_i”_j i h iMonitor • i_—
A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO TIIE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS.
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor
$2.00 a Year. 5c - Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, NOVEMBER 13, 1919 Vol. V. No. 19 (Whole No. 228)
Johnsv n Guilty, Jury’s Verdict, District Court
_____
JURY FINDS JOHNSON t
GUILTY OF ASSAULT
Trial of Mail Accused of Criminal At
tack I pon Bessie kroupa in Broad
Daylight Last July Finished Satur
day in District Court.
ACCUSED WELL DEFENDED
Omaha Branch. National Association
for Advancement of Colored People,
Believing in Man's Innocence, Em
ployed Counsel for His Defense—
May Apiteni Case.
IRA Johnson was found guilty by a
jury in Judge Redick’s court of
criminal assault on Bessie Kroupa, an
18-year-old girl, after a trial which
occupied practically a whole week.
The jury to whom the case was given
at 4:30 Saturday afternoon was out
over three hours before reaching a
decision.
Bessie Kroupa, it is alleged, was at- i
tacked near her home at 4113 South
Ninth street during the noon hour I
July 7. The story told by the girl
was that as she was one her way to
work shortly after 12:30 she met a I
Negro dressed in a blue suit and !
wearing a round black hat who, as
passed her, suddenly threw Ills arm
around her neck, stuffed a handker
chief In her mouth, carried her Into
a nearby ravine, tied her hands and
assaulted her. After accomplishing
his vile purpose he went away some
distance, but shortly returned and
tied her feet so that she could not get
away and "squeal” on him. He sat
down on a log near her, asked her
some questions, wiped his face with
his handkerchief, then wiped hers and
finally went away. After her assail
ant had gone, she succeeded in at
tracting the attention of George Krell,
a neighbor who was passing the place.
He took her home and her parents no
tified the police.
Ira Johnson, employed at the Bur
lington ice house at Gibson, a mile
and u half from the scene of the al- |
leged crime, was arrested the follow
ing morning and taken by the detec
tives to the home of Miss Kroupa,
who glanced at him through the vine
covered porch and cried. "Yea, that’s
the man; take him out of my sight.”
Johnson had his preliminary hearing
in the county court July 18 and was
bound over to the district court. He
was one of the seventeen prisoners,
four colored and thirteen white, hel l
for assault or attempted assault in the
Douglas county Jail, at the time Will
Brown was lynched.
The local branch of the National
Association for the Advancement of
s Colored People interviewed Johnson
after his arrest and after verification
of his story decided to employ coun
sel for his defense. F. H. Howell of
the legal firm of Smith, Schall &
Howell, who had been employed in
other work for the association, was
asked if he would take the ease. Mr.
Howell's reply was, "It all depends
upon the nature of the case. If that
fellow is guilty, I feel so strongly
against crimes of this character, that
I would not defend him for any sum
that could be offered me. If, however,
after investigation, I believe that he
is innocent. I’ll bo willing to defend
him; but I’ll toll you frankly, 1 must
he convinced of his innocence." In
vestigation convinced Mr. Howell of
Johnson's innocence and so lie took
the case. And hir fee was not $1,000
or anything like it, as The Bee lias
falsely stated, to embarrass the case
and to make political capital against
the senior member of the firm
The ease was called for trial last
Tuesday. It. was devoted to empanel
ing the Jury which, with the Instruc
tion of the Jury, was completed
Wednesday and the examination of
witnesses was begun. The chief wit
nesses for the state were: Miss
Kroupa, who contradicted several of
her former statements, chiefly touch
ing the identification of the defendant,
but said that now she was positive
that Johnson was the man: George
Kreil, who found Miss Kroupa after
the assault, and who also contradicted
several of his former statements, and
Charles Wentz, a B-year-old boy who
identified Johnson as "a man with
humps on his face, had teeth, and
wearing a funny shaped high, black
cap,” whom he had seen In Riverview
park on the morning of July 4; in the
same place Sunday morning, July 6.
but. wearing a brown cap; and ngnln
Monday morning about 11 o’clock near
Tenth and Canton streets, wearing a
■ouml black hat. Detectives who ar
, ste<l Johnson testified to his actions
. the time of his arrest. Questioned
by Mr. Howell as to whether they had
found any hat of any kind in the
bunk car when Johnson was arrested,
the detectives said no.
