l=j the Monitor i ■= 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 11, 1919 Vol. V. [ yo (Whole No. 219)
Two Detectives Held to Court for Manslaughter
The Coroner’s Inquest at Scott Mur
der Recommends Holding Holman
for Shooting—County Attorney
Shotwell Files Information Against
Brigham and Armstrong Also.
JUDGE FITZGERALD HOLDS
THREE FOR SHOOTING
Several Witnesses at Preliminary
Hearing in Police Court Testify
That Officers Pursued Scott Shoot
ing and Shouting, “Stop Him, Kill
Him, Shoot the-”—Holman Said
He Fired Because He Thought He
Was Helping to Apprehend Some
Desperate Criminal,
YU/HEN we went to press last week
W the inquest was being held in
district court room over the shooting
and killing of Eugene Scott, bellboy at
the Plaza hotel. The coroner's jury,
which was composed of three colored
" —’ anil three white men, brought in a
verdict of manslaughter against Ed
gar Holman, special agent for the
Union Pacific. The evidence dis
closed the fact that Scott had been
guilty of no misdemeanor, but was
attending to his duties, when he was
chased out of the hotel by Officers
Brigham, Herdzina and Armstrong,
Sergeant Threstrap nearly tearing off
the boy's shirt as he dashed past him;
and that Brigham, Herdzina and Arm
strong pursued Scott who fled up the
alley, the officers shooting and shout
ing, “Stop him; shoot him; kill the
black son of a and that Edgar
Holman hearing the shooting and
cries and seeing the fugitive fired
to stop him. The bullet taken from
Scott’s body, it was claimed was one
from Holman’s pistol, there being a
slight difference in the weight of the
bullets fired by Holman and Brigham.
AT This was the slender fact upon which
the holding of Holman and not the
officers was urged by the jury. Pub
lic sentiment was by no means satis
fied with this verdict. The general
opinion was that voiced by The Mon
itor, to the effect that the officers,
too, should be held. This it soon de
veloped was also the view of County
Attorney Shotwell, who filed a com
plaint against all three.
The preliminary hearing was held
in the police court Wednesday morn
ing, September 10, Judge Fitzgerald
presiding. Mr. Shotwell appeared for
the state and was most thorough in
his conduct of the case. Attorney
Curran appeared for Officers Brig
ham and Armstrong. The witnesses
examined were Dr. McClanahan, De
tectives Sutton, Threstrup, who claim
ed that he was 1n charge of the
morals quad: Herdzina, James A.
Shannon, Ed Boyle and Thomas Mc
Mahon, reporters for the Bee, Daily
News and World-Herald, respectively;
Roy Stewart, guest at St. James ho
tel; Bill Ballard, chauffeur; George
Ward, St. James hotel, and Edgar
• Holman. This was the first time
Holman gave his testimony. He gave
the impression of an honest man tell
ing the truth. The same facts were
brought out by all the witnesses. The
three newspaper men testified that
one of the officers pursuing Scott
shouted, “Shoot, kill, etc.” Some were
positive that it was Armstrong; others
that it was Brigham; others said they
did not know which. All the evidence
agreed that Brigham was in the lead
and shot at least twice. Holman tes
tified that §eeing Scott running with
his shirt in ribbons, and hearing the
shots and the command from one of
the three pursuers whom he assumed
were officers, thought that Scott must
be a man who had done some desper
ate crime and that he ought to help
apprehend him. He drew his gun
and shot, “As I thought over the
man’s head.” He didn’t know Scott,
had never seen him and therefore
had no malice against him. His first
impulse was “not to mix in,” but
hearing the shouting and shooting,
he believed if the man were some
desperate criminal he ought to help
apprehend him.
The attorneys for Armstrong and
Brigham argued that their clients
should be dismissed, as the state had
rot proven their connection with the
shooting. Judge Fitzgerald held that
the evidence introduced clearly
showed that the language used by
these officers, their pursuit and shoot
ing at Scott, were unlawful acts which
undoubtedly had di iwct connection
with the killing as the inciting cause.
He therefore bound them over to the
district court on the charge of man
slaughter.
President-Elect of
Liberia Visits States
Will Spend Several Months Touring
Country and Studying American
Conditions, Accompanied by Wife,
Who Was Student at Howard with
Omaha Girl.
