Benbrook Police Chief J.E. Prince with confiscated weapons

Creator

Preview

Identifier

10009799

Description

Benbrook Police Chief J.E. Prince with some of the weapons taken from Paschal High School students, stating that the students were trying to ignite an Arlington Heights High School bonfire, originally set up for their homecoming game, near the Benbrook Lake Spillway a day before a football game between Paschal and Arlington Heights. Published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram morning edition, Friday, November 15, 1963. Clipping reads "High School Youths Clash in Near Riot. Nearly 40 lawmen and four firetrucks were rushed to Benbrook Lake early Thursday to prevent a riot among high school students. Sheriff's Patrol Lt. Paul Taylor estimated nearly 500 students from Paschal and Arlington Heights High Schools were involved in the turmoil. Forty-six Paschal High School students were jailed. The trouble centered around a homecoming bonfire built, with permission, by Arlington Heights High School students below the Benbrook spillway. The two schools' football teams play each other at Farrington Field Friday night. Police said a private airplane was used to "bomb" the area with rocks, and that an attempt was made to ram the bonfire with a gasoline saturated automobile. Several shotgun blasts were fired during the melee. Police Chief J.E. Prince of Benbrook said a search of automobiles streaming in the area turned up an arsenal. Prince said police from Benbrook and Fort Worth confiscated shotguns, knives, baseball bats, ax handles, crude clubs, chains fashioned into whips and Molotov cocktails -- gasoline-filled beer and soft drink bottles with wick-like fuses stuck in the open ends. Twenty-four Paschal students were jailed at Benbrook. They were released to their parents. Twenty-two Paschal students were taken by police wagons to Fort Worth juvenile offices and were released after their parents were told to have them report to the principal's office at Paschal Friday. Prince said the Arlington Heights students had a permit from his office to have the bonfire in the overflow channel below the dam. While the students were assembling wood during the afternoon for the fire, the chief said, a private plane few over and "bombed" them with rocks. The chief said the Paschal students began swarming into the area about 5 p.m. "We started searching their cars and taking away all of their weapons," he said. "Then we'd tell them to go home. But they started yelling back and forth to each other and wouldn't leave. Others were coming in long lines." Prince called the sheriff's office for help. All available deputies were dispatched to the area. Sheriff Lon Evans called out all reserve deputies."

Archival Date

1963-11-14

Collection Name

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection

Collection Number

AR406-6-4829

Original Format

Negatives, Black & White

File Format

JPG

Rights

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License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Subjects

Police; Arms & armament