rsn The Monitor i
A National Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Colored Americans
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor
$1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, NOVEMBER 24, 1917 _Vol. III. No. 21 (Whole No. 124)
President Federation
Commends Monitor
j_
Mary B. Tallieri. President National
Association of Colored 'Yemen,
Writes Interesting Letter.
NOME SOUTHERN OBSERVATIONS
Tells Why the Itaee Leaves The Soul*
land. Buffalo Had a "Smith
Case. The Donulass Home.
The National Association of Colored {
Women, which was organized in 18901
and Is affiliated with the National
Council of Women, now has a mem
bership of 100,000, representing the
finest type of our noblest womanhood.
This splendid organization has ac
complished wonderful things in ra
cial uplift. Among one of the many
tilings they recently undertooIfTo do
was the paying off of tile debt on the
home of the late Frederick Douglass
and its preservation as an historic
monument for the race. How well
they have succeeded is disclosed in the
letter here published. The organiza
tion has now undertaken the task of
creating a public sentiment which will
suppress lynching and mob violence
and lias adopted as Its slogan, “STOP
LYNCHING AND MOB VIOLENCE BY
LAW.”
That these women will succeed in
this task no one who knows the pa
tience, persistence and potency of
women can for one moment doubt.
Under date of November 14, the
President of this great organization
sends the following appreciated com
munication to The Monitor:
Editor Monitor:
I have just returned home after an
absence of fourteen weeks, touring the
states of Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana,
Mississippi and parts of Tennessee.
I wish that time would permit me to
tell you of my recent observations in
the Southland, of the fight that the
men and women of our race are mak
ing for themselves.
The meanness of Jim Crowism never
Impressed me as during this trip,
when I found cars, especially in Louis
iana worse than in any of the South
ern states, foul, filthy, unsanitary, and
yet after paying first-class fare, we
receive fourth class accommodations.
The colored men and women this
year were unusually blessed wrtli
good crops and plenty of money.
Many reasons are given why Negroes
leave the South, and it cannot he
made more forceful than repeating that
first among the many evils, lies the
Jim Crow ear. Second, unjust treat
ment of the best class of colored citi
zens.
At. Greenville, Mississippi. Dr. Jones,
an old and highly respected colored
citizen, possessed with an abundance
qf this world’s goods, a physician of
forty years practice, and an elderly
gentleman, was forcibly ejected from
his carriage, by orders of the police
because he told a police officer (who
ordered him to move on. and not stop
to see a circus parade, where car
riages of white citizens had stopped)
that lie could not move on, unless the
others moved first, as his carriage
was wedged In between two white fitI
z-ns' automobiles,—and for th 1h “im
pudence" this old, respected, wealthy
citizen of color was roughly handled
and abused. No wonder Negroes leave
the Great South.
I have just read of the stand your
paper lias made toward seeing that
"Smith” gets a fair show, and I am
sending you this note comme ruling
your position.
Last year here in Buffalo, a similar
thing occurred—and a flip young law
yer from Rochester, who had been
called in consultation with Judge
George Lewis on the opening of the
Irial, with wild gesticulations told
the court and jurors, that HE would
prove wlthlp a reasonable doubt that
no one could commit the crime but a
"blue gum nigger,” and lie did. Please [
notice the definition now and forever '
as to what Is a "blue gum nigger." I
Tlie jury decided that the rich, young,
white man, a college graduate and
Ghistian Sunday school scholar, com
mitted the crime.
The lawyer proved that a “blue gum
nigger" is a white man, with a col
lege education, who can murder ills
mother, brother and sister, and (hen
run home, change his clothes, wash
off the blood and get back to the
scene of the murder and crawl about
In the dirt, with a bump on his head
and holler "t nigger must have lilt
me.” This Telper was sent as a
Christmas present to Auburn prison
" ' . • » • j
for twenty years, after being forced
to admit that he saw no "nigger"
around. The llip Rochester lawyer
has not been seen since, and Judge
Lewis who failed to fasten the crime |
on a colored man died a few months
ago—I trust heartbroken.
Keep up your fight, and clear the
innocent man. Urge your fellow citi-]
zens to join hands with you.
May i also add that our National
^ iciation has paid the entire indebt-}
'*/• r on the Douglass Home except |
■ivj, 1 up to the present time not a
r &fo. ' come in from Nebraska.
Sit. ->ska will make some kind
of a l d> hen the roll of honor is
hung 14 alls of "Cedar Hill,"
showing t. s of men and women
who appyec* what the great Doug-1
las3 did for them during the days be- j
fore the Civil war.
