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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1924)
[i THE MONITOR t,>‘ °/y ___ */& A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS °% THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor __ “j- _ __ — - . ,, ..... . ... ' . < wm-m ■ — h $2.00 a Year. 5c a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1924 Whole Number 444 Vol. IX—No. 28 MAMMOTH PETITION PRAYING SOLDIERS’ RELEASE IS READY Over 100,000 Signatures From All Sections of Country Affixed To Document Asking Clemency ACTIVITY OF ASSOCIATION History of Fight By Advancement Society For Release of Victims of Race Prejudice Shows Persistent Work New York, Jan. 10.—With 107,700 signatures to the petitions circulated by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, ask ing release of the 54 members of the 24th Infantry in Leavenworth Peni tentiary, and with plans rapidly being matured for formal presentation of the petitions to President Coolidge in the White House in Washington, the N. A. A. C. P. has issued the fol lowing history of the activities in the Houston riot cases: 1. Immediately following the riot in August, 1917, the N. A. A. C. P. sent a trained investigator to the scene, who reported to the Board of Directors at the September, 1917 meeting. The report was published in The Crisis of November, 1917. 2. On October 27, 1917, the N. A. A. C. P. through its then Acting Secretary, James Weldon Johnson en gaged by telegram Mr. A. J. Houston of La Porte, Texas, an eminent white attorney and son of the famous Col onel Sam Houston, to act as counsel for the accused members of the Twenty-fourth then about to go to trial at San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Houston went to San Antonio, and gathered evidence and assisted in the preparation of the cases for trial. 3. When the execution, on Decem ber 11, 1917, of thirteen members of the Twenty-fourth Infantry was made public, the colored people of the United States were shocked beyond measure. The New York branch of the N. A. A. C. P. working in coop eration with the National Office im mediately undertook to gather a pe tition to President Wilson to which were secured 12,000 signatures. This petition was presented to the Presi dent on February 19, 1918 by a dele gation from the New York Branch of the Association consisting of James Weldon Johnson, Field Secre tary of the Association, yie Rev. Geo. Frazier Miller, Brooklyn,, the Rev. Frank M. Hyder, New York, and the Rev. F. A. Cullen, New York, Presi dent of the New York Branch of the N. A. A. C. P. Mr. Johnson as spokesman said in part: “The hang ing of thirteen men without the op portunity of appeal to the Secretary of War or to their Commander-in Chief, the President of the United States, was a punishment so drastic and so unusual in the history of the nation that the execution of addition al members of the Twenty-fourth In fantry would to the colored people of the country savor of vengeance ra ther than justice.” President Wilson at that time promised, which promise he kept, to review the record of past and future trials of the men involved and to allow no more executions with out such review. At that time, six teen men were under sentence pf death and, with the thirteen already executed, making a total sentenced to death, of twenty-nine. On Sep tember 3rd, President Wilson filed with the Adjutant General of the Army a memorandum in which the President affirmed the/ death sen tences imposed by the military courts on six of the colored soldiers (who were later executed) and commuted ten other death sentences to life im prisonment. In reporting on the activity of the Association in connection with these cases in the combined reports issued by the Association for the years 1917 and 1918, this statement is made (p. 37): “While the President’s decision commuting the sentences of some of the men was not what we had hoped it might be, yet it is our conviction that much of the credit tot such clemency and leniency as was shown the men may fairly be attributed to the timeliness and effectiveness of the appeal of the Field Secretary and the Committee.” Supplementing the above mention ed appeal, the Association was ac tive in urging the public and its branches to petition the Secretary of War and the President for clemency. It was largely as a result of these ap peals that the sentences to death of the ten men were commuted. 4. In 1919, the Field Secretary in cooperation with Mr. Emmett J. Scott, made efforts to have the cases re-opened by the War Department. After much work along this line, it was found that sentiment against the men was still so strong that noth ing could be done at the time. It was decided to wait until peace had been definitely declared and then move for pardon of the prisoners. 