The witnesses for the defense were:
John SmallB, Eugene Bell, colored,
fellow workmen of Johnson’s; George
Fahrenbrook, white foreman of the ice
house, and Johnson himself. Three
young white boys and a Mexican who
worked there at the time of John
son’s arrest could not be located.
Smalls testified that he bunked with
Johnson and that they ate their din
ner about half past 12 o’clock and
that after that they went over by the
ice house and lay down in the shade,
until about 1:30 when the Mexican,
Joe Garcia, came and asked Johnson
If he wanted that razor. Johnson said
yes, and went over to the Mexican's
car, where he borrowed a razor and
shaved himself. Bell testified that he
reached Gibson around noon on July
7 with a note from an employment
agency on Harney street; and that
Johnson, whom he did not know,
hailed him and after talking with him
for a few minutes took him over to
the foreman’s shanty and introduced
him to the foreman who employed
him. George Fahrenbrook testified
that shortly after 12 o’clock Johnson
brought Bell to him with a note from
an employment agency and that he,
Fahrenbrook, told Bell to report for
work with Johnson on the night shift
at 6 o’clock. He testified that he saw
.Johnson at the ice house again about
2 o’clock. All these witnesses testi
fied that, Johnson at that time was
dressed in blue overalls and a khaki
shirt and wore an advertising cap,
one stated that it was a Charles Denby
cigar advertising cap. Johnson de
nied that he wras in the vicinity of the
crime on the day mentioned. He tes
tified that he worked as usual on the
night shift and went to sleep, ns was
his custom in the morning, getting up
about 11 o’clock, soon after which he
went to the grocery store near bv and
bought some provisions for his din
ner; and that he was in conversation
with his foreman sometime after 12
o’clock when he took a man who was
looking for work over to him. He
testified that he was around the ice
house all the afternoon until time to
go to work at night. He was arrested
Tuesday morning while sleeping in
his bunk.
“When they got me a little ways
from the bunk house one of them put
his hand in my pocket nnd pulled out
a piece of string. I said that wasn’t
my string but. they said it was. I
never seen the piece of cord before.
"J asked them to take me to Mr.
Fahrenbrook. that he could testify l
hadn't been away from the ice house
that day, but they said they didn't
have no time. Then they took me to
the house where this girl lived. They
look me Inside the gate and when we
was about 50 feet from the house
some woman's voice hollered ’Take
that man awaj*.’”
Mr. Howell, attorney for the de
fense. made a masterly analysis of the
evidence and showed how impossible it
was for the. defendant to have been in
two places at the same time or to
have been the man who was dressed
one way at 11 o’clock, a mile and a
half away and another way at, 12:15,
and then back to the scene of the at
tack thirty minutes later in the same
suit he wore at 11 and then back again
in his overalls and cap at the fore
man’s shanty about 2 o’clock. He
showed how the testimony of wit
nesses, with no special objects to
serve, agreed as to Johnson’s where
abouts at the time of the assault. Ho
claimed that Johnson’s identification
by Miss Kroupa was by no means be
yond question. He closed by saying,
"Gentlemen, the evidence shows that
this defendant is guilty, of no crime,
except, it be the crime of being born
black. It is for you to say whether
or not he shall be made a sacrifice.
Have you the courage and the man
hood to render a verdict” according to
the evidence. That Is all there is to
it. I leave that, question to be an
swered by you.”
Judge Slabaugh of the county at
torney’s office In closing for the state
claimed that the Identification of the
defendant was complete and urged the
Jury to find him guilty.
Men arc npver so ridiculous from
the qualities which really belong to
them as from those they pretend to
possess.
SENTENCES COMMUTED
BY PRESIDENT
Soldiers Convicted on Charge of Mu
tiny Given Dishonorable Discharge
and Ten Years Hard Labor Instead
of Death.
TUTASHINGTON, U. C„ Nov. 4.—The
VV president lias spared the lives of
three soldiers of the army who had
been sentenced by court-martial “to
be shot to death with musketry" They
are Privates Headley Braveboy, Pom
eroy Jackson and Tom Nelson, 444th
Labor Battalion. Quartermaster corps,
who were convicted on charges of at
tempting to create a mutiny in their
battalion at Pisgah, N. C., July 17. j
1918, by disobedience of orders and
threatening the lives of Captain Cyrus
G. Wood and Second Lieutenant Aaron
B. Cronkite, their superior officers.
The death sentence was approved by
Big. Gen. W. E. Cole, commanding, but
was commuted by the president to dis
honorable discharge and imprison
ment at. hard labor for 10 years in
each case.
