18th October 1956, Thursday

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Graeme
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18th October 1956, Thursday

Post by Graeme » Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:54 am

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Late afternoon and the story goes that Elvis needed to wire June Juanico some money so she can come from Biloxi to see him.
Barbara Hearn was also due to spend sometime with Elvis that day, though he had already been with her when he found himself driving alone into Memphis to wire the money.
I'd heard many years ago he was on his way to collect the new tooled leather guitar case from OK Piano company.
Either way he's driving his Continental Mk II when exhaust fumes start to come out of the air vents into the car causing his eyes to sting.
He pulls over onto the Gulf Gas Station forecourt and turns the engine off.
Edd Hopper and Aubrey Brown tend to Elvis and the problem with courtesy to start with. Two Hull Dobbs sales people from the Ford dealership come over as well, Harvey Huff and Jimmy Nunn.
One by one a small crowd gathered around the car. According to Edd Hopper, Elvis and his vehicle had been there about 20 minutes and was causing an effect on the business as other customers could not easily access to forecourt with the crowd gathered there.
Patrolman Thomas S Yeager had been directing traffic at the junction and had come over to see what was attracting the crowd of people.
Hopper asked Elvis politely to move his car and Elvis replied that he would.
There were people in front of the car and Elvis couldn't just pull away. Whilst he was waiting for the people in front of the car to move two laides approached and asked for his autograph saying to Elvis it was for their daughters. Elvis couldn't resist in obliging. This appeared too much for Hopper who asked, "You gonna move or am I gonna do it for ya?" With that he reached into the car and slapped Elvis round the back of the head. Elvis reacted by going to get out of the car and as he did so Hopper pushed him back and then started to move back. Elvis got out and threw a punch that connected well and sent Hopper back about ten feet.
The policeman had then started over toward the fight when he says he saw Hopper pull out a pocketknife with the blade open. He stepped in between Elvis and Hopper and grabbed Hoppers arms.
Aubrey Brown came over yelling out and went to hit Elvis and missed, Elvis retaliated and also missed at which time other police had stopped by and all three were arrested.
Each was placed into a separate police car and driven to the station.
Quite how news travelled so fast in those days I'm unsure but Barbara Hearn was in town and had heard about it already. She waved down the first police car she saw and asked to be taken to the station. She had only gone and flagged down the police car that was taking Hopper!

Each had to post $52 bond. Elvis went home, though I'm unsure how but most likely driven home in a police car to protect him from being mobbed again. His car had been pushed over to the Hull Dobbs showroom to protect it from fans. Elvis regretted the incident and initially refused to talk to the press about it, but then relented.
He spoke to fans that evening who had gathered at the Audubon Drive address. He then gave an account to the press and allowed photographs to be taken of himself, Barbara Hearn and Sweet Pea the dog.

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