I ,
r==n The Monitor r=n
A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS.
THE REV JOHN ALBERT WIITUMS Editor
$3.00 a Year. 10c a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, SEPTEMBER 30, 1920 Vol. VI. No. 14 (Whole No. 274)
MOT
Vestigation Proves Earnest Effort Made to Convict Guilty
% _ _______ _ _ _
THE OMAHA RIOT AND
ITS AFTERMATh
A Review of the Lynching and Riot
ing Which a Year Ago Placed An
Indeliahle Stain Upon the City’s
Honor.
MANY LYNCHERS
WERE PUNISHED
Stains of Riot Cases Up to Present
Tiine. Mix Convictions by Juries.
Eelven Acquittals, Five Disagree
ments and Thirty-five Plead Guilty.
rf WAS a year ago Tuesday that a
mob burned the Court House,
tynched Will Brown, a colored Amer
ican, suspected of having assaulted
a white girl; attempted to hang
Mayor Smith and looted several
stores. The mol) started with a mere
handful of boys and youths which
could have been dispersed and should
have been dispersed by the police
early in the afternoon. But the po
lice made no serious effort to do so.
By night fall the crowd was aug
mented by older persons and con
tinued swelling by spectators and
sympathizers until it is estimated
that it numbered 2F>,000. It is a safe
-tatement that not more than 2,000
or 3,000 were active participants in
the work of the mob. When it was
ascertained that the mob had gotten
beyond the control of the local au
thorities efforts were made to se
cure federal troops; but these did not
arrive until an hour after the lynch
ing. The city was placed under mar
tial law. General Leonard Wood was
speedily on the scene and took charge
of the situation. None of the col
ored citizens, except the man who
was lynched, suffered any violence,
although threats were made against
the colored population. The mob
planned to invade the colored resi
dence section, but one of its leaders
advised against it, very wisely, stat
ing that the Negroes were armed and
ready to fight.
The lynching was directly charge
able to inflamatory articles publish
ed under box-ear headlines in two of
the local dailies, The Bee and The
Daily News, of alleged assaults and
attempted assaults by colored men
upon white women. Tt mattered not
that most of these stories bore the
earmarks of the same authorship or
that the alleged assailants were not
found. Every day or two a staring
box-car headed first page story of an
attack by\ a Negro would appear.
y The community was surprised when
after the lynching County Attorney
Shotwel! published the fact that of
seventeen men held to the district
court for alleged assaults of women
only FIVE were NEGROES and
TWELVE were WHITE MEN. The
point is this: the daily press made it
appear that vicious Negroes were as
saulting white women by wholesale;
when as a matter of fact to every one
Negro so accused there were two
white men charged with the same
heinous offense. But a sinister mo
tive lay behind this magnifying of
Negro crime.
The newspaper story of the al
leged assault for which Brown was
lynched was substantially this; A
voting woman and her escort we re
going home about midnight, when a
Negro held them up at the point of a
gon, robbed her escort of $17.00 and
the girl of a ring. With his gun
trained upon her escort, the Negro
dragged the girl fifty feet away and
ravished her, in the meanwhile keep
ing her escort covered with his gui
so that he could not escape, secure
assistance or make any outcry. Th<‘
next day Will Brown was arrested on
suspicion of being the man who com
' mitted this crime. Saturday’s Bee
of September 27, sinisterly suggested
that southern methods would stop at
tacks on women. Sunday September
28th, the mob carried out this sug
gestion. It may be of some signifi
cance to state that the girl’s escort
was a pool hall loafer and that for
some unaccountable reason he was
never brought before the grand jury.
^' Arrests running up into hundreds
i
e made. A grand jury was railed
oohn W. Towle was elected foremtn.
