More Fiends

Lawson Not Pilot of His Air Commute

In many of the autobiographical sections of his books, Alfred W. Lawson reprints news stories that cite him as the first "aerial commuter", after making a trip from Keyport, NJ to Manhattan. Those reprints seem to suggest that Lawson himself was at the controls of the Thomas Flying Boat that made the journey. However, the New York Tribune's account makes it clear that another man, Walter Johnson, was piloting the craft.

 

This Walter Johnson was likely Walter Ellsworth Johnson. See http://earlyaviators.com/ejohnwal.htm

The Fleecing of Kokomo

On page 88 of Baseball Fiends... there is a description of George Lawson's short, ignoble stay in Kokomo, IN. To understand the animus that Lawson generated so quickly, consider this additional information reprinted from the Cleveland Plain Dealer of June 19th, 1899:

    "In the week that he was here he had two fist fights, was arrested three times, and left owing everybody he could, including visiting teams, his own men, hotels, boarding houses, restaurants, livery stables, clothing stores, printing offices, and brass bands. He bought with a lavish hand, stood everybody off for the price, and paid for nothing. Visiting teams were swindled out of their guarantee. The supreme gall of the man seemed to have a hypnotizing effect, and up to the last minute he had no trouble in victimizing the public...Lawson did not even pay the fines and costs assessed against him for assault and battery and playing on Sunday, but left the local fans who went on his bond to settle with the court. A woman whom Lawson claimed as his wife remained here until last night, when she also left town to join him at some unknown point. He left town to escape the wrath of his players, who got tired at eating at soup houses, while he lived at the best hotel in town."

New image of George Lawson

Photos of George H. Lawson are so rare that even a new grainy newspaper image is a find. From the front page of the Jan. 11, 1926 Trenton Evening Times:

On this occasion, George was facing drunk and disorderly charges, as well as assault and battery of a police chief. This incident ended his career as an evangelist and anti-KKK crusader.

Continental League Opens 1921 Season

More evidence that George Lawson's 1921 Continental League actually took to the field and opened its season. From the New York Telegram, May 20th, 1921:

 

Now to track down the Providence and Boston papers for this date...

George Lawson Challenges the Klan

New digitized runs of the Trenton Times offer many details on George Lawson's self-aggrandizing campaign against the Monmouth County Ku Klux Klan. As mentioned in my book, Baseball Fiends and Flying Machines, George's public tirades against the Klan were met with threats and intimidation by the local KKK. They marched outside his residence, broke up his public sermons, attempted an unauthorized arrest of Lawson, and let it be known that they were planning to tar and feather him. These tactics had silenced other critics, but George just used them to garner more publicity for his defiance. When George announced he was running for Congress (he later switched to the Governor race), the editorial section of the Trenton Times noted on Jan. 24, 1925:

" Mr. Lawson has announced his candidacy and says he will make his campaign on a platform the principal planks in which will be opposition to the Ku Klux Klan and advocacy of a modification to the Volstead Act in order to eliminate bootlegging and rum-running [Lawson favored legal beer and wine sales, but not hard liquor]. In a contest in which the [other] candidates attempt to dodge those issues, Mr. Lawson ought to get many votes. He is at least honest and fearless."

Er... perhaps we should say that this editorial judgment suffered from a lack of historical context. They were, at best, half-right.

After months of more skirmishes, George showed exactly how to deal with bullies. Via the newspaper, Lawson challenged Arthur Bell, the King Kleagle of the New Jersey realm of the KKK, to a ten-round fight under Marquis of Queensbury rules. The loser would have to leave New Jersey. When George made this challenge, he was a 61-year old man in poor health, with bad eyesight and a body that likely had been ravaged by alcohol abuse and VD. He was two years away from his death. Arthur Bell declined the challenge, weakly responding that if anyone left the State, it would be Lawson. (Trenton Times, June 24, 1925).

Disappointed by the lack of support for his anti-Klan campaign that he was receiving from Protestant churches in Monmouth County,  street-evangelist Lawson decided to make a remarkable announcement:

 

Explained Lawson, "I prefer taking my chances with the Immaculate Conception doctrine than with the 'Fiery Cross' absurdity."

In seeking support from Catholics, George decided to go straight to the top, as the Trenton Times of Aug. 5, 1925 reveals:

 

...I will never tire of George Lawson stories...

The Fate of the SuperAirliner

One of the minor mysteries surrounding the figure of Alfred W. Lawson concerns the end of his 100-passenger SuperAirliner project. This much is known: the bright orange cabin was built in Garwood, NJ in 1927; and in early 1928 was moved to a leased factory building in Trenton NJ. What happened to it from that point is unknown. Recently, copies of the Trenton Evening Times have been digitized and offer some intriguing new information. One find is a new image of the cabin as it was being moved into Trenton:

 

Several articles that appeared throughout 1928 and 1929 indicate that virtually no further work was done on the plane for over a year, although Lawson did continue to pay his monthly lease on time. In April of 1929, Lawson was reported to have approached the city of Prescott, AZ about moving the project there. However, the Prescott Chamber of Commerce was likely scared away after they inquired about Lawson to Trenton officials. The last mention that appears about the SuperAirliner in Trenton comes from the June 15th, 1929 edition of the Times. It notes that the plane has been moved from the Throop plant in accordance with the termination of the lease, and notes that the Lawson concern "intends taking the craft to a western city."

Where the cabin was taken remains a mystery. Moving it would have been a very expensive logistical challenge.