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A National Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Colored Americans \
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THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor '■*o,
-—---—-—-- \ -
$1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy _OMAHA. NEBRASKA, FEBRUARY 23, 1918 Vol. III. No. 34 U Jo. 137)
A Wonderful Day
at Camp Logan
And Some Interesting Farts Concern
ing Colonel Franklin A. Dennison
and His Remarkable Career.
BY FRED C. WILLIAMS.
HOUSTON, Tex., Feb. 22.—A poe;
once said, ‘‘Some men are born
great, some achieve greatness and
others have greatness thrust upon
them.” That some achieve greatness
is eminently true of the central figure
in this article—Colonel Franklin A.
Dennison of the 370th Infantry, U. S.
A., formerly the Eighth Illinois Na
tional Guards.
I say “great” because I have some
personal knowledge of this man’s ca
reer. He is a Texan, born in the city
of San Antonio, where he received his
first teachings and the foundation for
his education at the hands of a benevo
lent Quakeress. At an early age young
Frank, as he was called by every one,
being the oldest boy of a widowed
mother, with a large family to sup
port, found that he had to go to work.
It being up to him to choose his voca
tion he chose the blacksniithing trade,
and as he stood at his anvil from day
to day, whipping the sledge under the !
direction of his tutor, and afterwards !
as he progressed in knowledge of the
finer points of blacksmithing, he was j
ever restless and he found that his
ambition was directed higher than the '
forge.
He was a constant reader—that is, i
he read everything he could get—the
free almanacs distributed by the drug
stores, the scraps? of newspapers and a
copy of the Congressional Record,
brought to him sometimes by a friend,
was to him the most interesting of all.
He even read as he ate his noonday
lunch, seated on the work-day bench
^ in that old sheetiron smithy shop, just
on the bunk of the San Antonio river.
Behind the court house, a visit to
which by Frank on the day of a big
sensational trial, when everybody hud
a half-holiday to hear the arguments
of the eloquent lawyers for which the
South is renowned, was the turning
point in young Frank’s career. He
realized he was destined for the law.
He had worked hard and saved his
earnings, and with the help of a few
friends started for Howard university,
where he finished in the allotted time;
took a post-graduate course at Lincoln
Law School and landed in Chicago.
His only assets were his nerve and
his ambition, which was a strong de
termination to climb as high on the
ladder of success as any one man was
able, to be better able to fight the bat
tle of his race. As I sat in the tent of
the K. O. (that is military slang foi*
■“colonel”) and listened to this strong
and aggressive man speak in deep yet
well modulated tones, I was much im
pressed with the words that he had
just finished speaking.
“Yes, Williams, I am the only race
man in command of a regiment in the
service of the United States,” he said.
“Because I am first a Christian, next
an American, a Texan by birth, an
illinoisian by adoption—the last to
whom I am more than grateful—I am
determined that they shall not regret
the trust they have reposed in me.”
For wherever the old Eighth goes
you can bet she will make good from
the K. O. down to the last buck pri
vate. As I stood in front of his tent
and the music of the regimental band
floated across the parade grounds,
where guard mount was being set up,
I thought of this man’s early ambi
tions and determination, and in fine I
, can say, like many others, he has
grown great and is great and will be
greater.
His last words when we shook hands
in parting were: “God bless you and
be with >ou till we meet again!” which
I hope will be when this cruel war is
over and he shall be greater.
Colonel, I salute you!
SELECT MEN AT CAMP SHER
MAN TO BE TRANSFERRED
Rockford, 111.—Two thousand Negro
soldiers are to be transferred from
Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, O., to
Camp Grant, according to announce
ment here recently.
They will bo assigned to the 183d
Brigade of Negro troops.
Y. M. C. A. BUILDING
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Columbus, O.—Work has been start-*
ed on the Colored barnch of the Y.
M. C. A. here. The new building and
site will cost $115,000 when com
pleted.
HOSTESS HOUSE FOR SOLDIERS
A Suitable Quarters Where Colored
Soldiers May Entertain Female
Relatives and Friends.
_
Atlanta, Ga.—During his visit to
[Camp Gordon, Atlanta, Ga., Mr. Em
mett J. Scott, special assistant to the
[ secretary of war, announced to a com
mittee of Colored citizens who are co
operating with the war auxiliary com
mimttee, that a hostess house has been
provided by the YoungWomen’sChris
tian association for the benefit of Col
ored troops stationed at Camp Gordon
and their female relatives who visit
them from time to time.
This hostess house will offer oppor
tunities for the Colored soldiers to
meet their female relatives under dig
nified and comfortable circumstances.
The announcement that this hostess
house is to be provided has brought
very great pleasure and satisfaction
to the Colored citizens of Atlanta and
vicinity.
