told him that they had enough material gotten together, that they had records and things, which he admitted was falsified to this man, and he threatened him in an insidious way: he threatened his life, he threatened his wife’s life and he’s threatened his child’s life. The man did quit on this and he scared him out. | ||
| [telephone rings in background] | 2:35 | |
| Interviewer 1: In other words, it was generalized what he had to say about this, was… | ||
| Noah Miller: It wasn’t generalized. He told him that they were going to use him as example. That he would be accidentally killed as an example of what they intended to do. | ||
| Interviewer 1: Well, I mean, let’s talk about you. He didn’t—he was not specific? Or you do not remember? | ||
| Noah Miller: As I recall, he asked them why they didn’t concentrate on me instead of him and he—they said they would take care of me because they were putting this material together, which would be—although it would be falsified, it would be affective the way they would present it. | ||
| Interviewer 1: You a war veteran? | ||
| Noah Miller: Yes, I am. | ||
| Interviewer 1: What branch of the service? | ||
| Noah Miller: It was the Army Air force at that time. | ||
| Interviewer 1: World War II? | ||
| Noah Miller: World War II. | ||
| [telephone rings in the background] | ||
| Interviewer 1: Overseas? | ||
| Noah Miller: Yes | ||
| Interviewer 3: Mr. Noah, you were the fifth person on the picket line... | ||
| Noah Miller: No, I was, I was not, the fifth person. I was guaranteed that if we came up there and put only four people on the picket line I would be protected. I was not protected. | ||
| Interviewer 2: This guarantee you said comes from bribery? | ||
| Noah Miller: That’s right. | ||
| Interviewer 2: In what way did he guarantee that you would not… | ||
| Noah Miller: He asked me, he asked me not to bring more than four pickets, and I told him that I would abide by his wishes. He told me that if I brought more than four pickets then he thought the other side would feel that they could bring more than four pickets, so I, I assured I would not violate the law to one letter. I had no intention of violating any law which is made, or any good law, or real law, not something that is just drummed up. | ||
| Interviewer 3: Immediately before the arrest, Sheriff Bradley read the injunction, said that now there are five people, will one please leave one, do you feel, at this point, were not violating the law, you were not violating the order… | 4:13 | |
| Noah Miller: I was not violating—I was told, I was assured that if we were the first ones there, we would—if anyone else came in, they would be the ones who would be arrested. | ||
| Interviewer 2: What time did you arrive out there, son. | ||
| Noah Miller: About 6:35 or 6:00. | ||
| Interviewer 2: What time did the Antioch committee arrive? | ||
| Noah Miller: About a quarter after seven or so. Somewhere around there. | ||
| Interviewer 1: Mr. Miller, who, who broke the picket line? | ||
| Noah Miller: I know the one boy’s name Bennett. I don’t know what the lady’s name is. | ||
| Interviewer 2: Is he from your group? | ||
| Noah Miller: Oh no, no, our pickets didn’t break the picket line. It was two colored people: one, the boy’s name is Bennett and the lady’s name I don’t know. It was a deliberate thing, they planned it exactly that way to discredit us, and break our picket line up. | ||
| Interviewer 3, with Noah’s interjections: Would you say as you saw it that you were in the line and this Mr. Bennett came into the line and you had one of your members drop out first, to keep the line at the legal four [Mr. Noah: right], and when Mrs. Green got into the line [Mr. Noah: Mrs. Green, yes], and made the fifth person, you then refused to drop anymore members out of the line [Mr. Noah: right] and you did drop one of your members out of the line first. | 5:10 | |
| Noah Miller: In order to comply with the law, yes. | ||
| Interviewer 3: This is the way you saw it? This is your feeling on it? | ||
| Noah Miller: That’s right. | ||
| Interviewer 1: Mr. Miller, why did you trade places with the man from your organization who was on the picket line and was the fifth picket? | ||
| Noah Miller: I would let, I would not let—ask anyone to do anything I would not do myself. I feel that if someone has to be punished or take treatment of this type, I, I’m obligated to do it as, as the leader of the group. | ||
| Interviewer 1: There for a while it was getting pretty hot. If things would have gotten into physical acts, would you have passively resisted and requested the police? | ||
| Noah Miller: No, I would never resist the law, forcibly. | ||
| Interviewer 1: Would you resist the other group if things had gone further? | ||
| Noah Miller: If they had swung at me… | ||