5. In 1921 the N. A. A. C. P. gathered 50,000 signatures to a pe tition asking a pardon of the 61 men still in prison, and on September 28, 1921, the Secretary of the Associa tion, accompanied by a delegation of leading and representative colored men and women, presented that pe tition to President Harding. The N. A. A. C. P. Secretary asked President Harding to pardon the colored sol diers on the ground of: first, the pre vious records of the men for disci pline, service, and soldierly conduct had been of the highest; second, the provocation of local animosity against the men manifested in insults, threats and acts^of violence against them as soldiers of the United States Ar my; third, the unprecedented and clandestine execution of thirteen of the fellow soldiers of the sixty-one then imprisoned had savored of ven geance rather than of justice especi ally as the disarmingg of the Provost Guard of the Regiment in a city and state where bitter race prejudice caused humiliating and embarrassing experiences to these colored soldiers bore the aspect of a visitation upon their color rather than the crime al leged against them. The President promised to'review the testimony and to take under advisement the Asso ciation’s request. Despite opposition on the part of the War Department, | reduction in sentences was granted as a direct result of the Associa tion’s petition according to Warden William I. Biddle of Leavenworth j prison. This reduction of life sen tences of several of the men to terms of fifteen years made them eligible for immediate parole. As a result, 6 of the men were freed. 6. In the present campaign the N. A. A. C. P. has exceeded its goal of 100,000 signatures to a petition asking for presidential pardon, and will present that petition to Presi dent Coolidge in the White House. Since the N. A. A. C. P. began its work in 1917, 5 of the prisonera have been paroled through N. A. A. C. P. action, 4 have died, one has gone insane, one was sent to the tuber culosis hospital in Denver, one has es caped, and one was paroled in 1920. SCHLAIFER-DOYLE BOUT WILL BRING OUT FIGHT FANS Schlaifer Will Meet Paul Doyle in the Main Event. Doyle Has Long List of K. O.’s HUDKINS-BIGE SEMI-FINAL The Douglas County Pj>st of the American Legion will stage agreat fight at the city fight shed Friday night, Junuary 18th, and for box of fice qualities, promises to be the best in many months. Tickets are now on sale, so readers who are fans want, to hurry for the choice seats will go like Dave Shade. In the main event of the card, Mor rie Schlaifer, called Omaha’s fighting fool, will meet Paul Doyle of New York. Everyone in Omaha knows Schlaifer and his records and readers of the sport know of the prowess of the New York boy, whose list of K. O. victims is long. He is the only man in the welter class yet credited with a knock-out of Frankie Murphy of Denver, who has fought Schlaifer several times. A large percentage of the colored people and many of other races think Schlaifer was hand ed the decision over Panama Joe Cans by a generous referee, and Doyle promises he will K. O. Mr. Schlaifer. We shall see, but attend the fight and we may see what many fans have been looking for. Ace Hudkins of Lincoln and Erwin Bige the Dundee grocer boy, light weights, will meet in the semi-final of the Legion bill next Friday night. TheJ are booked as in a battle for the “light-weight championship of Nebraska.” Hudkins and Bigs generally are considered the two best lightweights in Nebraska. Recently Bige lost a decision to Battling Strayer, who claims the Nebraska title, but fans and newspaper critics were almost unanimous that Bige had won. The Hudkins-Bige match had been sought by a number of promoters be cause of the local interest in the two youngsters. Hudkins left early this week for California, but was notified by his manager that the Bige mrftch had been booked, so the Lincoln young ster hopped off the train at Alliance, Neb., and returned for the bout. Omaha colored people should get behind the promoters in' these fights for they are giving race pugs the chances they wanted and asked for January Thaw __._ — - and fans should attend the battles. Let’s go. Jake says the other preliminaries will be up to the standard set by the main event and semi-final. Remember Friday, January 18th at 8:15, City Auditorium. QUICK WORK BY I»OLICE IN CAPTURING ALLEGED COAT BANDIT Tuesday night about 8 o’clock, Pau line Anderson, of North Twenty fourth Street rushed into St. Phil ip’s rectory crying and reported that a man had held her up at Twenty firs and Nicholas Sts. with a gun and taken her coat. She gave a good description of the bandit, describing him as u rather short young colored man wearing a brown mackintosh overcoat, a light cap and a light col ored woolen scarf. The