thoughts, thoughts, and lots of thoughts

Governor State of West Virginia

Friday night in Shirley West Virginia a pickup truck traveling at an excusive speed crashed thru my field fence, then struck a tree and bounced back into the State road. I witnessed the accident and watched as the driver and passenger climbed from the truck. The driver was a local 16 yr. old who is related to the so called County family that has been involved in committing crimes against me and my wife. I went to the phone and called the West Virginia State Police to report the accident. I returned to my porch and watched as his father and cousin came to retrieve the truck and gather up the evidence. As the local fire department came up the road they quickly took off dragging the truck up Sandy's Run, with the fire truck chasing. They dragged the truck behind the house and informed the fire department that they couldn't come on to the property. The fire Chief who is one of the families then called the Tyler County dispatch and canceled the call to the West Virginia State Police. Then everyone left.

      I called the West Virginia State Police to report what was happening and an officer said they were responding. So I waited, in a few minutes I received a call from the Tyler County Sheriffs office informing they had taken care of this, I told them that the West Virginia State Police were in route to talk to me. The so called deputy on the phone told me not to be talking to the State Police. I replied that I would be reporting this accident and hung up the phone. Within 10 min. one of the local bad boys, who is related to persons in the Tyler County Sheriffs department was in front of my house making threats to do bodily harm to me, I returned into my house. I phoned the West Virginia State Police to inform them of this and they said an officer was on his way. I went back to my porch and listened as the local bad boy made threats to kill my livestock. Then raced away in his truck. In a few minutes a truck pulled into the neighbors drive along side of my lower pasture and started spot lighting my cattle. I shined a spotlight into the lower pasture and the truck sped over to the neighbor's house hiding behind it. In a few minutes the State Police arrived and started investigating the scene. They talked to a neighbor who was watching the scene, since numerous family members had been returning and grabbing evidence and leaving. They then found the truck hidden and asked their questions. The father said he was driving and the State Police returned to my house to take my statement. They informed me that the father had admitted to the accident and said he would take care of fixing my property. I was shocked! The person driving was identified by me and another person as the 16 yr. old son. The father was neither driving nor involved in the accident. He and another family member arrived 15 min. after the accident and retrieved any evidence they could before the West Virginia State Police arrived. Myself and two others watched as family members kept coming to retrieve more evidence and trying to cover or destroy the tire tracks. I gave the State Police a statement and they said they would have to turn it over to the Tyler County Prosecutor Who just happens to be involved with the family. I doubt any action will be taken in this case and I will once again be left to absorb the financial burden. I also believe retribution will be taken against me since the Tyler County Sheriffs Office has stated before that I am involved in a FEUD. It is my understanding that FEUDS are a crime in this state, and since the Sheriffs office think that's what's going on then why are they not arresting the individuals who were identified as committing the past crimes.

       As I look at Friday night's accident I can see several State Felonies that were committed. The first is fleeing the scene of an accident, the second is intimidating a witness by a local authority, third is removing evidence, the forth is obstructing the State Police in their investigation of the accident, fifth is conspiring to hide a crime. Since this was all recorded on a security camera. I gave the tape to the State Police it is the only evidence left to the crime, and I worry that the Tyler County Prosecutor will be given the tape and will destroy the evidence. I am asking that a special prosecutor from the state be quickly appointed in this case before the local authorities can cover it up or destroy the tape...

        

       You probably do not remember my horse as I do. You did not know that as he stood eating from the grain bucket less than 100 ft. from the neighbor's front porch he was shot. You did not know that he was shot 10 to 15 times thru the stomach and intestines. That he raced away in terror to the upper meadow, where he collapsed and died. He did not understand why his life was taken. You probably did not know the Tyler County Deputy did not pursuer this, or the statement that if I did not forget this then it would become a misdemeanor crime and not the Felony it was. You probably were not present when a Tyler County Deputy said he was not going to arrest his family members for committing a crime against me. Then you were not there when the Tyler County Prosecutor stated that no one would be arrested for committing crimes against me or my property. Or the day the Tyler County Sheriff said I wasn't welcome at the Sheriffs office. These facts have been held true to this day and for the more than 40 crimes from killing my livestock, arson of my barn, and shots taken at me in my yard, barn, and fields there have been no arrests. I do remember these things every time I pass thru the barn and see the saddle with the bridle hanging from the horn. I will always remember my horse as he nuzzled my pocket for that cookie or raced with me before the rain storm and I will always remember those who took his life and the refusal of law enforcement to make this wrong right. "Yes I remember my horse and I will not forget."