(Special to The Monitor by Walter J.
Singleton.)
WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept. 6.—
Vt The Hon. C. D. B. King, presi
dent-elect of the Republic of Liberia,
accompanied by Mrs. King, arrived in
Washington September 1. President
elect King landed in New York City
late in Augcst, having proceeded there
directly from the peace conference at
Versailles. The presidential couple
were met in New York by a represen
tative of the state department, who
escorted them to this city, where elab
orate preparations for their entertain
ment awaited them.. They were greet
ed at the Union station by a party of
prominent citizens, headed by Dr.
Emmett J. Scott, secretary-treasurer
of Howard university, and Dr. Ernest
Lyon of the Liberian consulate gen
eral at Baltimore, Md.
A sumptuous breakfast was tender
ed by the state department on the roof
garden of the capital’s leading hotel—
the New Washington—this morning at
10 o’clock, which was a brilliant morn
ing function, and thoroughly' enjoyed
by the presidential party. Among
those present were: Dr. and Mrs. Em
mett J. Scott, Dr. and Mrs. Ernest
Lyon, Judge and Mrs. Robert H. Ter
rell, Mr. and Mrs. William L. Houston,
Prof. Kelly Miller, Mr. James A. Cobb
and the Hon. William H. Lewis, who
acted as major domo.
President-elect and Mrs. King will
spend seve.al days viewing the sights
of Washington before setting out on
an extended tour of the country, which
will consume several weeks. A recep
tion committee is at work on a series
of entertainments, including a public
meeting, which will afford the cap
ital's citizens an opportunity' to meet
'.he distinguished visitors.
The president-elect, who is now sec
retary of state of the African repub
lic, will return to Monrovia, the cap
ital, after a three months’ stay in this
country, studying American condi
'ions When he returns he will take
with him the proceeds of a credit of
$5,000,000 extended to Liberia by the
United States.
Mrs. King, who was Miss Addie S.
Cooper of Liberia, was a student at
Howard university, with Miss Madree
Penn of Omaha, now on The Monitor
staff. Miss Penn tells this story of
the attractive and pleasant wife of the
president-elect of Liberia:
“Miss Cooper saw her first snow
storm after she came to Howard. I
have to laugh every time I think about
it. She was like a delighted child.
‘Isn’t it beautiful! Isn’t it beautiful!’
she exclaimed, as she clapped her
hands in glee. She got a pasteboard
box anti hurried out to the campus,
where she packed the box full of ‘the
beautiful.’ ‘I shall send this home so
’ parents may see how beautiful it
is. ’ But, alas! the snow melted and
Addie hurst into tears because she
couldn’t send some of our beautiful
snow hack to her African home. The
girls teased her almost to death about
it. ”
Miss Penn is hoping that these dis
tinguished visitors from Liberia may
find it convenient to take in Omaha
while touring this country.
LOUISIANA LYNCHES
ANOTHER NEGRO
Monroe, La., Sept. 10.—A Negro
charged with an attack on the wife
of a farmer near Mor Rouge, La.,
was taken from the sheriff of More
house parish today by a mob of forty
mep and shot to death. The sheriff
was taking his prisoner to jail when
intercepted by the crowd.
EDITOR HEADS
STATE COMMITTEE
New York, N. Y., Sept. 10.—The
Roosevelt Memorial Association has
selected George W. Harris, Negro edi
tor and republican nominee for alder
man in Harlem, to head the state
committee of Colored citizens to raise
funds in a drive for $10,000,000 for a
monument to the former president.
President-elect C. I). B. King of Liberia and Mrs. King, who re
cently arrived in New York from England, where he was a
delegate to the peace conference. This is his first stay
in the United States.
DISCRIMINATES AG A INST
NEGRO WORKERS
(By Associated Negro Press.)
New York, N. Y., Sept. 10.—New
York discriminates against Negro
workers say authorities endeavoring
to place those who are out of em
ployment. Although the American
Federation of Labor has withdrawn
opposition to their becoming members
of labor organizations, it is difficult
to find positions for them.
FIGHTING FALSIFICATION
Northwest Uplift League Circulates
News Sheet With Digest of Recent
Articles on Race Lawlessness.
(By Associated Negro Press.)
