tangents

news & views

by dal mcintire

New Orleans, early Sept. 28: Tulane Univ. student John S. Farrell, 20, suggested to fellow students David Drennan, 19 and Alberto Calvo, 20, that they go down to the French Quarter and "roll a queer." Later, too much later, Drennan said he'd been reluctant, and not fully aware what "rolling a queer" meant-except it involved taking money from someone.

They went to the Quarter, and in the Cafe Lafitte in Exile, Farrell met Fernando Rios, 26, of Mexico City, guide for a tourist group. Farrell talked with Rios in the alley, while Calvo and Drennan hiding by the exit to prevent an escape, told two other students Farrell was "in there getting a queer to roll." Rios, after refusing to go home with Farrell, tried to hail a taxi. Then Farrell, claiming Rios "made an indecent proposal," hit Rios (not hard, he said) and left him in the gutter. Rios might have fallen down, Farrell thought. As an afterthought, allegedly, Farrell went back and took Rios' wallet, which they later tore

up and threw away. (Drennan testified Calvo got the wallet while Farrell was beating Rios.) Later that night they burned most of its contents. They spent the American money (about $40).

Rios, meanwhile, was found in the alley, and died without regaining

consciousness. Doctors and other witnesses testified both his eyes were badly blackened, that there were severe lacerations, bruises and fractures on his skull, nose and mouth, and that he'd apparently received a severely bruising blow in the liver. His clothing was in good order.

Calvo's roommate, George Meyer, testified that the three came to his room the night of the killing, bragged they'd just "rolled a queer. He helped them burn Rios' money and identification cards. The next day, finding press reports of the murder, they destroyed the remaining contents of the wallet, and he advised them, jokingly, to leave the country. One more day, and they reported the matter (already gen-

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