| Interviewer 3: If someone took a swing at you would you swing back? | ||
| Noah Miller: I certainly would protect myself, but not against the law. I don’t, I don’t believe civil disobedience at all. | ||
| Interviewer 3: What arrangements did they make for your defense? | ||
| Noah Miller: We have a very good lawyer, I hope he is on the ball, he seems to be a little slow. | ||
| Interviewer 3: Is he coming up from Cincinnati? | ||
| Noah Miller: I don’t know what he intends to do. | ||
| Interviewer 1: I don’t think that, I don’t think you can get out right now. The sheriff’s [unsure: (0:07:07)] contempt of court. I don’t believe that you can leave the jail until the hearing is [unsure: 0:07:17)] That has been, it has been the practice. Your bond needs to be posted, needs to be posted by the NAAWP. | ||
| Noah Miller: We have enough numbers out there I hope they have enough money between—we didn’t come prepared for trouble, we don’t seek trouble. We relish the publicity, I can’t deny that. | ||
| Interviewer 3: In view of what has happened, can you see that there will be any other pickets or any other actions in Yellow Springs, either against the Yellow Springs affiliate group, or in front of Gegner’s barbershops showing support of him? | 7:38 | |
| Noah Miller: Until I get into an area where I feel more safe, I refuse to make comments on this particular thing. | ||
| Interviewer 3: Would the NAAWP action… | ||
| Interviewer 1: Mr. Miller, it has been reported that some people who haven’t even known you, some local residents, have come up and offered to levy your bond, is this correct? | ||
| Noah Miller: This is right, yes. I have had a call from New Jersey, the man who told me that if he heard of my being arrested he would personally post my bond. I’ve forgotten his name. | ||
| Interviewer 1: You mean in Yellow springs? | ||
| Noah Miller: No. | ||
| Interviewer 1: How about Yellow Springs residents? | ||
| Noah Miller: No one came up to me from Yellow Springs, I don’t know of anyone. | ||
| Interviewer 2: That offer… | ||
| Interviewer 3: That offer was made to Mr. Gegner from… | ||
| Noah Miller: Wonderful | ||
| Interviewer 3: The whole thing. One lady said she’d give him the whole thing. | ||
| Noah Miller: Wonderful. Wonderful | ||
| [telephone rings in background] | ||
| [undirected conversation and laughter] | ||
| Interviewer 1: My abbreviations. I’m sorry. | ||
| Noah Miller: That’s okay. | ||
| Interviewer 1: Good. | ||
| Noah Miller: I understood what you meant. | ||
| [Indistinct chatter and background noise] | ||
| Noah Miller: Thank you. Thank you, fellas. | ||
| [audio changes] | ||
| 00:09:25.000 --> 00:10:47.000 | ||
| Unidentified man 2: There’s a meeting, there’s a meeting of National Association of the Advancement of White People scheduled in Dayton tomorrow. Do you think this will turn into a rally for—to get money to spend on you people and so on? | ||
| Noah Miller: Well, I should hope it would. | ||
| Unidentified man 2: Okay, thank you. | ||
| [audio changes] | ||
| Brandenburg: Have I seen anything like this in my lifetime. I went in to get a haircut. | ||
| Unidentified man 3: You talk to Jim? | ||
| Brandenburg: Huh? | ||
| Unidentified man 3: You talk to Jim? | ||
| Brandenburg: I’ve talked to Jim before, yes. I know him. | ||
| Unidentified man 3: Did you talk to him today? | ||
| Brandenburg: No, he said he had a holdup. I happened to be getting a haircut right when this thing happened. I seen them working one at a time until [LaBelle? (0:10:05)] and his people up there. They’re denying—we’ve got the money to set bonds, but they’re denying us that right. | ||
| Springfield Daily Reporter: Where do you live? Where’d you get the money. | ||
| Brandenburg: I live in Reading, Ohio. It’s my own money. I live in Reading, Ohio. My name is Brandenburg. I’ve been in TV and radio before. | ||
| Springfield Daily Reporter: Do you know under the laws of the courts that there in, if they are being held and not charged yet, they cannot be released on bond? And if they are charged with contempt then they cannot be released on bond until they have a hearing? That’s the law everywhere. | ||
| Brandenburg: What, what—you with WLWT? | ||
| Springfield Daily Reporter: Springfield Daily News. That’s just, that’s just the law of the court. As soon as they have a hearing, the judge will go in and he will set the bond, see? And then they will be able to be released. | ||
| [audio changes] | ||
| 00:10:47.000 --> 00:11:23.000 | ||
| Unidentified man 4: …I can’t get ahold of Mark [unsure: (0:11:04)] Now, [unsure: (0:11:10)] what I’m thinking about doing, I just want to get your advice on this… | ||
| [audio changes] | ||
| [clapping singing at mass meeting] | 11:23 | |
