□ South Bend Tribune □ Saturday, April 17, 1993 □
South Bend man arrested
Gary Spaulding arrested in Waco. AP Photo
Gary Spaulding of South Bend is taken into custody by Texas Department of Public Safety officers Friday at a checkpoint leading to the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas.
WACO, Texas — A South Bend man was taken into custody by Texas law enforcement officers Friday after attempting to deliver food and goods to women and children still inside the Branch Davidian compound.
Gary Spaulding, of 50434 Portage Road, was being held by authorities for interfering with the duties of public servants. He remained in custody Friday night in the McLennan County Jail. Other court information was not immediately available.
Vickie Spaulding, Spaulding’s wife, was not arrested, officials said.
According to Richard Bratton, Spaulding’s father-in-law, the Spauldings went to Waco several days ago, feeling the cult’s women and children required the same kinds of care that other “prisoners-of-war are granted.”
Bratton said Spaulding and another man were pulling handcarts loaded with goods to the first checkpoint, where officers of the Texas Department of Public Safety halted their delivery.
“They (Spaulding and the man with him) asked them if they could stay and watch while the items would be delivered.1 “That’s all they asked, and they were arrested,” Bratton said. “They did what their hearts felt. It was a humanitarian act.”
- Seen in the photo above are the humanitarian relief supplies which we transported on two hand-trucks. The complete list of humanitarian supplies destined for the Branch Davidians that were confiscated by the police agents when they blocked our humanitarian convoy included: 6 boxes dry baby food, 6 cans baby formula, 6 cans canned goods, 9 jars baby food, 2 boxes baby formula, 2 boxes powdered milk, 4 bottles hydrogen peroxide, 4 white sheets, 1 package diapers, and 2 bags chicken feed. [↩]