police station was called and within five minutes emergency officers L. M. Anderson and C. M. Rober were at the rec tory. The man’s description tallied exactly with that of a bandit who had rolbbed Mrs. Stella Waller, 2023 Charles Street, of her coat and $9.00 Monday night at about the same time near Twenty-first and Charles. With in a few minutes the officers were back at the rectory with Lewis Jones dressed precisely as Mrs. Anderson had described him and whom she positively identified as the bandit. He protested his innocence with a volubility that was artistic. Mrs. Waller was sent for and she too was positive in her identification. A gun .answering the description of that given by Mrs. Anderson was found near the place where Jones was cap tured. Within twenty minutes of the holdup, the alleged coat bandit was in custody. This was quick work which calls for commendation and shows the advantage of the Pill Box system recently inaugurated. KAFFIR STOCKHOLDERS ELECT DIRECTORS At the annual meeting of the stock holders of the Kaffir Chemical Lab oratories held at the office, Sixteenth and Cuming Streets, Monday, the ar ticles of incorporation were amended reducing the capitalization and the following board of directors were elected: George H. Bullock, W. G. Haynes, W. C. Mallard, L. N. Peoples, Otis Shipman, N. W. Ware and John Albert Williams. Adjournment was taken until next Monday night at 8 o’clock when other important busi ness will be transacted. All stock holders are urged to be present. RADICAL ARTICLE DRAWS FIRE New York, Jan. 10.—That the dark er Negroes should return to Africa and the mulattoes remain to inter marry with whites is the statement of Ulysses Poston, writing on the subject of the “Negro Awakening” in December Current History Maga zine. The author is receiving criti cism from both races. THOMAS TAKES OYER TORTON APARTMENTS The Western Real Estate Company, Euregen Thomas, manager, hag Just taken over the Turton Apartments at Thirteenth and Mason streets, which consists of several six-room steam heated appartments. These apart ments will be rented to colored tenants. DESDUNF’S BAND WILL APPEAR AT TWIN CITY SHOW Famous Omaha Musicians Will Be Headline Attraction for One Week, Feb. 2-9 One of the premier attractions at the Auto Show to be held at the Over land Building, Midway, February 2 to 9, will be the celebrated Dan Des dunes Band of Omaha. This band is composed of 33 of the best race mu sicians in the country and will fur nish music the entire week at the Auto Show. The band is under con tract and cannot be heard anywhere in the Twin Cities other than the Auto Show. Those desirous of hear ing the great band will be forced to attend the Auto Show or miss hear ing the syncopated and waltz strains of one of the best aggregations of musicians ever assembled in the West. Popular Conductor Mr. Desdunes is one of the most popular band masters in the West ern states, and is credited with being able to assemble one of the best, bands in the country. His band is quite popular wherever it has played, and the fact that they have been engaged to play for the Twin Cities Auto Show is proof precise that he has a par excellence group of mu sicians. The band is now practicing four times daily for its Twin Cities ap little rest will be given them at the Auto Show.—The Northwestern Bul letin. 48,484 WOMEN AT WORK IN NEW YORK New York, Jan. 10.—With 40,484 colored females 10 years of age and over, gainfully employed, this city ranks in first place, followed by Washington, with 28,688; Philadel phia, with 27,792; Baltimore, 26,893; New Orleans, 22,305; Chicago, 20, 756; Atlanta, 16,743; Memphis, 13, 835; St. Louis, 13,626; Richmond, 13, 084; Birmingham, 12,044 and Louis ville, with 11,246. In no other city does the number of employed colored females reach 10,000. _________ __________ HELEN RUSSELL A dainty divinity, with Billy “Beef Trust” Watson’s corn-fed aggrega tion of beauties at the popular Gay ety twice daily all next week. La dies weighing 200 pounds (or more) will be admitted free to any week day matinee. . N. W. C. A. NOTES Trustee board meeting fourth Wed nesday in each month at 8:00 o’clock at the Home. We are thankful to Mrs. Hunt for serving coffee at the Home on New Year’s day. A very pleasant time was had by all those who came. The inmates were delightfully en tertained by a group of girls from the Y. W. C. A. during Xmas week. Mr. Alphonso Wilson gave a chicken and each inmate a Xmas token. Many thanks to Mr. S. H. Dorsey for his annual donation of $5.00 The useful articles sent from Zion Baptist Mission were much needed and appreciated. Also thank the ladies of South Side who brought candy, nuts and fruit for the Home. THE ST. PAUL PRES BYTERIAN CHURCH Russell Taylor, Pastor Services Sunday were god all day. The Sunday School was exceptionally well attended and interesting. Much good can be obtained by the course of studies we are now entering upon and which takes the student through j the whole Bible by the end of the year. Miss Grace Jardine of the Clifton Hill Church was present with us and made some encouraging remarks. Sunday morning will be our regu lar communion service. Every com municant should be present. Do not let the evil spirit persuade you to wait until you are ready. A proper communion spirit is *viot obtained by waiting. The Christian Endeavor topic is, “How Jesus Prayed.”