| …Going to let my freedom in/ let my freedom in, one of these days/ we’re going to eat at the freedom table/ oh, we’re going to eat at the freedom table, one of these days/ hallelujah… | 11:34 | |
| [audio changes] | ||
| 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:48.000 | ||
| Larry Rubin: His wife just sang “The Way of the Lord.” She said, I’ll let the lord to my vocals for me. | ||
| Unidentified woman: She may mean that the lord helps her sing and she don’t have to be a [unsure: (0:12:27)]. | ||
| Larry Rubin: That’s what she said. | ||
| Unidentified woman: That’s, that’s probably what she meant. | ||
| Unidentified man 5: I’m realizing that God gives us every strength in life and that, after he gives you all of these things that you should be willing to get up and fight for these things. | ||
| Larry Rubin: I have a bible with me, I showed it, it says the lord helps those who help themselves. | ||
| Unidentified man 5: Yeah. | ||
| [audio changes] | ||
| T.C. Chapman: So, when I walked into this tent tonight, I thought about when I was a boy, and this tent reminds me of the camp that I used to attend as a boy, what they called the sanctified church, and those people then were praying and singing as you are tonight. They were praying and singing for freedoms then, and I said, well the negroes and still praying and singing for freedom. | 12:48 | |
| [audio changes] | ||
| 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:32.000 | ||
| Unidentified man 6: And it, it don’t, it don’t [unsure: (0:13:30)] exercise… | ||
| [audio ends] |
| Bill Miller: …here today. Well, originally, I was demonstrating to show that this is still America and that Mr. Gegner has certain inherent rights which are being violated. But, since I’ve been up here I think I must comment. The people up here who are protesting against us should be made to serve time in the service overseas where they would face, face some communist bullets. I’m sure they would change their mind and their opinion about what we are doing. | 0:00 | |
| UM 1: Are you aware of the injunction, sir, which was issued by a common police court which limits picketing to four persons at any one time? | ||
| Bill Miller: I’m fully aware of it. As I said before, we contacted the federal authorities and we’re completely in the clear. | ||
| UM 1: How do you mean? | ||
| Bill Miller: Just what I said, we are completely in the clear, we wouldn’t do anything illegal. | ||
| UM 1: You said earlier you have the status of interstate travelers and therefore the justice department or federal authorities would protect you. | ||
| Bill Miller: I have c—the only thing I will say is that I have contact—contacted Mr. Kennedy’s department, from there the lawyers have to kind of take it over. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| UM 2: Could you tell us the relationship between speaking about communist bullets and the people who are demonstrating against Mr. Gegner’s policy? | ||
| Bill Miller: Yes, I was just talking to one of your leaders over here, he was telling me about freedom of speech and everything else, but he seems to forget that just last week three of our young boys died for his right to make this speech. There is no…. I just can’t understand his type of logic. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| UM 1: Do you th—do you think the picketing on the other side of this street by members of the Village Civil Rights Organization Action would be a violation of the Common Police Court injunction? | ||
| UM 3: I doubt it very much; however, I’m going to get legal advice on that. I doubt, though, myself that they are in violation. | ||
| [tape change] | ||
| Bill Miller: …this if for lawyers to determine; however, I am under the protection of interstate commerce laws, which they are obligated to defend me if my civil rights are violated. | 2:33 | |
| UM 4: In case of arrest you would appeal the Justice Department? | ||
| Bill Miller: I’ve already set it straight with them, it’s already been taken care of. | ||
| UM 4: Are these men all from Indiana too? | ||
| Bill Miller: No, some of them are from—no, these men are from—all from Ohio. | ||
| [tape change] | ||
| Bill Miller: If they would experience young boys their age dying over in Vietnam they would certainly think twice before they come out here and picket without knowing what they were picketing about. Power and the grabbing of power by people is what this whole thing is about. These boys will be their pawns, they will be slaughtered, they don’t realize it, but they will be. They represent the capitalist system whether they are away of it or not, and when—if these people come in control they will be slaughtered, there is no two ways about it. | ||
| UM 5: Are you referring to the Antioch students who have picketed here at times? | ||
| Bill Miller: Yes. Death is… | ||
