From: [e--ra--y] at [goplay.com]
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Dallas Egbert (is this accurate?) Part 2
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1998 00:45:54 GMT

(This is part 2, so you should be looking for a part 1!)

What Happened To Dallas?

It is difficult to explain exactly what happened to Dallas, what prompted his
disappearance, and kept him missing for nearly one month. This is partly
because Dallas was reluctant to talk about his experiences, and partly
because Mr Dear agreed to maintain his confidentiality. The following is as
accurate a description of the events that occurred as I have been able to
construct from the material in William Dear's book.

Dallas had been planning to disappear for a long time. His reasons differed
at different times. He planned suicide over a nine month period, and at other
times decided merely to run away. One of his reason was a belief that his
mother was putting too much pressure on him to succeed, and expected too much
from him and the belief that she would continue to do so, no matter what the
circumstances. He apparently wished to make her suffer in addition to wanting
to be free of her. He also felt that he had no control over his own life. He
didn't know what he wanted to do with it, and he thought that by getting away
for a time, he might be free to think.

"There was never enough time, the way I was living. Interruptions. Pressure.
My parents hounding me. I wanted my life to get simpler and it just got more
complicated." - Conversation with Dallas reported by William Dear in The
Dungeon Master.

Finally on August 14 1979, he decided to stop thinking about it and do it. He
wrote, what he described as a contingency suicide note, disguising his
handwriting by writing with his left hand. He created the pattern of pins on
his notice board.

"I meant it as a combination map and suicide note. The map would show where I
was, if you could find me. The note, the message I intended to convey, was
that I was dead. Of course, if that's how it turned out. I didn't really know
what was going to happen." - Conversation with Dallas reported by William
Dear in The Dungeon Master.

He had lunch with Karen Coleman, and then from the basement of Case Hall
walked into the steam tunnels. He took with him a blanket, cartons of milk,
some cheese and crackers, some marijuana, and what he believed to be enough
sleeping tablets to kill himself. He went to the small room he had selected
in the tunnels. He smoked his marijuana and considered his life. He thought
about computers, his drug problem, his relationship with his parents, and his
sexuality. For the first time in months he felt he was thinking clearly.

"No, it was clear to me what had to be done. I was depressed and miserable and
not even sorry. I should have done it before. Life was no good to me, and this
was the best and only solution."
- Conversation with Dallas reported by William Dear in The Dungeon Master.

He took the sleeping tablets with the deliberate intent of ending his life.
He awoke the following night. He crawled from the tunnels and then over a
mile to a friends house. This was a gay man in his early twenties. This man
wanted to call for help but Dallas told him if he did he would kill himself.
The man cared for him for approximately a week until Dallas had recovered.

I should make it clear that according to Dallas, this man did not take
advantage of him. Dallas insisted to William Dear that any sexual activity
was totally consensual, and that Dallas knew what he was doing and chose to
do it. The fact remains however that the man concerned was an adult and
Dallas was a minor. And when the story of Dallas' disappearance broke, this
man felt himself to be in danger from the police. Dallas was moved to another
house on about the 24th August. By his own admission he spent a great deal of
his time taking drugs and had no knowledge of the news interest surrounding
his disappearance. On about the 1st September Dallas was moved yet again to
another house. This time matters took a sinister turn. The man in this house
seemed to regard Dallas as a burden, possibly because he was worried that the
police might find him and assume Dallas was being used for sex or other
nefarious purposes. He told Dallas not to leave the house, and the boy was
genuinely afraid for his life. On the 4th September the man took Dallas to a
bus station and gave him a ticket to Chicago, and some money. He was told to
take a train to New Orleans after he got to Chicago and was given a number to
call upon arrival. He felt he was sent to new Orleans because people were
scared to have him in East Lansing any longer. William Dear had other ideas.
He suspected that Dallas was sent away in case it became necessary to dispose
of him.

"If something was going to be done to Dallas, it was better for it to happen
far away in New Orleans." - William Dear in The Dungeon Master.

Dallas came off drugs while on the train. He began to think again. He felt he
had been rejected by the people he had gone to for help after his first
suicide attempt and decided, once again, to kill himself. He purchase the
ingredients needed to make cyanide, and rented a hotel room. He mixed the
cyanide in root beer and drank it.

Once again he woke up the following day. Having run out of money he tried to
phone the number he had been given. It was disconnected. He called the house
he had first stayed in, in East Lansing and the person there told him to stay
in touch and he would try and help him. He told Dallas that if he was found,
he mustn't tell anyone where he had stayed. Dallas agreed. William Dear
believed that this was the first stage in an attempt to arrange Dallas'
reappearance. This first man had cared for Dallas when he was ill. It seems
likely that he did want to help Dallas. However he had to ensure that it
would not create problems for himself.

Dallas lived on the streets of New Orleans for several days before meeting a
man from New York. According to Dallas they became friends, and this man
helped him to get a job as a rouseabout in the oil fields near Morgan City.
He stayed in regular contact with East Lansing. Finally the man he spoke to
told him that matters had gone far enough and that for everyone's sake he
should contact William Dear. Dallas discussed matters with his friend from
New York who persuaded him to make the call.

