Sheriff Ray Weatherby
SHERIFF R.W.#5/30 30/28...Raymond Weatherby, sheriff Crane County, and I was raised herein Crane County, graduated from school here and I went into office in 1957...andI been in office ever since, and this is my last time, I'm going to retireafter this term...got two more years left this term and then I'll be out... ...that's it I'm going to retire .... ...you know do what you want to do...it's no big deal, I'm going toretire right here in Crane... ...31/38...I was elected constable two years before I run for sheriffand this old boy come talked to me about running and so I put my hat inand was elected constable...and the next term, it was two year term, thenext term, the old sheriff was here, didn't run, so I threw my hat in thatand I was me and Smokey Swift was in a runoff, but I guess, getting backto your question, was that after elected to constable several people comeand asked me to run for sheriff and so, that's the reason I got involvedwith it...32/28... ....32/30 ... I don't really remember just exactly when gordon movedhere to Crane , but I mean I knew of him, when he moved here and didn'tknow that much about gordon at that time, and time went on and you'd heara few more things about him and different things like that...32/47... ...and, then after taht, I got to know him after that, I sure did...32/52... ...32/57...Gokrdon was not a radical man, here in our community. I knowhe did get the sheriff's posse Comitatus started here in Crane. And hehad several members in there, I knew they had badges and different thingslike that...fact, gordon had a dodge pickup, that he rode around in andit had a sheriff's posse comitatus star on both sides of it...33/25... ...and, they was nothing ever said or done anything about it, it justwasn't that strong. It's mostly that they didn't believe in taxes. Is myunderstanding on the deal. And also that the sheriff was the only law enforcementofficer in the county as far as they was concerned. And If it was a badenough crime they believed in hanging em at the at the ohh, whether is wassuppossed to be at the courthouse at twelve noon or whether it was on themain street at twelve noon or a busy intersection or something or other...34/05... ...I don't remember just exactly what it was, but that's was one ofthe beliefs but they didn't push everything that they believed there. Atleast that's my belief that they didn't now...34/17... ...34/19...There wasn't any hung here...(laughs)...but they wasn't,they had meetings...but they wasn't that active in anything as far as thepublic, or trying to enforce anything or anything like that, they do anyof that at all...34/39...(CUT W/CORCORAN TALKING ABOUT THE POSSE) ...34/46...well, it's my understanding that that is their belief, thatthe sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the county which heis. And they believe that's the only that had any authority. was the sheriff.That's just part of their belief. I mean it wasn't necessary. I didn't haveto go to anything that they ever had, or wasn't called on anything thatthey had...it was jsut that they had a few meetings around, it started outthey had quite a few members and they gradually dropped off...35/23...(CUT W/BUFORD'S COMMENTS) ...and there was a few articles in the paper everynow and then, oncein a while about, somebody writing something in it, then another one jumpsin and another one jumps out, so it was just a kind of go and come dealkind of thing you might say...35/37... ...35/40...They wasn't a vigilante type at all. I wouldn't put it thata way... ...35/55...no, I really didn't. I had gordan in jail one time here...thecity police, he had a boy that was underage to drive and invariably he'dkeep driving. The chief and one of his captains, my understanding went andtalked with him and told him, if you don't keep that kid out of that car,they were going to fine him for letting an unauthorized person drive hisvehicle...36/28... ...and that kept going on and they went and got him one afternoon andput him in jail. He refused to pay fine, or bond or anything. But, I thinkhe was in there overnight and maybe the next day he got out...36/45... ...this was a refused to pay fine or bond and he did have a texas driverslicense, he was fined a hundred and two dollars and fifty cents. And thatwas 5/17/76. is when this happened. ...he was rleased at five twelve seventeenpm on the seventeenth... ...that's the only thing I ever had on him...37/35... ...I'm not going to say which boy it was, he had two boys here and Idon't remember exactly which boy it was...37/46... ...and the kid also had, the license plates on his vehicle was paintedto be, to look like it was currently registered and the car was not registeredand he had painted over it, it looked like the genuine thing, but it wasn't...38/14... ...they might have got the kid for that, I don't remember, but, a juvenile,you can't do nothing to them anyway, so, you got pass that to another courtand more then likely he was a juvenile at that time... ...38/34...no, sir not really, he really didn't. He had come in a timeor two and talked but it really wasn't about this...yes sire, gordon neverdid do anything out of line as far as I was concerned, he sure didn't...38/54... ... ...39/05...no sir, I really don't... ...39/12...well I beleive it was from his income tax wasn't it. It wasmy understanding that he didn't believe in it. That was the one thing theydidn't believe in filing. I guess what the whole deal was....that's kindaof what started the whole thing with him is my understanding, is that hedidn't file any income tax...39/35... ...40/01...uhh the FBI came by and talked with us. yes they did andI had several news reporters call in because he had lived here... ... ...40/26...no sir, what I heard, it could break loose anytime, I heardgordon's house was backed with guns and ammunition from the word go, andgordon I guess he'd been gone from two years...and like I'm saying, it'sjust something that someone else told me, they said he had guns... ...41/05...for a while gordon would come down here and work and thenhe had a farm back in ...and he would go back up there and come back downhere and work and eventually he staid down here and worked....somebody saidthat he had a basement at home full of guns, and he was ready if somethingcome up...and that was just rumors I heard at that time...41/44... ...41/50...I never seen him carry a gun at all. I mean he'd be in violationof the law if he was carrying a gun. I