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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1926)
he THD MONITOR he S NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS 5 THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor. $2.00 a Year—5c a Copy f OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 12, 1926 Whole Number 551 Vol. XI—No. 31 to ~ 1 N.A.A.C.P. AIDS PROSECUTION FOR HEINOUS CRIME Retains Colored Attorney in Case of Fourteen Year Old Colored Girl Assaulted li> Eleven Men VICTIM Of MORONS MO DIE Association's Legal Defense Fund En ables Organizations to Render Valuable and Effective Assist ance New York, Feb. 12.—The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, has announced it had retained Alan Dingle, a colored at torney of New York, to he associ ated with the prosecution of eleven white men who kidnapped for three days and attacked a fourteen-year old colored girt in the Bronx. 'Hie colored girl, who is now ill in a hospital suffering from double pneumonia as a consequence of ex posure, was followed by three men when she alighted from a subway train at Broadway and 231st Street. The three men are alleged to have taken the girl to a barn at Bailey Avenue, where she was held for three days against her will, without food, and assaulted by eleven men. Her plight was made known when a citizen informed the police of the suspicious actions of men entering and leaving the barn. The girl had come from Virginia and was stopping with un aunt in Harlem. Her mother who live; in Virginia, cannot come to the girl because of young children in the family who r^jst be taken care of. The N. A. A. C. P. is working in cooperation with the Prosecuting At torney and the Children’s Society. As the girl is dangerously ill, an ef fort is being made to obtain from her a statement, which can is- used in prosecuting her eleven attackers for murder should the girl die. The Chil dren’s Society has informed the N. A. A. C. I*, that the case against the men will he pushed to the limit. When the case comes to trial it will he necessary for the girl’s mother to come from Virginia to testify as to her age. The N. A. A. C. P. has agreed to bear the cost of the moth er’s journey. In connection with the case James Weldon Johnson, secretary of the N. A. A. C. I’., made the following state ment : “Heretofore the N. A. A. C. P. has been compelled to forego giving as sistance in a number of cases as atrocious as this one. Now, however, with the Defense Fund so generous ly contributed, which has been set a side and held in trust solely for legal defense, the Association is enabled to widen its legal activities in lie half of the race.” NEGRO XTTORNEY ARGUES AGAINST CHARLES HUGHES Chicago—(By the Associated Negro Press) In an action involving firms whose aggregate assets total sever al billions of dollars in the Circuit Court here, Assistant State’s District Attorney, James G. Cotter, was op posed to Charles Evans Hughes, for | trier candidate for president of the j United States, former secretary of slate, and former governor of New’ I York, in the legal arena. The action was an appeal which sought the re moval of the case to Cleveland. The businesses involved are accused of violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Mr. Cotter is one of the most able district attorneys in the northern district of Illinois, white or black. Hi appointment came largely through the eff- -ts of Congressman Martin It. Madden. OLDEST PULLMAN PORTER DIES Chicago, 111,*—(By the Associated Negro Press) James B. Newsome, 76, the oldest Pullman porter in the United States, di<xl here Thursday morning. He had been in the Pull man service for more than 55 years, and was retained after the usual re tirement age of 70 because of his; exceptional value to the company and his great energy. During all his ser vice no compiant was ever registered against him. He had the Chicago Denver run for 45 years. His larg est tip, $100, came from Buffalo Bill.. He was prominent in church, lodge,1 and club circles in Chicago. Funeral services were held wdth the Rev. M osps H. Jackson officiating. .. ■ in- . ■ ■ FREDERICK DOUGLAS Born February 14, 1817; died February 20, 1895. Anti-slav ery agitator, orator, editor and dipolmat whose services in the fiirht for the freedom of the Negro slave, and his subsequent labors for the rights of his race should ever be held in grateful memory. E DI TO R I A L How long are the Negro citizens and taxpayers of Omaha going to sleep on their rights? When are we going to wake up and get busy? When are we going to demand and secure the recognition, participation and remuneration in civic affairs to which our numbers, contributions and votes we are entitled? Constituting 7 per cent of the population, contributing our propor tion of taxes, and with a voting strength of more than 7,000 our representation and employment in municipal concerns is almost negligible. It is not what it was thirty years ago when our race population was nearly 12,000 less than it is now. We have lost ground and will continue to lose ground until we awaken to the seriousness of the situation and unite our forces to obtain that to which we are justly entitled. 