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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 1919)
- ™g”ui i I he Monitor i__ A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS. » THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS. Editor ® $2.00 a Year. 5c a Copy OMAHA. NEBRASKA. SEPTEMBER 4, 1919_Vol. V. No. 9 0 |>le No. 218) “No Excuse for Shooting Bellboy,” Says Sutton s. ___ __ ___——_g Bellboy Wantonly Shot and Killed Police Officers of the So-Called Morals Squad, Which Has Been Charged With High-Handed and Blundering Methods, Raid Plaza Hotel. FRIGHTENED YOUTH RUNS FROM HOTEL Pursued by Officers and Is Shot Down in Cold Blood Without the Slightest Excuse for the Tragedy—Police Seek to Fix Blame for Murder on Watchman—-Inquest Crowds Court Room to Limit. THERE was not the slightest ex cuse for the killing of the boy,” said Detective Paul Sutton of the . i.— morals squad at the inquest in district court room just before noon Wednes day. This answer was made by Sut ton, who was on the witness stand, to the following question put to him by County Attorney Shotwell, w ho is per sonally conducting the inquest, assist ed by his chief deputy, W. W. Sla baugh: "Mr. Sutton, was there, in your opinion, the slightest excuse for the killing of this boy?” "No, sir,” was his unhesitating reply. “There was not the slightest shadow of an excuse for it.” The large courtroom is crowded to the doors, many being unable to gain admission, showing the intense inter est in the inquest which is being con ducted, as we go to press, to fix re sponsibility upon the man who fired the shot which killed Eugene Scott, a 22-year-old bellboy, employed at the J Hotel Plaza, early Monday morning. ' The large audience in the courtroom was about equally divided between the races. Eugene Scott, aged 22 years and married, came to Omaha a few months ago from Gainesville, Tex., and w'as employed as bellboy at the Hotel Plaza. Mr. Kilkenny, the proprietor, says he was one of the most decent, steady and dependable fellows he had ever had in his employ. He had gone on duty Sunday night. Among his duties was the ringing in of the West ern Union fire and burglar alarm boxes on every floor except the first every hour. At 1 o’clock Monday morning he had gone up to the top floor of the building to ring in and had rung in two of the upper floors. Between the third and fourth floors he was encountered by Paul Sutton of the morals squad, which had raided the hotel in quest of "gambling, prostitu tion and booze.” Sutton, it is alleged, charged him w'ith having whisky. The boy started down the stairs, when De tective Brigham, who was standing on the stairs, made a grab for him. Scott ■ ran down the stairs, pursued by Brig ham, and as he reached the first floor Sergeant Thestrup grabbed at him and tore a large strip out of the boy’s shirt. Scott darted out the front door, followed by Brigham and Armstrong, and rushed eastward across Four teenth street and down the alley be tween Harney and Howard. Brigham drew his gun and shot twice at the fleeing boy, shouting, according to witnesses: “Stop him! Shoot him! Shoot the-!” As Scott reached the intersection of Thirteenth street and the alley Spe cial Officer Holman of the Union Pa cific railroad, a watchman, hearing the shouts and seeing the boy run ning, fired. Scott fell and died almost instantly. He was shot in the left side, just under the arm, the bullet pene trating the heart. The Western Union box key was still clutched in his hand when he fell. Brigham claims that it was Holman and not he who shot Scott. Holman was placed under arrest. It was reported that Scott had whisky in his possession, which is ap parently a wilful and deliberate lie. But even if this statement were true there would be no justification for his murder. /All classes of citizens are most out spoken in their condemnation and will insist that nothing is left undone to bring the guilty to justice. The Omaha branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is taking active interest in the matter. The body of Scott was taken in charge by Silas Johnson, the under taker, and it is expected will be ship ped to Gainesville, Tex., for burial. Three Murderers Escape During Knoxville Riots Whisky Stored in Jail Soon Disap pears W'hen Mob Enters Building. Knoxville, Tenn., Aug. 31.—After the doors of the county jail had been battered down by the mob which was seeking Maurice Mays, the Negro who had been taken into custody for the killing of Mrs. Bertie Lindsey early Saturday morning, a number of pris oners escaped through the crowd. Among them were two convicted of I first degree murder and one under sentence to be electrocuted. Among the prisoners missing are: Ehude Fel lows, charged with the murder of Wes , ley Nichols; Charles Paul of Lafol iette, charged with the murder of a wealthy Greek, and C. W. White of Blount county, under sentence to be electrocuted for the murder of a white man in Blount county. Two federal prisoners escaped from the third floor of the jail. Sam Huffaker, an alleged murderer from Sevier county, was among the prisoners who refused to leave the jail. On the second floor of the jail a battering ram, twelve or fifteen feet long, was found after the mob had finished their work of searching for Mays, who previously had been re moved to Chattanooga for safekeep ing. When the leaders found the Negro , was not in the jail the mob turned its attention to a large quantity of illicit ! whisky which had been found stored in one room. The head of a sixteen gallon keg w'as smashed in, cups were produced and the liquor vanished rap idly. Cases of quart bottles of whisky were broken open and the bottles rap idly carried away. REPORTS CONDITIONS IN VIRGIN ISLANDS (By Associated Negro Press.) New York, Sept. 3.