Inquisition began. The grand jury
indited 93 individuals, of which 53
indictments were returned. The re
sult of the riot cases up to the pres
ent time is as follows:
Of trials to juries, there were 22,
resulting in 6 convictions, 11 acquit
tals and 5 disagreements or hung
juries; of convictions by pleadings
there were 35. These pleaded guilty
to breaking and entering or to con
spiracy to break and enter or of
rioting. Twenty two were nolied; 32
were dismissed because proof as to
identification did not justify going to
trial.
The six convictions by jury trials
were Sam Novak who was found
guilty of conspiracy to commit mur
der and sentenced to from one to five
years in the penitentiary; Louis
Weaver for burning the Court
House sentenced from one to two
years in the penitentiary; James
Maschek, John Yoch and James
Brasoc, three boys under 18, looting,
sentenced to five months and a fine
of $200. Another was Ralph Snyder.
The disagreements were in the
cases of George Davis, who was tried
twice for assaulting and attempting
to hang tiie mayor; Claude Nethawav,
James Blankinship and Fred Risse,
conspiracy to commit murder. Other
charged were also against all of these
men.
The thirty-five who plead guilty to
entering, breaking and like misde
t manors were giver jail sentences
and fined. Rioting under the Nebras
ka law is accounted only a misde
meanor punishable by fine and three
months imprisonment.
Eight cases still are pending the
most important of which are those of
Davis, Nick Frost, Netheway ami
Woodruff. When they will come to
t i ial has not yet been determined.
That a sincere effort was made up
; on the part of the authorities to vin
' dieate Omaha’s honor and punish
| those guilty of arson, rioting and
! murder is quite evident. County At
' torney Shotwel! and his office did
their full duty. They were handi
capped however by persons who were
unwilling to testify and by the senti
| ment openly expressed by many that
! they were in sympathy with the mob.
That a large number was punished
! even by short terms of imprisonment
j proves that the community still In
I lieves in the orderly process of law
which is the only safe guard of civil
: ization.
CHINESE USE POISON AS RELIEF
lamilies Being Killed to Prevent
Starvation
HONOLULU, T. H., Sept. 30.—Chi
| nese in the famine ridden province
of Shantung are poisoning entire fam
ilies to avoid slow death by starva
tion, according to Tokio cable advices
to the Nippon Jiji, Japanese language
newspaper here. A hundred million
dollar fund is needed to save the peo
] rile in the starvation districts, the
: advices added.
WOMAN, 113, REGISTERS; HAS
LIVE!) IN ST. LOUIS 57 YEARS
ST. LOUIS, Mo., Sept. 30.—Ebee
Tolbort, 315 Gratiot streets, who is
113 years old, registered last Tues
day afternoon at the Second Pre
cinct of the Seventh ward.
Aunt Ebee, as she is called, was
born in North Carolina, and when the
Civil War began her master took her
to Commerce, Miss., where she ran
| away from him and came to St. T,ouis
j the week before the Yankees took
Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, making her
I residence here fifty-seven years.
_
BAN K ROBBED OF $30,000
Four Bandits in Detroit UHe Guns and
Escape in Motor.
DETROIT, Sept. 30.—Four armed
bandRs held up a branch of the First
State Bank here today and escaped
with in amount estimated by bank
officials at $30,000.
The bandits held bank employes at
bay wdth pistols, seized the cash and
escaped in an automobile.
PRESIDENT WILSON EXPRESSES
SYMPATHY FOR PERSE
CUTED JEWS OF POLAND
Lieutenant Bettis, Editor of The Wichita Protest, Justly Com
mends Woodrow Wilson for His Righteous Stand for the Jews
and Courteously Suggests That He Speak Out in Similar lan
guage Concerning Atrocities Committed Against Black
Americans in the Southland.
