Reporter Moses Newson Describes Bus Attack (2009)

"okay, there's a mob waiting for you, the station's closed", what happens? [Moses Newson] Hey, this was Mother's Day, and as we rolled into Anniston, it was kind of quiet. We got to the station that actually was closed, and there was this mob there, and it was a mean one. And the bus driver would get off to take care of his business, but he would lock the door behind him when he got out. They were calling us all kind of names, nigger, nigger-lovers, communists, and just everything, "come on out and integrate Alabama, we dare you to do this, we dare you to do that." And at the same time, they were whacking the bus and the windows with chains and boards and sticks and pipes and whatever they had. We didn't know it at the time, but they were also puncturing the tires.

Eventually, we got out of there. There was some police around who were not doing anything at all to stop these people who were attacking the bus and trying to get to us. And there was a black lady who was right across the aisle from me. And she was down on her knees between the seats there, and she was asking things like, "why are they doing this to us?" And saying things like, "I don't want to die here like this." So I go and try to console her a bit and explain to her what was going on. And she talked a little bit, told me what her name was, said I could use it in my story, which I did. And at the same time, I was watching the windows and watching the doors to make sure nobody was getting on. And eventually, bus driver returned and we started out.

At first, there was a feeling of relief because we were getting away there, we thought. But this small car that was in front of the bus, and it kept dodging from side to side to keep the bus from getting by. And I looked back, there was a long line of cars following us behind. And people hanging out windows and yelling stuff and that sort of thing. By the time we get to the edge of the city, tire goes down. It has kind of an awesome feeling because you know you are stuck there for a while. And they peel out of their cars and things and they started again calling names and banging on the doors and that sort of thing. L. Cowling, he got out and got his luggage from beneath the bus. He strapped on his pistol and he stood in the doorway to keep anybody from actually coming on the bus.

I talked to him later and he said he thought that was one of the tightest cases he had ever had to stand into. He said it was a pretty tough situation for him also. But they kept banging on the windows and calling us names and threatening us and that sort of thing. And eventually they punched a hole in the window that was right behind my seat. And that's where they got through the bomb into the seat just behind me. The only thing I got was a couple of burns behind the ears and a little heat on the back of my neck or something like that. So I was pretty good, but as soon as that bomb went off, it started getting dark in there, real dark in that place, in that bus.

And I decided since they were still trying to whack people outside with whatever they were able to strike us with, that I would just take my time about coming out. I put a handkerchief over my mouth and nose, got down low, and I just stayed there. Two or three people were able to get out of windows and catch rides on to Birmingham. And those who went out of the door, I think most of them escaped getting beat up. But eventually it got so dark in there and it started getting very hot in there. And I knew I had to get off the bus. So I went on out. And that was a sight to behold, coming off that bus. People were gagging and they were crawling around on the ground. They were trying to get the smoke out of their chest and that sort of thing.

And it was just a heart breaking thing to see that Americans would be treating fellow Americans that way. Eventually, police arrived, other police arrived, and everybody got out. Not being hurt very much, I helped the driver and Freedom Rider Bigelow to get the luggage out from under the bus before it started burning too badly. I sort of realized I had left my camera on the bus as I got out and saw that scene and wanted to shoot pictures.