Starship Asterisk*

Jim Douglas of WFAA wrote:

A Parker County jailer who had an apparent heart attack may very well be alive thanks to inmates who put themselves at risk to help him.

It happened on June 23 in a holding cell in the basement of the District Courts Building in Weatherford.

At least eight prisoners were behind a locked door in a small room off to one side. Their lone guard sat outside and had been joking with them when he slumped over unconscious.

“He just fell over," said inmate Nick Kelton. "Looked like an act. Could have died right there.”

Kelton and other inmates began shouting for help. Then they managed to bust out of their holding room, even though they knew it was dangerous.

“We were worried they’re going to come with guns drawn on us," Kelton said Thursday.

The guard had no pulse. Inmates screamed and banged on doors. They raised such a ruckus that deputies upstairs in court came running.

“They thought it was a fight,” said inmate Floyd Smith. “They thought we were taking over.”

Parker County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ryan Speegle says he didn’t know what to expect when he got downstairs.

“He had keys," Speegle said. "Had a gun. It could have been an extremely bad situation."

Speegle rushed in first to see inmates in their gray and white stripes and handcuffed and shackled standing over an unresponsive guard. One prisoner reached for the radio, which was near the gun.

“We were going to call '“Mayday' or something,'” Kelton said.

Sgt. Speegle corralled the inmates, still not completely understanding what was happening, back into the cell. Deputies started CPR and the paramedics arrived and shocked the guard, who regained a pulse. Inmates watched life returning.

“He’s a good man,” Kelton shrugged...

One more twist. The room that inmates broke out of to raise the alarm has now been reinforced.

• For those less familiar with the local area than Ann, this was in Texas.

John Coffey: [whispers] Boss? Needs ta see ya down here...

Paul Edgecomb: [rolling around the floor in pain from his urinary tract infection] This is not a good time... John Coffey.

[moans]

Paul Edgecomb: Not a good time at all.

John Coffey: But I needs ta see ya, Boss. I needs ta talk t'ya.

[Paul reluctantly gets up and stammers towards John]

John Coffey: Closer...

Paul Edgecomb: I'm alone here right now, John. Figure this is close enough.

John Coffey: Boss, please. I got to whisper in your ear.

Eduard Delacroix: [as Paul moves up closer] Boss? You know you not s'pose to do that...

Paul Edgecomb: Mind your business, Del!

[Paul moves up closer in front of John's cell]

Paul Edgecomb: [exhaustively] What do you want, John Coffey?

John Coffey: [Coffey stares at Paul] Just to help.

[John suddenly reaches out of the prison bars, grabs Paul and aggressively holds him up close. Thinking he is being attacked, Del starts screaming for the other guards as Paul instinctively tries to reach for his revolver]

Paul Edgecomb: [struggling in Coffey's grasp] What... are... you... doing?

neufer wrote:

• For those less familiar with the local area than Ann, this was in Texas.

John Coffey: [whispers] Boss? Needs ta see ya down here...

Paul Edgecomb: [rolling around the floor in pain from his urinary tract infection] This is not a good time... John Coffey.

[moans]

Paul Edgecomb: Not a good time at all.

John Coffey: But I needs ta see ya, Boss. I needs ta talk t'ya.

[Paul reluctantly gets up and stammers towards John]

John Coffey: Closer...

Paul Edgecomb: I'm alone here right now, John. Figure this is close enough.

John Coffey: Boss, please. I got to whisper in your ear.

Eduard Delacroix: [as Paul moves up closer] Boss? You know you not s'pose to do that...

Paul Edgecomb: Mind your business, Del!

[Paul moves up closer in front of John's cell]

Paul Edgecomb: [exhaustively] What do you want, John Coffey?

John Coffey: [Coffey stares at Paul] Just to help.

[John suddenly reaches out of the prison bars, grabs Paul and aggressively holds him up close. Thinking he is being attacked, Del starts screaming for the other guards as Paul instinctively tries to reach for his revolver]

Paul Edgecomb: [struggling in Coffey's grasp] What... are... you... doing?

Fred the Cat wrote:
"It's" not likely we'll be terrorized by clowns.

At least not that I'll admit too.

neufer wrote:

Fred the Cat wrote:
"It's" not likely we'll be terrorized by clowns.

At least not that I'll admit too.

See if you still feel that way after watching the Cleveland Convention next week.