TVTICH1TA, Kas., Sept. 30. Favor*
” orable comment is heard here on
all sides concerning Colonel Bettis’
‘Open letter to Woodrow Wilson”
with reference to the President’s re
cent sympathetic letter to Rabbi
Stephen Wise touching the persecu
lion of the Jews by Poland The editor
of tlie Protest quite justly commends
Mr. Wilson for the sentiments ex
pressed concerning the sufferings of
the Jews a< the hand of Poland, which,
indeed, makes a black record. Lieu
tenant Bettis hopes that Mr. Wilson
while justly condemning Polish atroci
ties will not overlook American atroci
ties. President Wilson’s letter and
that of the editor of the Protest here
follow:
.11 STICK FOR JEWS
IS PRESIDENT’S HOPE
Writes Letter of Sympathy 1<> Unhid
Wise.
(From N. Y. Sun and Herald.)
President Wilson, in a letter to
Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, received yes
terday, expressed sympathy with the
sufferings of the Jews in Poland, who,
he said, were receiving “unenlight
ened and unjust treatment” at. the
hands of governments in eastern Eu
rope, and added:
"1 am of the hope that those nations
with which our own land holds politi
cal commerce may do everything in
their power (o end not only the legal
disabilities of their Jewish popula
tions, as provided for by the minority
people’s clauses of the peace treaty,
but all the injustices and wrongs
which are laid upon them.
“We know in this country, wherein
.lews of right enjoy entire equality
how loyally they serve and how faith
fully they support the purposes and
ideals of our own nation.
“1 should greatly rejoice to learn
that through you (referring to the
Provisional Organization for the For
mation of the American Jewish Con
gress) there has come about an
amelioration of the status of the Jews
in eastern European lands. This gov
ernment most earnestly desires that
Jewish persecution be ended in all
lands and for all time.”
The letter was in response to a mes
sage from the provisional organiz.ation
describing programs in Poland.
\N OPEN LETTER TO
WOODROW WILSON
Wichita, Kansas
September 14th, 1920
Hon. Woodrow Wilson,
President of the United States.
Washington, D. C.,
Dear Sir:
I have read in a New York paper,
exrerps from your splendid letter to
Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, expressing
your deepest sympathy and kindest
words of hope for the Jews of Po
land. The lofty sentiment expressed
thereip is indeed admirable and com
ing us it does from the Chief Execu
tive of this great republic, will no
doubt be of great help in further am
eliorating the status of the Jews in
Eastern Europe. Now Mr. President,
mny I not nsk for a similar expres
sion from you, relative to tho “unen
lightened and unjust treatment” of
Colored Americans', not far far across
the sea but here at home in this land
of the free and the home of the nravn,
whore loyal American citiz.ens are
mobbed, burned at the stake, dis
franchised, jim crowed, their women
debauched, and all of this without
legal redress?
A few forceful words from you Mr.
President, backed up with a disposi
tion to give every citizen a fair
chance and his rights under the con
stitution would mean a new day for
us.
In your letter to Rabbi Wise you,
say; and no one can gainsay it, “We
know in this country, wherein Jews
of right enjoy entire equality, how
loyally they serve and how faithfully
they support the purposes and ideas
of • our own nation." With the ex
ception of the equality accorded, can
not the same be said of Colored
Americans ?
In concluding your letter you say
that the government most earnestly
desires that Jewish persecutions be
ended in all lands and for all time.
Should not this same government
earnestly desire that Negro persecu
tions and injustices in our own be
loved country bo also for all time ?
And has there not been in very recent
years, sufficient cause to warrant
your speaking out in no uncertain
terms foi justice to all citizens alike?
For nearly eight years we have
hoped and prayed to have an expres
sion from you condemning the many
injustices heaped upon our group in
many parts of this country, but
chiefly in the southland, the Gibraltar
of your political party; alas however
our hopes have been in vain and to
our prayers has come no semblance1
of response.
Along that line >ou have been si
lent as the Sphnix. With profund ad
miration for the deep solicitude you
have evinced for oppressed humanity
in Eastern Europe, it is my sincere
hope that you will turn your face to
ward the southland the bulwark of
the democr atic party and address that
section in behalf of Colored Ameri
cans as you have expressed yourself
in behalf of the Jews to the countries
of Eastern Europe and although your
action in so doing would be tardy in
deed, I would be constrained to re
mark, better late than never.
