Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 30 December 1989 — Page 1

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r ~M' 1989

the year in review

The year 1989 was both an end and a beginning. It was the end of the ’80s were allegations of brutal treatment of blacks at Union Station and the Sports Klansmen slashed tires and spray painted cars with racial insults; at IUPUI, and the Reagan era, and the beginning of the ’90s and the Bush era. Bar. In February, when Danita Hoskins won a homestead on 1121 N. leaflets were being circulated by “Advocates of the Pace Amendment,” The following are some of the major stories The Recorder covered in Tecumseh St in a $1 raffle, there were racial slurs written on her house. urging that citizenship be denied people of non-European descent 1989 and will continue to monitor in 1990. A group of African-American friends went toeat at Perkins restaurant in the The list goes on and on but on the national level, NAACP and civil rights

Castleton area their cars were vandalized and racial slurs were scratched on advocates are still reeling over the mail bombings directed towards some of

them. In Broad Ripple, two boys were attacked by a group of young skinheads, their members.

Ricp in rarial inriHpntc More shockingly, racial incidents were reported on three college campuses. ‘ mxiac in ■ <H~uu uniuciiia At Indiana University, Bloomington, a Liberian student was physically at- See 1989, Page A2 In 1989, the NAACP accused Shoney’s restaurant of racial bias; there lacked while walking on campus; at Purdue University, vandals dressed as ■

94th YEAR

NUMBER 52

INDIANA'S GREATEST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

SATURDAY DECEMBER 30, 1989

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Police looking for clues in Ervin murder

Police arc investigating at least one suspect in the death Wednesday of Indianapolis businessman Wilmoth Ervin, who was found shot to death in his garage. Ervin, owner of the Ervin Construction Co., a subcontracting business, was found by his father around 12:20 p.m. Wednesday. He had been shot at least once through the forehead and several times through the chest, according to sources. Although police have established no motive for the killing, a Marion County Sheriff’s Department spokesman said, “A lot of people liked him - but he had also made some enemies.” The spokesman said that Ervin, 43, had reported a robbery with shots fired at his home on May 8,1989, but that

Ervin was unable to identify a suspect. He was struck in the forearm in that attack. His father, William Ervin, visibly in shock, told of how he found his son’s body lying in between two cars in a large garage at the home. “I don’t know why it happened,” he said. “He got shot. I don’tknow why.” William Ervin, who said he lives around the comer from his son, said he saw that the garage door was open as he drove by. He drove by againashort time later and decided to investigate. Wednesday evening, forensic experts were collecting and examining the evidence in the garage, which included removing an Eldorado and Corvette from the garage. There was no other information at Recorder presstime.

Bombings not white supremacists tactic

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By G.S. STARR, JR. Special Correspondent

Although white supremacists apv to be the culprits in last week’s imbing attacks against court officials and civil rights groups, a growing number of people in the South are rejecting their hatred message. “We’re tired of them. We don’t need them and we don’t want them,” said Pulaski, Tcnn., Mayor Hal Ste-

wart.

Stewart led Pulaski’s 8,000 citi-

zens in a day-long boycott on Oct. 7, when a conglomeration of white supremacist organizations marched in the town. Stewart said all of the city’s businesses closed to protest the march by about 170 supremacists. Civil rights groups across the nation were alerted by U.S. Justice Department officials to be on guard after mail bombs killed a federal appeals judge in BirmingSee BOMBINGS, Page A2

Murder scene The body of contractor Wilmoth Ervin, lying in a pool of blood, was found by his father Wednesday morning in the garage of his Northeastside home. Ervin’s body, shot at least three times, was lying between two cars in the garage. (Recorder Photo by Crystal Carney)

Cold weather deadly for some

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By STEVE HAMMER Staff Writer For most people, the rccord-cold weather this week and last means, at worst, a higher healing bill or trouble starting a car. But, for some of the less fortunate people, the -22 degree temperatures last week meant extra pain, suffering and - for at least one elderly Indianapolis woman - death. Lucille Tinsley, a 70-year-old woman, was found frozen to death Saturday, Dec. 23, on the porch in front of her home at 1145 Roache Street Authorities said Mrs. Tinsley probably slipped and fell as she tried to open a padlock on her door, and lay undiscovered from 12-18 hours.

The Marion County Coroner’s office said the keys to the lock were still in her hand when she was discovered. All of the city’s homeless shelters reported being filled to capacity last week due to the the bone-crunching cold. Said Michael Fischback, general superintendent at the Lighthouse Mission, “We’ve got a full house right now, but we’re not going to turn anybody away.” He said the shelter has a sufficient number of beds available - “but that could change next week,” he said, if it gets colder. He said the shelter has a capacity of 75 persons - but can put at least 100 mattresses on the floor if needed. “We haven’t had to do that yet this year - and we hope we don’t have to,”

Fischback said. The cold weather also was a contributing factor to the death Wednesday of Ella M. Dyer, who was found dead in her home due to carbon monoxide poisoning. According to Citizens Gas, the poisonous fumescscapcd into the home because of a crack in the furnace’s heat exchanges, which is supposed to vent those fumes out of the house. Her husband and ch ildren were also overcome with the gas and were hospitalized. As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, her husband, Len, was in critical condition and her children were in stable condition. Services will be held SaturSee FROZEN, Page A3

Charmel 11 — serving the

minority community

Umoja (the first day of Kwanzaa) CkUdm of Joha Md Heka Laadt, a weU know* civil rights activist, perform a ikH based on one of the principals of the value system for the Kwanzaa cekbratioa. TW*e activkie* took ptoce on the Bight of Umoj* (the first day •T Kwanzaa) at Crfcpus Attacks Joaior High School last Wednesday. The Indianapolis Kwanzaa Comraittee and the IPS Office of Black History sponaored the event Recorder photo by Crystal Carney.

By AUDREY G^f&EKPO Staff Writer It didn’t happen with a big bang but on October 28 something significant happened in NaptOWD. Channel 11, a new local Afri-can-American owned television station geared towards the Indianapolis community started beaming its signals from 79th Street as not only the first load krw power station to go on the air (two other Nations obtained licenses but are not on die air)in Indianapolis, but more importantly the first minority television station T'V 1 “We are not competing with the big stations, we just want to cover our own show some of that are being

eace became they are m