MAN GIVES LIKE TO SAVE CHILD i
—
Exploit Worthy Carnegie Medal for
Heroism.
Philadelphia, Pa,, Nov. 8.—In sav
ing the life of a 6-year-old boy, Philip j
McGilley, a colored man 21 years old, I
of Federal street, sacrificed his own
October 25th at Franklin and Popular |
streets. When he jammed on the
brakes of the motor truck he was driv- I
ing and swerved toward the curb to
escape striking the boy, a Route
trolley car. closely following, crashed '
into the rear of the machine and [
hurled it into a telegraph pole. The ;
trolley car jumped the track and |
crashed the truck like an eggshell, i
McGilley's lifeless body was removed I
from between the truck and the pole. I
while the boy was picked up only ,
slightly hurt.
The hoy, Frederick Brown, started
across North Franklin street near |
Popular just as the truck of Markovitz ]
Brothers, driven by McGilley, came
along at a rapid rate. Young Brown
was taken to the Children’s Homeo- I
pathic hospital suffering from shock ;
and bruises, while the police of the
Eighth district arrested Harry Wil
liams, motorman of the car, who was
given a hearing Monday morning.
GRAND JURY INDICTS
IIEE REPORTER
J. Ilnrry Moore (reused of Consplrne)
to Commit. Arson Charged With
Taking Active Part In Riot.
"KIMMIM'P" 1IY CITY 1IA1L,
DECLARES REPORTER
J. Harry Moore, reporter for The
Bee, was indicted Thursday morning |
by the grand jury for conspiracy to 1
commit arson. The indictment was
returned in connection with the in
vestigation «pursuant to the riot of |
September 28, when a mob fired the j
court house, lynched the Negro, Will j
Brown, and attempted to murder I
Mayor Smith.
Mr. Moore has been accused by i
friends of the city administration of
incurring their disfavor because of j
news stories he has written for The !
Bee, which did not meet with the ap
proval of city hall officials.
Release Two Witnesses.
The indictment against the reporter
is said to have been returned mainly |
on evidence furnished by a discredited I
liquor agent, formerly employed by :
the state, and two Other alleged riot- .
ers, Ernest Morris and Harold Thorpe, i
who got. off with 90-day sentences.
‘‘It, Is a frame-up,” declared the re
porter, “and can he traced directiv to
the city hall. My information Is that
a former slate agent, who has been
fired and is now bootlegging, is the
man who is responsible for the in
formation upon which the indictment
was returned. The affair will he
traced directly to the Influence of city
hall offirfals both in and outside of
the grand jury.”
Out of Pity.
“I was out of the city the afternoon
and early part of the night of the riot,
ft was after 10 o’clock when f first
learned that there had been any
[trouble on account of the mob. T can
prove this by a dozen witnesses, f
hall not stop here, however, because
it ean he shown that my indictment Is
the result of a conspiracy, and the
names of the parties to the deal will
I tie given to the public.”
63 LYNCHED IN U. S. IN’
TEN MONTHS, 11 BURNED,
20 SHOT, 1!) HANGED
NEW YORK, Nov. 8.—The National
Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People, 70 Fifth Ave
nue, New York, today made public a
statement showing that 63 persons
wi re murdered by mobs in the United
States in the first ten months of 1919.
Of the victims 61 were American citi
zens and 2 were Mexicans. Fifty-nine
of the Americans done to death were
Negroes, of whom 11 were burned at
stake.
“Among the causes for lynching
were ‘circulating incendiary litera
ture’ and ‘talking of Chicago riot,’ ’’
says tiie statement of the Advance
ment association. "Four Negroes
were lynched for ‘intimacy’ with white
women, one for not turning out of the
road for a white boy in au automobile,
one for an altercation with a white
man and one for being a leader of his
race. Georgia led the states with 17
lynchings. Mississippi followed with
10, Alabama and Louisiana dividing
the ‘honors’ of third place with 8
lynchings. The tabulations follow:
Lynchings in the United States In the
First Ten Months of 1919—
Ky States.