| [tape change] | ||
| Bill Miller: Gegner has agreed to become an honorary member. We are extending him an honorary membership and he has agreed to accept it and of course we will extend our legal aid to him and if we become financially able we will give him all the financial aid we can. | ||
| UM 6: We understand that the Dayton chapter has already offered Mr. Gegner money and he’s turned it down. | ||
| Bill Miller: Well this I don’t know, see. | ||
| UM 6: It says on the premise that he will—if he will… | ||
| Bill Miller: Of course, we—in other words we are in favor of him, we will do whatever we can for him. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| UM 7: Mr. Miller, could you tell us anything about your war record? Are you a veteran? | 4:37 | |
| Bill Miller: Yes, I served four years in service, nothing outstanding. I have seen an awful amount of death from it, but there is nothing outstanding about my record. | ||
| UM 7: You were on the European front? | ||
| Bill Miller: Yes, I was in Italy for a year. | ||
| [tape] | ||
| UM 8: Civil Rights dem—are you on? | ||
| UM 9: Yes, I’m ready. | ||
| UM 8: Sheriff Bradley, are the civil rights demonstrators across the street from Gegner’s barbershop in Yellow Spring in violation of Judge Jone’s injunction? | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: I don’t think so | ||
| UM 8: Has this been clarified by legal authorities? | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: That’s right, they are not in violation of the court order. | ||
| UM 8: How many pickets can they have over across the street? | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: Across the street? | ||
| UM 8: Yes. | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: As far as the court order, the court order does not limit any pickets across the street. | ||
| UM 8: Thank you very much. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| UM 9: There’s only four I know about. | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: Alright. I don’t have to take it farther than that. That completes four and that’s legal. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: You people that are not concerned here with this, I want you to move back and keep this open here. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: Of course, that time a picket dropped out and its legal now, there are four in the picket line. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: See Judge Jones has been contacted this morning. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: …if so… | 6:18 | |
| [tape changes] | ||
| Bill Miller: …if anybody wants to drop out. I’ll just—I’ll stick in there until it drops. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: I’ve talked to him, but I think… | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: I am really concerned here that we don’t have any violence or anything. | ||
| Bill Miller: This is the uppermost in my mind. | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: …violent situation… | ||
| UM 10: This is not right. It’s just what happened. | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: Well, sir, I am not the one that makes that decision. | ||
| UM 10: No, no. That’s not… | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: I am here to enforce the court order and the rest of the officers are here to try to see that there is no trouble. That’s why we are all here. | ||
| UM 10: Well, now we have not been asking for trouble, this other people have been asking for it. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| Bill Miller: I have agreed with every law enforcement agency that I will not break the law. I have assured the sheriff that there will be no more of my men picketing more than four people. Only time will tell what we might do. I might get mad enough I put sixteen men. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| UM 11: …man to the law challenge at any time? | ||
| Bill Miller: I have, I have agreed to every law enforcing—enforcement agency that I will not break the law. I have assured the sheriff there would be no more of my men than four people. Only time will tell what we will do. We might get mad enough, I’ll bring in sixteen men. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| UM 12: …think they’re here for. | ||
| UM 13: Exactly. | ||
| UN 12: Well, you boys are here. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| Bill Miller: I’m not going to say anything [laughter]. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| UM 14…don’t worry, Eric. | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: Again, I’ll have to—if we are going to continue, to define pickets, I’ll have to read the restraining order and definitely---sir? | ||