—Rothschild Francis, a West Indian and member of the St. Thomas (Virgin Islands) 'egislature, addressed an audience of about 250 persons here recently on the subject of the conditions of the Negro race in the Virgin Islands. The speaker said that conditions were so bad there that the black man was little better than a slave. More than 8,000 Negroes, he said, had left the islands and migrated to this coun try in the last few years. Mr. Francis said that he had re cently appeared before the foreign relations committee of the senate and had discussed the situation with it. He said that he had been promised that a bill would be introduced pro viding that three senators and three members of the house of representa tives should bo sent to investigate conditions in the islands. Mr. Francis said that the inhabit ants wanted a reorganization of their judiciary and school systems after the American plan. FORMER SOLDIER LYNCHED IN LOUISIANA No Arrests Follow Action of Mob in Bogalusa. Bogalusa, La., Aug. 31.—After Lucius McCarty, discharged Negro soldier, had been trailed by blood hounds, caught and identified by a white woman as the man who attacked her Sunday night, a mob of more than a thousand men lynched the Negro in 1 daylight, tied his body to an automo bile, dragged it through the principal streets and burned it in front of the | home of the woman here today. Before the sheriff could arrive on j the scene most of the body had been burned. No arrests in connection with the lynching were made. I _____________ \SKS HEARING BEFORE FOREIGN RELATIONS COM. Boston, Sept. 3—The National Equal Bights league, through its correspond ing secretary, William M. Trotter of this city, has sent a telegram to Sen ator Lodge, asking for a healing be fore the senate foreign relations com mittee. The league desires to present its views in support of an amend ment to the League of Nations coven ant guaranteeing full protection of life and full equality of rights to all Negro citizens of the allied and as sociated nations. SHILLADY’S STATEMENT — Statement by John R. Shillady, Sec retary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. NEW YORK, Sept. 3.—Unless Tex as repudiates the statement of her governor expressing satisfaction with j a brutal and unprovoked attack upon an unoffending United States citizen ; she will have confessed herself a law less state. I went to the capital of Texas, Aus tin, having telegraphed the attorney general and a justice of the peace, offering any information concerning ! the National Association for the Ad 1 vancement of Colored People which they desired. My first call after meet ing with a committee of the local branch of our organization was at the office of the governor. That being closed I proceeded to the attorney 1 general's office and conferred with Acting Attorney General W. A. Keel ing. I offered him the fullest informa tion concerning the purposes, methods end work of the association, handing him a copy of our most important pub ! lications. After this interview, which lasted some time, I proceeded to the | Adjutant general’s office where I had an extended interview with Acting Ad I iutant General Colonel W. D. Cope, j I informed both of these officials of my intention to see the governor and 1 the commander of the Texas Rangers. The object of my journey to Austin was to ascertain why the books and papers and other property of the local branch had been subpoenaed by a local justice of the peace and examined by state officials and to offer to these i officials a much fuller record thatj 1 could be obtained from an examination of the association’s national reports I and publications, copies of which I brought for that purpose. In the light of these facts it is sheer i and deliberate falsification for Texas i mobbists to charge me with being an “agitator” and inciting Negroes against white men. The assault upon me, by a group I of men, including a county iudge and | a constable occurred after I had been 1 baled before a secret session of a so 1 cal'ed "court of inquiry” in which in addition to legitimate questions, I was : asked insulting personal questions by the county attorney, such as: “If you’re such a nigger lover why don’t you go and stay in a nigger ho : tel ?” and personal reference as to how I’d like to have my wife in close personal association with “niggers.” The county judge who took part in the assault in broad daylight in one i >f the main streets of the capital of I Texas was present at the secret ses | sion of the court and had full oppor ; tunity to hear all of my testimony. Had there been the slighest question | as to the legality of my intentions and j acts, it is perfectly certain that I would have been arrested in so hostile an environment. After the hearing the presiding judge invited me to come to his of fice to confer with him that night. This invitation I declined although at that time I did not think as I do now that it would have meant an assault if not a killing in the seclusion of an unkept second story office, as my assailants the next morning were the 1 same group that loitered about the building in which the court was held. While directly opposite the Hotel i Driskill I was approached from be hind by a group of men in an auto i mobile. One of them, the constable who had summoned me to the secret session the day before, took hold of my arm while the rest gathered round. Anticipating another subpoena, I waited expectantly. Instead of a subpoena I was showered with blows from all sides. No assistance was offered me on the street or when I went into my hotel. The association will not allow this dastardly attack to pass unchallenged. What happened to me personally is of little consequence. The law has been defamed. Mob violence which the as sociation is pledged to fight, has re ceived the sanction of the governor of Texas. The association will there fore act as follows: 1. Congress will be asked to in vestigate this specific assault on the ground that the governor of Texas approved a criminal assault made by public officials upon a citizen of an other state. 