Calm plea for Pope

Press, 2 October 1979, Page 1

Calm plea for Pope

NZPA-Reuter Boston If Pope John Paul H’s visit to Boston, Massachusetts, goes off smoothly today, he may owe a vote of thanks to the generous spirit of a black youth now fighting for his life in a Boston hospital. On Friday, Darryl Williams, aged 15. was a promising football player for Jamaica Plains High School. At half-time that career was over. Three white youths fired a .22calibre pistol at the team’s black players, and a bullet severed Darryl’s spinal column. It was a shot that sent chills through the city of Boston. Anger swept through the city's black community, who saw it as the latest and most vicious moment in the city’s fiveyear battle to end segregation in its schools. But from his hospital bed yesterday, soon after he regained consciousness,

Darryl asked his mother to tell blacks not to take to the streets in protest against what happened to him.

After interrogating more than 350 people the police arrested two youths aged 17, and one aged 16. Police Commissioner Joseph Jordan made no secret of the fears the Boston police had that the incident could inflame the city.

The Mayor (Mr Kevin White) in a televised speech, asked Bostonians to unite in greeting the Pope today, and pleaded that they not let this incident mar the Papal visit. Some black leaders have threatened to hold a walk of protest along the Papal motorcade route, a walk officials fear might lead to violence.

Pope’s last day in Ireland —Page 8.