—John 17:1-26. j ALLEN CHAPEL A. M. E. CHURCH O. J. Burckhardt, Pastor We started the New Year right. We had a good appreciative audience all day. The Sunday school was well attended and full of interest. W. L. Carter was re-elected superintendent. The League work under the direction of Rev. S. E. Gross is growing in interest. The sermons morning and evening were satisfactory to all con cerned. Praise meeting was led by Messrs. Heywood and Carter. Sunday there will be a great pro gram rendered by the Senior Choir and their friends. Mr. George H. W. Bullock will deliver an address. Mrs. Perkins and Mrs. Sarah Jones will sing. At 11 o’clock A. M. the Pastor will preach on Discipleship. Mrs. McDonald is not improving any. Mrs. Maggie Clay is also confined to her bed. Please visit the sick in your community. ATTENTION! Something that is worth while. Something that you will never forget and never regret. One of the most Interesting and thrilling illustrated lectures that has ever been put on canvas, "The Passion Play at Ober ammergau As 1 Saw It” by the Rev. George A. Miller at Pilgrim Baptist Church, Twentyfourth and Hamilton streets, Tuesday night, January 15 at 8:30. Special program by the best talent In the city. Admission 25 cents. Given under the auspices of the Flor ida Club. Rev. William M. Franklin, padtor. A. W. Anderson, governor.— Adv. / NEWSLETS More females than males reach the age of 100 years and over. The number of colored persons em-' ployed in domestic anfi personal ser vice is decreasing. As a protection to the passengers, all Pullman porters and dining-car waiters are given physical examina tions regularly. Domestic newspapers and orators are no longer complaining about President Coplidge being a “Silent ma.n” Also out of the South comes an anti Ku-Klux-Klan organization, open to every American without reference to sex, religion, nationality or race. The three Kerford brothers of At chison, Kans., own a stone quarry in which they employ 27 men. Recent improvements include a $35,000 ma chinery equipment. Colored veterans of the World War appear to be more interested in ade quate and conveniently located hospi talization facilities for their wounded “buddies” than in the proposed bonus legislation. There are approximately 88,000 colored females of voting age in the state of Pennsylvania; 73,000 in New York; 69,000 in Maryland; 61,000 in Illinois; 58,000 in Missouri;] 56,000 in Ohio; 38,000 in New Jersey; 26,000 in Indiana; 21,000 in West Virginia and 18,000 each in Kansas and Michi gan. The Norfolk Journal and Guide says: “It is extremely doubtful if Mr. McAdoo’s p<lpularity with colored people could do much good in a Dem ocratic national election. The buga boo of the South looms across his horizon. The South of disfranchise ment and mobs comes too close to h m when he votes a national Demo cratic ticket." *80,000 FOR NORMAL SCHOOL Annapolis, Md., Jan. 3.—Governor Ritchie’s budget sent to the Legisla ture here contained an item of $80, 000 for a new building at Bowie Nor mal School. No appropriation was made for Henryton Hospital, as there are still accommodations there. BATTLING MONROE WINS AGAINST FAST ST. FAIL FIGHTER Omaha Colored Light-Heavy Wins Third Successive K. O. in Omaha Ring. Empke Takes the Count WATSOR LOSES TO MORRIS In the championship battle held in the City Auditorium last Friday night between Joe Lynch, bantam champ, and Earl McArthur of Sioux City, Lyn(ch successfully defended his crown, although it was nearly bounc ed off his dome several times. In all it was a great fight. However, let the champs come and go, if they may, but Omaha’s coming light-heavy champ, Battling Monroe, held the attention of the Omaha fans in the semi-final. This dusky young ster scored his third successive K.O. in an Omaha ring when he put Billy Empke down for the count in the third round of a scheduled ten round go. The St. Paul mauler is a vet eran of many battles and a real bat tle was expected but the wallop Mon roe carries in either duke soon rock ed the Swede to sleep. Sandy Gris wold predicts a great future for Mon roe who is again on the card of the 18th in the semi-final. One-step Watson, local colored welter lost to Carl Morris of Sioux city in a six round