Below is the original remainder of the 4 page letter that was mailed out while I was in Mississippi during the summer of 1965, with a footnote added. In early 2013 I was given access to a scanned copy of the file of materials I had turned over to the Wiscsonsin Historical Society following my return. This allowed me to see the hand written corrections I had made on the copy of the letter I has provided to them, which enabled me to create the corrected version of the remainder part of the letter that now appears below the "Addendum" paragraph at JAIL.HTM.
        Soon after we reached the State Capitol* a squad of trucks drew up stopping sharply. Eventually there were about 10 trucks and 3 paddy-wagons. I was among the demonstrators put in the back of the last of the first bunch of trucks. We linked arms and waited. About 12:45 state troopers were brought in and things became a little rough. Some marchers were dragged to the trucks and two that I saw were lifted by their heads. Many were pushed and pulled in loading and unloading the trucks. One white girl had her sweater pulled up to almost around her neck. The crowd was pushed back from the scene about 12:50. The 10 troopers in the front line were equipped with clubs, gas, guns, helmets, etc. I saw King put into one of the paddy-wagons. (Doubtless Edwin King, the white chaplain and dean of students at (Negro) Tougaloo College just outside Jackson and a leader in the MFDP.) One man with dirty pants said, "They beat me." One girl was clubbed and had a bloody head. (Doubtless the same one reported in the later communication, above.) About 1:05 we began singing "We Shall Overcome". The canvas top over the back of one of the trucks was torn open by the riders under it during the trip. As we arrived at the make-shift fairgrounds detention center, we were herded into the middle of a large exhibition hall. (White girls were taken instead to the Jackson city jail.) One bearded white guy was lying on the floor with a bloody forehead. Another man reported that he had been hit in the ribs. At 1:15 medical help arrived for the girl. The expressions of the policemen's faces were mixed--from gleeful to sad and worried. Rain began to fall thru the roof about 1:20. At 1:30 with a "Get on down there and shut your mouth" I was jabbed in the back and hit on the elbow. A woman was jabbed in the back, making her very angry. A Jackson policeman wearing sunglasses was overheard to say, "Stand the son of a bitch up and let him die." At 1:40 a white boy with glasses was separated and pushed around the circle. Another man had his head bloodied as he tried to retreat into the crowd.
        2:00 PM, prayer is becoming frantic; the women are fanning themselves while the troopers watch with amusement. Someone has fainted, a woman I think. At 2:10 the ambulance came to take the girl to the hospital. When one tried to sit down, he was angrily forced to stand. 2:30, the Jackson policemen who wanted to let the injured man die, now without his shades, pushes us (pokes me) back and clubs a white man in a yellow shirt. A Negro leader who was 11th in a group of ten is struck hard in the ribs because he did not back up fast enough. A white boy and young colored girl are separated. 2:55, finally we are sealed in another building, the girl's building on one side, boy's on the other. (Note: Newspaper reported that most of the demonstrators were teenagers.) My elbow is sore.
        Rev. Galt of the Delta Ministry is here along with two other white ministers in the same program. He has been in jail for the Japanese and the US government (as a conscientious objector he was sentenced to 5 years but did not serve it all). The Rev. Ed King is also here. 3:25, the man in the yellow shirt is now standing last in line. Our side is being guarded by 10 men in green pants and soft straw hats and 3 or 4 city police. At 3:35 the men were marched around the corner and forced to run the gauntlet. Those around me (and including me) were jabbed in the back by 2 or more troopers. Rev. Galt was hit on the head. Dick was hit too when he left the other building. About 4:00 o'clock we were marched into the washroom and segregated. Our SNCC buttons were removed and pounded with clubs. Some Negroes are forced to sweep, George Green being second. About 5:00 two clubbed whites are asked to sweep. Rev. King did it willingly. The bearded blond refused, but the other finally started reluctantly and slowly. The Boss with dark glasses stopped the sweeping. About 5:15 a student from upstate New York talked for a few minutes to about 10 police and troopers. Earlier we had been told not to talk to each other. I estimated that, there were 31 or 32 whites and 200 Negroes. The supper-count showed 33 whites and 215 Negroes. Supper was provided from about 5:45 to 6:20. After supper a man with a red beard said that the place stunk and was clubbed. Before supper darkness came to (picture of guitar), we were made to stand. Earlier we had been told to stop staring. A 7:00 the leaders were separated--13 white ministers and one Negro minister.
