Last week I met Eddie Hatcher's mother.
Someone once asked me if I'd ever heard of Eddie Hatcher, and I said no. But
now I have. Eddie Hatcher is a Native American political prisoner, like
Leonard Peltier. He's in prison in the state of North Carolina, sentenced to
18 years on charges of kidnapping, charges that had been previously dismissed
by the state of North Carolina, but were reinstated once a Federal court found
him innocent of all charges stemming from the same incident. Eddie's been in
jail for over 5 years already, and, as it is with Leonard, parole is
continually denied him, despite the fact that he has a clean prison record, no
previous offenses, and has a family, job and place to live waiting for him.
Eddie's real crime against the state was that he found evidence that the
Sheriff of Robeson County, a man named Hubert Stone, was involved in the drug
trafficking that was heavy in the county in the 80's, and in the related
"unsolved" murders of dozens of Indian and black young men. He had written
information and evidence of this, and tried to take it to the FBI, the DEA,
and Federal Customs. That's when the Sheriff and State Bureau of
Investigation, according to one Federal trial witness, swore to "get" him.
Afraid for his life, Eddie and another man took a forced occupation of the
Robeson County newspaper office, to get media attention, and to demand an
investigation. That investigation has never been made, but Eddie was charged
by the Federal government with terrorism.
A Federal court ultimately ruled that Eddie was innocent and that his act was
one of desperation. But the state of North Carolina, after previously
dropping charges of kidnapping, reinstated them once Eddie was pronounced
innocent by the Feds. After two years of legal battles (the chronology
is too long to post, but I promise you it makes for an agonizing story,
including incredible acts of harrassment against Eddie and his family and
neighbors, and the fact that he was illegally denied legal counsel for his
defense), Eddie accepted an 18 year sentence on the state charges.
Harrassment and threats against Eddie have persisted in N.C. prisons since he
was jailed in 1989. He's suffered a punctured lung in a stabbing by another
prisoner who was contracted to kill him. Eddie's mother, Thelma Clark, was
told by the previous governor of North Carolina that her son "should stop
taking up other people's causes" (Eddie has remained a legal activist in
jail). Attorneys who have worked for Eddie's case have been framed by
convicted drug dealers, fined, disbarred, had jail terms imposed and otherwise
harrassed (William Kunstler is one of those lawyers).
Eddie's mother and the rest of the Eddie Hatcher Defense Committee continue to
crusade for Eddie's release. For the full story, please write or call them
at:
P.O. Box 1491
Hamlet, North Carolina, 28345
910-582-8113
Fax 910-582-0017
Send tax-deductible contributions to:
the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice
P.O. Box 187
Enfield, NC, 27823
Write letters urging for parole to:
Governor Jim Hunt, Office of the Governor, Raleigh, NC 27603, or
NC Parole Commission, 831 W. Morgan St, Raleigh, NC 27603, or
Franklin Freeman, Secy, Dept of Correction, 214 W. Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27603
At the meeting where I met Thelma Clark, the group there did an honor song and
drum for Eddie and Leonard. I asked her for some material, and she gave me
the brochure from which I've drawn the above. Call the committee to get a
copy for yourself. Read it and find out what horrible crimes against Native
Americans are still going on today.
{{{Deanna}}}
1-8408@wwiv.tweekco.ness.com