Proud Father
of Thirty-Five
this Patriotic Colored Citizen Has
Fourteen Brave, Brawny Sons in
Service of Uncle Sam.
BEATS ROOSEVELTEAN IDEAL
Who Dare Deny That John Borden
is Doing His Hit to Defeat
the Kaiser?
/GOLDSBORO, N. C.—During the
ViF progress of a divorce case in the
superior court, which is engaged in
the trial of civil actions, on Wednes
day of last week, in which John Bor
den, a well known Colored farmer of
this county, was a witness for the
plaintiff, a startling revelation of
facts was brought out which elicited
the attention of th' court and amused
the spectators and caused the attor
neys to “sit up and take notice.”
In the course of the cross-examina
tion, while Borden was on the witness
stand, Judge Wheedbee, in a spirit of
fun, asked him if he wanted to marry
the woman after she got a divorce, or,
in other words, was he trying to help
her to get divorce in order that he
might marry her?
This question, which Borden answer
ed in the negative, gave the old man
an opening and he didn’t fail to taka
advantage of the opportunity, and for
a few minutes he held the undivided
attention of his audience, while the
judge recorded his remarkable story',
which we give below, owing to out"
limited time and space, in as con
densed form as possible.
Borden, in answer to the judge’s
question, as noted above, said that he
had been married three times,his third
wife being still living; that he was the
j father of thirty-five children, fifteen
by his first wife, twelve by his second
; wife and eight by his present wife;
! that his first wife gave birth to four
boys each time for three times, mak
ing a total of twelve, and at one time
i bus second wife presented him with
three boys and one girl.
Concluding he said that twenty
seven of his children were still living,
the youngest being only 22 months
old, and that he had fourteen sons in
Uncle Sam’s army. He said that he
was 02 years of age.
If thus old man hasn’t “done his bit”
toward raising Uncle Sam an army
then we’ll give it up.
FIRE DESTROYS HISTORIC
DETROIT CHURCH
(Special to The Monitor.)
Detroit, Mich.—The Second Baptist
Church, situated on Monroe avenue,
and one of the landmarks of this city,
was destroyed by fire Wednesday
night, February 13. The church ha3
a membership of 2,000, being the larg
est Colored congregation in the city.
The church was organized 78 years
ago and the property is valued at
$75,000. The probability is that the
church will be rebuilt on a new site.
$50,000 HOME FOR POOR
Kansas City, Mo.—On Tuesday,
February 12th, a delegation of repre
sentative Colored citizens called to the
County Farm beyond the Little Blue
to meet the Judges of the Cpunty
Court and the County Architect and
discuss the plans and select the site
for locating the new county home for
aged and infirm Negroes of Jackson
county. The proposed building is to
be strictly up-to-date and modern and
will cost $50,000.00.
“Sam,” or “Somewhere in
France”
As Recited by J. Homer Tutt of “The Smarter Set”; the Feature
of the New Show, “My People.”
—
(Mr. Tutt has just been handed a telegram informing him of
his pal, “Sam’s,” death “Somewhere in France.”)
rAEAD! Dead! I feel like saying, “I told you so!”
Of course he was one of the first ones to go.
He was one of those chaps that must be in front
In every scrap, and there stand the brunt
Of the bitterest fighting! You bet he was game!
If the battle was lost he was never to blame.
I begged him to stay, but he would take the chance.
And now—he is dead—“Somewhere in Fi ance.”
Dead, Somewhere in France! O the pity, the shame;
Just one of the millions that’s over there slain.
But there’ll come a reck’ning and some one must pay,
For a just God has said to us, “Thou shalt not slay.”
«
CAM was not one of the commonplace kind;
^ He was one in a million so seldom we find.
His face shone bright with the glory of youth;
Upright his actions, his lips spoke the truth.
Either study or play he engaged with a vim ;
He discounted failure, for he knew he would win.
There was never an “exam” that Sam did not pass—
Seemed to have a term’s lease on the head of the class.
We were all proud to follow when Sam set the pace;
Who contested with him had to take second place.
There was none envied Sam for his rapid advance;
And now—he is dead—Somewhere in—France!
I WAS his pal and the first one to know
^ He would answer the summons—to me ’twas a blow.
I tried to dissuade him, but I knew ’twas no use;
He just smiled at my pleading, ignored my abuse.
I said he was crazy and had not the right
To forsake his people and enter this fight.
Yes, I was disloyal, but my heart was with Sam
When I said that this country cared not a damn
For him or his service. “Why, the black in your face
Is a sign of dishonor, a badge of disgrace!”
Then the look in his eyes was determined and fine;
The same courage he showed when bucking the line
And bowlin’ ’em over—yes, making them roll
Aside from his path until he placed the goal.
44jV/TY COUNTRY has called—1 am not asking why?”
