Dr. Rahm Says He Didn't Mean To Kill

Dr. Rahm Says He Didn't Mean To Kill

ORANGE, Tex. (AP) -- Dr. Rahm Says He Didn't Mean to Kill 

Dr. Charles Rahm, on trial for the shooting death of a man at a Brownsboro school board meeting, cried on the witness stand Friday and said, "no, no," he did not mean to kill. Rahm sobbed when asked by his defense attorney, Charles Tessmer, "Did you want to take a life?" "No, no," Rahm said and put his face in his hands and sobbed. Charged in death, Rahm, an osteopath and former school board secretary, is charged with the death of Thurman Jackson, 42, a lumber company operator, during a fight at a meeting of the school board June 16. "I would have had anything else happen than this," Rahm told Tessmer. When Special Prosecutor Bill Steger rose to cross examine Rahm he said, "'Dr. Rahm, this is what you wanted to do.” The jury was instructed to disregard the remark. 

Mrs. Charles Rahm, the defendant's wife, testified earlier Friday that some pupils at the school cursed and abused her husband. She became alarmed on one occasion, the attractive, small brunette said, and a patient in her husband's clinic called the Henderson County sheriff. In her testimony Mrs. Rahm named William Richard Jackson, nephew of the slain man and also a nephew of Dr. Homer Bass, whose discharge as school superintendent percipitated the school board controversy. Young Jackson is the son of Clarence Jackson, an agriculture teacher in the Brownsboro school. Mrs. Rahm said young Jackson and three other boys entered Rahm's office uninvited after 5 p.m. and raised a question about school diplomas. She said she heard the Jackson boy, apparently speaking of Rahm, say: "I'll tell that four-eyed about the board meeting and the diplomas." The boy had asked Rahm when a board meeting would be held and Rahm replied one would be called by the board chairman, Ivan Long. Mrs. Rahm said she became alarmed and upset and tried to call the sheriff in Athens. Young Jackson also started an argument about a news item sent to an Athens newspaper about the diplomas, which were missing and which did not appear until about two months later, Mrs. Rahm said. The witness said young Jackson admitted sending in the item and then remarked "I'll whip anybody when I find out who turned that article into the paper." The boy admitted and denied in the same sentence sending in the article, the witness said. Mrs. Rahm said she was asked to leave the office and went to the drug room in the clinic. She said she heard noises and the voices started getting louder. A patient came in and she took him into a treatment room, she said, and the patient asked if the doctor had to put up with that sort of thing. She said the patient called the sheriff and that the boys rushed out of the conference with Dr Rahm. "They pushed me against the wall by the door as they left," Mrs Rahm said. "Young Jackson slammed the door against me and injured my arm." She said the boy cursed her as he left the building. Mrs. Rahm also testified about a large spot of grass being flamed on their lawn in May after school patrons' meeting. She said Rahm was appointed to the board in November, 1959, and had never sought the office. 

W E. Dozier. a farmer, also testified about threats made against Rahm by young Jackson. “The boy had worked on his farm and he heard him say: "I'm going to whip Dr. Rahm if it is the last thing I ever do.” 

Through other witnesses Friday the defense sought to establish the probability of an organized movement of violence at the June 16 board meeting. W. Russell Davis, who attended the meeting, testified "It looked to me like that June 16 crowd knew what it wanted to do. After the meeting, he said, "they all crowded in against Dr. Rahm and I believe they hit him with a chair. I saw Clarence Jackson and Bill Melton trying to beat him. There was fighting all around. But Wayne Smith didn't get any scratches out of the deal."

The Waco News Tribune

Page 7

December 17, 1960