“Well, I gotta be going, Maggie; my ship’s ready to set sail. Say goodbye to Murdy for me. And tell him that I think the two of you are doing a terrific job raising your kids. In all my travels I’ve never seen any as polite and respectful. Especially, living here in the city like they do.”
—1—
The Haleys were extremely religious people who took seriously the responsibilities that came with parenting, including making a commitment to never smoke, drink liquor, or swear in front of their children, thus being ideal role models for them. However, living in the city constantly exposed their offspring to all kinds of behavior, both good and bad; and, no matter how diligent they were, the latter threatened to counter the Haleys’ positive influence.
In the spring of 1918 Margaret learned of trouble brewing in the neighborhood. A family from New York City had recently moved into the east side of Bangor, and their teenage son was known to be a habitual troublemaker. It was bad enough that the boy was undisciplined, but his attitude was rubbing off on some of the more impressionable kids in the neighborhood, those who were prone to bad behavior anyway. In fact, a few rowdy, if not obnoxious kids in the Haley neighborhood were beginning to exhibit such extremely unruly behavior that Margaret was becoming more and more concerned for her children.
“Now, I guess I have one more thing to worry about,” Margaret told Murdock.
“What do you mean, Maggie?”
“I worry all the time about the children getting mixed up with the bad kids on this side of town. Some of the boys around here are beginning to act like hoodlums, and I’m concerned that our children might pick up bad habits from them. I don’t want them to grow up being disrespectful of others like some of the bullies I’ve seen pestering people on State Street.”
“I don’t think we hav’ta worry about that, Maggie. We’ve taught them right from wrong, the best we could anyway. And it must’ah worked because you know as well as I that they’ve always been well mannered and respectful of others, almost to a fault. And to make sure they stay that way we’ll just hav’ta be even more vigilant and continue to steer them in the right direction. But, to tell you the truth, I really don’t think we have anything to worry about. Once a person learns to be respectful of others, it usually stays with you, especially at an early age.”
Murdock was right. Not only did the Haley children have a solid moral foundation to build on as they grew older, they seldom fought with each other, something that is quite unusual for siblings. And, for the most part, the relationship between Leona and her siblings would remain a loving one throughout the years to come. Indeed, all four leaned on each other for support when it was needed, and learned from their parents’ words and actions about how to behave and how to treat others. But to make sure they remembered, Murdock sat all his children down one day and reemphasized what he had preached before.
“You must always be kind and be respectful of everyone, regardless of their wealth or their status in life. Do you remember what I read to you from the Declaration of Independence?”
“What’s that, Papa?” Lillian asked.
“Okay, now listen careful this time,” Murdock said; and then he began reading.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
“So, just remember those words: All men are created equal. You’re no better than anyone else, nor do you hav’ta bow to anyone. We’re all the same and we all deserve the chance to be happy. Now, that doesn’t mean we all will be happy, because fate will have a hand in that. But we all deserve the chance. I guess what I’m trying to tell you is: Be good to people and hopefully they’ll be good to you. Granted, there are a few bad apples, but, for the most part, people are decent and usually fair-minded. And that’s what you should strive to be.”
—2—
Even with that strong moral foundation instilled in their children, the Haleys became more and more concerned about them as the situation in the neighborhood grew worse. The parents’ concern was not about their children’s attitude though, but about their safety, thanks in no small way to a gang of juvenile delinquents, ranging in age from fourteen to seventeen, who got their kicks out of terrorizing elderly pedestrians on State Street, just two blocks from its intersection with Palm Street. And that was the main topic of discussion at the Haley supper table one evening.
“I heard something today that has me very upset, Murdy.”
“What is it, dear?”
“Mrs. Murphy told me that a seventy-year-old woman was coming home from the variety store last night and she was attacked; pushed to the ground. Then she was kicked and they stole money from her purse. And I heard that those bullies have even been threatening small children as they walk to and from school.”
“Lillian, have you noticed any trouble in this neighborhood?” her father asked.
“A couple of times, Papa. I saw some boys picking on Johnny Sanders. But he just walked away, so nothing really happened.”
Suddenly, Lillian began to laugh.
“Why is that funny?” her father asked.
“It isn’t, Papa. I was just thinking about another incident involving Phil Jones. He was sitting on a bench and the boys walked up to him and told him to move. He refused, so the boys threatened him, not realizing that Phil is a big boy. When he stood up he was a head taller than the tallest boy, and he had his fists clenched ready to fight. You should have seen the look on the boys’ faces when they saw how big he was. They just hung their heads and slinked away.”
“Where did these incidents take place?” Murdock asked.
“On State Street. About halfway between Forest Avenue and Judy’s.”
“How about at Chapin Park? Has there been any trouble there?”
“No, not that I know of. I’ve only seen those boys hanging out on State Street.”
“Okay, I want you children to stay away from there unless your mother and I are with you.”
“Yes, Papa,” they replied.