With best wishes for brighter days
for oppressed humanity, at home as
well as abroad, I am,
Very respectfully,
W. A. BETTIS,
Editor Wichita Protest.
JAPANESE WILL PUSH
“RACIAL EQUALITY”
The Rising Sun Empire Seriously
Concerned About America’s Atti
tude Toward Sons of Nippon. Deny
Racial Inferiority.
STRONGLY OPPOSES
“WHITE OPPRESSION”
Premier Makes Notable Speech Stres
ond place, will push firmly the ques
tional Responsibilities Have Large
ly Expanded.
TOKIO, September •°>0,—The Japa
nese government as a result of meet
ing of the cabinet, will, in the first
place, vigorously pursue the negot
| iations concerning American anti
I Japanese legislation, and, in the see
' ond place, will push firmly the guos
ition of racial equality in the League
of Nations conference, according tn
Hochi Rhimbun. Those decisions will
lie considered further at a meeting or
the Diplomatic Advisory Council, the
newspaper says.
The labor unions in conference here
adopted resolutions pledging “har
monious co-operation with the Jap
anese laborers of California in their
insistence upon their lawful rights.”
The resolutions were cabled to the
California labor associations.
Speaks of L'. S.-Jap War
At a public meeting in the Y. M. C.
A. hall here today, Representative
Kodama spoke on the subject, “An
American-Japanese War.” He de
nounced American militarism, saying
that as long as a threatening nation
existed beyond the Pacific, Japanese
naval expansion cannot be dispensed
with. Police interfered and silenced
the speaker.
A graduate of Columbia university,
New York, M. Osako, who followed
Representative Kodama, attributed
the anti-Japanese sentiment in the
United States to racial differences.
He declared that the whites were op
pressing the colored races backed by
the power and influence of civiliza
tion.
Japan was the only country strongly
opposing white oppression, M. Osakc
asserted, and, therefore, had incurred
the hatred of the Americans. The
Japanese, he added, must strongly be
determined to meet any serious anti
Japanese movement prevailing in
America. A large crowd acclaimed
the speaker.
“Gentlemen’s Agreement”
The Hochi Shimbun says it thinks
the negotiations with the United
States hinge on whether the so
called “gentlemen’s agreement”
should be revised and a formal treaty
drawn up. The political situation
might bo overturned by the succeed
ing administration, the newspaper
declared. The newspaper says Ameri
ca seems to object to giving the Jap
anese equal treatment with other
aliens. It declares some Japanese of
ficials are convinced the anti-Japa
nese sentiment is spreading gradu
ally throughout the United States,
and therefore the Japanese must seek
a fundamental solution.
The Hochi Shimbun understands al
so, that Japan will insist upon main
tenance of her rights in the South
Sea Islands, for which she received
the mandate at the Peace Conference.
Although Great Britain and the
United States may oppose racial
equality, according to the newspapers,
Japan will insist by all possible
means upon its acceptance by the
League of Nations.
Premier’s Speech
In his address to the provincial
Governors yesterday, Premier Har;.
said the situation of the world never
was more strained than at present.
Hitherto, he declared, Japan’s prob
lems bad been confined to the Orient,
but international competition had aris
en, resulting in a marked increase in
Japan’s responsibilities to the world
and the expansion of her national ex
penditures. Japan had decided to
withdraw her troops from Siberia, ex
cept from those places where consid
eration of t he empire’s defense rend
ered the stationing of troops impera
tive. Premier Hara said.
Concerning Shantung, the Premier
asserted Japan still was ready to
negotiate with China, who refused to
consider Japan’s proposals. Premier
Hara said he was optimistic concern
| ing the financial position of Japan.
