Mr. Jenner.

Is it normal for students going to Beauregard Junior High School to then enroll in Warren Easton?

Mr. Voebel.

Yes; that's normally right.

Mr. Jenner.

That's the regular progression?

Mr. Voebel.

Right.

Mr. Jenner.

Did you know that Lee attended Warren Easton?

Mr. Voebel.

No; to tell the truth, I lost complete contact with him after I left Beauregard. I might have seen him once or twice during that summer.

Mr. Jenner.

Were you a grade up on him, or were you in the same grade, or what?

Mr. Voebel.

I don't remember. Let's see-- no; I think we were in the same grade, I think we were.

Mr. Jenner.

When you left Beauregard, where did you go to high school?

Mr. Voebel.

I went to Fortier.

Mr. Jenner.

Any reason?

Mr. Voebel.

Well, Fortier has an ROTC system.

Mr. Jenner.

That's why you went over there?

Mr. Voebel.

To get in the ROTC; yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner.

Are you a service man?

Mr. Voebel.

Yes.

Mr. Jenner.

In what branch?

Mr. Voebel.

Army.

Mr. Jenner.

Did some other boys pal around with you and Lee?

Mr. Voebel.

Not that I can remember. You see, the only relationship we had after this fight I told you about, was when I would be downtown and stop in, and we would play pool or play darts, but I don't remember participating in any events with Lee at school. For example, I don't remember having played ball or anything with Lee, so probably our gym periods were different.
I used to go straight home after school, and I think he did too, so there was no buddying around on either of our parts at school. I had a lot of friends and many acquaintances, but I don't think Lee did.

Mr. Jenner.

You don't think Lee did?

Mr. Voebel.

No, sir.

Mr. Jenner.

Do you have a recollection or conception of any ridicule accorded him when he first turned up at Beauregard?

Mr. Voebel.

Yes; I think there was something. Always when someone comes in new, they are supposed to belong to something like a gang or clique, and if you didn't, then you had to prove yourself. It's just like the old story they tell about the Irish Channel, about how anybody new moving in there had to prove himself or fight the leader in the community before they accepted him.

Mr. Jenner.

Tell me some more about the Irish Channel, and how that compares to the Beauregard situation when you were attending there.

Mr. Voebel.

Well, it may be different now, but I know in my day when you went to Beauregard, if you didn't belong to a gang or something, you had to prove yourself. You had to fight somebody.
Now, the Irish Channel is a part of town around Magazine Street, oh, maybe the 3000 block, generally around Magazine and Louisiana Avenue, I think, in that section, and it was pretty well known that any time a stranger or someone new moved in the neighborhood, he had to face something like that. The whole neighborhood had gangs, and unless he joined one of them someone would have to fight something, and it was the same at Beauregard. Of course, it was all, you know, children and adolescent things.

Mr. Jenner.

And it was your impression that Lee had that social force, whatever it was; is that right?

Mr. Voebel.

Yes, sir; he met it head on.

Mr. Jenner.

He was inclined to meet it head on and not back up?

Mr. Voebel.

Right. He wouldn't take anything. I used to try to avoid it as much as possible, until you just couldn't avoid it any more. I think a few of the boys at the time got a wrong impression of me. They thought I was just a fat kid, and I wouldn't do anything, and I used to take a little pushing around, and another thing, they would always be in gangs. Now, if you got them alone, you could whip them, but they would hang around in bunches.