Sincerely yours,
(Mrs. W. H.) MARY B. TALBERT. |
TULSA \N INTERESTING CITY.
Seffrevnthm Everywhere In Evidence
lint Race Taking Advantage of
Business Opportunities.
To the Readers of The Monitor:
I found it necessary to spend a
week at TuIbu, Oklahoma, the land of
Jim Crowism, Disfranchisement and
Segregation. Tulsa, from a racial
standpoint, is truly a segregated city.
Crossing the Frisco tracks at Cincin
nati avenue, you don’t need to ask
i questions, all you have to do is to
use your eyes and ears, for the num
ber of persons of the race that you
meet is an evident fact that this is
Darktown.”
Cincinnati avenue is the western
: portion of the business section of seg
regated Tulsa. For two blocks on
! each side of the street is crowded with
1 business of all lines, the Brown Cafe,
the Thompson-Wright Drug Store,
Pool Hall, Soft Drinks and Taxi Line
are the most promising.
Bully Smith, proprietor and man
ager of the pool hall, is- a well-kown
figure in most of all our Northern
cities, having traveled quite a bit.
j Bully, as he is called by everyone, is
a fine young fellow and has a host of
friends among all classes.
Greenwood, which is the east end
of Archer avenue, the main street
leading from the west to the east end
of the city, is the heart of the business
district and the most prominent feat
ures are Williams Theater, the Bry
ant ami People’s Drug Stores, Hooker
& Klliott's Clothing and Notion Store.
This last is a very interesting estab
lishment. It is a large brick building,
the first floor being given to general
merchandise and the second floor is a
special department of ladies. In charge
of a very interesting and capable
little lady, Miss Elliott, sister of one
of the proprietors.
Tulsa offers many opportunities for
the ambitious and progressive men of
the race and bids fair to become the
industrial and financial center of
Oklahoma. It Is growing rapidly, the
population Is approximated at 50,000,
one-fifth of which comprises the race
population and as a city it is only fif
teen years old.
The Monitor made a good Impres
sion wherever presented and In the
future 1 think the circulation will
grow.
Mr. Smitherman, of the Tulsa Star,
who is doing much in that community,
expressed himself as being proud of
having The Monitor on his exchange
list and promises to quote till of the
articles concerning the race which he
claims is found in the editorial col
umns of The .Monitor.
Sunday found me in Muskogee,
Oklahoma, the weather having changed
from a perfect autumn temperature
to a cold, disagreeable chill, finds me
housed awaiting and wishing for the
sunshine.
Until next week, I am
FREI) C. WILLIAMS,
Traveling Representative of The Mon
itor.
Muskogee, Okla,, Nov. 19, 1917.
CARD OF THANKS.
We wish to express our most sin
cere thunks for the kindness and
sympathy extended us by everyone
during the sickness and death of
our beloved husband and father,
James D. Winfield. Especially do
we appreciate the flowers sent by the
Pulman Company, and other friends.
Mrs. J. D. Winfield,
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Payton.
Omaha, Nov. 19.
Nine Jurors for Acquittal,
Three for Conviction
Veniremen in Nethaway Murder Trial Deliberate for Forty
Two Hours—Ballot After Ballot Remains the Same—
Jury Dismissed—Smith Remanded for New Trial.
Few trials hereabout in recent years
have attracted as much attention as
the Netheway murder trial, tried be
fore Judge Sears in the District Court
last week. The trial began on Mon
day and went to the Jury Thursday
afternoon. The large court room was
crowded throughout the entile trial.
Acquittal Was Expected.
The Impartially-minded who crowd
ed the court room and listened to the
evidence by which the prosecution
tried to weave a web around Charles
Smith which would send him to the
electric chair were positive that no
Jury of fair-minded and sane men
would convict the accused upon the
evidence introduced. The prevailing
sentiment, so far as it could be gath
ered from remarks dropped by specta
tors and auditors of both races at the
trial, was that the jury would not be
long at arriving at a verdict of not
guilty. That there was some ground
for this opinion is proven by the fact
that the first ballot stood nine fur ac
quittal and three for conviction; and
during the forty-two hours the jury
was out, ballot after ballot remained
the same.
Jury Disagrees.
Saturday morning the foreman of
the jury, William Salisbury, said:
' The vote stands just as it did at the
beginning. Each piece of testimony
was discussed thoroughly. Each juror
Is convinced that he is right in his
opinion. Our general opinion is that
an agreement could not be reached if
we stayed on the case six months.”