! Pointedly alluding to the increase of
i Socialism, he declared indiscreet radi
I cal ism was inimical to the welfare of
| the state and that the authorities
must vigorously opposp it.
Representative Japanese express
the opinion that there is no hope of
a permanent solution of the California
problem until after the presidential
election in the United States. Through
the medium of the press, however,
they continue to put forward strong
opposition to the proposed referen
dum in California, designed to ex
tend the present law excluding Jap
anese from land ownership in Cali
fornia so as to forbid Japanese from
holding lands by lease, and also to
prevent Japanese from holding land
through ownership of alleged "dum
i my” corporations.
COX IN CONGRESS
VOTES WITH ANTI
LABOR MEMBERS
_ i
Democratic Nominee Speaks in Sup
port of Non-Union Mea- ♦
sures in House.
Classed with Those “Indifferent”
CHICAGO, Sept. 30.—The labored
and strained eulogy of candidate Cox
by Samuel Gompers as Chairman of
the American Federation campaign,
in which the veteran political execu
tive* of the big labor organization
gives the democratic presidential
nominee a clear bill of health as the
friend of organized labor conceals, by
omission, some vital things in the
record of Governor Cox when he was
a member of Congress in which he
failed to support legislation favored
by labor and voted for legislation
that was opposed by labor.
With the complete records of Con
gress in possession and forming part
of the archives of the American Fed
eration of Labor the failure of Mr.
Gompers to take into account these
high lights in Cox’s congressional
record showing that he (Cox) is un
friendly, if not the enemy of labor,
can be attributed to no other purpose,
to say the least, than to conceal the
truth.
Cox Does Not Support Labor
Aside from Cox’s congressional rec
ord, Mr. Gompers is advised of the
outstanding fact that Cox has been
branded by the building trades of
Ohio as an enemy of labor in that he
built his Dayton, O., newspaper plant
building with non-union labor. That
is not a partisan statement. It is a
court record. Mr. Gompers knows the
facts in that case yet he indorses
Cox as a friend of labor.
Now let’s look at Cox’s congression
al record and Mr. Gompers’ comment
thereon in The Federationist.
In 1910, every labor organization
in the land, railroad brotherhoods
and all, was knocking at the doors of
the Federal congress demanding leg
islation against almost certain des
truction at the hands of the courts
under the Sherman law.
In the language of Sam Gompers,
Governor Cox, “manifesting an indif
ference to the perilous position of la
bor,” “turned turtle” and failed to
vote for the bill. (See Daily Con
gressional Record, June 23, 1910, p.
8853.)
Gompers Says Cox Union’s Friend
Some Republican congressmen did
the same thing. As for them Mr.
Gompers and his democratic pals can
find no language too bitter, no de
nounciation too caustic, no invective
too scorching. Their arraignment of
these Republican members is couched
in terms of calumny, vituperation and
reproach. (As proof your attention
is directed to this official document.)
But on the same question, on the
same bill, on the same day, in de
fense of Congressman Cox, Mr.
Gompers and his crowd of Democratic
labor leaders now resort to suppres
sion and concealment.
Men and women: Take that fact
home with you, think it over, think
it out, on the 2nd day of November
you vote.
FOUNDER GIRLS HOME
MAKES EXTENSIVE TOUR
CHICAGO, Sept. 30.—Miss Jane
Hunter, founder and head of the
Phyllis Wheatley Association, home
for self-supporting Colored girls in
Cleveland, was here recently en route
South on a tour of Southern Col
ored schools. The Phyllis V he:itle\
Home at. Cleveland is one of the larg
est achievements ever made by a
colored woman. Starting with noth
ing, Miss Hunter now has a home
for colored girls valued at $85,000,
modern in all appointments, and ac
commodating 100 young, self-support
ing Colored girls, and with moral and
religious environments. Miss Hun
ter’s next visit will be to Tuskegee,
and her last, en route back to Cleve
land, will be Hampton Institute.