John Bailey:
CLASS OF 1970
Claymont High SchoolClass of 1970
Claymont, DE
Sanford PreparatoryClass of 1973
Hockessin, DE
Sanford PreparatoryClass of 1972
Hockessin, DE
John's Story
Life - It has not been easy, being me.
I married the January after graduation, Mae from Brandywine HS. We live near Naamons Road, four sons, two live with us, two granddaughters, 1 dog and 4 cats. The GOOD thing about the pandemic is that my two grand girls now live with us every other week! The girls and camping brought a super pleasant change in my life.
I still have my Corvette (sitting with 1976 DE sticker on tag), also three C4 Vettes, His and hers, I like to go camping and have a RV, with road scooters: Two Vespas ( ET & LX), 2 Honda Metropolitans, Silver Wing and a Harley Sportster I ride now and then. I joined the Lodge, and am a 32 degree Scottish Rite Mason.
Faith in Jesus is very important in my life and has greatly helped. It was that and the support of my family that brought me through the very hard times. Delaware really tried to put me in places where I would lose my life. I was moved out of Delaware because the men convicted of murdering Claymont auto shop teacher Phillip Whitman tried to attack me in prison. To punish me harder and longer than Delaware could and not having a 100+ year old stone walled penitentiary like in Shawshank Redemption. they had to send me where one existed. I still hope and pray the truth will come out. Nevertheless, I have seen real miracles in response to prayer.
The greatest miracle I have experienced above my salvation and living through so much was going to hear the lawyers telling my brother and I we had lost the church case and had to pay $10,000. to appeal. My brother said we would pray-up the money and he gave his personal check for the filling fees. We went down to Orange Street to find my Chrysler convertible had been stolen. The Wilmington Police asked if they could take a report over the phone. We decided to look where a teen might go to pick up friends on a sunny Spring day. Wearing that plan out we stopped in front of now closed George Gray School. We took hands to pray. When my brother raised his head he said, "It is not far away on the West side". We drove directly to West Street and there she sat, a little worse for wear, but we drove her home. Before the end of the week two special unexpected gifts came to the church and the insurance company paid for the appeal! Keep praying and believe.
When I made the stupid mistake of buying a home in Wilmington. Blacks refused to leave it alone. We about had it furnished and ready to move in. On Sunday August 17, 1975 we chased some away, but they shot at me on 34th Street corner sidewalk. The bullet missed. It went by my head so close I remembered it later, not heard it. Unfortunately, it struck a 13-year-old girl in front of me. The teenage man reloaded his ,32 zip gun, drooping the spent cartridge on the street, but I had moved on. The police later claimed the spent cartridge they found in the street was just a found object that took no part in the shooting. Like the "magic bullet" in the Kennedy assignation. No gun or bullet was located. After almost 46 years a cop NOW claims that the .32 cartridge found 4 feet and inches off the corner sidewalk of 34th & West streets, over my Left shoulder, was brought to the shooting scene having been caught in the tread of a police car tire. (Was it radial or bias belted?) {in 1974 GM had radials as an option, in 1975 radials were standard. A very interesting theory. Was there a case that day in Wilmington that had .32 short revolver spent cartridges that showed a very odd firing pin or a kids zip gun? She apparently was someway shot. Unlikely it was Cupid's arrow, and this new theory leaves no gun, bullet or cartridge to make the claimed two shots possible. The girl's wound was all the way through her body Left to Right, down to Up! The police searched my home three times, stealing more each time. Police have qualified immunity (no writ shall lie against the King). Sargent Curtis at 3 hearings before trial testified that only one witness had seen, but the state brought 5 to trial. They brought a black woman from the mayor's office to make me a liar at trial to claim I had NOT applied for a FREE house. By that time, I had bought 2 houses in Wilmington and contracted to buy a 3rd. Yes, I have also bought lottery tickets thinking I could get rich too! They towed my vehicle, to take apart and search. Whether the bullets near miss was good or bad for me is a close call. It cost three lifesavings, ruined my career, marriage and me 16 years in prison. The two times I was really happy in my life black, crime stole it.
Racial opportunists fanned the flames of hate. Just like today's news. When a black is the victim, and a white is accused the question of race is brought up. The media fails to mention race unless the victim in black and the accused is white. In Hennepin County, Minnesota we all know of the tragedy of George Floyd, but who knows the name of the five-year-old white boy thrown off the 3rd deck of the Mall of America Hennepin County, Minnesota by a black man. My family and friends have been decimated by black crime, schoolteachers, retired pastor, church secretary, aunts, friends and mother knocked down 3 times for her peruse. Nothing is said and the race question is not printed or mentioned. A riotous angry lynch mob formed lead by Democrat politicians (one was later convicted of riot, Rep. Plant arrested). They tried to firebomb the home I grew up in, later they charged my house on 35th Street stealing the complete contents of the house I bought for my family but, never could sleep one night in. My mistake was buying a house in a black neighborhood. Blacks often were the victims of lynchings, but they seem to think lynching is OK as long as it is them doing...Expand for more
it to a white. Threatening they would burn down Wilmington if I was not jailed.
