10th October 1970, Saturday

[Graeme]

Day number 13060Site Date Map

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[Alan]

[Alan]

      
DONNA LEWIS: Dorise [Jones] called me. Elvis came home at 12.10 a.m. this morning. There were only a few fans at the gate to see him come home but, as soon as he walked in the house, he called back to the gate and told Harold [Loyd], "Clear 'em out!” What few fans were there, Harold had to ask to go on the outside of the gates. Elvis told him, “Ah mean, Ah don’t want anybody in the inside of those gates!” It's being said that, this time in, Elvis is even having the boys call up to the house before they come driving up. Oh, my — something is definitely wrong!
      

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Alan King: Donna Lewis was there and there very often, daily often. These remarks were made there and then at the time and not with hindsight years later. There is an instictiveness in her comments and she picked up on all the signs that told her something wasn't right.
Elvis had seriously been threatened, more than once. The various telephone calls of a threatening nature in Las Vegas towards the latter part of the engagement and the bomb threat in Phoenix on the first stop of the first tour would have made him want to cover all bases in prevention, determent and protection. On the day he'd arranged to be a Deputy Sheriff of Shelby County whilst still in LA wasn't so much to do with getting another badge but to be covered to carry the respective firearms and deployment of such if the need arised.
The last thing Elvis needed was for a bunch of "fans" to be seen to be allowed onto the grounds of his estate, unknown, unchallenged and unidentified whilst at the same time claiming to be concerned about threats from someone unknown and unidentified. No wonder he wanted everyone out and the gates closed and to demonstrate he could exercise some structure to his security, including those that secured him to have to phone up and verify their entrance onto the grounds.
The FBI had been involved in handling the threats and had instructed local police to show a presence in LA. I'm sure that was extended to Memphis at the time. So there was a potential audience to reassure, one that was watching around the clock.
      

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UPI)
      
Entertainer Elvis Presley has been commissioned a special Shelby County Sheriff, an act that will allow the singing star to carry a pistol. Sheriff Roy C. Nixon confirmed Monday that the commission ceremony was held privately in his office on Saturday. He said Presley had been an ‘honorary’ deputy for several years. The Sheriff said the change in status was requested by Presley’s office. In addition to allowing him to carry a pistol, it provided him with identification papers. Nixon said he has no plans to call his new special deputy for any law enforcement duties.
      

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THOMAS B. MORGAN JR: A Shelby County Special Deputy Sheriff's badge, serial number three, was issued to Elvis by Sheriff Roy C. Nixon on Saturday, October 10, 1970. This was the first of many law enforcement commissions bestowed around this time upon Elvis. He had an infatuation with law enforcement, and he worked his way up through the ranks at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in his hometown of Memphis, ultimately acquiring several authentic badges (as well as actual law enforcement authority) from subsequent sheriffs in Shelby County. This particular commission gave Elvis full status as a law enforcement officer and included the ability to carry a firearm and to make arrests. Elvis later gave this badge to Charlie Hodge after being issued a Deputy Chiefs badge; in October 1976.
Hodge returned it to me.
      

      

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DONNA LEWIS: Sheriff Morris officially made Elvis a Deputy Sheriff of Shelby County, Tennessee. Daddy called the house and Richard said, “No show tonight, George.” We went on down to the gate to visit with Harold for a little while. He's always fun to be around. But as we got to the gate, Harold said he was so sorry, but Elvis said that no-one was allowed in tonight, and everyone still had to stand outside of the gates. I could tell it just about killed Harold to tell us that, but he was just doing his job and just doing what Elvis had told him to do. Gee, Elvis — what's happening?
      
Richard drove out in the double Dodge truck. Just before 11 p.m., two cars started down the driveway; one was Charlie and the other was the doctor. Charlie looked over to us and smiled real big, shook his head and said, “No way! No way!” We got the message. We thought he meant that Elvis wasn’t feeling good so there wouldn't be a show until... It wasn’t long before I saw the limousine coming out of the church parking-lot, lights out, sneaking out. When the headlights came on, the car burned rubber going down the highway. He was using the back-gate!
      
Just out of being nosey and concerned since Charlie had just told us, “No way! No way!” we drove over to the Memphian. I knew in my heart he wasn’t having a show because if he was, we were always welcomed. We hadn’t done anything to make him mad so it wouldn't make sense to want to keep us away.
      
We got to the Memphian and I was right! He wasn’t having a show. Daddy said, “While we're out riding, lets just run by the Crosstown.” As we drove to the Crosstown, hidden in the shadows in the back parking-lot was Elvis’ limousine. A show. A closed show. A private show. We didn’t even bother to go to the door to try to get in. After all, if Elvis went to the trouble of sneaking out through the church parking-lot and having Charlie to tell us “No way!” well it was obvious that he didn’t want us around. I could've cried — then I could've shaken the jello out of him! He's changing, and I don’t like what I’m seeing and I don’t like what I'm feeling. I'm scared.
      

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