go. Morris took the aggressive and Watson chose to bicycle his way through, or in the parlance of the ring, tin canned his way through. The fights were pro moted by Theo. Roosevelt post of the American Legion. N. A. A. C. P. HELD MEETING SUNDAY AT GROVE M. E. CHURCH The Omaha branch of the N. A. A. C. P. met at Grove M. E. church Sun day afternoon at 4 o’clock. Although the attendance was not large the meet ing proved to be one of Interest. Dr. Craig Morris gave an excellent ad dress advocating the establishment of a municipal playground between Paul and Seward and Twentyfirst and Twentysecond streets and asked the endorsement of the Association. This was given and a committee consist ing of Dr. Morris, the Rev. Fred Div ers and J. C. Garrett was appointed to present the matter before the Coun cil. MILLION AID MORE FOR RACE SCHOOLS IH SOITHEM CITY Atlanta Completing Big Building Pro gram—$1,200,000 in School* For Colored Children (OTHN STIEMTI COMTED Colored Voters Refused To Support Bond Issue Until Assured of Having Share in Benefits Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 10—What is be lieved to be the most elaborate and expensive colored public school build ing program ever undertaken by any community is now nearing completion in this city. It embraces four mag nificent new grammar schools, seat ing 800 to 1000 each, and a high school seating 1500, the five erected at a cost to date of $1,200,000, with more yet to be spent on finishing touches. These new schools are part of a general school building program in volving a total of $3,800,000 and are in every sense equal to the best the city is erecting, representing the last work in construction and equipment. In addition to all the usual modem facilities, each is provided also with medical and dental clinics, where the pupils have the services of physician, dentist and nurse. The high school, which is named for Booker T. Washington, will carry the regular academic curriculum and in addition will provide training in wood work, carpentry, drawing, auto mechanics, sheet metal, plaster and cement work, tailoring, pressing, sew ing, cooking, child care, and teacher training. The purpose is to give to the pupils an all-round training for life and fit them for useful and re munerative employment immediately on graduation. A director of voca tional guidance helps further to this end by personal conferences, lectures, bulletins and lantern slides. The colored schools are sharing ful ly in the efforts of the administra tion to bring the city’s public school system up to the highest standard of efficiency. Back of this building program is an interesting story of interracial coop eration Atlanta having greatly out grown its school system, several un successful efforts were made to vote a bond issue for new buildings. It was found that the colored voters held the balance of power and had thrown it against the plan. City officials asked white mem bers of the local interracial commit tee why this was so. The latter ar ranged a conference with leading col ored citizens and the question was passed to them. They promptly re plied: “Why should we vote taxes on ourselves when we have no assur ance that we will get any of the bene fits?” The rest was easy. An agreement was readily reached that if they would help carry the next bond elec tion, their schools should have ap proximately one-third of the pro ceeds. That agreement is now being carried out. BISHOP OF LIBERIA HERE NEXT WEEK Bishop Overs of Liberia will be in the city next week and will address the annual meeting of the Women's Auxiliary Tuesday and the Council of the Diocese of Nebraska, Wednesday at Trinity Cathedral. Bishop Overs is a white man who epent many years as a missionary in Africa and was adopted into one of the African tribes. Five years ago he was elected as suc cessor to the late Bishop Ferguson and has thrown himself into the work, of his diocese with great devotion. The public is invited and our people will be interested in his message. ANNUAL PARISH MEETING The annual parish meeting of the Church of St. Philip the Deacon will be held in the church Guild Rooms Monday night at 8 o’clock, at which reports for the year will, be presented, officers chosen and delegates to the annual Dioceean Council which con venes in Trinity Cathedral Wednesday and Thursday will be elected. All communicants and members of the congregation are requested to be pres ent. i DUBOIS NAMED AS' UNITED STATES ENVOY New York, Jan. 10.—Dr. W. E. B. DuBois has been named by Presi dent Coolidge as the U. S. envoy to the inauguration of President King of Liberia, W. Africa, according to an announcement from the Chisis Office, authorized by Jesse FauBet Dr. Du Bois is now in Liberia after directing sessions of the Pan-African Congress in England and Portugal. ---