        We were hoping for legal help. A red-blond (Bill Light) was kicked in the head when he was down. I met Ronald Weiss from Cleveland Miss. The lawyers arrived and told us 471 had been arrested and that bail had been set at $100 each. We tried to keep the lawyer in the building. At 9:10 Ron Weiss shouted "Freedom." Silence Then a chant began among the Negroes--"What do you want?"-- "Freedom!" But this was quickly quieted when a Negro rose and raised his arms. We signed retainers for the lawyers because we had no money. There were only 3 Negro lawyers, all from the Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee. They interviewed us all, giving each an ink spot as identification. They left about 10:30 and we were permitted to go to the washroom individually without asking permission. Some of the policemen (especially two fat ones) enjoy their power for its own sake. They act very childish, swinging their clubs, telling us to sit up, not to look at them, to look down at the ground, etc.
        Tuesday morning (second day). About 4:00 AM I first became aware of an almost constant noise from the police pounding their clubs on chairs, garbage cans, etc. and occasionally 4 who liked to tap on the floor. At 5:10 we were whistled up and stacked our mattresses. About 7:00 a cop told us, "Sing if you, like because tonight we'll get our turn." Maybe the girls sang last night. They were singing this morning at breakfast outside. Real singing was restored this morning for the first time since booking. At 8:30 there was applause for each white as he came out from washing the dishes. There were a few boos too. One white said he thought the Congress-of-Federated-Organizations leaders resented white competition. Ron Weiss again shouted "freedom!" He also led in singing multiversed songs, too many in fact seeing that he is not a very good singer. Bill Light led an insulting verse about cops stinking. At the breakfast line there were 3 mean-looking troopers with their numbers taped over (presumably on helmets and badges). At 9:10 a Sargent said he would treat us like animals if we treated him like an animal. After most of us stood and clapped and some Negroes danced, he added "We're human too." Two more troopers arrived with taped-over numbers and were told about the noise all night. The same Sargent said we're supposed to be educated Christian men. A Negro was hit about 9:45. One was made to chew on his SNCC button. We were told that we didn't have to call an officer "sir".
        About 12:45 some Negro girls were marched in, to the sound of cheers and clapping outside. We supposed these were new arrests from the second march. The group in the men's building integrated. 12:50, we noticed that the phone-both wire had been cut. At 1:15 some girls went to lunch and the remainder began singing "Go Tell It On the Mountain" and we joined. The police reportedly have ordered the Negroes back to their side of the exhibition hall but they didn't move and no action was taken. Lunch consisted of beans, bread, and weak milk. At 3:45 the dishes had been washed and the girls were returned to the newly arrested girls (of which about 9 were white) and the newly arrested boys were marched across to our building. One male who did not want to segregate was dragged and thrown against a wall. A couple of others were dragged too. One girl also had to be dragged. One white who would not stop singing was hauled out to a patrol wagon, a patrolman on each arm (one not being enough). A club was put behind his arm to twist it. One Negro girl who was looking faint, probably for fear of beating, began to cry and was taken to a police car. Bob from New Hampshire estimates that 200 were arrested today and we expect more tomorrow. We heard about sympathy demonstrations in the North. We got some cold water in line due to a police slip. A Negro policeman called over "boy" to remove whites and seat Negroes. Then the Sargent apparently vetoed the order to sit down.