Alabama .(1 white) 8
Arkansas . 5
Colorado .(Mexicans) 2
Florida . 4
Georgia . 17
Louisiana. 6
Mississippi . 10
Missouri .(white) 1
Nebraska . 1
North Carolina . 2
South Carolina. 1
Tennessee . 1
Texas . 3
m _
Total. 63
The manner of lynching was as
follows:
Burned . 11
Hanged . 19
Shot to death. 20
Beaten to death. 2
Cut to pieces. 1
Browned . 1
Manner unknown . 9
Total. 63
The alleged causes are as follows:
Insulting white woman. 5
Alternation with white man. 1
Attempting to pull white woman
from horse . 1
Trouble between white and colored
cotton mill workers. 1
Assault on white woman. 12
Murder . 18
Insulting white man. 1
Shooting white man. 6
Attempted assault on white woman 4
Result of race riot. 1
Talking of Chicago riot. 1
Not turning out. of road for white
boy in auto . 1
Leader among Negroes. 1
Circulating incendiary literature. . I
Misleading mob . 1
Boastful remarks re killing of
sheriff . 1
Intimacy with white woman. 4
Found under bed in white man’s
house . 1
Expressing himself too freely re
lynching of Negro. 1
Causes unknown . 1
Total. 63
CO-OPERATE TO PRESERVE
RACIAL GOOD-WILL
(By Associated Negro Press.)
Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 12.—Resolutions
pledging support and prayer for the
co-operative committees formed by
both races were submitted here to 1117
churches, white and colored, as part
of the campaign for a better under
standing between the races. "Con
tinuous rumors of ‘race riots,’ ” also
are denounced in the resolutions,
which contain a pledge that there
shall be no such riots and that those
responsible for the rumors shall be
hunted out and silenced.
METHODISTS TO OPEN
GIRLS’ SEMINARY
(By Associated Negro Press.)
Richmond, Va„ Nov. 12.—Announce
ment has been made that, the Woman's
Home Missionary Society of the Meth
odist church decided at a meeting in
Detroit to open a seminary in Lynch
burg for the education of Negro girlH
of the south. The seminary will be
built on the site of the Morgan col
lege, which was destroyed by fire sev
eral years ago.
t
I SCHOOLS ARE BL A MED
FOR OMAHA RIOTING
Michigan Professor Says Lynching Re
veals Mental Inadequacy in Mob—
Says Neither Whites Nor Negroes
Fun llo]H> to kill Each Other.
“Education and the public school
system have failed when race riots
can happen,” Professor Charles Mc
Kenny of Ypsilanti, Mich., told 400
1 Nebraska teachers last Thursday in
the First Methodist church. His talk
was a plea for the social sciences.
“The killing of even one Negro re
veals mental inadequacy in the mob
that kills,” he said. “We white per
sons cannot logically hope to kill
every Negro in the country. There are
10,000,000 of them. Then what avails
the death of one? Likewise, the Ne
groes cannot hope to kill every white
person. Therefore, if neither can
eradicate the other stock, then each
must learn to live with the other.
"Living together does not mean in
termarriage or domestic friendships
between whites and blacks. It mere
ly means that we must arrive at an
intelligent and sympathetic under
standing of the prablems that basic
ally cause race riots. We must ap
preciate the fact that the Negroes will
not consent forever to be in economic
and social bondage. We must not
hinder them in their social struggle.
We must educate ourselves and allow
them to be educated. We must give
the Negro the right to prove that the
black race has the mental power to
emerge from its present status.
“I remember well your Omaha riot.
A young man of this city, who has a
college education, wrote to me. His
letter said: ‘I wish I could get a
crack at that nigger.’ The remark
proved to me that, insofar as his edu
cation was concerned, our schools had
failed.
“A dispatch from Omaha to a New
York paper stated that Omaha women
approved of the riot and the killing of
the suspected Negro. I do not know
whether that article reflected the
truth. I may, however, hope that
Omaha’s women did not approve.”
MAN CHARGED WITH
RIOT ASSAULT
George Davis Indicted on Testimony
of Major Smith for Attempt on His
Life.
George Davis, arrested in Lincoln
Saturday, was brought to Omaha and
lodged in the county jail to await trial
on three charges upon which the
grand jury indicted him in connection
with the court house riots and the as
sault upon Mayor Smith.
Davis is charged in one indictment
I with assault to murder Mayor Smith
and assault to do great bodily injur
to Mayor Smith, In another indict
ment he is charged with conspiracy
I to commit the murder of Will Brown,
j who was lynched the night of the riot.
It A l'TISTS SEEK TO ESTAM
LISH BETTER RELATIONS
Chattanooga, Tenn., Nov. 12.—In a
declaration of principles and policies,
the Colored Baptist educational and
Missionary Convention of Tennessee,
in Us concluding session here, took an
advanced step to bring aliout better
relations between the races in Amer
ica.
