European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 7, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Philadelphia cracks Down on racism by William k. Stevens new York times he courtroom crowd in Philadelphia sat in shocked silence of my god whispered Richard Keller s Wile. Then she started to cry. Keller Shook his head a single witness a 13-year-old while youth who had braved his neighbors hostility by breaking a code of silence had testified that on july 22 he saw Keller Spray paint the words we Don 1 want no niggers Kkt on the front of a Brick Row House in a while area of Northeast Philadelphia. A Black family had been considering buying the House and the message frightened them off. And now the judge spurned the defense attorney s argument that the 34 year old Keller was a stable family Man and father of three children one suffering irom muscular dystrophy Hal he had painted the racial slur while drunk thai he was truly sorry and thai his family needed him. Your client should have thought of that when a was writing those  judge Lydia Kirkland of municipal court told the lawyer. Ii is exactly these types of incidents that Are making Philadelphia the laughingstock of the country finding Keller guilty of ethnic intimidation criminal mischief and defacement of property she sentenced him to the maximum penalty of a year in jail and a �2,500 line and set his bail at $100.000. The penalty went Well beyond the prosecution s recommendation that Keller be confined to the Myca on weekends As we do with drunk  Kirkland has not elaborated on the sentence since she imposed it nov. 7. But there is Little doubt in the minds of anyone in the Case that Kirkland. Who is Black intended 10 Send a message of her own. She is not the Only Public official in Philadelphia who has lately tried to do that at a time when incidents of racial and ethnic intimidation appear to be increasing. In the tint 10 months of 1986 the Philadelphia police recorded 142 incidents of racial ethnic or religious violence or vandalism. In Allol 1985 there were 136. After whiles tried to Force a Black couple and an interracial couple out of their Homes in a predominantly White Section of Southwest Philadelphia a year ago. Mayor w. Wilson Goode who is Black said that such incidents would not be tolerated. He placed the neighbourhood under a stale of emergency nevertheless three Young White men set fire to a House in the neighbourhood that had been purchased by Blacks who Ihen abandoned the House. The three were caught and prosecuted. Last May Federal District judge Clarence c. Newcomer who is White sentenced one of the men to live years in prison and the two others to three years each. What the did was despicable said newcomer. To terrorize thai was 1he whole purpose of this  Ronald d. Castille. The Philadelphia District attorney says he intends to get the message out. Under Pennsylvania Law judges May apply Stiller sentences than Are ordinarily allowed when ethnic intimidation is a Factor. But it is not always easy to prove racial intimidation. In the Keller Case John Demarco was an exception and his acl has brought him both condemnation and Praise. It also brought him a formal citation irom Castille. I thought it was really Brave of a 13 year old  said Ca stifle. The Casa began last summer when Amzie Denson a 42-year-old Black tried to find a bigger and better House or herself three of her children and two grandchildren. She found and rented a House in a predominantly White neighbourhood in july but the landlord cancelled the tease when residents massed at the House in protest. On her second attempt Denson ran into an angry crowd of John Demarco s neighbors in the Frankford Section of the City. I ignored them she said. But when she went Back Lor a second look she could not ignore the message that had been painted there. According to Mimi Rose the assistant District attorney who prosecuted the Case the police went up and Down the Streel seeking witnesses. No one had seen anything. Except the Demarco family. John s Mother Peg Demarco has a statue of Jesus in the living room and Demarco a roman Catholic says that she takes the Christian message seriously. She said she was outraged at the mistreatment of Black protesters in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. All my life i have seen things like that she said the other Day and then Here it is in my own backyard. If you really care you have to do something about it if the Opportunity  she gave her son one piece of advice Tell the  John Demarco knew Richard Keller because his Mother lives on the Block App Wio Carolina Gerald Fox and their children family was victimized by a Andt land the neighbourhood placed under hate of or urgency Ettar Domorat Moloni in 1995. Although he himself lives elsewhere in Northeast Philadelphia. When detectives later went to the the Demarco House John spoke up. I just butted in and said i saw it he recalled. I fell that Blacks have the same equal rights As Whites plus i have a lol of Black friends and i think there s really nothing wrong with Black people at  Rick wrote it a very nervous John Demarco testified in Kirkland s court. In his statement to the police Keller said it was  i was drunk he said i m sorry that it  his lawyer Regina Guerin. Said. No one knows How sorry this Man  she said her client was a Printer who had worked for the same company Lor 13 years a gentle Man who played Ball with neighbourhood children. He is sort of a regular Guy she said. He s never had any trouble with the Law. Perhaps when he gets drunk he gels a Little More  after Kirkland pronounced sentence Keller s sister approached of Marco in the courtroom. You ruined my brother s life she said according to Demarco who went or i said no. He mined his own life.1 she said you Call this Justice i said. Yes i Call it Justice she said what about his children i said what about lha children of mrs. Denson " when the Demarcos returned from court some of the neighbors asked Are you satisfied some Call the Demarcos names. Some spit when they walk by. Someone put a picture of the youth on a pole labelled  but at school John says they congratulated me and Shook my  most of the neighbors both Demarcos believe Are on their Side but Are afraid to speak up. Mother and son say they have no regrets. Under Pennsylvania Law Keller s sentence has been stayed pending an automatic Appeal to a higher state court where the Case is to be retried from scratch. Because of that he will not discuss the Case. He is free on his own recognizance the $100,000 Ball having also been stayed. Denson has bought another House in a part of Philadelphia she prefers not to identify. I really appreciate that Young Man that John Demarco she said. They re the kind of people who feel everybody s the same thai race does t  sunday december 7, 1s86 the stars and stripes Page 17