And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 19:00:07 -0400 (EDT) From: ME Shaiman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Eddie Hatcher Update Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="[EMAIL PROTECTED]" X-Mailer: mail.com X-Originating-IP: 207.225.233.153 Dear Ish, I am attaching the text version of the Eddie Hatcher brochure. It contains more information than the article I sent you about 2 weeks ago. Please circulate it. In Resistance, Marsha Shaiman, On Indian Land Newspaper/Support for Native Sovereignty ----------------------------------------------- EDDIE HATCHER: Execution Date??? District Attorney Johnson Britt and the media of Robeson County, North Carolina have already convicted Tuscarora Indian activist Eddie Hatcher and called for his execution! Will you allow the white establishment to put Eddie Hatcher to death? ONLY YOU CAN STOP THIS... On June 1, 1999, Indian activist Eddie Hatcher was surrounded at a busy intersection by dozens of state and local agents and thrown to the pavement, hand-cuffed and arrested. He was charged with First Degree Murder and other weapons charges. Eddie was immediately taken to North Carolina's highest security prison, Central Prison, and placed in maximum lockup next to death row. Eddie says, "I had forgotten how much this state, this government hates me. They are moving beyond all speed in this case. They are trying me for my life. They are trying to put me on death row. And something about this case really scares me." Robeson County District Attorney Johnson Britt says Eddie Hatcher should be put to death. The state seeks the death penalty because of Eddie's past convictions - the takeover of The Robesonian newspaper offices. EDDIE HATCHER: Former Political Prisoner Eddie Hatcher is known worldwide for his action of February 1, 1988 when he occupied the offices of The Robesonian newspaper in Lumberton, North Carolina, in a desperate attempt to focus attention on corruption in Robeson County. Eddie demanded that the government investigate local and state officials' involvement in major drug trafficking; investigations into more than two dozen unsolved murders, mostly Natives and Blacks; investigations into the local judicial system; and investigations into the death of a young African American, who died under suspicious circumstances in the Robeson County jail The takeover ended peacefully. One of the hostages, Bob Horne, former editor of The Robesonian, walked out of the building with Eddie. "Somebody called in and said they were going to gun them down... I went out with them to make sure that didn't happen. That wouldn't have been right," says Thorne. Eddie became the first person prosecuted by the Federal Government under Ronald Reagan's 1984 Anti-Terrorist Act. Between his arrest and his trial, seven witnesses scheduled to offer testimony to support Eddie's allegations of government drug trafficking were murdered or died under suspicious circumstances. After a three week trial in federal court, where Eddie was ordered, by Judge T. Boyle, to represent himself, the jury found Eddie not guilty on all counts. They said he was justified in his actions. Six weeks later, in December 1988, Eddie was re-indicted by the State of North Carolina for the same charges he had been cleared of in federal court. Eddie's attorneys, including William Kunstler, were removed from the courtroom by Judge R. Farmer and again Eddie was forced to represent himself. On February 14, 1990, Eddie was sentenced to 18 years, with a projected parole date of 1992. Still imprisoned in 1993, the National Council of Churches declared Eddie Hatcher a political prisoner. They, along with Amnesty International and many prominent people including Senators, Congressmen, and movie stars, demanded Eddie's release from prison. Eddie was forced to serve 7 years and was not released until May 1995, after he was denied medical treatment by the prison for AIDS related pneumonia and almost died. He was then held on house arrest and intensive parole for an additional two years until 1997. The documentary, "Takeover: The Trials of Eddie Hatcher," which was released in 1998, details Eddie Hatcher's life and his long battle with a corrupt, racist government. It has won countless awards across the country and has been shown on PBS stations nationwide. AFTER PAROLE In 1998, after completing all paroles, Eddie returned to Robeson County and again became very vocal in local politics, even contemplating running for public office. Now the District Attorney and the State of North Carolina say that Eddie Hatcher drove down a dark country road, in a 5-speed truck, on a curve, and shot through a house that sits more than 200 feet down a slope, and shot a man right between the eyes with a high powered rifle. Eddie's right arm is permanently disabled. He could have not done this. Yet, if the corrupt courts of North Carolina continue as they have, Eddie will receive the death penalty. Now Eddie sits in maximum lockup in Central Prison. He has refused government appointed attorneys and was ordered to represent himself by Judge F. Floyd. Judge Floyd implied, in open court, that as long as Eddie had writing paper and a pen, this was all he needed to defend himself on a capital murder charge. This is Robeson County. This is North Carolina... the Mississippi of the New Millennium. HOW YOU CAN HELP... We need your help. We are in desperate need of emergency funds to operate the small office, which is all volunteer. We need money for postage, printing, and telephones. We need you to write or call the prison system and let them know we are watching the case of Eddie Hatcher. Write or fax: Theodis Beck, Secretary North Carolina Dept. of Correction 214 West Jones Street, 4201 MSC Raleigh NC 27699-4201 Fax: (919) 733-4790 We need you to write the following news organizations and ask that they closely monitor this case: WRAL-TV 5 PO Box 12000 Raleigh NC 27606 Fax: (919) 821-8541 WTVD-TV 11 PO Box 2243 Fayetteville NC 28302 Fax: (910) 323-0120 Fayetteville-Observer 203 North Elm Street Lumberton NC 28359 Fax: (910) 738-7742 Associated Press Dennis Patterson Suite 300 4020 West Chase Blvd. Raleigh NC 27607 Fax: (919) 834-1078 We need you to contact these people and demand that Eddie receive a fair trial: Governor Jim Hunt Office of the Governor 116 West Jones Street Raleigh NC 27603 Fax: (919) 715-3175 Attorney General Michael Easley 2nd Floor Justice Building 2 East Morgan Street - PO Box 629 Raleigh NC 27602 Fax: (919) 716-6750 Senator Frank Ballance Room 53, Legislative Office Building Raleigh NC 27601 United States Senator John Edwards 825 Hart Building Washington DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3154 You can write to Eddie at: Eddie Hatcher Central Prison 1300 Western Blvd. Raleigh NC 27606 Eddie has been asking for reading material but the prison will only accept books mailed directly from the publisher. If you can afford it, please order a book from an independent on line book seller and have it sent to Eddie at the prison. For more information on how you can help, contact: Eddie Hatcher Defense Committee PO Box 2702 Pembroke NC 28372 Phone: (910) 521-8850 Tuscarora Tribe Fax: (910) 521-1996 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] A website is now under construction for Eddie at http://www.prisonactivist.org Thank you for your support. Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&