HomeMy WebLinkAboutTwo Bright Loners Alike Even in Death x
SHOTS END LIVES
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:::.::::::„.:4:::, „,..,.:,r•,,,,,,:.:,:„„:„,:::„:.,::,::::::::::::::::::::,..,::::„„: y :- : . BY OSCAR GRIFFIN A petite, intense brunette,
Chronicle Renorier Miss Holcomb was graduated
They were alike in many ways. from Robert E. Lee High School
They were loners. in Baytown in 1961 with a 94.78
r” we They avoided crowds, social grade average -12th highest in
groups and organizations. her class of 490.
They had few friends. Her IQ was described as
�< fix` }z ': They were brilliant high "more than 140 " —a near - genius
school and university students— level.
among the academic elite at She devoted her time almost
Rice University. exclusively to studies —and was
They were children of pro- placed in special, accelerated
JOHN H. CALHOUN KAYLAH HOLCOMB minent families. classes.
Engineer, Educator Her affiliations included only
Seldom Spoke No Intimate Friends the National Honor Society, for
She was Kaylah Holcomb, 20, to scholars.
Whose father, Dr. Henry A. Hol M iss Holcomb continued her
comb, is a chemical engineer studious, aloof ways at Rice as
and research specialist at Hum- a romance languages major.
ble Oil and Refining Co.'s Bay Again it paid off.
town refinery. The past two semesters she
He was John H. Calhoun, 22, was selected for the President's
son of Dr. John C. Calhoun Jr., List, reserved for Rice's top
'-uo vice- chancellor of Texas A &M scholars.
University, who is on a year's Again she shunned extracur-
-
p r � �_ leave of absence to serve as ricular activities, refusing even
-�''� , ,( science adviser to Interior Sec- to participate in dormitory af-
�, �J retary Stewart Udall in Wash- fairs, Mrs. Coe said.
.A_P - ,4 "�� ' G( � v�' ington. "I never saw John Calhoun of
• Their lives were ended when any other boy come to date
%l0 tom'`" Calhoun pumped two slugs from her, , Mrs. Coe said.
'i
��' 0 a .38 caliber pistol into Miss Hol As a high school student, Cal-
comb's head and neck and one houn was quieter than most,
slug into his own head. said A &M Consolidated principal
No Intimate Friends E. P. Ozment. Calhoun belong
"She pretty much kept to only to the science club and
herself," said Miss Holcomb's spent much time reading about
father. photo_ ^raphy.
"She was a brilliant student," After graduation, he enrolled
• said Mrs. Daisy Coe, house- at Rice as a math major and
mother at Mary Gibbs Jones made the President's List in the
College on the Rice campus, fall of 1961.
where Miss Holcomb Lived. "She "Smart But Peculiar"
had many acquaintances, but no But shortly later, something
one knew her intimately." happened in his academic life.
"I remember John as an ex- And after a downward skid in
ceptional student, but he had li his studies, he withdrew from
tle time for extracurricular ac- school —first in June, 1962, and
tivities. He kept to himself," again la st June.
said W. T. Riedel, superintend- Since last September he had
ent of A &M Consolidated High worked as a postal clerk.
School, from where Calhoun Webb described Calhoun as
graduated. "smart b u t peculiar. You
"He never started a conver- couldn't get friendly with him.
sation. He wouldn't even talk to "He cut his own hair. At cof -I
the women. He seldom smiled fee breaks, he didn't even spend
and never joked," said E. T. a dime for coffee. He would just
Webb, 512 Ave. H, Calhoun s' go sit down. I figured he was
foreman at the Houston post saving money to continue his
office. education at Rice."
Shooting Victim's Rites Today
apples, and a paper sack on the Settegast -Kopf Chapel. Crema-
FROM, PAG floor contained cheese, crackers tion followed in Forest Park
and bread. West crematory.
volver was in his right hand The was no sign of a struggle. Also surviving is a brother,
beneath the body. Henry of Baytown.
No notes were found. Services for Calhoun will be
Both had been dead two or Police broke down the locked held at Callaway -Jones Funeral
three days. hotel room door. Home in Bryan Thursday. Bur -
Calhoun had been a Rice stu- Billfold Contained $88 ial will be in College Station
dent but withdrow from the uni Calhoun's billfold contained City Cemetery.
versity on May 12, 1962, after The hour of the service will be
$88.77. set when Dr. Calhoun arrives
Rice officials urged him to take Her purse contained a wrist from Washington today. He is
psychiatric treatment. watch, a necklace, identification on leave there as an assistant to
He re- entered Rice in Septem- and credit cards and $6.52. the secretary of the interior.
ber, 1962, but withdrew again Calhoun moved into the hotel Calhoun is survived by his
on June 19, 1963. late last fall. He was employed parents and +hee sisters.
"He was having serious per- as a clerk at the nearby main
3onal trouble," said a university post office after dropping out of II
spokesman, who would not elab- Rice for a second time. OFFICIAL SAYS 'MAYBE'
gate. Calhoun's foreman, E. T.
The spokesman said the pair Webb, said Calhoun last worked
et in 1962. They had minor Feb. 16. After he had been Id Sia i n Students
roles in a Rice production of absent a week, Calhoun sent an-
`Othello." They dated on sev- other postal worker, Albert J.
Davis, to check Calhoun at e a Dea t h Pa c t
}
oral occasions and Miss sev-
his hotel room last t Saturday. p� v ay. W v
r omb had mentioned Calhoun to Davis said he talked to Cal - •
er parents. houn, after Calhoun reluctantly Was there a death pact be- "I can't say whether she was
F Miss Holcomb, daughter of came to the door. Davis said tween brilliant Rice coed Ka asleep or lying face down, ex
Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. Hol- Calhoun didn't invite him into y
comb, 405 N. Burnett Dr., Bay- the room. lah Holcomb, 20, and her some- Peeting the death shot. It was
town, was last seen leaving the Davis said he asked: time moody boy friend, Houston Calhoun, 22? , John fired from about two feet
Rice campus at noon Saturday. "Are you sick ?" � awa y .
She was reported missing Mon- He quoted Calhoun as reply- ", ,, Fired at Close Range
Maybe, said Dr. Joseph A. Calhoun's wound was fired at
day night by her father, a ing: Jachimczyk, county medical ex- close range. His .38- caliber re-
chemical engineer at the Hum- "No. I've got some problems,
ble Oil and Refinin Co. lant but I think I'll have them settled aminer, but that is pure spec
g P ulation. There is no evidence to (See SHOOTING, Page 13)
st Baytown. by Monday or even Sunday." prove it." --- Her clothing and part of Cal- Davis: "Can we do anything He ruled the double tragedy
).oun's were draped on a chair. for you ?" murder and suicide —that Cal-
A paper sack contained two Calhoun: "No." houn killed her, then himself.
in eaten apples, some crackers. Private services for Miss Hol- The bodies of the young couple
n, the dresser were two other comb were to be held today at were found in Calhoun's room in
the Tennison Hotel, 801 Washing-
ton, Tuesday.
`Did Not Move'
The girl, wearing only white
bobby socks, was on the bed.
She had been shot once in the
back of the head and once in
the back of the neck.
Calhoun, son of Dr. John C.
Calhoun Jr., vice - chancellor of
Texas A &M University, had on
•
a yellow robe, one white and one
black house shoe.
His body was on the floor, at
the foot of the bed. He had been
shot once between the right ear
and temple.
"The girl did not move after
glob was shot," Jachimczyk said.