“And, Lillian, I’m making you responsible for Arlene and Leona. I don’t want any of you going near that street. You can play in Chapin Park, but don’t go any further than that. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Papa,” Lillian answered.
Fortunately for the Haleys, their children seldom needed to use State Street, and they knew that they didn’t need to worry about them disobeying their wishes. Still, the concerned parents had to constantly keep an eye on their girls, and even in a city as small as Bangor that task was taking a mental toll on them, mainly because Margaret and Murdock both knew that they couldn’t always be there to protect their children, and it was inevitable that one day one of them would be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Indeed, as fate would have it, it was just a few days later when that happened.
—3—
One Saturday morning, in late March of 1918, Margaret needed some eggs so she could bake a cake that day, and she asked her eldest daughter to run an errand for her.
“Lillian, could you run down to Callabe’s and pick up two-dozen eggs for me?”
“Sure, Mama.”
“Good. You can also pick up a few other things while you’re at it. I need some vanilla and nutmeg so I can bake custards for your father. He’s been craving a taste for some time now. And while you’re at it, you might as well bring back a loaf of bread from the bakery. I’m not gonna have time to bake any for tonight’s supper; and you know how your father gets if he doesn’t have homemade bread with his beans.”
“Okay, Mama. Anything else?”
“No, that’s it, I think. Just be careful when you come to State Street. Keep an eye out for those hoodlums.”
“Don’t worry, Mama. If I see them, I’ll avoid them like the plague. But I doubt I’ll see them;
I’ve never seen them on the part of State Street I’ll be on.”
“Okay, Lillian, but be careful anyway. By the way, Arlene and Leona wanted to go kite flying today, so, if you don’t mind, take them with you and they can play in the park while you’re fetching the groceries.”
The weather was beautiful that morning, with not a cloud in the sky and the temperature in the low-60s. More important, as far as Arlene and Leona were concerned, the strong wind this time of the year made conditions ideal for flying their kites, so they were looking forward to it and were ecstatic when they set off toward the park.
“Okay, I’ll be back in a half-hour,” Lillian said to her sisters after they reached Chapin Park. “Be careful with your kites; don’t get them hung up on trees or power lines.”
“We’ll be careful, Lillian,” Arlene said.
Then she and Leona took off running into the wind with their kites until they had them floating high in the sky. In the meantime, Lillian was off toward Callabe’s ALL-NIGHT Grocery Store on State Street, which was nearly halfway between the park and Otis Street.
“Look how high my kite is, Arlene. It’s even higher than yours,” Leona mocked her sister.
“No it’s not,” Arlene argued. “Mine’s way higher than yours. In fact, it’s wicked higher than yours.”
“Is not.”
“Is too.”
“Is not.”
“Oh, never mind!” a frustrated Arlene said.
After ten minutes of kiting, Leona shouted.
“Arlene! Look up there near my kite! An eagle! It’s floating in the air, just like the kite.”
“What eagle?”
“Up there. Don’t you see it?”
“No,” Arlene said disparagingly.
“What!?” Leona said, somewhat incredulous and extremely perturbed. “It’s HU-MUNG-GUS! Are you, blind?”
“No, numbskull; and I’m not touched in the head like you either,” Arlene said as sarcastically as she could. “There’s no eagle up there, Leona. That’s a seagull. The only eagle you’re seeing is in your imagination.”
“That is so an eagle. What’s wrong with you? You must need glasses,” Leona mocked.
Arlene just laughed at her sister and went back to concentrating on flying her kite. Fifteen minutes later she heard someone behind her and then felt the kite string being ripped from her hand.
“Hey! What’s the big idea, you idiot?” she said to a tall, skinny boy who was now holding her kite. “Give that back to me!”
“Go away, little girl. This kite belongs to me now.”
Just then, another boy grabbed Leona’s kite away from her. Lillian was just coming back to the park with the groceries and saw what happened.
“Hey, you two jerks, give those back to my sisters!” she yelled.
Suddenly, the two boys, ages 15 and 16, released the kites, walked toward Lillian, and began saying crude things to her. The tallest of the boys, who had black hair and was very thin, appeared to be the leader. The other boy was also thin, but his hair was dirty blonde. At first, Lillian had trouble understanding what they were saying, but from the way they laughed and carried on, she suspected it was nothing worth repeating. She tried to ignore them, but it didn’t work. Suddenly they rushed toward her and began pushing her around, causing the startled girl to drop the grocery bag she was carrying.
“Stop it, or you’ll be sorry when I tell my Papa,” Lillian shouted.
“Oh, I’m scared now,” one boy mocked.
Then the tall boy pushed Lillian to the ground. She immediately got up and slapped his face. In the meantime, Arlene and Leona were running to their sister’s defense. As the tall boy was about to strike Lillian, he felt a sharp pain in his leg.
“You stop that!” Leona yelled, while angrily kicking him.
Arlene quickly pulled her young sister away, and stood defiantly between the two boys and Lillian.
“Leave my sister alone!” she yelled. “Why don’t you go pick on someone your own size, you cowards?”
