THE RUMBLE Volume 11, Issue 250
A Daily Issue of Local Headlines, News, and Crime
14 February 1965
New York City Crimes
TODAY’S HEADLINES
Local Crime
New York City Crimes: Get Your Hand Outta My Pocket!
Get Your Hand Outta My Pocket!
Assassination Attempt:
Writer Lawrence Dorsey APLAC News
Trying To Bump Off A Brother
Malcolm X, A 39-year-old man; leader of a militant black nationalist movement, was shot to death yesterday afternoon at a rally of his followers in a ballroom in Washington Heights. Thomas Hagan was charged with the killing. The police rescued him from the ballroom crowd after he has been shot and beaten. X had said only a few words of greeting when a distraction occurred. Gunshots were fired and knocked him over backward. Pandemonium broke out among the Negroes in the Ballroom at 166th Street and Broadway. Malcolm X’s wife came running towards him and was devastated. Negroes all started fighting one another and a riot took place. This was tragic. Malcolm X did not want any protection. He stated, “If I can’t feel safe around my own people, then I am not safe at all.” The police said seven bullets had struck this leader. Three other Negroes were shot. continued on page 2
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Crime Headlines News
News: OAAU’s Weekly Meeting at Audubon Ballroom
Assassination Attempt: Trying to BUMP Off A Brother Writer Michael Johnson APLAC News 14 February 1965 New York City: What was thought and speculated to have been a common house fire, turns out to be an assassination attempt on Malcolm X. Cops originally stated that a blown out circuit in his family’s kitchen caused the fire, but with investigation and further details the story steadily changes. Two Cocktail-Molotov type explosives were thrown into the window of the room containing his sleeping children. Malcolm had safely gathered his family and had taken them all outside to safety, where they were met by Malcolm’s entourage of followers. After assessing the situation cops and the fire department were called. No injuries are reported. Malcolm believes that the assassination attempt was authorized by the honorable Elijah Muhammad, and was carried out by low-class thugs in the organization. Elijah Muhammad, has bad feelings towards X, due to a recent business breakup that led X into creating his own organization that contradicted Elijah’s. After fifteen years of involvement with the Nation of Islam, X's approach to Black Nationalism varied from those of Elijah Muhammad to such an extent he announced the formation of his own Harlem-based organization. Previously Malcolm X had received a number of death threats as he became openly critical of the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad's behavior in particular. This is believed to be the first successfully failed attempt against Malcolm.
continued on page 3 APLAC News 1
APLAC News 2
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About two hours later the police said the shooting had happened because of a feud between followers of Malcolm and members of the Black Muslims. However, the police declined to say whether Hagan is a Muslim. Many people who supported Malcolm wanted him killed because he left them and the nation of Islam to unite everyone. An autopsy showed multiple gunshot wounds. It was stated that bullets of two different guns as well as shotgun pellets had been removed from his body. One police theory was that as many as five conspirators might have been involved, two creating a diversionary disturbance being, “Get your hand outta my pocket!” It was reported that Hagan, using a double-barreled shotgun with shortened barrels and stock, had killed this man. Malcolm X had a natural gift for bitter eloquence against what he considered white exploitation of Negroes, broke in March 1964, with the Black Muslim movement called the Nation of Islam, headed by Elijah Muhammad. He tried to unite everyone and his death is what caused the unity of black people in general.
APLAC News This week on the 21st, Malcolm X, Founder of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), held his weekly OAAU meeting at the Audubon Ballroom located on Broadway at 165th Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, which is north of Harlem in New York. The purpose of the OAAU is to fight for the human rights of African Americans and promote cooperation among Africans and people of African descent in the Americas. Nearly a year ago Malcolm X announced the establishment of the OAAU at a public meeting in the same ballroom on June 28, 1964. The OAAU has pushed for black control of every aspect of the black community. At the founding rally, Malcolm X stated that the organization's principal concern was the human rights of blacks, but that it would also focus on voter registration, school boycotts, rent strikes, housing rehabilitation, and social programs for addicts, unwed mothers, and troubled children. Malcolm X saw the OAAU as a way of "un-brainwashing" black people, ridding them of the lies they had been told about themselves and their culture. When asked by a reporter whether whites could join the OAAU Malcolm X replied “Definitely not.” Unfortunately, Malcolm X held his last meeting today as he was fatally shot and killed.
The front of the Audubon Ballroom Police and entourage escorting dead Malcolm X from Audubon Ballroom
NEWS OAAU’s Weekly Meeting at Audubon Ballroom Writer Lola Price APLAC News 3
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The fire fighters were successful in getting Malcolm to vacate his house as he and his family survived. Unfortunately, his house burned to the ground. No one was charged with any crime.
Malcolm X in front of his home.
APLAC News 4
APLAC News 5