        The Rev. Bob (what's-his-name) from New Hampshire has just returned from talking with his wife, who was also arrested. They will write from an Albuquerque paper. After applause for the girls going to supper, the doors were closed on that side so that we were not permitted to go to the washroom or water-fountain for awhile. My pen was returned via another person who had used it. Some women and kids complain and upset a lawyer about 6:00. He told us we will be out Saturday without bond or Monday at the latest with luck. 6:30 a hunger strike is being considered. 6:50, we lined up for supper, which was not served until 7:35, I hear the lawyer says that money is coming, but not quite yet.
        At 7:50 I talked with Nick Fisher who was one of the 20 arrested at the Post Office. They stood for about half an hour on the steps with signs. They were pushed off several times by US marshals. Finally they were pushed onto the city sidewalk and taken away by waiting city police. They would not all fit in the paddy-wagon so one girl went in a car. Two whites taken away. Piggy (one of the policemen?) jabbed the back of a Negro tonight.
        5:10 AM Wednesday (third day), I was awakened by metal folding chairs being pushed over the floor. But there was less noise last night than the first. But others thought they were noisier last night. Maybe I just slept better. At 6:10 the girls started to go to breakfast but the doors were closed because of applause, at which we applauded again. We sang "Woke Up this Morning", "Clap Your Hands" and "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round." At this 2 cops tried to get the standing clappers to move back, but more came forward instead. Frantic clapping subsided as reinforcements stood inside the door but before they took threatening poses. We were then told to line up for breakfast about 6:30. Club tapping is now applauded and when one trooper accidentally dropped his club, he was applauded. There is a good mood in the group; they applaud with the slightest excuse, sometimes mixed with boos however. 7:05, the men went to breakfast. 7:10, one large Negro woman is hustled away being hit behind with a club; another is led away. One Negro sings good natured jibs at cops, especially one of them. This rough one even smiled a little when he was serenaded as he lit a cigarette, with "You got a weed in your mouth, I hope you get cancer." Great voice.
        The song-leaders were hauled off to city jail and some Negroes didn't eat and called on us not to eat, singing "which side are you on?" So we didn't line up and consequently missed breakfast. Word from the other side via the washroom is that they are split--some plan to skip lunch, but most of the 870 now here will probably eat. My position is that I would join a hunger strike if one-half of the Negroes favored it on the basis of the protest-of-treatment list drawn up, read, and given to the lawyer last night, or if there, were more blood drawn by the cops without sign of provocation. The initiative should come from the Negro side. Most of the Negro kids are out by now (or have they been moved?). The word on the large Negro woman is that she refused to stop singing and kicked the cop in the groin when she was hauled away. The rewired phone had been said to be dead, but it rang this morning, and after a cop answered it and left at least one Negro tried to call. A second cop came back to check it and left apparently unconcerned. The Sargent talked to both groups again this morning after we didn't eat. He said we did not have to eat if we so chose but that we would get very hungry by Saturday because they were not going to give in and return the song-leaders. He says he comes on at 7:00 AM and is not responsible for anything which happens when he is off duty. We have not seen any helmeted troopers (highway patrol) since the first day. A few Jackson motorcycle (?) cops with helmets have been seen at meals. In the buildings only troopers with gray visor caps (light gray shirts, dark gray pants with red-blue-red stripe), city patrolmen with black visor caps, and State Fish-and-Game-Commission men with white cowboy-type hats are to be seen.
        The word from the other side is that they have repolled the people and almost everyone is going to strike. Another kid (about 12) has been bailed out presumably by his parents and is applauded--a little more than usual. About 11:10 all the kids under 15 (about 40) are asked for and given candy bars. (The notes break off here. This is evidently the time he gave them to the New York Times reporter, who sent them to me.)
        (In a letter to me dated June 26, Robert writes that he was bailed out Thursday, June 24 (meaning he was in jail for 10 days) and was then at the Mt. Beulah (Edwards, Miss.) headquarters of the Delta Ministry of the National Council of Churches. Friday a drunken white fired four shots into one of the buildings, but in general things are peaceful and quiet there. Much of his baggage was stolen while he was in jail.)
Bob Park
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* Our march never reached the State Capitol.