The surprised boys were momentarily stunned by the actions of the girls, mainly because they were not used to anyone standing up to them.
“You’re really gonna get it now!” the tall one said a moment later.
He pushed Arlene to the ground and then did the same to Leona. Soon both boys surrounded Lillian, and they again began pushing her, only much harder than before. Arlene jumped quickly to her feet and dove headfirst toward the legs of the shorter boy. She tackled him so hard that he fell to the ground crying in pain. Hearing him yelling, his friend turned around, and, as he did, Lillian kicked him in the back of his left leg.
“Ouch! You bitch!” he screamed while hopping around on one leg.
Leona too wanted in on the action and began kicking his good leg. After escaping their attackers, the boys huddled until they overcame their pain and humiliation.
“Okay, we’re done playing around,” the tall one said. “Girls or not, we’re gonna knock the living crap out of you. Now, who wants to get it first?”
At which point, Leona fearlessly ran at him. He pushed her roughly to the ground and started to kick her, but fortunately he too fell to the ground, barely missing her legs. Just then, one of the Haleys’ neighbors happened onto the scene, a rather large man with a gray handlebar mustache who witnessed most of what happened from afar.
“What do you boys think you’re doing? The only ones that are gonna get the crap knocked out of them are you two,” he said.
When the boys saw the huge middle-aged man running toward them, they turned and ran as fast as they could toward State Street.
“You better run, you cowards!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “The next time I see you harassing someone I won’t stop ‘til I catch you. Then you’ll get a taste of your own medicine; and I gaul-darn guarantee you won’t like it.”
The girls were gathering up the groceries when their neighbor walked back.
“Are you children awright?” he asked.
“I think we’re all okay, Mr. Williams, thanks to you,” Lillian said. “Thanks for helping us.”
“Think nothing of it, Lillian; that’s what good neighbors do.”
“Do you think those boys will come back?” she asked.
“Well, from the way they were running I think those hoodlums have probably hightailed it out of this neighborhood by now, and they’re not likely to come back anytime soon. But to play it safe, I’d bes’ walk you girls back home.”
—4—
“Where are those girls?” Margaret asked Murdock.
“You know Lillian; she’s probably dilly-dallying at the park,” he answered.
“I’ll dilly-dally her if that’s the case,” Margaret joked.
When her daughters finally walked through the door, Margaret noticed that they looked shaken and asked what was wrong. With Murdock listening intently, Lillian answered.
“Some older boys were trying to steal the kites from Arlene and Leona. And then they started teasing me and pushing me around. They crushed the bread and I think they broke some of the eggs. Arlene and Leona tried to help me, and the boys pushed them to the ground.”
Murdock was furious.
“Who were they?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Papa,” Lillian replied. “I’ve seen them before, but I don’t know their names.”
“Just where did this take place?”
“Up at the park.”
“You mean, Chapin Park? How did you get away?”
“Mr. Williams came along and really scared the bejesus out of ‘em.”
“And so did the eagle,” Leona said.
“What are you talking about, Leona?” Lillian asked.
“You know, Lil; when I was on the ground. The eagle that swooped down and knocked the mean boy to the ground, when he was abo
ut to kick me; just before Mr. Williams showed up.”
“You and your stupid eagles, Leona,” Arlene said. “Ever since Mr. Andersen gave you that locket, you’ve had eagles on your brain. I swear, you must see them in your sleep. You know darn well there weren’t any eagles flying around down there. That boy just slipped in the mud and fell down when he tried to kick you.”
When Murdock heard that one of the boys tried to kick Leona, he turned to his wife and said: “I’m not gonna let those hoodlums get away with this. I’m goin’ over to Mr. Williams’ house and see if he knows who those kids are. If he does, I’m gonna go talk to their parents and make darn sure they’ll never hurt any of our kids again.”
Worried that he might be the one to get hurt if one of the parents reacted negatively, Margaret said:
“Don’t get yourself in a thither, Murdy. What good will that do? Just let sleeping dogs lie. Even if their parents are inclined to punish them, before you know it, kids like that will be right back looking for trouble again. And it’s likely they won’t even be punished. The parents of children like that are usually worse than the kids.”
Murdock knew his wife was right, so instead of looking for revenge, he sat down with her and they discussed how to best protect their children. The more they thought about it, the more the Haleys knew they had to take drastic measures to guarantee their children’s safety, and moving out of the city—something they had always planned to do anyway—was their only real option.
—5—
A few days later, the Haleys were discussing the moving option again.
“You know, Murdy, my mother says there’s a place near her that isn’t occupied right now. It was owned by the Staples family for years before it was sold. Now it’s up for sale again. Mom knows the administrator of the estate, and says he wants to rent the house out until he can sell it this fall. It would be perfect for us.”
“Why is he waiting for fall? Why doesn’t he just sell it outright?” Murdock wondered.
“Mom said there was some administrative problem, something to do with the taxes, I think; or something like that. She can tell you. Anyway, she says that it’s just a formality and shouldn’t be a problem.”
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