'fake, for example, the Metropolitan Utilities which supply gas and water for this city. These are under the control of the city. Our people pay thousands and thousands of dollars annually for gas and water. These public utilities have several thousand employees and while evei’y other nationality is represented either in tin* clerical or other departments, there is not a black face among them with the exception of one watchman. Is there any thing right or just about this? Of course not? But whose fault is it? Largely our own. If a representative delegation of all our people, and by this we mean duly accredited representatives from our churches, lodges and other organizations, would go to the authorities and make an insistent demand for employment of some of our qualified people in these public utilities, we would get them. Let us organize our forces and go after employment for some of our people in these municipal-owned and operated util ities and let us not be satisfied with a few laborer’s or janitor’s jobs, but insist upon some other jobs also. We cannot accomplish this by individual effort, but by intelligent, well-directed mass attack. Take again the school situation. The Board of Education has in its employ, including its corps of 1,500 teachers, nearly 2,500 ; employees, and in this vast numbe of employees we have not so I much as a janitor. We ought to have teachers on tne coips and janitors in some of the schools and workers in the shops and on the force of laborers. We have had them in the past when our population, as we have hitherto stated, was much smaller than now. Mass attack upon the Board of Education with the in i sistent demand that some of our well-qualified young women, and Omaha has several who can meet the required standard in char acter, ability and experience, be appointed as teachers in our public schools will bring results. We have taken these as examples of institutions for which we are taxed and in the conduct and management of which by our VOTES we have a voice, where by united action we can make our influence felt and get results. There are also public service corporations like the Northwest ern Bell Telephone Company and the Nebraska Power Company into which our people in this city pay thousands of dollars yearly which ought to give some of our jx^ople employment. We )>elieve that a mass attack upon them will bring good results also, but with these we have not the same leverage and claim that we have upon municipal agencies. Denominational and fraternal jealousies should be laid aside, the question as to who shall or shall not receive credit, should be forgotten and our race in this city should unite their forces and make a demand for places on the payroll of the Metropolitan Utilities and the Board of Education. We are losing ground. We must wake up. “Men at some time are masters of their fates; The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” ( That we are “underlings” and largely regarded as nonenities is our own fault. We do not realize or use our power. The 1ault is in ourselves. Let us put aside all childishness and show our selves men of purpose and determination. MISSISSIPPI CO NUN UING' CRUSADE AGAINST MOBS! Jackson, Miss.—Undaunted by three failures to achieve results in the case i of Lindsey Coleman, who was lynch ed by a mob after having been ac quitted of a murder, members of the better citizenry of Mississippi, led by the state bar association have had a bill introduced into the state legis lature which would empower the gov- ■ ernor to remove sheriffs from of fice for allowing prisoners to be tak en from their custody and killed. The measure was introduced by Repre sentative McClellan. -« A. M. E. BISHOPS TO MEET IN NEW ORLEANS New Orleans—The mid winter council of the bishops of the African Methodist Church for the United States, Africa, and the West Indies 1 and South America opens here Feb. 18. Among the subjects to be dis-, cussed are inter-racial good will; bet ter rural schools for the Negro in the south as a means of stemming Negro immigration to the north; the best method of promoting the cause of temperance and the million dol lar emergency drive for racial uplift j and other kindred subjects. Bishop H. B. Parks of California will preside. _ PICKENS CHOSEN TO BE CHIEF LINCOLN SPEAKER Indianapolis, Ind.—Previously, Sen ator Albert J. Beveridge had been' selected as “Lincoln” orator, with W. Pickens as alternate. The senator is preparing a new book on Lincoln, which is expected to rival his work on John Marshall. The Indianapolis Bar Association has finally decided to hear the senator in March and to hear in February what some regard as the most eloquent oration on Lin coln, the “Abraham Lincoln, Man and Statesman”, by William Pickens. Attorney Robert L. Bailey, fore most colored lawyer of Indiana, is a member of the Indianapolis Bar. As Mr. Pickens speaks on February 12 at the Lincoln Day Banquet of the Lincoln Association of Jersey City the Indianapolis lawyers have had to postpone their meeting till the latter part of February. UNVEIL TANNER PAINTING Orangeburg, S. C.—The formal un veiling of the H. 0. Tanner painting which Claflin University recently se cured occurred here. The speaker of the occasion was j Edwin A. Harleston of Charleston, S. C., who studied art in the Museum j of Fine Arts in Boston for eight j years. < III KCH CELEBRATES 58TH ANNIVERSARY Memphis, Tenn.