2. Following the precedent of the Mooney and the Bisbee deportation cases the president will be asked to j appoint without delay, a responsible investigating commission. Governor; Smith of New York will be called upon : to demand protection for citizens of! New York visiting Texas. A legal j committee has been appointed to in itiate proceedings against the mob- j bists. The committee is composed of i Moorfield Storey and Butler Wilson of Boston; Chas. H. Studio and Arthur] Spingarn of New York, and George I W. Crawford of New Haven. 3. An appeal to the public opinion ; of the nation will be made through the ! press and mass meetings one of which is planned for next week in this city. The mayor and sheriff of San An tonio, Tex., do not take the same view of the activities of the National As sociation for the Advancement of Colored people as the mobbists who assaulted the national secretary, Mr. Shillady, in Austin. The following report to the San Antonio branch of the N. A. A. C. P. ty a committee which was appointed there shows a promising approach to the race problem in that city: To the San Antonio Branch National Association for the Advancement of Colored People: Your committee appointed to confer with the mayor, the sheriffs depart ment and the publishers of the Ex press of this city, beg leave to report that an epitome of the views of the association publicly expressed in our last regular meeting to the effect that the great body of Colored people here stand ready to join the authorities and 'mouiders of public opinion through their editorial and news columns, in suppressing every phase of lawless ness and removing whatever of misun derstanding there might be lodging still in the public mind, was presented to these officials. The mayor and sheriff showed the keenest delight and satisfaction in the purpose and spirit of our mission, and promised the fullest co-operation with our association in all matters affect ing race relations here. But each expressed the opinion that our under standing and friendly relations were too close and strong for any sort of trouble to grow up among San An tonio people. Mr. Huntree, president of the Daily Express Publishing company, assured us that the Express would ever ad vocate close and friendly relations between the races as it had always done, and that its news columns would remain closed to exciting and highly colored accounts of race conflicts— such accounts as would be translated into acts of violence by the reckless classes. They are commended the high stand taken by the association for the public good. (Signed) J. J. Johnson, pastor A. M. E. church; H. M. Tarver, principal Dunbar school; H. S. Sims, pastor Bethel A. M. E. church. WILI. BE FIRED BACK WITH BROKEN JAW, SAYS TEXAS GOVERNOR Fort Worth, Tex., Sept. 2.—Gov ernor W. P. Hobby of Texas, speaking before the convention of Kiwanis clubs here, again declared himself in favor of intervention by the United States in Mexico. “The American army was used on the other side of the Atlantic to force Germany to honor the American flag,” Governor Hobby said, “and it is equal ly imperative that it should be used for the purpose of forcing other people to respect it on this side of the ocean.” While not mentioning his name, Governor Hobby touched on the recent attack on John A. Shillady of New York, secretary of the National As sociation for the Advancement of Col ored People, at Austin. "I believe in Texas for Texans only and justly as strongly do I believe that Texas should say how the affairs of the state should be conducted," the governor said. “And I believe in send ing any narrow-brained, doubled-chin reformer who comes here with the end in view of stirring up racial discon tent, back to the north where he came from with a broken jaw, if necessary.” Read good books. Confesses She Lied About Colored Men Woman Who, Weeping ar.d Hysterical, Claimed She Was the Victim of an Assault by Two Negroes Outside Carnival Grounds, Repudiates State ment. TELLS POLICE STORY WAS PURE FABRICATION (Special to The Monitor,) WASHINGTON, D. C„ Sept. 3.— *V Thursday, August 14, Mrs. Min nie Franklin, white, told the police that she had been attacked and crim inally assaulted by two young Negroes about 22 years of age in a secluded spot near the carnival grounds, this city. Weeping and hysterical, she was taken to a near-by hospital. She was questioned by the authorities and finally confessed that her story was a pure fabrication. In the meanwhile the police were searching for “two young Negroes, wearing white shirts,” according to the description given by Mrs. Franklin of her alleged assail ants, but had taken none into custody. Upon her admission that she had lied, the police department dropped the case. Mrs. Franklin resides at 1361 K street, S. E. What her motive could have been in putting out this damag ing story, which might have led to serious results, must be a matter of conjecture. HOSPITAL AND SCHOOL OF NURSING OPENED (By Associated Negro Press.) St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 3.