It was really quiet in the drunk tank.
Early morning and not a sound...
There was no one there but him...
A fledgling crook at 15
He and some pals of similar persuasion had broken into
A small popular restaurant in town that also sold liquor
They got a few bucks and a few bottles of booze
It was his first taste of "Four Roses" bourbon whiskey
Pitiful tasting stuff but a manly act for all involved
It was The Watermelon Effect... Big time
(Yes that is a link to more about the little crook.. and find out here
what I have in common with Mark Twain on the topic.)
The little town's population tripled in summer
With tourists coming in from Cleveland and inland towns
To vacation on the beaches of Lake Erie
Lots of time for girls and boys to discover each other
He met one
Mary Stahl from Ashland, Ohio
She was smart, beautiful and beguiling
For him, it was another serious case of being in
Later that year he decided to hitchhike to Ashland to see her
It was just over forty miles away
He had to be home to babysit his little brother that night
As his parents were going out
He caught some rides and made it to Ashland for a short visit
But struggled getting rides on the way home
He found himself stuck in Attica, Ohio
Still over thirty miles away
While the sun was getting real low on the horizon
He knew he was going to be late and in trouble
He took a quick look in a back parking lot of a tavern
Climbed in an old Ford station wagon, looked around
Dropped the driver's side sun visor
And the keys fell in his lap
A real strong dose of serendipity that was...
He took off for Huron
Struggling as darkness set in
Afraid, without his glasses,
(He only wore them in school,
To see the blackboard
Otherwise lived a blur for distances but didn't mind)
And not exactly sure how to drive
He made it though
Parked the Ford near the town library
And walked a couple of blocks home (Williams Street)
Figuring the police would quickly find it
And return it to its owner
For some reason he kept the keys
A week, then two went by
And the station wagon was still there
Driving was so exciting
 |
| Not the Mansfield dance but looks a lot like it... "Teen angels" everywhere... Some, not so much the angel. |
So, he started driving himself to school
When asked, it was his "Uncle's car"
Temporarily left in the care of the family
After a week or so of that
He and a buddy, Tony M., were on their way to Mansfield, Ohio
For their popular Sunday night dance
It was the early days of rock and roll
And he loved to dance
He had been driving pretty cautious
Partly because he was still early in the learning stages
Partly because he didn't want to get picked up
Suddenly, a patrol car appeared directly behind
Flashed its lights and he pulled over
With no papers at all to show
The policeman grew suspicious
And called the station to check on the Ford
Shortly thereafter; "We'll have to take you in son."
It wasn't hard to convince the police his buddy
Was not involved in the crime
And his family later picked him up
The fifteen year old sinner though
Was left over night in a vacant cell block
The drunk tank in the Attica, Ohio Police Station
 |
| Nah... it wasn't as 'nice' as this one. The chains holding it had a more aesthetic appeal though. |
The solitary cell
Had a metal cot with fifty cent size holes in it
(Easier to hose down?)
It was hung from the wall with chains
There was a toilet and a wash basin
They let him grab as many army blankets as he wanted
Before they put him in for the night
Next morning
He did push-ups - seemed like the right thing to do
Had a little breakfast they brought him
And daydreamed
There and then he decided
He would never spend another night in jail
It wasn't long before his parents showed
And took him home
During the drive
He was feeling more adult or something
And asked his Dad for a cigarette
He knew they knew he smoked
All he got was funny looks and continued silence
His Dad and Mom never said much about the incident
Just helped him pick out a new outfit
On credit at the local clothing store
It was his first ever as a teenager
It was supposed to help his appearance in juvenile court
It was the works and he was dazzled by it
A green trench coat with matching leather gloves
New shoes, trousers, and a shirt
With a green and white argyle cardigan sweater
The judge put him on six month's probation for
"Driving a car without the owner's consent"
His family moved to Seattle while he was still on probation
He was a Junior in high school
They never reported the move to the court
Fifty years later, he could still be wanted in Ohio
The experience turned him away from a life of crime
One of the first in a string of truly fortunate developments
That would last a lifetime.
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