—(By the A. N. P.) The Second Congregational Church of \ this city celebrated its fifty-eighth anniversary this week with appropri ate exercises. It is the first colored Congregational Church organized in the South. OMAHA BRANCH N. A. A. C. P. MET LAST SUNDAY The Omaha Branch of the N. A. A ('. P. met last, Sunday afternoon at the North Side branch and transacted im|K>rtant buisness. Various reports were received and it was decided that at the forum which meets on the third Sunday in each month a paper on some j Racial Historical subject be present ed and discussed. The next meeting i will be February 21, place to be an nounced later. GIRL’S FRIENDLY SOCIETY PRESENTS PLEASING PLAY Wednesday night an appreciative audience witnessed a pleasing . play presented by the Junior group of the Girls’ Friendly Society of the Church of St. Philip the Deacon in the Guild rooms. The three-act play, entitled “Her Choice”, was an original one written by Catherine Williams. It represents a young girl, the only daughter of her widowed mother, who exultant over reaching her majority, makes the choice of the “Breaking of a Girl”, Laziness, Good Times, Frivol ity, Conceit and Dress, rather than ,‘The Making of a Girl”, Hope, Friend hip, Work, Fun and Happiness, and speedily squanders the small fortune left by her father. Her mother’s death leaves her penniless and brings her to her senses when she is compelled to engage in honest work. Oil lands considered worthless but proving val uable unexpectedly bring her wealth which she devotes to a good purpose The leading part, Violet West, was excellently impersonated by Vera Wal ton; Sarah Brown made a good Mrs. West, the old fashioned mother; and Millard Singleton, as Attorney Sharpe, could not be improved upon; Celes- j tine Smith, as Ruth, Violet’s suppos ed friend, was fine; but each one threw' : herself into the spirit of the play and took her part well. The cast was as follows: Violet .....Vera Walton j Mrs. West, widow, Violet’s old fash- ; ioned mother .Sarah Brown “Breaking of a Girl”: Laziness, ’Thelma Norris; Goodtime, Louise Scott; Frivolity, Sylvia Ad ams; Conceit, Sarah Brown; Dress,' Christine Dixon. "Making of a Girl”: Hope, Celestine Smith; Work, Cath- j erine Williams; True Friends, Helen j Singleton and Lavina Scott; Fun, Ellen Richardson; Happiness, Mar garet Dickerson. Nurse .Ellen Richardson Working girls, friends of Violet; J Mary, Margaret Dickerson; Madel ine, Helen Singleton; Thelma, Lavi- j na Scott. Margaret Dickerson; Madeline, Hel Ruth, Violet’s friend for revenue only . .Celestine Smith Attorney Sharpe... Millard Singleton | An orchestra consisting of Elaine > Smith, piano; Bill Peebles, violin; and Alger Adams, ukelele .furnished the music; and three choruses by the girls were other features of the program. As an additional treat ice cream was served to all the guests. SECOND SWEET TRIAL IS SET FOR THE MARCH TERM Clarence Darrow Has Received Infor mation That Detroit Physi cian’s Trial Comes Next Month DEFENSE READY FOR TRIAL W alter White, Assistant Secretary of National Association Will Help Mature Plans for Contest New York, N. Y. Clarence Darrow, attorney retained by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to defend Dr. Ossian H. Sweet and ten other colored people from murder charges growing out of a segregation riot outside Dr. Sweet’s home, has received information that the second trial will probably open early in March, between the fifth and tenth of the month. Mr. Darrow, at a conference in New York with James Weldon Johnson, secretary of the National Association, and Walter White, assistant secre tary, arranged that Mr. White ac company him to Detroit sometime in February to mature plans for the second legal contest to free the ac cused colored people. BRAVE SHERIFF HOLDS OFF LYNCHERS Alexandria, L^.—(By the A. N. P.) Five unmasked men entered the parish, jail Tuesday morning and at tempted to kidnap Joe Hardy who is being held for the murder of J. S. Clover, white planter. The men weri held at bay by the sheriff and his deputies who informed the raiding party that they must kill him and his jailer before he would give up the prisoner. It is tnought that mem bers of the Ivian are responsible. A company of the national guard has been dispatched to the scene to guard the prisoner. VIRGIN ISLANDERS PLEAD FOR RIGHTS Washington, D. C.—A hearing was given by the House Committee on Insular Affairs on Saturday to the unofficial delegation of legislators from) the Virgin Islands, which is pushing the bill to give the Islands a civil government to replace the present naval administration, under which the natives have suffered many grievances. One result of the hear ing was that Representative Bacon agreed to introduce at an early date a bill designed to grant citizenship to Virgin Islanders both in the United States and in their own country. There are more than 10,000 Virgin Islanders living in New York City. MANY INDIANS IN U. S. WORK Washington, D. C.—(By the As sociated Negro Press) Indians to talling 1,708 are employed by the bureau of Indian Affairs receiving an nual salaries approximating nearly $2,000,000 according to a report com pleted at the Interior Department. These Indians in the Government service are members of the tribes of the reservations where they are employed. They hold various posi tions, inculding superintendencies of agencies, assistant superintendents clerks, and other responsible posts. LABOR SECRETARY RECEIVES DINING CAR EMPLOYETS PRES. Washington—Rienzi B. Lemus, pre sident of the Brotherhood of Dining Car Employees, was recently invited to the office of Hon. James J. Davis, Secretary of Labor, where the two discussed at length important labor phases, and the interests of the Din ing-Car employees, together with gen eral matters of labor. President Lem us expressed himself as highly pleased with the results of the interview, and the foresight which the Department of Labor is exercising in fostering the interest of wage-earners.