| 04/06/09 12:06 PM |
#271
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Bruce Evans
I think I have found a way to flush out Bill Kolb. No one was more of an authority on Doody Ball than Kolb. Bill had the mind of a terrorist when it came to Doody Balls. Bill knew his schedule and where he would be at anytime. DB was not safe with Kolb on the loose. I played only a peripheral roll in this fascinating story as did many others. This was a classic Greek Tragedy, or........some other kind of story.
Bill could hear DB's truck rattling towards him from a mile away. A group of us, from the Southwest part of town, would be fishing out at the Ol' Refinery and suddenly Kolb would stand up and stretch his neck, slowly turning his head, like he was an echo locating a sound. Then he would yell, "Dooooody Balls" and we would be off and running to get away.
The Ol' Refinery was DB's turf. There was a slaughter house out there, also, this is where DB keep his hogs penned up. As far I my knowledge goes, no animals were harmed or injured to badly during the escapades perpetrated out at the Ol' Refinery. Those of you who are unfamiliar with the Ol' Refinery I will describe the area. A vast waste land that lay out west of Vinita along the Frisco Railroad tracks and near Paw Paw Creek. This waste land was marked by old brick buildings and structures that could lay the imagination of young boys wide open. The tar pits that could swallow you up; never to be seen again. A giant lake with islands out in the middle and a tall bank or dam running completely around it. Rodger Crisco's Dad owned it and Doody Balls either worked for him or was a tenant of his. DB was like Darth Vader, when he showed up it was time to get away as fast as possible without being seen.
Like the Bus story, which I only heard of here for the first time, Doody Balls was very serious about his revenge. He would and did shoot at us, I mean, at people. My own personal story relates to the time I got really brave and sneaked my dad's car out one night; I was about 13 or 14. My only obstacle was that I was baby sitting with my younger (1st grade) sister, so I loaded her up and off we went. I got the bright idea to drive by DB's house and yell at him. SO, we're cruising along and as we came up to DB's house and I leaned out the window and yelled as loud as I could, "DOOOOODY BALLS" and BANG a shoot rang out, BANG another one. I floored it, dust flew, and away we rolled. Up until that moment, I really didn't understand the saying of "Having the Sh_t scared out of me". We got away and I started talking to my sister about how she had to promise to never tell Mom & Dad and she keep her promise. And, I never sneaked the car out again. Many years later while sitting in my cafe, The Talk of the Town, talking with my Dad he mentioned the time I had been shot at after sneaking the car out. I was dumbfounded; I thought I had gotten away with it. It turns out my little sister kept her word, but during her class's "Show & Tell" she related our story to her class and teacher. The teach called my folks and told them everything. They decided I had probably learned my lesson and never brought it up again.
Getting back to Doody Balls, there was the time a bunch of us guys were out at the Ol' Refinery fishing and sure enough Kolb jumps up and yells "DOOOOODY BALLS"; off we go to get away. There was a lot of space to cover to get to the railroad track, the best way out and back home. I never was that fast when it came to running and I started falling further and further behind the group. It was like Clint Eastwood said in Hamburger Hill, "you have to adapt and improvise". So, while the group headed home under the cover of the railroad tracks; I decided I had to find another line of escape. The last guy always get caught. I headed for Paw Paw Creek and Churchill Road. Churchill Rd. was the long straight road that lead to the bridges over Big Cabin Creek and Paw Paw Creek west of town. I fought my way though the cane fields and briers and got over to Churchill Rd. to start the lonely walk home. You could see all the way up Churchill Rd., maybe almost a mile, and then I see this old rusty truck, DB's truck, turn on to and start down the road towards me. Fight or flight, I had to make a decision. I decided to walk on and face Doody Balls down. You could hear the rattly bouncy truck coming closer and closer. My fear and resolve battled, I held my ground, actually I kept walking and looking straight ahead, and DB just drove on by and over the bridge. It was over, but IT wasn't over. And, I mean Bill Kolb's terrorizing of DB.
The Doody Balls story I have waited 40 years to hear is about the running battle Bill Kolb brought onto Doody Ball's home. I was not there but I know Bill had a lot of backup. All those individuals followed Bill into this battle with zeal and fortitude. It was said he started with a classic surprise attack using a suppressing fire of flaming arrows, using the railroad tracks as his redoubt. I will stop now and leave the floor open for any of those that participated to set the record straight. The statute-of-limitations have run their course. so, tell the whole story. We could ask Dickie Grimes; he may or may not be a source, but you know he was always a great shot with a bow & arrow.....
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