And then he continued: “ 'Tis little care I
What some people may say, or how others define
My race or my color—this country is mine!
My people earned title by the sweat of their brow,
.In factory and field; ’tis my heritage now.
For Liberty Crispins Attucks’ was the first blood to spill;
Peter Salem fought bravely at old Bunker Hill;
Many black men died fighting down at New Orleans
With brave Andrew Jackson, back of his cotton bale screens.
The brave Tenth at San Juan and gory Carrazal
Is a record of glory, a tale known to all.
Through no crisis in history that this country has fared,
No struggle, nor conflict, that my race has not shared.”
I can still hear him speaking, see the fire in his glance;
And now—he is dead—Somewhere in France!
HE died while in action. This tells of the fight,
Of the brilliant charge made in the gray morning light;
How they rushed from their trenches; nor rifle, nor shell,
Could stay their mad rush. Good God, it was hell!
Sam carried the flag; in the front was his place.
“Come on, boys!” he shouted. “For your country and race!”
Rifle, shrapnel nor shell could those gallant boys stay;
Demoralized, the enemy fled in dismay.
Sam carried the flag to their works’ highest crest,
Then fell when a rifle ball pierced through his breast.
He fell, but he kept the old flag waving high,
’Till ’twas grasped by a comrade who was fighting nearby.
And these w'ords were the last his lips ever gave sound:
“Boys, I nevek once let the old flag touch the ground!”
A NDI called him a fool! But never again.
^*‘Such heroes as Sam was cannot die in vain.
He died for his country, not forgetting his race,
And when history is writ Sam’s name will have place
With other black men, who will as gallantly die
For their country as he, and never ask why.
And America must remember such heroes as Sam,
Nor reckon their COLOR, but remember the MAN;
For our heroes have died, be it thus understood,
For One Country, One People and One Brotherhood.
SALEM TU.TT WHITNEY.
610 North Thirty-ninth Street, Philadelphia.
WILLIAM H. SKEENE DIES
Boston, Mass.—William H. Skeene,
grand secretary of the Prince Hall
Grand Lodge of the State of Massa
chusetts, well known to the Masonic
fraternity of the United States and
also a race leader of this state, is dead.
CHILDREN MAKE A RECORD
Atlanta, Ga.—The Atlanta school
children have made a magnificent
showing during the two weeks of the
campaign for sales of the thrift
stamps, when they sold $200,000 worth
of stamps to the citizens of Atlanta.
RELIEF FOR O U R
SOLDIERS’ FAMILIES
Little Rock, Ark.—The Colored wo
men of Arkansas are responding nobly
to the appeal of the National Colored
Soldiers’ Comfort committee at Wash
ington for funds to relieve the distress
of the familmies of the Colored sol
diers recently hanged and imprisoned
for life at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Colored women of this state feel that
those men suffered for the race and
that they met their tragic end in de
fense of Colored womanhood.
RIOTERS AND MURDERERS
GET OFF CHEAPLY
I
—
Belleville, 111., Feb. 14.—Cornelius
Meehan and Cornelius Hickey, former
police officers of East St. Louis, 111.,
pleaded guilty in the circuit court to
charges of rioting in connection with
the East St. Louis race riots of last
July. Each was fined $50. Hickey
formerly was night chief of police. Al
bert Lee Wilson also pleaded guilty
and was fined $50.
The state dismissed charges of riot
ing and conspiracy against Henry
Coombs and John Haley and a murder
charge against James O’Brien, former
policeman. All these are white.
Tennessee Burns
Its Third Victim
Reasonable to Believe That Huns Are
Horrified and Turks Terror-Stricken
by Reports Reaching Them of i
American Atrocities.
THE WHOLE COUNTRY GUILTY
______
Just as Long as These Barbarous Out- !
rages Are Permitted to Continue j
Through National Indifference.
_
E' STILL SPRINGS, Tenn., Feb. 13,
■t—A mob estimated at several'thou
sand people, burned Jim Mcllherron at
the stake here yesterday after forcing
from him the usual confession (?) by J
the application of red hot irons.
Trouble began when three whits
men were killed in a running duel with
the Colored man. There were no eye
witnesses to the tragedy, which took j
place in a deserted part of the town,!
and no one seems able to establish the
cause. A mob of infuriated citizens
was hastily formed and started in pur
suit of Mcllherron. When the posse,
whoso numbers had been augmented
by many hnudreds, on its dash for
vengeance, reached Prairie, a Colored
settlement twelve miles east of here,
they suspected their quarry had spent
the night with the pastor of the church
located there. An attempt was made
to arrest Rev. Mr. Lynch for thus aid
ing the fugitive, whereupon the
preacher got down his old musket and
fired into the mob, injuring several
seriously, if not mortally. He was in
turn overpowered and shot to death.
| They came upon Mcllherron several
miles away at McMirville, where he
put up a brave battle, but being out
numbered by 1,000 to one was forced
to surrender. Another mob of a thou- |
sand persons met the train on which
he was brought back here. A sister
of one of the victims addressed the
crowd, denounced his slayer and called
for summary vengeance. The prisoner
was then taken out of town, chained to
a tree, where red hot irons were ap- |
plied to his body in order to extort the
usual confession. He was then burned
to death.