Washington, D. C., Sept. 10.—The
Northwest Uplift League, of this city,
at its regular meeting Sunday after
noon voted an appropriation of $75
to pay for the circulation of a two
page news sheet, which contains a
digest of the recent articles of the
Washington Post in reference to sup
posed acts of lawlessness committed
by Colored men. In addition to the
Post articles, most of which are played
up stories of a more or less inflam
matory nature, the news sheet con
tains a review of current comment by
several of the country’s leading pa
pers. Several thousand copies of the
news sheet have been printed and are
being circulated in the United States
and foreign countries.
MANY MINERS JN UNION
Pittsburg, Pa., Sept. 10.—Among
the best working members of the dis
trict organization of the United Mine
Workers are those of the Negro race.
Of these more than 3,000 carry union
cards and are considered true and
untiring workers for the cause.
Charles Draughn, expert mechanic with transcontinental motor
convoy, which has reached Pacific coast—Photographed
for Monitor by Shackleford.
CONVOY REACHES COAST,
DRAUGHN WIRES MONITOR
San Francisco, Sept. 6.—“Arrived
today, Charles." This was the tele
gram sent to The Monitor, according
to his promise to wire us upon the
arrival of the transcontinental motor
convoy on the coast, by Charles
Draughn, who is the only colored man
with the convoy. Ilecause of his skill
as an expert auto mechanic, Mr.
Draughn was selected by the Dixie
Crucible company of Jersey City, N.
J., who are furnishing and testing
a lubricating oil, to pilot the car of
Mr. Ernest, the lublirant expert, on
this transcontinental trip.
Chas. Draughn, lately a resident of
Washington, 1). C., was born in Char
lotte, N. C., and is a graduate of
Shaw university.
When the convoy passed through
Omaha a few weeks ago The Monitor
had a pleasant inteiview with Mr.
Draughn and Mr. W. H. Shackleford,
the expert Monitor staff photograph
er, made this excellent picture of Mr.
Draughn especially for this publica
tion.
1
The Way Many Dailies Feature and
Magnify Reports of Alleged Crimes by
Negroes and Minimize Corrections
—
THE FOLLOWING “PLAYED
STORY’’ was run top of col
umn, in the POST, August 15:
ATTACKED DY NEGROES
Mrs. Minnie Franklin Injured at
League Park Carnival.
TWO ASSAILANTS GET AWAY
Covered hy Revolver on Outskirts of
Crowd as Companion Drives Away
—Taken to Casualty Hospital and
Later to Home—Reserves Hunt Men.
Two squads of headquarters detec
tives, aided by reserves from the Ninth
precinct, early today were searching
houses and scouring fields in the
neighborhood of Fifteenth and H
streets northeast in an effort to ap
prehend two young Negroes who
shortly before 10 o’clock last night at
tacked Mrs. Minnie Franklin near the
carnival tents on the old Union League
ball grounds.
While hundreds of merrymakers
thronged the carnival tents Mrs.
Franklin was subjected to treatment
that left her hysterical and able to
make but vague statements as to the
affair. A partial description of the
Colored men was obtained from per
sons who saw them fleeing from the
scene of the crime.
Covered Her With Pistol.
Mrs. Franklin, who is 37 years old
and the wife of Edward S. Franklin,
of 1361 K street southeast, is under
I stood to have been with a companion
at the carnival. They had walked
away from the main tent, but were
still in the radius of light when two
Negroes appeared. One of ..them
cowed Mrs. Franklin with a revolver.
Several minutes later she staggered to
Remove Sheriffs Who
Permit Lynchings
i Some Southern Newspapers Advocat
ing Law Automatically Removing
Official Who Fads to Protect Pris
oner Drastic Measure but Effective.
rpULSA, OKLA, Sept. 10.—News
-K papers in some southern states
are advocating a law to stop lynch
ing* and it doubtless would be very
effective. The law is one demanding
| the removal of all sheriffs in eoun
I ties where lynchings take place. This
; might work a hardship on a sheriff,
j but it would make all of them alert to
prerent lynchings.