The fear of another 1968 with its 7 PM curfew with 9-month National Guard occupation got justice to cave in. We got to see the Floyd uprising and see blacks closing I95 and breaking store windows on Market Street again and walking down the street with loot under their arms. Delaware's Democrat Attorney General refused to prosecute. Hope you were not tapped in your vehicle on I95.
To jail me a special night hearing was held (Jesus was tried at night). Bail-ransom was quadrupled, it had been raised 4 times in 4 days. Two courthouse employees were overheard saying both the Judge and I were Jewish. Black riots calmed down after I was jailed, and the authorities learned my incarceration was the answer to save Wilmington. It cost me sixteen years; they had fixed the "just-us" system. They could not chance a not guilty verdict - remember Rodney King. Delaware Democrats proved Delaware justice was equal!
The reason that blacks and Delaware justice came so hard on me in addition to trying to prevent another King uprising was that it was racial activist Democrat State Repetitive Plant. A member of the Plant family had shot at me, he was trying to help her get away. but he killed her. Delaware had a make the state god punishment scherm. The crime of Manslaughter carried a punishment of 3-30 years. The 3 could be probation (no jail). The 30 was subject to Good-time reduction and parole. A minus 1/3rd down to 1/4 of entire sentence. For early release programs down to 10% of entire sentence, If, they chose to do so. Patrick Ryan who was in charge of the release programs stated that he had not before had a request to NOT release a prisoner. After I had served more time than any other prisoner in Delaware before release Ryan stated he had paid. He meant by that he let a politician's son get release to a half-way house. When Delaware Corrections sent me to the same half-way house (now named Plant) his son was then incarcerated at. Rep. Plant had me moved the next day. I thought it was like the old-time radio drama, Duffy's Tavern, "where the elate meet to eat". He feared to even be in same joint with me.
Denial of parole began in 1983. I was at Pittsburgh's Western Penitentiary. The Pennsylvania Board of Parole approved my releaser 3 times. Delaware thought we were playing baseball, 4 balls and you walk, 3 strikes and you get out. Nevertheless, we had to catch a Delaware board member talking on the radio of the racial aspects of the case, parole is a closed door proceeding. No evidence of racial action was ever presented, it was a black group that came to my house to trespass and steal. It was demanded that I confess to the crime, in the hope that would justify the crazy things they had done. The original sentence of 40 years was ruled illegal. They refused to honor the DE Supreme court decision and it became final, when they failed to appeal. They pretended the Delaware Supreme Court could not vacate a sentence. That left me for almost 2 years in PA without a sentence. Even now the vacated 40-year sentence is still on the book. The 30-years expired in September 2005. I was hurt and surprised at how few came to help and how many believed the lie.
Anyone who wants to say hello, it is OK to contact me. I am only about five miles from Claymont.
My now picture is a few years old. My fourth son Jacob is now 25. I very much enjoyed our 40th, 45th and 51st reunions. All were wonderful. Many thanks to all who worked so hard to put them on and thanks to all who came. It was so wonderful to see and talk with so many again.
I became an industrial maintenance electrician working mostly nights. I am sort of in a rut now, but OK. The great recession got me, my job and my church were lost. Chancellor Allen ruled there was an "unwritten deed clause on the church"! Quite possibly also on his name in the Lamb's Book of Life! I was ill: 3/2011, 5/2017, 2018 and 2021, one thing after another, mostly OK now. I broke the neck bone of my hip at Disney in April 2021 and now have had another stroke. Was that from J & J vaccine causing blood clouts? I had to take SSI Social Security disability. My parents passed away; my twin brother had to move away to keep working.
I thank those of you who have helped me through life and say I am truly sorry for any hurt I caused. You cannot realize how good and great you are. I was not as good, kind or helping as I should have been, but thanks for being you. Hearing from a dear friend from the past helped me feel good again, for a while. It was great to remember again the great times. I am now trying to get my life going again, trying to-do better and working harder.
In life I started working to buy Corvettes and by 1969 had a 1958 and 1960. I should have studied harder... Claymont was a wonderful experience. never had a confrontation. AT P.S. Dupont it was a daily thing (the only DE high school to have a shooting-death). I had wanted to go into a religious vocation, but my long-time girlfriend and mother did not think that was a good idea. So, I did not get to go away to college.
Those were traumatic times. Thank G-d for His many blessings, but we made It!
The whole house has had COVID. The J & J shot did no good. Just like shingles shots. I had 3 and got it twice!
I still pray daily the truth will come out. I guess it has many times but how could they explain what they did?
At Brandywine Summit Camp Meeting a woman said to my mother, "he had a trial". Yes, but so did Jesus, mom answered. In fact he had two. Most of us do not study the Bible wven to notice that it does not say Mary rode a donkey.
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Reunions
Register for Free to view all events!
Photos