—Hospital Commissioner Shupp announced that city hospital No. 2 which will be used exclusively for Negro patients will be ready for opening September 10. It is located at Garrison and Lawton avenues. All members of the hos pital staff will be Negroes, except the two head nurses who will be white women, because trained Negro nurses qualified for the position could not be secured. Miss Gertrude E. Martin and Miss Annista Mosler, who have been supervisors of nurses at the city hospital will be superintendent and assistant of nurses until Negro nurses can be trained to hold the position. A three years’ course in nursing will be offered Negro girls who have had a high school education. Fifteen Ne gro women, who will work as nurses at the hospital are now being trained at the city hospital. The staff physi cians and internes will be Negroes. When the hospital, which will have a capacity of 200 patients, opens it is expected to have about 176 patients, j All Negro patients cared for by the j city will be sent there. “GOD WILL DENY AMERICA WORLD LEADERSHIP" Prominent Clergyman Sounds Note of W'arning Against Racial Dis crimination and Injustice. (By Associated Negro Press.) Providence, R. I., Sept. 3.—Ameri ca’s treatment of the Negro was se verely criticised last Sunday by Rev. C. Edwin Silcox, white, pastor of the United Congregational church of New port, who gave the first of a series of sermons on “Race Riots in the United States and Their International Aspects.” He declared that unless this country puts a stop to racial discrimination and assertion of white superiority, it may be forced to defend its alleged superiority against the entire colored population of the world. “If more than a century of loyalty on the part of the colored race is not enough to convince America that the Negro is entitled to the full rights of citizenship, surely the record of our black soldiers in the world war should serve to win for him those rights. “The race riots which have occured in Chicago and Washington are serious affairs for this nation, and they are due to deeper causes than those which have been given. They are a result of racial discrimination, and unless it is eliminated America is building for itself a national menace.” Rev. Mr. Silcox further declared that if racial discrimination and in justice are allowed to continue here, God will deny America world leader ship. Minor Riots Add To Casualties Following .Saturday Night’s Rioting, When an Attack on Jail Was Re pulsed, Slight Outbreaks Occurred in Other Sections of CSty. MOUNTED MACHINE GUNS COMMAND RACE SECTION Number Killed and Wounded in Out break Being Determined With Diffi culty; Labor Day Parade Was Called Off as a Safety Measure. KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept, 3.— Minor riots occurred in Knoxville Sunday following the race riots Satur day night and early Sunday which were the sequel to the storming of the county jail by a mob intent upon lynching Maurice Mayes, a Negro, ac cused of the murder of Mrs. Bertie Lindsey. The casualty list was increased Sun day by four Negroes who resisted at tempts to search them for arms. All were wounded by national guardsmen, two being shot and the other two stabbed with bayonets. Eleven hundred guardsmen of the Fourth Tennessee infantry, under command of Adjutant General D. B. Sweeney of Nashville and Colonel Ewing Carruthers of Memphis, sup plemented by 200 special policemen and seventy-five special deputy sheriffs, patroled the city, dispersing crowds and searching all Negroes. Hundreds of weapons have been con fiscated from both whites and blacks. The guardsmen, who were in camp near the city for annual target prac tice, searched all Negroes arriving on trains and established a barred zone in the heart of the Negro district where the worst of the rioting early Sunday occurred. Four machine guns were mounted at a commanding point in this district and other machine guns were mounted on motor trucks ready for eventualities. Labor Parade Called Off. Union leaders called off the Labor day parade scheduled for Monday and candidates abandoned all political meetings announced in connection with campaign for municipal offices. There had been shooting in various sections of the city all day and this continued, causing dozens of riot calls. Most of this appeared to be hoodlum ism without injury to any one. How many have been killed and wounded remains largely a matter of guesswork. Some sections in which the most serious clashes occurred have not been searched thoroughly, and reports conflict as to the number of casualties which may be concealed there. Two men are known to have been killed; fourteen others, eight white and six Negroes, are in hos pitals. Of these four, two white and l o Hegioes, are not expected to sur vive their wounds. Sixteen wounded white men had their slight wounds dressed at one hospital and departed without their identity being made known. Many have had injuries dressed by private physicians ot their homes. TO INVESTIGATE RACE RIOTS (By Associated Negro Press) Resolved by the senate and house of representatives of the United States of America in congress assembled, that a committee composed of five members of the senate, be appoint ed for the purpose of investigating the race riots all over the United States and lynchings that have oc curred in the United States, and as certain if possible the causes of the same and what remedy should be em ployed to prevent the recurrence of i the same. Said committee shall have power to subpoena witnesses and com pel the attendance of the same, and to hold hearings in any part of the United States. The sum of $50,000 is hereby appropriated out of any money in the United States treasury not otherwise appropriated to defray the expense of such investigation. Don’t go around with a chip on your shoulder, because it offers a strong temptation to some other fellow to knock it off. i Be swift to hear and let thy life be sincere and with patience give answer.
