Monday, April 29, 2013

Short Speech At The Viewing

Just a little to the south of the east entrance to the Rogers Texas Cemetery one can see the grave of Ella Whiteside Newton (1877-1901). She was the first wife of Dr. W. R. Newton, Sr. Where and how the Newtons got buried is a study in itself. Some people want to know where they are buried. Some want to know if they had any children. Some are not wanted in Oak Hill Cemetery. When Dr. Billy was lying in state in late June of 1982 Cameron legend has it that a man came to the funeral home, walked up to the coffin holding Dr. W. R. Newton, Jr. (Dr. Billy), looked in,  and said, “I drove 200 miles just to make sure you are dead.” The unknown man then left without a word. Some just want to be sure they are dead. We have found in writing Clovis Road II that the people of Cameron have great stories to tell about the 1940s, they are just afraid to let anyone know they did. Any comments?

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Dr. Thomas B. Duke Role In Clovis Road II

The study of the Dr. Roy Hunt Murder in Littlefield in 1943 cannot leave out the key role played by +Dr. Thomas B. Duke, Hunt's partner, and how critical his change in health in November 1943 was to the outcome of the investigation. Dr. Duke's grave in Littlefield cemetery is pictured along with a portion of his obituary from the County Wide News, Dec. 9, 1943. In Clovis Road II the reader learns how crucial he was to the story.


Thursday, April 25, 2013

Clovis Road Review

Ms. Jimmie Kennedy, a Dallas Texas book club regular and literary maven has these comments about the story: "CLOVIS ROAD reads like a page turning murder mystery, with intriguing characters and lots of suspense. Incredibly it is all true! You wonder and speculate and puzzle over people so evil. Why and how and what causes them to behave the way they do. Strangely, evil is fascinating to read about and you feel yourself instantly drawn into their stories, their feelings, their behavior. This book has been brilliantly researched and catalogued for us to enjoy! You are fascinated, amazed and appalled at the evil men do. It makes for wonderfully fun reading. A read page turner!"

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Littlefield and Cameron Site Visits

In his 2011 book, American Nations,  Colin Woodard wrote about culturally diverse "nations"  across America.  Woodard puts Cameron, Texas in the "Deep South" nation and we agree. There you see aristocratic ideals, and a caste oriented almost plantation culture. In Littlefield, part of Woodard's "Greater Appalachia," you see a kind of apple-pie independence, very different. Visiting people in those areas to gather information for Clovis Road was such a contrast.  Early on we saw these differences first hand as we investigated the Dr. Roy Hunt murders. +David (Sammy) Samuelson helped with site visits, interviews, and document searches on our first lengthy visit to the Littlefield area.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Dr. Hunt's Competition

Besides having to worry about Dr. W. R. Newton there was the Medical Arts Clinic and Hospital just two blocks away at 5th and Littlefield Drive next to the Methodist Church. It was the big local competitor in Littlefield. This continued long after the deaths of Dr. Roy Hunt and Dr. Thomas Duke in 1943. Dr. I. T. Shotwell began practice in a local hotel while the building was being built in 1937.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Milam County Museum

The place to start in Cameron for information about the W. R. Newton family is the Milam County Museum. The two plaster Newton lions reside at the old county jail museum. Artifacts like the one pictured are on display in the museum annex on the square. Mr. Charles King is the director and we visited him on two occasions in the summer of 2009 to gather basic information on the Newtons for Clovis Road and to purchase a copy of Matchless Milam a great resource on the +W. R. Newton family.
Clovis Road II, the second edition, is available by writing Highgate Publishing, 6257 Highgate Lane, Dallas, Texas, 75214 and sending a check or money order for $36.81. First editions are still available at a discounted price.
Researching Clovis Road Writer Dana M. Samuelson with Mr. Charles King, Milam County Museum Director- 2009

Friday, April 19, 2013

Clovis Road Producer Named By Mulligan Life

Mulligan Life  announced yesterday via +Anna K. Nupson that a producer has been named for the motion picture production of Clovis Road. This is a great step in the process of beginning production. Highgate Publishing joins Mulligan Life in celebrating this announcement.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Jim Thomas - "Man of Many Roles"

In the early investigation of the Roy Hunt Murder it was thought that +James Clyde (Jim) Thomas might be a physician also because of his use of chloroform. Like many other leads about him this one turned out to be false. Also, he filled out a draft registration form but was not "drafted out." From the Lubbock Avalanche Journal Oct. 30, 1943
We received an email yesterday from +Traci Havins Odom, Director of Development, Texas Tech University Libraries about placing Clovis Road II in the Southwest Historical Collection. Traci has expressed an interest in the publication since we first met her in Dallas in 2010. She has accepted and will soon assume the position of Director of Membership for the Texas Tech Alumni Association.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Chloroform in the MO in Clovis Road