The mob-Crazed people collected the
charred bones of the victim for sou
veniors. This was the third burning
of Negroes in which Tennessee has
engaged within the past eight months,
the others being at Memphis and
Dyersburg.
PRIVATE JOHN BURNETT
DIES IN FRANCE
Topeka, Kas.—John C. Burnett of
Topeka, reported among the dead in
France by General Pershing, is a Col
ored man. He had been a waiter in
hotels here until last summer, when
he enlisted in one of the stevedore
regiments recruited for service in
France. He leaves a wife and mother
in Topeka.
Colored Man s
Big Opportunity
To Continue Trade and Serve Coun
try; Tailors, Canvas Men and
Leather Workers Needed at Once;
Good Pay; Rapid Advancement.
CAMP FUNSTON, Kan,, Feb. 16.—
The vast amount of leather and
canvas goods used by the army is in
constant need of repair. One of the
chief functions of the Ordnance De
partment, Ninety-second Division, is
to take care of this kind of work, con
sequently skilled Colored men who
have been leather workers, saddlers
or harness men, tailQrs or canvas men
are urgently needed in the ordnance
detachmetns which will accompany
the Ninety-second Division (all Color
ed troops).
Furthermore, an excellent oppor
tunity is offered to Colored men skill
ed in the above trades to become non
commissioned officers. It is planned
to promote rapidly those who qualify
to fill the existing vacancies. The pay
for the enlisted man w'ill vary from
$30 a month for private to $51 a
month for ordnance sergeant.
Those applicants who are accepted
will have the advantage of a course of
instruction varying from fifty to sev
enty days at government expense at
the various schools established for
that purpose, and upon completion
will rejoin their units. No previous
military experience is necessary and
any one of military age can volunteer.
Applications are now being received
and those interested should communi
cate at once with division ordnance
officer, Ninety-second Division, Camp
Funstion, stating full name, educa-t
tion, trade, qualifications, previous
civil experience, with name or names
of employers, and also name and num
ber of local drafting board. Letters
of recommendations should accom
pany the application. As the mobile
shop is rapidly reaching its enlisted
strength no delay should be incurred
in order to assure favorably action on
your application.
All correspondence should be ad
dressed to Lieutenant J. L. Butler,
Ninety-second Division Headquarters,
Camp Funston, Kansas.
NATIONAL SOLDIERS COMFORT
COMMITTEE INCORPORATED
AS PERMANENT BODY
Washington, D. C.—The National
Colored Soldiers Committee has been
incorporated as a permanent organi
zation, under the laws of Congress
here. Under its incorporation it can
contribute to the relief of any and all
worthy charities and charity institu
tions as well as for the relief of de
pendents of Colored soldiers. It incor
porated with Prof. Kelly Miller^ dean
at Howard University, president; J.
C. Napier, banker, treasurer, and
Ralph W. Tyler, the well known news
paper writer, as national secretary in
charge of the campaign for funds and
membership.
MISS WATERS GETS
POSITION AT HOWARD
Washinghton, I). C.—Miss Phyllis
Wheatley Waters, the talented daugh
ter of Col. and Mrs. Phil Waters, of
Charleston, W. Va., has been appoint
ed instructor of French in the De
partment of Modem Languages of
Howard University. Miss Waters is
a graduate of the University of Mich
igan, and throughout her course in the
college and in the high school at Ann
Arbor she was a favorite with teach
ers hnd classmates. She has the dis
tinction of being the first Colored girl
in the history of the University of
Michigan to win her letters in athlet
ics, and for several terms was captain
of the basketball team of the institu
tion. She finished with high honors
in the class of 1917.
GREAT ARMY DEPOT TO BE
ERECTED AT NORFOLK
NEED 6,000 COLORED MEN
Norfolk, Va.—Porter Bros., of Spo
kane, Wash., contractors for the great
army depot to be erected in this city,
have opened offices at 300 Withers
Building. They have announced that
they need 12,000 men, and can use
from five to six thousand Colored
men in the work.
MAY GO TO CAMP FUNSTON
Camp Meade, Md.—It is understood
here that the two Colored regiments
in camp here, the 351st and 368th,
will soon be ordered to Camp’Funs
ton at Fort Riley, Kans.