 

 

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night." "It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.  Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people
stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

    

      

       I grew up in the mountains of Washington State and learned the values of my grandfather. Life took strong people and hard work to survive. Certain values were held as the way of life and these were taught to me. Later in life, I moved to the big city and people objected to my values. They were insistent that the law should handle any problems and I was wrong to defend myself.

These ideas never seemed to work and I saw crime climb till it took over neighborhoods. When faced with this and the failure of police, I began to work on the problem without using violance. I found that embarrassing the drug dealers by making them publicly visible sent them packing to other areas. Most criminals or want to be's have trouble dealing with psychological problems so I applied this too, and soon my neighborhood didn't have as many problems as did other neighborhoods.

When I moved to West Virginia to farm and get back to my beginnings, I brought this city idea that the law should handle the problems and those who present them. When the law here made it quite clear that they were not going to arrest their friends and family to protect me, I knew my grandfather's values were what was needed. So I began to fortify the farm and make it clear to all that I would respond when any action was directed towards me. I use non-harmful tactics or psychological means to respond and this has proven successful.

But sometimes a real bad boy just doesn't get it so you have to deal directly and quickly with them so they get the message. Such it was one Saturday morning when I was home alone. I had just fixed myself three fried eggs, a whole pound of homegrown bacon, and a heaping mound of greasy hashbrowns and had settled on the front porch to enjoy. My hog pen is almost a quarter mile from the house but in view of my breakfast and I could just see the hogs digging in the pen. Up the drive along side my hog pen came one of the local bad boys, riding on his want-to-be Harley.

He stopped at the neighbor's house bordering the drive and talked to her for a few moments. Then he started the bike and turned around, facing down the drive towards the main road. I kept filling my mouth as I intently watched what was happening. The bad boy pulled out a pistol and fired three quick shots towards my hogs, then raced away down the drive across the bridge and away towards town. The neighbor had stood on the porch and watched this, then went into the house. Since the neighbor is family, I knew there would be no call to the law.

"Ah shit", I muttered. Now instead of finishing my breakfast I would need to go check on the hogs. I went into the house to get my hoglegs(45 cal.) and tucked them into my belt. I grabbed a coat and hat and started for the hog pen. As I got closer, I noticed the neighbor watching me through her window, Now I was sure I had a dead hog. I quickened my pace, dreading a shot hog that I would need to put down or get out of the pen before the other hogs became mad with the blood. When I finally arrived the hogs were hiding inside the shelter and were all OK. Now I felt stupid. This had been yet the latest in a long line of setups just get me away from my house, All too familiar, I thought.

I heard a motorcycle coming from town and it came to mind that it was heading towards my house. But it slowed instead as it down shifted, It was coming to the bridge, could it really be coming right back to the neighbor's. Pretty nervy to come back for seconds! I stepped behind the hog shelter and waited.

The bad boy rode up to the neighbors house turning the bike back towards the bridge and stopped. I stepped from behind the hog shelter and saw the bad boy pointing his pistol towards the hog pen as the neighbor was rushing out the door to warn him. The first bullet kicked up dirt in the pen and I pulled the hoglegs from my belt. The second bullet showered the hog shelter with dirt and I pulled back the hammers.

Suddenly he noticed me standing there, the neighbor yelling his name over the din of backfire and gunfire. I squeezed the triggers and the 45's roared. Dirt flew from the ditch below his feet. His third shot went wild in the air and his face was suddenly filled with fear. I thumbed the hammers back again and squeezed the triggers, again dirt flew from the ditch below his feet. The neighbor turned towards the doorway and ran face first into the now closed door.

The bad boy tried to get the motrocycle to move but the pistol prevented giving it the gas needed, so it only moved slowly forward. I thumbed back the hammers again and touched the triggers. The sound was deafening and the slugs threw grass and dirt towards the bad boy, who was now using his feet and gas to get the motorcycle moving.

Suddenly the gas caught and away went the motorcycle with the bad boy hanging on for his life, pistol waving from the handlebars. I thumbed back the hammers again and touched the triggers, putting the slugs into the ditch bank. The motorcycle made it to the bridge, throttle wide open, throwing gravel and roaring for escape. All the while the bad boy was hanging on for his life, knowing the devil was a coming.

