The Willard (23 page)

Calvin had no idea where the others had been stationed, but he and Fish pushed their way to within a few yards of the stage. Something about Fish’s countenance caused people to make way for him. A few even gave up their prime viewing spots and left the immediate area, sensing he might be a danger.

Calvin placed the bag by his feet. A few yards away he saw a couple of police officers. He quickly came up with a plan.

“I’m going over to those cops to tell them the organizer’s motorcade needs assistance at the corner of Constitution and 17th. I’ll tell them I’m Dr. King’s assistant and that the police chief doesn’t want to radio for them because he’s afraid word will get out that he doesn’t have control of the crowd. I can get them out of the area,” Calvin said.

Fish looked unconvinced, but he had noticed the wide berth some had given him. He hadn’t gone to any trouble to try and blend in and his black leather attire and menacing scowl had frightened some. He thought Calvin’s professorial look might help him convince them to move, which was a good thing because they might finger Fish for a troublemaker if they noticed him there. Reluctantly he let Calvin go, but told him he was watching him for any sign he was up to something dirty.

Calvin navigated the crowd and approached the officers.

“Excuse me, officers, I need your help.”

The two white officers looked at Calvin dismissively.

“What do you want?” one of them asked.

“There are men in this crowd with bombs in duffel bags. One of them is ten yards behind me right now and there are at least seven other groups spread out in the area,” Calvin said as calmly as possible. He even managed to gesture in the direction of Constitution Avenue and 17
^th
Street while he talked because he knew Fish was watching.

The men seemed unimpressed. “Bombs, eh? Twenty minutes ago it was rifles on top of the monument and this morning it was gonna to be tear gas,” one officer said.

The other officer joined in. “Don’t forget the kidnappers.”

“Right. I forgot about the kidnappers. We’ve been warned all about the schemes you malcontents aim to use to get us to wade into that crowd and make it look like the big, bad, white police are trying to keep you from making your little speeches. Go back to your place, boy,” the bigger officer said. It must have been funny to the other cop because they got a good laugh from it.

Calvin could feel Fish’s hard stare boring into the back of his skull. These knuckleheads needed to listen and it was clear they had no intention of taking him seriously.

“I’m not kidding, fellas. If you don’t listen to me you’re going to have dozens of dead spectators on your hands in about an hour. Not to mention they might just get one of the organizers. Do you want that to happen on your watch?”

“I told you to get back to your place, boy!” the officer made a move toward Calvin with his hand on his nightstick. This was going nowhere fast. Calvin knew he had to talk to someone higher up. At that moment he heard the opening bars of the national anthem. The program was starting. It was now or never.

Fish was watching from his position near the stage. He had a bad feeling that Williams, as he knew him, was ratting them out to the cops. But it was too late now. The anthem was starting and his boys were in place. They wouldn’t be deterred. Even if the cops grabbed him right now it wouldn’t matter. The duffel bag he had with him was just a ruse, like all the others. None of them had working bombs. The real action had been placed the day before when the stage was being built. He had arranged to have some of his boys from out of state on the setup crew. He knew nobody would recognize them. They had planted the explosives directly on the support structure of the stage and the surrounding steel, and a trusted member of Fish’s group was standing by to detonate them on his signal. The duffel bags were decoys to bring the cops, nearly all white, into the crowd to see what was up. The Kifo boys had planned to fan out in the crowd and open the bags to reveal the “bombs” during the song by Mahalia Jackson. It was scheduled late in the program and all the principals would be on stage. The pandemonium would send the marchers running out and the cops running in. Before anyone could fully react, the stage charge would be fired. That way they could take out everyone on stage, plenty of spectators, and most importantly, the cops who would rush in to protect the organizers. Fish was the only one close enough to be in danger from the blast and he was just about to start making his way out of the area.

For a second he thought it was a shame that Williams might turn out to be a rat. Fish thought he could be a useful resource in a later operation if he was a true believer in their cause. So what he saw next shocked him and seemed to prove Calvin was no snitch. Just as Fish had started to push his way through the crowd to get to a safe spot he saw Calvin, the suspected rat, pull back a fist and punch the strutting officer in the jaw. They had him on the ground with a knee at his throat in record time. The police had just made their first arrest of the
day. And they had cuffed the only man who could have helped them.

C
HAPTER 50

OLIVIA FORDHAM

1913

The telegram had been delivered to Victoria when she stopped at the hotel for lunch and a brief rest midday. She’d been having a wonderful morning with the other ladies preparing for the march, the only dark spot being the memory of her argument with James the night before. She didn’t know why she cared so much what a virtual stranger thought about her, but she couldn’t shake the disappointment that she was unlikely to see him again. All in all, the morning had been energizing and inspiring, but the message she read sent her spirits plummeting.

Victoria

Deeply concerned by the news from Washington stop insist you return home at once stop ticket on five oclock train arranged Union Station stop obedience expected stop Father

Victoria felt deflated by the message. All the excitement of the morning was wiped away. It was one thing to come to the city with her parents’ grudging, tentative permission, but another matter entirely to defy a direct order to return home. She had never defied her parents’ wishes and knew that doing so now would have serious consequences. Sadly she began packing her things and left them with the bellman before returning to F Street to say goodbye to her new friends and explain why she couldn’t help them after all.

Olivia had stayed at headquarters while Victoria was at the hotel and she had no knowledge of the letter. She noticed the change in Victoria’s demeanor the moment she walked through the doors of the bustling office.