ORGANIZE INSURANCE COMPANY
(By Associated Negro Press.)
Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 12.—Follow
ing a series of ijuportant, conferences
here between some of the race's most
successful and representative busi
ness men, a charter has been issued
for the incorporation and license of
the Supreme Life and Casualty com
pany.
New Y’ork, N. Y., Nov. 12.—The Brit
ish steamship Yarmouth, owned by
the North American Navigating Com
pany, Ltd., has been chartered through
Harris, McClain & Co., of 50 Broad
street, by the Black Star Steamship
line, with offices at 36 West 135th, of
which Marcus Carvey, a Negro editor,
Is president.
Washington, D. C., Nov. 13.—Inves
tigation of the entire colored public
school system of Washington Is qsked
in a petition, signed by officers of the
Parents’ League, which will he pre
sented to the house and senate dis
trict committees some time this week.
I
EMMET J. SCOTT
RECEIVES LETTER
Head of English Department of Vir
ginia Military institute Writes Em
mett J. Scott,
Interesting Letter, by a Southern Pro
fessor, in Regard to Injustices Prac
ticed oil Race.
WASHINGTON, D. C.. Nov. 7.—Pro
fessor Robert T. Kerlin, head of
the English department or the Vir
ginia Military Institute, Lexington,
Va., after reviewing Dr. Emmet J.
Scott's hook, “The American Negro in
tlie World War,” wrote him a letter of
appreciation of the contents of the
book, and also gave voice to certain
expressions with regard to the injus
tices visited upon Negro people in
America, in the following statement:
“Let me say that I have been dip
ping into your history of “The Amer
ican Negro in the World War’ and
reading it with satisfaction. I must,
also, in writing to a man who is doing
so much for his race, express my ab
horrence and shame at the violence
now' directed against the Negro.
Every man who has any soul in him
and pride of humanity must do what
he can to remove the blot. * * *
“The more I read your race papers,
the greater is my sense of your
wrongs and your forbearance, the
greater my estimate of your virtues
and my realization of our sins. What
indignation and pain it begets within
me to see one part of the wretched
human family thus inflicting injury
and insult upon another pttrt! My
parents were slave-holders of Ken
tucky, but could slavery have been
more detestable, more infamous than
these multiplied lynchings and mob
murders? Far from It, I think. My
parents, I am sure, loved their Negro
servants in the old days, god knows
that I desire, above all things, at the
present time, to see the descendants
of that faithful, kindly, lovable race
treated justly and humanly, according
to the principles of our national con
stitution and the teachings of our re
ligion.
“Yours cordially.
(Signed) ROBERT T. KERLIN.”
The leaven is at work. A better
south is evidently striving for an ar
ticulate voice. Prof. Kerlin is evi
dently one of this growing number of
enlightened southerners who appre
ciates the fact that present conditions
cannot continue without hurt to both
races.
HCILDI-VG HOUSES
FOR COLORED TENANTS
Enterprising Contractor Helps Out
Housing Situation and Encourages
Home Ownership.
(By Associated Negro Press.)
Washington, D. C., Nov. 12.—Six
teen new houses, built especially for
colored purchasers by Harry Kite,
have been put on the market by the
Ernest Hall Coolidge Company, Evans
building. All of the houses are in the
700 block of Kenyon street. They are
of colonial design and modern in every
way, containing six rooms and bath.
The builder of these homes has felt for
some time that the colored popula
tions of Washington should be afford
ed a chance to acquire on easy terms
a house in a better neighborhood than
heretofore offered. Extensive building
operations are contemplated in the
near future by this builder.
PROVIDES MORTGAGE
LIFTING FUND
DePriest Working on Plan to Help
Chicago Home Owners Maintain
Property.
Chicago. Nov. 12.—A fund to help
Chicago Negroes lift mortgages threat
ening their homes is being established
by Oscar DePriest, former alderman
of the Second ward, according to an
announcement he made in addressing
a meeting of the People’s Movement.
2140 Indiana avenue. Further uses
of the fund are to obtain fire insur
ance for homes of people of his race
not already protected. Resolutions
"deploring the plans and procedure of
the Hyde Park association” were
drawn. No rights or privileges grant
ed to colored citizens under the Taws
of the nation will he sacrificed, and
power of segregation will he given no
one, according to further clauses of
the resolution.