I Under present conditions the sher
iffs nearly always make a show of
i resisting a moh, hut it is merely pre
! tense and nothing more. The sher
iffs usually deliver the victim to the
mob without much trouble and not i
once in a bundled times is any mem- j
ber of a mob hurt by an officer while \
engaged in taking victims from jail |
to be lynched. The sheriff knows!
that the men in the mob are the voters j
who elected him to office. He may i
know them personally and recognize;
them, but he does not consider it his!
duty to endanger himself or the lives
of the men in the mob in an effort
to protect the prisoner.
An automatic removal law, however |
would put a different face upon the i
matter. If the sheriff would lose his
office through permitting prisoners
to be lynched the chances are that he
would protect them and that there
would be no lynchings.
Congress cannot enact such a law,
but the states can and the white race
will be the chief beneficiary under
it. The whites are disgraced more
by lynchings than are the blacks who
are their victims. Such a law would
of course call for the right kind of
men being elected to the office of
sheriff. The man elected to that of
fice would go in with his eyes open
and a full knowledge of the law. Those
who elected him would also under
stand it and the mobs would know
what to expect when they went to the
jail and demanded of the sheriff that
be turn over the keys. The sheriff
who tamely submitted, as sheriffs do
now, would find himself out of office
the next day.
the entrance ot the grounds and re
lated what had occurred. The police
were communicated with at once, as
was Casualty hospital. Mrs. Franklin
was removed to the instittuion where
she was treated and later questioned
by detectives. Later she was taken
to her home, where her husband and
children were apprised of the attack.
Lawless Element in Crowd.
A special detail from the Ninth pre
cinct has been stationed at the carnival
since its inauguration, but until last
night no disorder had been reported
from the grounds. It is known, how
ever, that a lawless element, both
white and colored, has been attracted
to the “free-for-all” scene of jolity.
The description of the Negroes
flashed from headquarters reads as
follows:
“Look out for two colored men, 5
feet 3 or 4 inches in height; brown
skin, 23 to 25 years old; wearing white
shirts, no coats, tan or yellow caps.”
The FOLLOWING AS A COR
RECTION was “HID AWAY
INSIDE” August 16:
CALLS ASSAULT A “STORY”
M rs. Franklin’s Charges Against Two
Negroes Dropped by Police.
In a statement to headquarters de
tectives last night, Mrs. Minnie Frank
lin, of 1361 K street southeast, de
clared, according to her questioners,
including Detectives Vermillion, Em
brey, O’Brien and Bradley, that her
story of having been attacked Thurs
day night near Fifteenth and H streets
northeast by two Negroes was a fab
rication.
Mrs. Franklin first was interrogated
by Mrs. Mina C. Van Winkle, head of
the woman’s bureau. The case has
been dropped.
RACE CLASHES PUZZLE
LEADER AT TUSKEGEE
Head of Institute Says It Is Hard to
t'nderstand Present Apparent Sus
picion and Bitterness.
Tuskegee, Ala., Sept. 10.—R. R.
Moton, Booker T. Washington’s suc
cessor as head of Tuskegee institute,
declared in a statement regarding re
cent race riots in north and south that
it is difficult to understand why there
should be so much apparent suspicion
and bitterness on the part of both
the white and Negro races.
Reports Intense Feeling.
“I have never known the Colored
people to have more intense feeling
toward the white people than at pres
ent,” Moton' said, “and I have never
known a time when there was less
reason. I never knew a time when
the whitp people of the south, not
only the leading white people, but the
average white man, were more anx
ious than at present to be absolutely
fair and just to the Negro. This is
also true of the north.
“There was never a time when the
south, and the north, too, saw more
clearly the value of the Negro as an
economic factor in industrial opera
tions. I never knew a time when
southern white people felt more cha
grined and humiliated at the awful
crime of lynching than they do today,
and I never knew a time when they
were more determined to put down
mob rule, wether aimed at black
or white, than now.
“We, north and south, should make
up our minds that there is room i
enough, there is opportunity enough
for colored and white to work peace
fully and harmoniously here in Ameri
ca, each living his life unhampered by
any act or any untoward attitude of
the other, and I hope that our leaders
in every community, white and black
will get together and smooth out mat
ters that are misunderstood so that
America ran teach the world that
black people and white people can
live peacefully and harmoniously in
our great country.”
He that ruleth his spirit is better
than he that taketh a city.
What are you, a knocker or a
booster ?