The jury was then sent back to the
jury room while Judge Sears con
sulted with the attorneys for the state
and for the defense. The attorneys'
views were that the jury ought not to
be held longer. The jury was then
recalled and in dismissing them Judge
Sears said:
"I am not finding fault with any
juror here for your failure to reach
an agreement, it looks to me as
, I hough the prosecution has hail as
I good a jury as could have been se
cured to which to present this case.
I I have consulted with the attorneys
i and as your opinions seem to be un
! alterable you are discharged and the
| defendant is remanded for further
j trial."
Monday morning Charles Smith, a
colored tramp and a stranger in
Omaha, was placed on trial before
Judge Willis G. Sears of the criminal
| court for the alleged murder of MrB.
C. L. Nethaway, the wife of a Flor
ence real estate man, near Briggs sta
tion, sometime Sunday afternoon, Au
gust 26th, 1017.
Story of CrDne.
Acording to Nethaway’s story, he
had made an appointment with his
wife to meet her at Briggs crossing,
about a mile distant from their home,
at ,'i o’clock Sunday afternoon to take
her for a ride In his auto. To reach
the appointed place Mrs. Nethawav
had to walk this long distance on a
hot afternoon in August along the
railroad right-of-way. The testimony
disclosed that Nethaway could have
driven from his Florence office to his
home in four or five minutes. Fail
ing to meet his wife, he stated that lie
drove to his office where he took off
his coat and vest, and washed his
hands. He then drove back to his
home and telephoned his wife’s sis
ters asking if they had seen Mrs.
Nethaway. He asked his neighbor,
Mr. Herdman, the telegraph operator,
If he had seen his wife and told him
that “there had been foul play." Mr.
and Mrs. Herdman both testified that
Nethaway was at his home about 3:15,
apparently “very excited,” where he
remained about live minutes, and that
it was when he returned later that ho
acosteil Herdman and told him that
there had been foul play. He asked
Herdman If he had Been anybody
around. Herdman told him that he
had seen a colored man go up the
railroad track. Nethaway said, “That
nigger killed my wife.” He directed
Herdman to take the west side of the
track while he took the east and after
a short search on the bluff above the
track he discovered the body of his
y
wile, with her throat cut and hands
tied.
Smith, who had been seen in the vi
cinity, was arrested at Blair a few
hours after the discovery of the body,
and charged with the crime. He ad
mitted his presence in the vicinity,
but denied all knowledge of the
crime. When arrested there were no
blood stains on his clothing or per
son, and he has stoutly maintained his
innocence.
Smith was represented by .Morrison,
Seacat, Timlin and Scruggs, the last
named being a colored attorney. Dep
uty County Attorneys Piatti and Ab
bott appeared for the state.
Scruggs Opens Case.
Attorney Scruggs in opening for
the defense said that the defense
would show by the evidence filiat oth
ers had an equal or better oppor
tunity to have committed the alleged
crime than Charles Smith, the defend
ant; that others or another had a mo
tive for committing this crime, while
j Charles Smith had no motive.
Vcltim Not Violated.
The first witness for the state was
i Dr. S. F. McCleneghan, coroner’s
physician, who testified t^o the nature
j of the wounds. He testified that Mrs.
I Nethaway had not been the victim of
I her assailant's lust. There was no
evidence that she had been violated.
Mrs. Willgate, 5610 Blondo street,
testified to the fact that her house
i had been burglarized Saturday pre
| ceding the crime, and that a trunk
| supposed to contain the knife found in
j the vicinity of the murder had been
J ransacked. She had, however, never
seen the knife before it had been
brought to her by the detectives,
i (The Court ordered testimany con
j cerning the knife stricken out.)
There was no material evidence in
j trodueed to connect Smith with the
j burglary in any way.
Herdman Testifies.
C. L. Herdman, telegraph operator,
testified to seeing Smith come^ to the
Nethaway home, sometime after Mrs.
j Nethaway had left, and rap on the
door. He then went to the pump and
got a drink of water and walked
leisurely away. He testified that he
saw Netheway’s car in front of his
house with the engine running, about
3:15. Netheway soon came out of the
house, jumped in his car and seemed
to be in a great hurry. That he
seemed excited. I.ater, in about an
hour ,he returned and asked him if
he had seen Mrs. Nethaway, saying
| that she hadn't met him, and that
j tiiere had been foul play. Netheway
said he had seen a man going up the
j track and that there was foul play,
i lie asked Herdman is he had seen any
body around and Herdman told him
that he had noticed a colored man
| around. Netheway seemed then more
| excited than ever and said, “That nig
ger killed my wife." He asked Herd
man to accompany him in a search for
! Ids wife. As they started Netheway
1 jumped on a freight engine and told
I the engineer to “look out for a
■ nigger.” At Netheway’s direction he
1 look one side of the track and Netlie
j way the other. Soon he was attracted
by Netheway's cry that he had found
1 his wife’s body. Herdman ran hack
I to the telegraph office and gave the
I alarm.”