From these facts as related by Dallas, the following scenario seems possible
- perhaps even likely. Dallas after attempting suicide and seriously ill went
to the house of a man of his acquaintance, possibly a lover. This man cared
for Dallas. He wanted Dallas to get proper help but Dallas threatened to kill
himself if the man contacted anyone. Just as the boy was getting well, all
hell broke lose with the police investigating his disappearance. Because of
either an actual sexual relationship with Dallas or merely the fear that such
would be suspected, this man did not feel able to contact the authorities. He
enlisted the help of friends to keep Dallas hidden. Eventually when the
danger of discovery in Lansing became too great, they sent Dallas to New
Orleans. These men then contacted Mr Dear anonymously. They wished him to
leave Lansing in order to increase their chances of avoiding detection. They
were also attempting to negotiate a way of handing Dallas over to the
authorities safely. Cindy Hulliberger somehow knew where Dallas was (in fact
Dallas said he believed he had met her at one of the houses). She, either of
her own volition, or as some sort of go between made contact with William
Dear through Cliff Perotti and eventually arranged meetings with people who
knew of Dallas and his whereabouts. Finally, perhaps as a result of the
meeting with Archibald Horn, Dallas was told to contact William Dear.

In this scenario, D&D plays absolutely no part, and I do not believe that
anyone who is cognisant of the facts in this case can possibly believe that
D&D played any significant role in Dallas' disappearance. The question then
needs to be asked: Why did D&D get so much blame?

As I have said before Mr Dear had several theories concerning Dallas
disappearance. The D&D related theory gained publicity because of its unusual
and sensational nature, and because Mr Dear felt it unwise to widely
publicise some of his other theories for a number of reasons, which I have
outlined above. But why, after Dallas was found, did the facts not become
clear?

The answer is simple. Dallas did not want the publicity associated with his
case, both for his own sake, but also for that of his younger brother Doug.
He did not want Doug to endure teasing about his "faggot brother, the dope
addict." Mr Dear agreed to honour Dallas wishes for silence on the case,
despite being offered large amounts of money for information.

This meant that Mr Dear was placed in a position where he was unable to
clarify or withdraw the statements he had made to the press. When he finally
wrote The Dungeon Master after Doug had finished school and that was no
longer a problem, it was nearly five years after the case. The media were not
particularly interested in setting the record straight.

Unfortunately even though Dallas was found, his story does not have a happy
ending. For a time after his disappearance his life improved greatly. His
relationship with his mother improved and he reenrolled at University, this
time at Wright State. In early 1980 matters began to revert to type however,
as his problems remerged. William Dear remained one of his few friends and
attempted to help him. On April 14 1980, Dallas quit school. He wanted to
work in a computer store, but instead took a job in one of his fathers shops.
In late July he moved into a flat with a twenty three year old acquaintance.
Mr Dear attempted to persuade him to return home but Dallas insisted that
life with his parents was unbearable.

On the 11th August 1980, James Dallas Egbert III shot himself in the head in
the living room of his apartment. He died at Grandview Hospital on the 16th
August, just over a year after his disappearance.

It is interesting to note that Dallas' parents seem to have considered his
status as a gifted child to have been the primary influence on his
unhappiness. As evidence of this, I will quote from the preface of ‘Guiding
the Gifted Child' by James T. Webb Ph.D., Elizabeth A. Meckstroth M.S., and
Stephanie S. Tolan M.A.:

"The suicide of bright, talented, 17 year old Dallas Egbert in 1980 led his
parents to inquire about programs designed to meet the emotional needs of
gifted children and their families. It soon became apparent that such
programs rarely existed, even though the need for such services seemed clear
. . . these children and their families have special emotional needs and
opportunities that are quite overlooked and, thus, neglected. Most often this
neglect results "only" in unfulfilled potential and missed enjoyments - but
sometimes it leads blatantly to misery and depression." - taken from "Guiding
the Gifted Child" by James T. Webb et al, p i

Dallas Egbert's death was a tragedy. There is no denying that. But to blame
the game of Dungeons & Dragons for it is ridiculous. Furthermore it is
irresponsible in the extreme. Dallas died because he was exposed to pressures
that were beyond his ability to deal with. He died because he suffered
depression and could find no way to fix his life. He died because he no
longer wished to live.

He did not die because of a game.

Sources:

Dear, William C. The Dungeon Master: The Disappearance of James Dallas Egbert
III. Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd,
London, 1991.

Kask, T.J. "Dragon Rumblings". The Dragon. Vol IV, No 4. October 1979.

Webb, James T et al. Guiding the Gifted Child: A Practical Source for Parents
and Teachers. Ohio Psychology Press,
Ohio, 1982.

Dungeons & Dragons and D&D are registered trademarks of TSR Inc. They are used
for information purposes and without permission. The lack of symbols denoting
the trademark status is not intended as a challenge to such status.

With the exception of quoted material this article is © 1998 Shaun Hately. All
Right Reserved. Permission is given to distribute it in its entirety only.

I can be contacted by e-mail at: [d--dn--t] at [alphalink.com.au]

V1.2 8th April 1998.

-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/   Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading