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Backers say Koen caught in conspiracy
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| Title | Backers say Koen caught in conspiracy |
| Creator | Davis, Larry |
| Description | Article about Rev. Charles Koen, civil rights activist, indicted for arson, theft and embezzlement; mentions Dunham as chair of his defense fund |
| Collection | SCRC Text (Southern Illinois University Carbondale) |
| Subcollection | Katherine Dunham Papers |
| Original Publication Source | Southern Illinoisan |
| Place Written | Carbondale, IL |
| Date(s) | 1989-08-25 |
| Subjects -people | Koen, Charles ; Koen, Robbie ; Dunham, Katherine |
| Collection ID/Box# | FP20_7_F1DUNHAM_B103_F22_15 |
| Rights Statement | For permission to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise use this image, please contact the Special Collections Research Center, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Phone: + 1 (618) 453-2516. Email: http://reftrack.lib.siu.edu/reft100.aspx?key=SCRCEmail&cllcid=SCRR |
| Transcript | Backers say Koen caught in conspiracy
By Larry Davis of The Southern llllnoisan
Supporters of Ihe Rev. Charles Koen say their effort to raise money to defend him against criminal charges is part of a larger response to "a national conspiracy to silence black leaders across the nation." Koen, a longtime civil rights activist from Cairo, was indicted earlier this month in U.S. District Court in Benton on charges that include arson, theft and embezzlement. Among the allegations are that the 44-year-old minister stole government money while directing social services programs of the United Front in Cairo, and that he burned the building that housed the organization's headquarters. Koen's daughter, Robbie, said Thursday that her father's supporters believe, as he does, that the fireshe said "We know Ihal his to defend him agamsl criminal indicUnenl is part ol a national con- charges IS pari of a larger response spiracy lo silence black leaders to "a nalional conspiracy to silence j^ross Uie nation " black leaders across Ihe ™i™.'' ^h^ ^ ^ controversies sur-
Koen, a longtime civil r^tsawiv. ^ ^ ^1 ^ ^
ist from Cairn was indicted earlier Bradley EasI SI Loius Mayor Carl
Uiis month in ll.S. Dis^.rt Court in oifieer and her father, and she said
Benton i^ charge hat include i, ..^ coincidence" thai they
arson, the 11 and embeTilernent..^, | ^ ^ ^ ^ *
Among the allegations are that the and alif^l consecutively." -year ild minister stole govern-. '
ment money whUe direcling social , ^"^ ^If" '^•1^° '"^.f"""', , '"
services pi^rams of the Uniled impeach lederalJudge Alcee Has-
Front in Cairo, and Ihat he burned '"^ ^"^ 'he slaying of Black Panth-
the building that housed the orgam- f ™- f™"^^'" """V P ^^'*} ^ '•^ ¦
nation's headquarters. ^"^er evidence that a sophistical-
Koens daughter, Kobhie, said f ^y^'^"'^" , ap|^nl 's func-
Thursday that her father's support- """"S the United States, ers believe, as he docs, that the fire "oen said her father's supporters
that destroyed Ibe Security Bank sisv are "outraged over the media's
Building in Cairo in 1985 was the tainted slant" ol the ministers
work of the Ku Klux Klan. involvement in the civil rights
"We challenge the lederai guvem- struggle in Cairo duni^ the late
ment to do a profcssiMial and au- 19Ws and early 1970s, thentic — meaning real — They had "personally witnessed
invesiigaiion, " she said. and will never toilet" shootings and
She spoke by telephone and read burnings by the Klan, she said. , _^ from a statement intended for re- Katherine Dunham, an interna- )
lease lo the media at a meeting later iionally known prolesslonal dancer j
that altemoon at the First Mission- chOreogra^iier and former professor /
ary Baptist Church in Cairo. al Southern Illinois University-Car- P
Instead of conducting a vengeful bondale, is chairing Koen's defense
hunt for her father, federal agents fund his daughter said I
should go after "the real roan or , , j.._. , . p , c, "^
men, womanorwome|i, whoburned Louis'^ e^ebTatfnfDun'lUmf's^h
(he Secunly Bank Budding, she birthday is lo be the first fund-rais-.
^"'- ins pvpSi
Federal prosecutors have alleged , .". , , , c. ".. ¦
that Koen and others set fire to the , .'^"™." " Planna^/or Sept. 16 in
building lo coUect Insurance money, "^^ Coliseum in SI, Loui^ and still
Robbie Koen said Ihe legal defense f"^f ^!^'^ "'^ Pl^m*^ '" N™
fund established in her father's 'wk and Chicago, name is a national effort with rep- Mare infermalion about dates and
resentalion in Atlanta, New York, 'unes are available by calling Bruce
Chicago and East St. Louis. Crosby at 1312! 651-3552.
Thursday's announcement was the A bank account will be established
start of the effort in Southern Illi- soon in Southern Illinois for dona-
nois, she said, bul the defense fund lions to the dclcnse fund, said
began almost immediately after a Robbie Koen |
| Original Format | article |
| Original dimensions (cm.) | 24 x 12 |
| Digital Object Type | Image |
| Digital File Format | .tif |
| Digital File Publisher | Special Collections Research Center, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. |
| Language | English |
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