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IN 1970 I was attending Vocational School for Body and Fender work in downtowm Kansas City, Missouri. I was living at the
Chase Hotel within walking distance of the school. United States Trade School I believe it was called.
IN my spare time I hung around Fosters Cafe both on 9th and Cole street downtown and at another branch of the same
cafe on the south side out on 34th and Troost Avenue. There was a pool room in the back with three tables. It was our "hang
out".
Mr. & Mrs. Foster used to run the place but had recently sold up to a guy we just called BOB. Bob tried to change
everything about Fosters Cafe. Whereas Mr. & Mrs. Foster were easy going and didn't make much of a fuss and everybody
respected them. Bob ran a tight ship. One day I was sitting at a table towards the front entrance together with my friend
Danny Brown, and Jean Simmonds. I was just sipping my glass of water when Bob came up and said "you'd better order more
than just a glass of water" or get out! I didn't take him too serious, and just ignored him. Suddenly, Danny said,
watch out he's gettin a gun from behind the counter! I got up and walked to the exit, not too fast but I did make it outside
when I heard the door slam behind me. I looked around and there stood Bob (a short stocky man, kinda pudgy with black hair
mid forties holding a revolver in both hands.
When I saw him, I said, "Come on Bob don't shoot me, I promise I won't come in again". All the while I continued
moving southwards and as I was ducking behind a light pole I heard shots and then I felt woozy and dropped in a heap to the
sidewalk. I still was conscious and heard a female voice shout out which I recognised as Jeanies. "If you shoot him
with that shotgun you'll have to shoot me too!
That evidently saved my life and I was then bundled into a car and taken to the hospital. The last thing I remember
was talking to a female doctor and being rolled on a stretcher through the hospital hallway followed by a black gent and his
white partner. They were police detectives and came up close to where I was lying and asked me if I wanted to press charges.
I can't remember ever answering as the next thing I recall was awakening in a bed in the hospital ward. I saw Jeanie sitting
in a chair holding a pair of pajamas in her lap.
Then I became aware of a funny itchy feeling on the right side of my abdomen. When I looked under the covers I saw
a plastic bag attached downthere and then I knew I had been seriously hurt. (it was an open colostomy).
I thought to myself, all this over a glass of water?
| Ralph in wheelchair in ParklandWalk |
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| Yorky Rufus in Ralph's lap |
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