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SK (sk76@mastodon.ie)'s status on Friday, 13-Jun-2025 04:26:33 JST SK
in reply to

Two years later she was busted again. Tallulah Bankhead telephoned and wrote to J. Edgar Hoover begging for leniency.
Although she infantilizes Holiday in doing so, you have to hope she was simply appealing to her correspondent's biases.
In conversation about 11 days ago from mastodon.ie permalink
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1. J. Edgar Hoover Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. Hoover: I am ashamed of my unpardonable delay in writing to thank you a thousand times for the kindness, consideration and courtesy, in fact all the nicest adjectives in the book, for the trouble you took re our telephone conversation in connection with Billie Holiday. I tremble when I think of my audacity in approaching you at all with so little to recommend se except the esteem, admiration and high regard my father held for you. I would never have dared to ask him or you a favor for myself but knowing your true humanitarian spirit it seemed quite natural at the time to go to the top man. As my Negro mammy used to say "When you pray you pray to God don't you?". I have met Billie Holiday but twice in my life but admire her immensely as an artist and feel the most profound compassion for her knowing as I do the unfortunate circumstances of her background. Although my intention is not to condone her weaknesses I certainly understand the eccentricities of her behaviour because she is essentially a child at heart whose troubles have made her psychologically unable to cope with the world in which she finds herself. Her vital need is more medical then the confinement of four walls. However guilty she may be, whatever penalty she may be required to pay for her frailties, poor thing, you I know did everything within the law to lighten her burden. Bless you for this. Kindest regards, Tallulah Bankhead
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  SK (sk76@mastodon.ie)'s status on Friday, 13-Jun-2025 04:26:35 JST SK
  
  Led astray (well, from drink to dope) by a dude, and convicted by the feds, it is interesting how Billie Holiday was depicted in news coverage entirely as a victim (of drugs, and dealers) -- and not a criminal. Didn't even mention the specific charge.
  That was surprising to see, considering the otherwise paternalistic and dramatizing tone of the article. (1947)
  In conversation about 11 days ago permalink
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  1. Scan of newspaper article with headline: BLUES SINGER, DOPE VICTIM, IS SENTENCED Federal Government Will Give Billie Holiday "Benevolent Treatment" Philadelphia, May 28 (AP) - A sober-faced Billie Holiday, 28-year-old Negro blues singer, was on her way to a Federal institution today as the aftermath of a sordid tale of narcotics addiction unfolded in U. S. District Court. The attractive singer, who sobbingly testified she "guessed her earnings last year were between $40,000 and $50,000, was sentenced to the Federal reformatory for women at Alderson, W. Va., on a criminal information filed by Assist-ant U. S. Attorney Joseph Hildenberjger.
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  2. the rest of the article: Hildenberger declared however that Miss Holiday was the victim of the worst type of parasite you can imagine." "They followed her around," Hidenberger told Judge J. Culle Ganey, "and charged her $100 for dosages of narcotics that cost ordinary users only $5 or $10. S S "She made a quarter of a million dollars in the last three years and all of it is gone,' he added. Wanted To Plead The tall, slender singer, visibly moved, confirmed Hildenberger statement. She declined counsel stating she wanted to plead guilty and to be sent to a hospital. Judge Ganey told Miss Holiday in imposing sentence of a year and a day yesterday, that the government was going to give her "benevolent" treatment at the reformatory. In return, the jurist said, Miss Holiday must cooperate to the fullest extent with federal agents in their efforts to "track down" the source of the heroin supply she was receiving. "Don't hold out on those who are trying to help you, Judge Ganey told the tearful Miss Holiday. Joseph Bransky, head of the federal narcotics bureau in this area made a plea for Miss Holiday, telling Judge Ganey that unless she is "isolated" from those who got her into the addiction, "she doesn't have a chance to break herself of it." Federal narcotics agents told the judge Miss Holiday was arrested in New York last Tuesday on a tip from the Chicago ofrice. She recently completed a two-week engagement at a local theater.
    https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonie/media_attachments/files/112/603/811/932/902/968/original/c82cc0e93124fb74.jpg
  Blaise Pabón - controlpl4n3 repeated this.

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