Corroborates Husband.
Mrs. Herdman corroborated her
husband’s testimony as to Beeing
Netheway at his house and also as to
seeing Smith. She had talked to Mrs.
Noteway a little after 2 o’clock Just
before Mrs. Netheway left for home.
Mrs. Herdman testified that she heard
the dog bark and upon looking up
saw Smith walk up on the Netheway
porch and rap at the door. The dog
came running up to him and he pat
ted it on the head. He left immedi
ately and came to the Herdman yard
where ho drank from his hand at the
pump and then went away.
“I saw Mr. Netheway come hpme in
his car about 3:15. He lert again in
about five minutes. He left his motor
running while he went Into the house.
He drove away in a hurry,” said Mrs.
Herdman.
She also testified that she saw Neth
eway around his house sometime ear
lier in the day and that he had on
dark clothes; when she saw him in
the afternoon he had on light clothes.
Frank Turey testified to seeing
Smith in that vicinity about noon
looking for grapes. He asked Turey
how far it was to Sioux City. Turey
told him he could catch a northbound
freight in the cut about 4:30 which
would take him to Sioux City, and
that he could catch it for the freight
always slowed down in the cut.
Judge Baker's Find.
Judge Baker, who was on the scene
soon after Netheway discovered the
body of his wife, testified to finding a
piece of woman’s undergarment hang
ing on a weed between the ledge on i
which the body was found and the;
level of the railroad right-of-way. He
found a path where someone had
climbed through the weeds up the
steep bank. Near it was the piece of
underwear; a little further on a
woman's hair switch, and further still,
spread out on top of a weed, a
woman's handkerchief, which Nethe
way identified as belonging to his wife.
It is, however, noteworthy that the
piece of underwear found by Judge
Baker differs in texture from the torn,
blood-stained garments found on Mrs.
Netheway’s body. They were heavily
ribbed, while this oblong piece, white
and clean, and apparently cut with
scissors, is soft, fine-ribbed material.
Net lieu ay's Testimony.
Netheway testified as to his actions
from the time he left his home at 1:30
Sunday afternoon until the time he
foumi tiie body of his wife between
I and 5 o’clock Sunday afternoon. He
denied being at his home at 3:15, de
spite the fact that both Mr. and Mrs.
Ilordman testified to the fact that they
saw him there.
"Were you at your home about 3:15
p. tn., Netheway?” Mr. Piatti for the
state asked.
"No, sir, I was not.”
"Were you at your home between
3 o’clock and the time you met
Learned?"
"I don’t see how I could have
been," Netheway replied. "I met
Learned and went in his car with
him to look at some property. We
came hack and lie left me and I got
in my car and drove home. That
was about 4 o’clock.’’
He testified that lie was worried
bout hi. wife's failure to meet him
and after going home he called up two
of her siHters. He then drove back
to liis office in Florence where he
took off his coat and vest and washed
liis hands. Then Installed the sisters
again and got into his auto and start
ed for home.
"There were three soldier boys on
the street that 1 tried to get to ride
with me but they wouldn’t come. Then
I saw the Holseman boy and got him
to go with me. I told him that I was
worried about my wife because I
couldn’t find her. Then we picked up
another fellow that I didn’t know and
I got him to go with me."
"We got to the bridge and I told
the boys to go up each side of the
track. I went up the middle of the
track looking on both sides. I went
clear home. 1 saw Herdman and
asked him if he had seen my wife.
He said that he had seen a negro go
ing away from the house 15 minutes
ago."
"Were you worried about your wife
at this time?”
"When I heard about that nigger
you bet I was," lie replied.
Seacat Cross Questions.
Mr. Seacat appeared to a good ad
vantage in his grilling cross-question
ing of Netheway.
Asked if he Bad told the crew of a
Milwaukee train that Ills wife had
been murdered "by a nigger” before
he found her body he said he had not.
He declared that he had only told
the railroad men that there had been
foul play and he wanted them to look
for “a nigger.”
"What ’nigger’ did you want them
to look out for?" asked Smith’s coun
sel.
Netheway half rose from hiB chair
and pointing his finger toward Smith,
said : "That nigger there.”
"Do you know as an independent
fact," asked Smith’s counsel, “That
Smith committed this crime?”