I thumbed back the hammers and again squeezed the triggers, but it was just noise now and the sound was the devils voice to the bad boy. He had no control of the motorcycle as it crossed the bridge, leaping across the road and swaying wide into the ditch, then the bank before dropping to its side still roaring. I thumbed back the hammers one more time and squeezed the triggers, as the bad boy tried to right his motorcycle. Luck was with him and he quickly mounted and raced down the road towards town even as the hoglegs clicked on empty. I walked across the field to the road and turned toward the bridge, There in the road was a 9mm auto, pistol. Well, at least I got something out of the gun fight and I picked it up. Never had much use for these fancy toys, but they tell me ammo is cheap and it was almost free. Hope my breakfast isn't cold, I thought as I headed back to the porch.

 

       The night sky was clear, and bright with the light of a full moon, as he and his comrades crept across the field. This time he thought, this time they would put their query to the ground. This task had been a long and strenuous task for the last three years. Always something stopped them from achieving their goal, but to night would put this to rest. He glanced around to confirm the presence of his comrades, and check their positions. They need to do this right for they would not have a second chance this night. Mentally he went over the plan, and the tools that they would use to put this query down. Every one of his comrades carried their favorite weapon, and plenty of ammunition, all were dressed in their black clothing, with black ski masks. Had they been throughal enough, had they thought of everything, was there no chance for the query to escape tonight? He checked again on his comrades, some had not been as enthusiastic for this, but he had pushed and bullied them into accepting his plan. Yes he would see to it that they did their duty and he would be just behind them to make sure that they didn’t change their minds and run. Half way across the field they paused to check their positions and to take comfort in each others presences. He motioned them to continue, so all began to advance once more. He could make out the tree line they needed to get into for cover. Only about nine hundred feet more and they would have the trees for cover. Suddenly he heard a cough from his left, danm he thought that’s all they needed was to alert the query. He moved quickly to his left until he was behind his comrade. He spoke quietly, but forcefully .You trying to give us away. Stick your face into the ground if you need to cough. If this thing goes bust because of you, I’ll take you out. Now move and keep it quiet, or so help me god I’ll. He let it drop as his comrade began to move, yes he would make sure they did their duty. Now the trees were close, and he knew they would be safe to continue the stalk. He wished this was over, so he could be home drinking his beer and finishing that pizza. But this had to be done tonight; his cousin in the sheriffs office had made the arrangements so no one would respond until tomorrow. Now they were moving into the trees, and he felt relief flow into his mind and body. Just the branches overhead were comforting, as if he were inside his own home. Now they began to slip into their positions, and set themselves for what was to come. He checked their positions and made sure that he was behind them. If anything went wrong it wasn’t going to be him that was last to get out. He peered over the rise to see if he could see the killing ground, or the query. Then satisfied he sat down to rest, boy this was nerve racking, he thought. The moon was overhead now and he rose slightly to see the kill zone. Not yet, not yet, he grew more nervous by the second. Can’t let the others see this he thought. He looked for his comrades one by one he could make out the forms slouched against a tree or laying on the ground. He wished he had a beer or some more of that joint they had smoked before starting. He checked again for his comrades then rose slightly to peer towards the kill zone. What was taking so long, he had hoped this would be over quickly. This waiting was beginning to be a strain on his nerves, and he was glad that he didn’t have to talk out loud. He checked once more for his comrades, slouched against the trees and laying on the ground. They were silently waiting, being very still in the moonlight, good he thought they were doing well. Again he rose to peer into the killing zone, and still the query wasn’t there. He shuffled his position slightly, and closed his eyes. Quickly he opened his eyes, got to keep an eye on these boys he thought. Look at them slouched there and laying on the ground like they were sleeping. Sleeping, sleeping he thought, something was wrong, they hadn’t moved since they had arrived. He had better check on each of them, make sure they were awake and hadn’t dosed off. "Danm them" he had told them to quit smoking all that dope. A dull blow bent him backwards, and he saw something explode from his chest. The moon swung over him filling his eyes with light and he felt something escaping from him. The foot steps were soft and then a shadow covered his face. He heard a voice softly say stupid hillbilly. I told you to leave me alone, and stay at home. Then the sting across his throat and life ran to the ground.