The arch villain in Clovis Road , Jim Thomas, used chloroform as part of his modus operandi along with head injuries, tying people up, masks, and gun battles. Hollywood villians of Spectre used chloroform in the 1965 James Bond movie Thunderball.  In his January 2012 article, “Good Drugs, Bad Doctors,” in Anesthesiology News, A J Wright discusses several notable true crimes associated with chloroform and other anesthetic drugs. He states these types of crimes began in the mid 1800s and the latest he cited was the “Mormon sex in chains” alleged kidnapping case from 1977. While Jim Thomas was not a doctor he was trained in anesthetic technique in the Nebraska prison hospital he was confined to until he returned to Texas. The article can be viewed at: www.anesthesiologynews.com/ViewArticle.aspx?

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Dr. Zuck Helped Edit Clovis Road II

The verses Titus 2:11-14 at the end of the second edition and numerous corrections to Clovis Road first edition were suggested by +Dr. Roy B. Zuck, who went to be with the Lord on March 16, 2013. Dr. Zuck was a senior professor emeritus of Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary, editor of Bibliotheca Sacra, our Adult Bible Fellowship teacher,  and his help was greatly appreciated. A favorite of his was Isaiah 43:2-3.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Clovis Road II Available

Here is +David A. (Sammy) Samuelson who has just unloaded 1232 pounds of the second edition of Clovis Road II for Highgate Publishing. In 2009 he went to Littlefield and Plainview and assisted with basic research at the two court houses on records relating to the Dr. Roy Hunt murder in 1943. Supplies of the new edition are limited.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Anna Nupson and Clovis Road II

The film production company, Mulligan Life Entertainment, taking the Clovis Road project forward is headed by  +Anna K. Nupson. You can view their Facebook page at Mulligan Life Entertainment.

W.R Newton, Medical Student

Here is a photo we found in the Cactus Yearbook in Galveston in July 2009 when we were writing the first edition of Clovis Road. We stayed at the Galvez Hotel and then later Cameron, Texas for court records. Now,
we have published the second edition and those need to be ordered as the motion picture contract is signed and the supplies of these books are limited to the first printing.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Clovis Road and Justice Ted Z. Robertson

Clovis Road - The Dr. Roy Hunt Murder - Littlefield, Texas - 1942-1943 Second Edition was dedicated to former Texas Supreme Court Justice +Ted Z. Robertson. Since the book was conceived he has been a guide, mentor,  and advisor to the authors. He was presented with the first copy of the new edition on March 31, 2013 in his home by +Dana Middlebrooks Samuelson in her maroon and white Littlefield Wildcat T-shirt.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Clovis Road - The Dr. Roy Hunt Murder - Second Edition Available - Film Contract

Dear Readers:
    Thank you to everyone who has shown an interest in Clovis Road. We can announce that a motion picture project is now in development by a film production company, Mulligan Life, headed up by Ms. Anna Nupson.
    This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Littlefield double murder of a young doctor, Roy Hunt, and his wife, Mae,  and 100th anniversary of the founding of Littlefield.   
    The recounting of the epic history of the murder of Dr. Roy Hunt in 1943, as we researched it, culminated in the first edition of Clovis Road. We felt it was an imperfect success. It got the riveting story out to a new generation, but it only answered some, but not all, the lingering questions for the Texans of 1943.
     Many people from all over the United States came forward with treasured papers, secret stories, and photographs about family and old friends involved in the Hunt murder. So, we wish to thank the anonymous citizens of Littlefield who have come forth as well as the local newspaper publisher.  Also, the families of W. R. Newton, and Jim Thomas provided new amazing details. More citizens of Cameron, some named, like a former district attorney, and some who want to remain unnamed, came forward with more of the story. Volunteer investigators have helped with research and photography.
    Richly revealing new information and interviews since 2009 require a second edition. With this rewrite we wish to sharpen the key characters and shift the focus of the motive of the terrible murder. We, and the readers who responded, have done both.
    After three more years of research there are new photos of Roy, Ruth, Dr. Billy, Mae,  Mr. LaFont and Mr. Jim Thomas. Also, there is a new chapter, many more illustrations, 232 total pages (212 text versus 169 in first edition) , a new font, more than a dozen new stories, and 4500 words of new text. 
    We hope that you enjoy the journey in the second edition of Clovis Road while waiting for that movie to come out.
    This edition is not available on Amazon, however it is available in Littlefield at Waymore’s for $30 plus tax, or by writing Highgate Publishing at 6257 Highgate Lane, Dallas, Texas, 75214 and enclosing a check or money order for $36.81 per copy, that covers Clovis Road II $30, Tax $2.48, Shipping USPS  $3.43 (2lb.8.9 oz.) and Tracking $0.90.
    Again, thank you.

Highgate Publishing, L.L.C.
Dana and Robert Samuelson 2013