(A look at some of the stories that made the news ‘back-in-the-day’ with CLIFFORD STANLEY) 
Lucille fled the home
-and John became desperate
JOHN WAS a desperate man. His reputed wife, Lucille, was missing; he just had to find her.
Of course, John did no such silly thing as to report her absence to the Police. He knew for sure that she was not kidnapped. So John decided to make some investigations around the immediate scene. And that was New Amsterdam, the town in the Ancient County where John and Lucille lived.
But soon, it became obvious that Lucille was no longer in Berbice. It seemed that she had decided to put as much distance between herself and John.

No giving up
Being desperate, however, John was not giving up that easily. He made diligent investigations and eventually learnt that Lucille had headed for the bright lights of Georgetown.
So John  packed his overnight bag and headed for Georgetown as well. And on arriving, he headed for that section of the city known to habitués as ‘The Village’, or ‘Tiger Bay’ to the uninitiated.
John had heard that Lucille had been seen in a certain hotel where liquor and love are served up for a price, and he headed there, not for liquor, but for his love …Lucille.
Lucille must have spotted John as he entered the establishment, and she made a dash for hiding.
John dashed after her, but he was not at home in the various cubicles which serve their guest. And he soon discovered that Lucille had again disappeared from him.
“Ah know she here,” he stormed, “and ah come fuh carry she home.”
“She a’int deh here,” a fourteen-year-old boy lied to John.
“I see she, and you gat to tell me where she deh,” John stormed, and he whipped out a knife.

Tell now
In a couple of seconds, the little fellow found himself in the desperate grips of John. And the knife was being held threateningly near his throat.
“Tell me where she dey?” John commanded.
Kamal, the little boy, was so scared he could not speak. And when he did find his voice, it was, to John’s disappointment, not to tell where Lucille was but to bawl for help. And that brought Lilian to the rescue.
John, however, was like a madman. And as soon as Lilian entered the room where he had the scared Kamal held prisoner, he lunged at her.
Lilian turned on a dime and was out of the room, screaming for murder. And her shouts brought the Police.
The following morning, John, quiet and peaceful, stood before Magistrate Ronald Jailal to answer two charges of threatening behaviour.

Mild looking
He hardly looked like the kind of chap who would go crazy over a woman. But then he had.
Reason now prevailing, John readily pleaded guilty to both charges, and then listened as the Prosecutor related for Mr. Jailal’s benefit his maddened search for Lucille the previous evening.
“They lived in New Amsterdam, Sir,” the Prosecutor outlined to Mr. Jailal, “and she left him and come to Georgetown.”
“She went and lived at a certain hotel…
“Yes, she has become a hotel lady now,” observed Mr. Jailal.
“Yes, Sir,” agreed the Sergeant, prosecuting. “And he came in search of her.”
“However, it appeared she saw him first and she ran and hid herself in one of the rooms. And he went into a room where he met Kamal, a fourteen-year-old boy. He then took out the knife and was rubbing the knife on the boy’s throat.”
“What!” exclaimed Mr. Jailall. “He was trying to kill the boy?”
“He was trying to scare the boy,” answered the prosecutor.
“And then when the woman entered, he threatened her too, because they wouldn’t tell him where Lucille was…”
“He was searching for the one he loved,” John’s counsel explained on his behalf.
“With a knife?” demanded Mr. Jailal.
“There was really no knife,” counsel urged.
“The people were a bit hostile to him,” counsel continued. “He is a stranger to the City, Sir.”
“That’s why we don’t want him here,” rejoined Mr. Jailal.
“But he was on a legitimate purpose,” counsel stated, “He was searching for someone he loves.”

He didn’t do right
“But he didn’t do it in a legitimate manner,” charged Mr. Jailal.
“So he’s fined $25 for threatening Kamal, and he’s reprimanded and discharged for threatening the woman.”
“Give him a month to pay, Sir?” counsel asked.
“Yes, he has a month,” answered Mr. Jailal, and John departed, mission unaccomplished, for he still had not found Lucille.
(Guiana Graphic: February 23, 1957)

(Clifford Stanley can be reached to discuss the foregoing article at cliffantony@gmail.com or by telephone: 657-2043)