A Sniper in the Tower (89 page)

Read A Sniper in the Tower Online

Authors: Gary M. Lavergne

Tags: #History, #United States, #General, #State & Local, #Southwest (AZ; NM; OK; TX), #True Crime, #Murder, #test

BOOK: A Sniper in the Tower
5.68Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
 
Page 308
note. He made available much of his personal collection. My job takes me to dozens of university campuses throughout the United States and my use of their libraries, most often in the middle of the night, and the kindness of their staffs are appreciated, though they are too numerous to list. The staffs of the West Palm Beach Public Library in West Palm Beach, Florida, and the George Memorial Library of Richmond, Texas, were especially helpful in amassing information for the early chapters.
I was honored to have Dr. James Alan Fox, Dean of the College of Criminal Justice of Northeastern University, take time from a very busy schedule to read my manuscript and provide valuable advice. Mr. Neal Spelce, a well-known news anchorman and reporter for K-EYE News in Austin, kindly gave me a videotape of his broadcasts of 1 August 1991, the 25th anniversary of the Whitman murders. Additionally, Mr. Spelce reviewed the manuscript and contributed a brief review. Mr. Robert Heard, a former Associated Press reporter and presently the editor and publisher of
Inside Texas
, a newsletter about Texas sports, agreed to look over my manuscript and suggested minor changes, nearly all of which I accepted. Jessica Flynn, a journalism major at the University of Texas, made available news programs and videotapes I could not otherwise locate. William J. "Bill" Helmer, a former contributing editor of
Playboy
, provided much needed advice and encouragement. He also contributed directly by reviewing the manuscript and giving me a copy of his recording of live radio broadcasts of the sniping incident.
The staff of the
Lake Worth Herald
of Lake Worth, Florida, very kindly made their back issues available to me. The old newspapers were bound and shelved in a storage area that was barely accessible, and the volumes had to be dusted off for my use. For their trouble I am grateful.
David Reed, a Registered Pharmacist from Rayne, Louisiana, and Jim Davies of Cedar Park Pharmacy in Cedar Park, Texas, were kind enough to provide me with information on Dexedrine and Dexamyl.
The staffs of the Davis-Greenlawn Cemetery of Rosenberg, Texas, the Hillcrest Memorial Park of West Palm Beach, Florida, and the Crestview Memorial Park of Wichita Falls, Texas, were helpful in locating the graves which provided the inspiration for the Prologue.
 
Page 309
My agent, James D. Hornfischer of The Literary Group International, and Frances B. Vick, Director of the University of North Texas Press, and Charlotte Wright, Associate Director, could not have been more patient and kind when it came to educating a dilettante of the publishing business.
Finally, I am truly blessed with four children who respect me enough to make our home an environment where this kind of project is possible. Charlie, Mark, Amy, and Anna are the treasures of my life. For the past three years they deserved more of my time. Charlie contributed directly through reviewing and annotating some of the Austin Police Department files. He also reviewed portions of the manuscript as part of an Advanced Placement American History class project at Leander High School, Leander, Texas. Mark accompanied me on picture-taking trips to the Drag and the University of Texas.
Surely, there are others. Their omissions are mistakes of my mindnot my heart.
 
Page 311
Index
A
A & E Barbershop, 178
Abell, Joe, 187
Academic Center (UT-Austin), 83, 148, 150, 162
Academy Surplus, 90, 265
Act of Contrition, 168
Ad Altare Dei Scout Award
, 6
Alamo, 85
Allen, John Scott, 189
Allen, Margaret, 158
Allen, T. J., 225
Alexander, Richard, 217, 218
Alpena Community College (Michigan), 169
Alvarez, Jessie, 90

Other books

Concherías by Aquileo Echeverría
The Christmas Pony by Melody Carlson
Implosion by Elliott, John
A Hot Mess by Christy Gissendaner
Sons by Pearl S. Buck
Erotic Influence by Jane, Missy