mean a citizen in texas doesn't havea right to carry a gun unless they're a law enforcement officer...and henot no law enforcement officer...no si , I never seen the man carry a gunat all...42/14... ...42/30...I'm gonna say he was probably one of the biggest leadersthat they had in that posse comiatus because Gordon believed in it. He actuallybelieved in it. I have got a check in my pocket if you want to see whatthey believed in paying their taxes with...42/45... ...now this was give to me by somebody and it's damn near wore out...Ichecked this morning to see if I've still got it... somebody brought it in here and gave it too me...I don't even remember who brought it in here and gave it too me, it'sbeen that long ago... ...43/23...on the back is your main thing, when you sign it...is whatit says... ...43/35...under penalty of perjery the undersigned swears that themonies on the face of this check will be used to preserve our republicanform of govt. as outlined in the US Constitution, personal signature required....44/00... ...now that's what they gave when they wrote a check for taxes...likeOur sales tax, they didn't believe in that either... ...now that's what they believed in gold or silver...44/40 ... ...44/46...no sir, I never had any run in with them at all... ...45/08...they couldn't do it all that's right. I know what's you'retalking about there...like I said he started out, he had several memebersto start out with but they'd gradulally fall out...there's a few of em,right along with him right up to the last and they disbanded and that wasit...45/28... ...but I do know that they had badges...the ones that belonged to theposse ...I'd heard of one or two that pulled them and showed it trying tobluff somebody...but that's about the extent of it...45/43... ... ...45/50...no sir, it didn't bother me, if they had em they kept emin their wallets... ...46/06...no, Miss Kahl was a real nice lady. She never got out ofline ever. I just thought she was real nice....like I said, the boys hearddifferent things on them, but they kinda believed like their daddy did.Well, he taught it to em and that was it...I think, I don't remember evenwhat both of their names was...one of the girls married a local boy here... ...47/10...yes, sir, I'd have say that, I sure would, he didn't causeus any trouble down here at all... ...47/30...not too much, they thought he might come in here, might havea friend or two. He might have, but I don't know of it... ...not really like I said, they called several years ago when it allhappened, I thought it was all over... END TAPE AND INTERVIEW @ 5:48:12
|
A timeline of the life of Gordon Kahl, from early childhood interests, to his marriage to Joan Kahl, his decorated military experience,
his outspoken tax protest, the Medina shootout, and his unusual death in Arkansas in 1983.
|
VARIETY / Indie documaker Jeffrey F. Jackson sticks it to the IRS and the Feds in "Death & Taxes," a hard-hitting reinvestigation of the 1983 Gordon Kahl case, about which questions still linger. Jackson's unfazed, investigative reporting-style approach and inventive handling of familiar material make this a controversial item for fests and progressive webs. Non-U.S. viewers will also get a charge out of its conspiracy theme. read more
CHRONICLES MAGAZINE / Gordon Kahl was a simple farmer who became famous for not filing income tax returns. Imprisoned and hounded by IRS agents who never did prove he owed any amount of money, Kahl and his son were involved in a shootout with police. The son is still serving a prison sentence, but the father was surrounded and shot in Arkansas by police officers who mutilated and burned his body. read more
GUNS & AMMO / A new video documentary, Death & Taxes, details a case of government murderously out of control that was briefly mentioned in the October 1994 Guns & Ammo article "The Ugly Truth About Gun Control." Death & Taxes is the story of Gordon Kahl, a North Dakota farmer and decorated World War II veteran, and his apparent death at the hands of federal agents. read more
|
|
Now Available!This set of 6 DVD's comprises over 13 hours of uncut footage, including a 2+ hour prison interview with Yorie Kahl, and candid interviews with wife Joan Kahl. In this rich stockpile of research, you'll find many more threads than could reasonably be pursued in the final feature.
The Death & Taxes Miniseries DVD Set Includes...
01: Gordon Kahl Meets With Head North Dakota U.S. Marshal Bud Warren (60 min)
02: The Beginning: Gordon Kahl's military experience and views on a variety of subjects (93 min)
03: Gordon's Texas Tax Trial (90 min)
04: Medina Shootout (60 min)
05: Gordon Kahl Was...: A montage of over 25 people describing who Gordon Kahl was in their eyes. (50 min)
06: Mysterious Death In Arkansas (90 min)
07: Media Circus: Chronological portrayal of Gordon Kahl in the media (70 min)
08: Yorie Kahl Prison Interview (150 min)
09: Joan Kahl Uncut Interviews (120 min)
A little-known fact regarding Death & Taxes is the surprising connection to Timothy McVeigh and the ATF / Oklahoma City Bombing. Here's a clip of Jackson sharing the story during a director's commentary on his film Postal Worker.
The story of Gordon Kahl so captured the attention of mainstream America that it was turned into a highly-rated made-for-television movie titled
In The Line of Duty - Manhunt In The Dakotas.
DEATH & TAXES is the story of Gordon Kahl, a North Dakota farmer who became America's "most-wanted" fugitive. How had a WWII war hero become the target of one of the largest manhunts in FBI history?
|
|
The badly burned remains of Gordon Kahl, with an island of skin that shows he was in a prone position at the time of the fire.
Was Kahl a racist, gun-toting fanatic? Or a victim of an IRS policy of harassing vocal tax protestors into silence to keep the rest of us intimidated? Did Bill Clinton conspire to cover-up the torture and execution of Gordon Kahl in Arkansas? Did federal agents mutilate and burn the body to cover-up the murder of the wrong man?
DEATH & TAXES follows the trail of Gordon Kahl as his body is exhumed for a new autopsy. Building on newsreel clips covering two fiery shootouts and hundreds of interviews -- with IRS agents and federal prosecutors as well as Kahl's family and supporters -- D&T explores the myths and controversies surrounding a man who dared to challenge the federal income tax system. Some revile Kahl as a cop killer. Others revere him as an American patriot. Which was he?
|
|