| UM 15: 1, 2, 3, 4 | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: Oh, we have 1,2,3,4 now? | ||
| UM 15: That’s right. | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: Oh, we’re legal. | ||
| UM 16: 5, we’ve got 5 now. | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: 1,2,3,4,5 now, well look. Preferably we would rather get by here and not make any arrests if we can. Alright, as I explained to you moments ago, five is illegal, and we cannot have the full picket. That’s what Judge Jones from the county has ruled. We cannot have over four. I’ll be glad to leave the restraining order, we will have to limit picketing to four. | 8:09 | |
| Bill Miller: Sheriff, I have no intention of breaking your law, as I understood it you told me the first ones here would have prerogative over the marching. I assured you I would not have more than four people. I think this is my right as a law-abiding citizen. Now, if I have to be arrested, I am quite willing to be arrested. | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: Well sir, I, I cannot say who is allowed to picket and who is not. Otherwise you people were here, you were marching with four people; however, there’s been other people in. It would be the same way if four people was on the other side and some of you people joined in, then we have to enforce this restraining order. Its—that’s—has to be done, because that is a ruling of the court and I am charged with enforcing this court order. | ||
| Bill Miller: I realize that. It is up to you sir. I will abide by whatever you say. | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: I would appreciate it. As I said, I would prefer to not make any arrests. If some of you people would cut down, I won’t say who. I appreciate to see only four people in the picket line and if it goes over that regardless I’ve got to enforce the law. | ||
| Bill Miller: If we more out, our civil rights will be violated, therefore, I’m sorry but we will not disperse. It will have to be them. | 9:59 | |
| Sheriff Bradley: Well, the Court of Common Pleas Green County Ohio [unsure: (0:10:17)] Gegner [unsure: (10:10:18)] Gegner’s barbershop, 255 Xenia Avenue, Yellow Springs Ohio, case number 34993, plaintiff respondent [unsure: 0:10:27)] 202 Fairfield [unsure: (10:29)] Yellow Springs, Ohio defends the plaintiff, and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission state office building room 55422 East Gate St. Columbus, [unsure: (0:10:39)], Ohio. The matter comes before the court on the affidavit on the motion of the plaintiff responding that a restraining order issue in joining certain persons from committing and continuing to commit acts of violence and trespass on and about the plaintiff responding premises located at 255 Xenia Avenue, Yellow Springs, Ohio. In consideration of the said court’s motion is well taken and is therefore aborted that all persons will refrain from committing acts of violence and trespass at the aforesaid premises and is further ordered that the picketing of said premises be restricted to no more than four pickets at any one time. Signed Warren C. Young, judge by assignment. And, also, Harry Kyle, attorney of the plaintiffs. Now, again there, that the order has been read, I would like to say to you people I would prefer to not make any arrests and if you would cut the pickets to four there will not be any arrests made; however, if this is not done, I will have no other alternative. | ||
| Bill Miller: Will you arrest one of us or all of us? | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: It will be all. It will be all. It make no difference in who we arrest. I mean we’ll arrest all that’s in the picket line. | ||
| Bill Miller: I’m quite willing to go along with this. | ||
| UM 17: How many are in the picket line then? | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: Well… | ||
| UM 17: Are you saying just the ones carrying the signs are in the picket line? | ||
| Sheriff Bradley: Well, I’m going to look the picket line over and make sure that I get the ones that are in the picket line. So, now, if you people would get back here, it’s a little hard to tell who’s in the picket line and who’s not. [laughter] | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| [singing begins] | ||
| UM 18: [singing continues in the foreground] …I’ll knock that damn thing out of your hand…Do not take a picture of me. | 12:56 | |
| [singing intensifies. Two different groups singing. One group sings “God Bless America,” and that song takes over the audio] | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| [female singing voices continue] | ||
| UF 1: [singing alone] We shall overcome someday. We shall overcome someday. | ||
| [tape changes] | ||
| [telephone rings] | ||
| UM 19: Sheriff’s office… |
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