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Twenty-one—“I’m the executioner.”
- University of North Texas Press
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244 Week One of the Eleven Days in Hell would end at one o’clock as this eighth day and second week of horror began for the hostages. Federico Carrasco was contacted on Wednesday morning five minutes after his eight o’clock deadline for complying with the demand for bulletproof vests. He was called about what Ruben Montemayor called the “final offer” that Director Estelle had handed him at seven-fifteen that morning. According to Ron Taylor, Carrasco “appeared to be sleepy or groggy”1 and he made no mention of his previous threat to blow up his hostages. The only thing he seemed to be interested in was ordering breakfast—pastry, donuts, cupcakes, orange juice, prune juice, jelly, toast and, of course, the daily newspapers. Contact between the library and the warden’s office resumed at nine o’clock. The hostages requested clean clothes, a deck of cards, a portable radio, batteries, trash bags, ice, a jar of instant tea, lemon, sugar, coffee creamer, and coffee cups. Taylor, based ChapterTwenty-one July 31, 1974 • Day Eight “I’m the executioner.” —Fred Carrasco, hostage-taker 245 “I’M THE EXECUTIONER.” on conversations with the hostages, reported a general tone of calmness inside the library. The next contact from Carrasco came at 1:00 p.m. He was not through with his efforts to influence the media. This time, he enlisted Novella Pollard’s willing daughter, Kathy. Sometimes on his own, sometimes in concert with the hostages, and especially Pollard, Carrasco constructed written messages he wanted relayed to the media. Pollard would then repeat those messages to her daughter, in a very crisp, distinct, and direct manner. She had Kathy read the messages back, word-for-word, so there would be no mistaking Carrasco’s words. Novella said to Kathy, “Now, I want you to call a news conference. You are to do it come hell or high water.”2 Pollard then dictated two statements. The first was a reiteration of Estelle’s “final offer” granting the vests in exchange for the hostages and assurance that Carrasco could “surrender under supervision or under your conditions with TV coverage all over the world.” Next, Novella dictated Carrasco’s seething response, “In regard to your Novella Pollard’s eighteen-year-old daughter Kathy holds one of her press conferences on behalf of the captured hostages, on Thursday, August 1. (Photo courtesy of Texas Department of Criminal Justice) [54.147.0.155] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 13:30 GMT) 246 CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE proposal, not only do I find them childish, but humiliating.” Her voice rose in concert with Carrasco’s anger. “Any man with a prudent mind would realize that such a proposal is jeopardizing the lives of the civilian hostages and at this moment the lives of the inmate hostages. As far as your proposal concerning the vests, I can do without the vests. Concerning the false and unscrupulous indictments against my wife, I leave entirely up to your discretion. Regarding the third demand of the world-wide TV coverage, that is fine.”3 Carrasco had some “final demands” of his own. “The only things I am asking for is transportation plus four hostages that I demanded since negotiations were started between us. And as my final threat, should these two demands not be met, a bomb with devastating power will be set off near Mr. Heard and Mr. Branch. And the other bomb will be placed and ready to detonate close to the remaining hostages. And the Estelle agrees to provide the armored truck but only after Carrasco releases the nine remaining hostages. (Courtesy Cushing Memorial Library, Texas A&M University) 247 “I’M THE EXECUTIONER.” third bomb will be used on your chewing-tobacco troopers. I remain a man of my word.” That done, Novella told Kathy, “Now. I want you to call a news conference. I don’t care if you have to kick and scream and holler.” She repeated her instructions to read both statements and, she added with Carrasco’s coaching, “You can add that the three females that are going as hostages if they will let us are ready, waiting with Father O’Brien.”4 The press conference, arranged primarily by Joe Sweeney, Carrasco’s old confrere at WOAI-TV in San Antonio, came off without a hitch. Elated over its success, Carrasco decided he would do it again using the same format. He would repeat Estelle’s written offer to make sure the media was getting...