“What’s wrong, dear?”

“My father sent a telegram ordering me home on the five o’clock train. He’s heard some kind of news about the event and he refuses to allow me to be part of it. My things are packed and I’ve come to say goodbye.”

Olivia felt her heart sink. If Victoria left she would fail the task Edward had given her, not to mention change the course of her own life. But it was more than that. Though she had never had children, this strange situation had her feeling like a mother to Victoria and she could feel the deep disappointment the girl was carrying.

“Do you want to go home, Victoria?”

“Of course not! I want to be here and be part of the march! I’ve seen so much these last two days. How can I go home and immerse myself in debutante balls and the social register when I know what I know now? I can’t turn my back on this work.” She paused. “And I don’t know why I care because he’s an insufferable fool, but I wouldn’t mind seeing James again.”

There it was. Proof that Victoria herself had strong feelings about both her political advocacy and the young man with the old-fashioned opinions. Olivia felt she would be doing the right thing for all the right reasons if she encouraged her to defy her parents and stay. But it was much harder than she thought. She had no experience with the life of an early twentieth century upper-class girl whose parents held total sway over her choices. The more she encouraged Victoria, the deeper the girl dug in her heels saying there was no way she could defy their direct order to return. It simply wasn’t done. Olivia had to remind herself that times were different and she was beginning
to lose hope as she watched Victoria make the rounds to say her goodbyes and offer apologies that she couldn’t stay. Alice Paul had been terribly disappointed and Amelia had tried everything she could to change the girl’s mind. Nothing was working and Victoria was making her way to Olivia to say a final goodbye and thank her for her kindness when the door opened and a woman neither had met walked through.

She looked to be in her early thirties with a vibrant smile and when she came into the room a crowd of women gathered around to welcome her. There was something familiar in her appearance and Olivia felt she should recognize the woman. All activity in the office stopped as she was greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm. Olivia and Victoria watched the scene unfold and finally Olivia noticed something slightly amiss about the interaction between the woman and those around her. It was so slight it could be attributed to the chaotic scene, but it jogged Olivia’s memory and she realized at once who the woman was. As if she’d been summoned for this very purpose, the woman made her way from the crowd toward Olivia and Victoria. An aide walked with her and Alice Paul stepped up beside her to make the introductions.

“This is Olivia Fordham of New York and this is the young lady I was telling you about from Philadelphia. This is Victoria Webster.” She paused and turned toward Olivia to continue the introductions but the woman took over.

She extended her hand toward Victoria. “It is my pleasure to meet you. I’m Helen Keller.”

Victoria and Helen spent the better part of an hour together. Olivia wanted to be a fly on the wall and hear their conversation, but she gave them privacy with the hope that this
great woman could be the catalyst to help Victoria make the right choice. As she watched the interaction from across the room she saw Victoria wipe tears from her eyes, at times looking distressed as she told her story, and other times laughing and nodding her head in agreement. Even with the aide translating through sign language it seemed like there was no barrier in their communication. They looked like old friends catching up and when the conversation ended Victoria excused herself to freshen up. Olivia took the opportunity to speak with Helen through her aide. Though Helen struggled with speech, Olivia was impressed with her diligent efforts as the heroic woman shared her thoughts about Victoria.

“She’s an extraordinary young woman.”

“Yes, she is. And so are you, Miss Keller. It’s my honor to meet you.”

“The honor is mine. I understand you are from New York.”

“Yes, I’m visiting this week and I actually didn’t know about the march, I’m embarrassed to say.”

“But you’ve gotten involved now and you’ve been a great influence on young Miss Webster. I dare say she would have already fled home without you here.”

Olivia didn’t have a ready answer.

“I understand the young lady’s concerns, but there is something in her, some kind of fire, that mustn’t be snuffed out. I know all the nonsense about her family name and connections, but even without that there is something about her that makes me think she has an important voice that needs to be heard.”

“Do you think she’ll stay?” Olivia asked.

“I hope so. Mrs. Fordham, I cannot see and I cannot hear in the way you do, but there are things that I know just the same as if I could see them with my own eyes. Miss Webster has a destiny to fulfill. I hope you will be her champion and help her fulfill it.”

“I will certainly try, Miss Keller. And your words mean more than you may ever know.”

Helen had been taken to a back office to meet privately with committee members by the time Victoria returned. The look of resolve was back in her eyes.

“Mrs. Fordham, would you mind to accompany me to the telegraph office?”

“Of course. May I ask why?”

“I must let my father know I will not be on the five o’clock train.”

C
HAPTER 51

CATHERINE PARKER

1865

Laura and Catherine arrived back at the Willard after rehearsal. The city was so crowded with people coming to the Grand Illumination that the ladies decided to have dinner in the hotel dining room rather than braving the crowds at restaurants. They had a nice dinner and Laura retired early to get her rest for the coming day.

Catherine was restless. The crowds were out in force and the city was lit up beautifully. Candles and gas lamps flickered and the public displays were unlike anything that had ever been seen. She walked down the street to the White House and back and still she had no idea what she was supposed to do.

All this celebration, what will it become tomorrow night? Will there be panic? Will there be riots?
No, she remembered, there had been no riots.
But people will greet the news with shock and all the red, white, and blue bunting that adorns the buildings will be replaced with black crepe. This celebrating city will be thrust into mourning in little more than twenty-four hours
.