“Yes, I do,” Netheway answered
loudly. "That nigger sitting there
killed my wife!”
Smith Maintains Calm.
Smith, who maintained his calm
demeanor throughout the trial, did
(Continued on Page 4)
“Billy” Crutchfield
Buried Sunday
The funeral of the late William
H. (“Billy”) Crutchfield, who died at
his late residence, 2527 Patrick ave
nue, November 13, after a protracted
illness, was held from Grove Methodist
Church Sunday aftemon at 2 o’clock
under the auspices of Omaha Lodge
No. 146 A. F. and A. M., P. H. Jen
kins, W. M. The Rev. G. G. Logan,
D. D., pastor of Grove Church offi
ciated. The church was filled to over
flowing, scores being unable to gain
admittance. The floral offerings were
numerous and costly. Interment was
at Forest Lawn cemetery. Banks and
Wilks were the undertakers in charge.
“Billy” Crutchfield, who was one
of the proprietors of The Midway
saloon, and accounted a shrewd busi
ness man, was well-liked for his good
nature and open-handed generosity.
He had been successful in investing
in real estate and left an estate val
ued at $50,000. In his will, which was
probated Tuesday, he remembered
many of his old friends and be
queathed $500 to the N. W. C. A.
Home, to which he had given gener
ously in his life time. His widow re
ceives the Patrick avenue residence,
his diamonds and jewelry and $10,000.
His mother is given $5,000; a sister,
$5,000; and each of three brothers and
nephews and nieces, $500.
The several relatives and friends
from out of town attended the funeral:
Mrs. Mary A. Robinson, his mother;
his sister, Mrs. Katherine Wagner;
and brothers, Fred, Eddie Crutchfield;
his nieces, Mrs. Cora Hennington, and
husband, Joseph; Mrs. Elnora Robin
■ sor, the Misses Frances, Cecelia and
Genevieve Wagner, all of Ottumwa,
la.; his half sister, Mrs. Nancy Walker
and her daughter; and Mrs. Ollie Tur
ner, of Washington, la.; Mrs. Versa
Rice and J “Hookie” Tolton of Kansas
City, Mo.; Miss Eddie L. Washington,
of Kansas City, Kans.; Than Travis,
of St. Paul, Minn.; Tony Rogers, of
Minneapolis; Charley Phelps and Mad
ison Evans, of St. Joe, Mo.; Hugh
White and Ray Munroe and A. G. Gil
lispy, of Excelsior Spi'ings, Mo.
ATCIIISON, KANSAS.
Mrs. J. W. Stone left Sunday with
her sick daughter, Miss Cecil Penis
ton, for Kansas City, Mo., where Miss
Peniston will enter St. Margaret's
hospital. Friends hope to see her at
home soon.
Mr. Frank White of Excelsior
Springs, Mo., passed through the
city Sunday en route to Omaha to
attend the funeral of Billy Crutch
field.
Dr. W. W. Caldwell, who recently
moved to Kansas City, was an Atchi
son visitor Sunday at the residence
of Prof. W. E. Gray.
Tony Taylor, who went to Excel
slor Springs with his daughter, Ger
tie, for his health, writes that he is
not doing so well.
Mrs. J. W. Starr, who returned
from Omaha a few weeks ago where
she had made her home for many
years, is a very sick woman, at the
residence of Mrs. A. A. Davis.
Ed. Covington left Tuesday for St.
Joe, Mo., feeling much better.
Perry Allen of Kansas City is in
the city on business.
Mrs. Clara Webster has returned
from Danville, 111., where she has
been visiting and looking after her
j property.
The Hon. Matthew Marten of Hol
ton is visiting his daughter, Mrs.
John Jordan. Mr. Marten has made
a success in Holton practicing law.
NOTICE
The family of the late William H.
■ Crutchfield are grateful for the kind
ness and expressions of sympathy
j from many friends in their recent be
; reavement.
MT. MORIAH BAPTIST
CHURCH NEWS
On Thursday, the 29th, Thanksgiv
ing Day, service will be held at 11
o’clock, and the pastor will preach.
Envelopes have been given out, and
we hope that the members, friends
and others who worship with us, will
make this a special effort in showing
the real meaning of Thanksgiving. No
dinner will be served by the church.
' Have your dinner at home with your W'
family and friends. Bring an offer
; ing and come into His courts with
Thanksgiving.
Miss A. B. Anderson, one of our
members, is at the University Hos
pital, 42nd and Dewey avenue. Mr.
P. J. Taylor, another, is at 2512 Cum
ing. They will be glad to see you.
ri