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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 1927)
i= \THE MONITOR s % NEBRASKA'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED 'AMERICANS THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor. M.00 • Year—S CeoU « CopyOMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1927Vol. XIII—No. 10 Whole Number 632 Jack Johnson, Ex-Champ, Arrested Here FOUR DELEGATES TO BAPTIST CONVENTION IN AUTO ACCIDENT Three Omaha Paitor* and One Lay man Narrowly Escape Death in Bad Automobile Accident Near Denniion WRECK MACHINE COMPLETELY The Rev. Z. C. McGee, pastor of Pleasant Green Baptist church; the Rev. E. H. McDonald, deputy oil in spector; and the Rev. C. B. Burton, pastor of Mount Moriah Baptist church, and Henry Fletcher, an ac tive layman of Mount Moriah had an almost miraculous escape from death when the car in which they were en route to Detroit, Mich, went over an embankment three miles west of Den nison, Iowa, about half past 8 o’clock Monday morning and was completely wrecked. The Rev. Mr. McGee was the most seriously injured, receiving a broken collar bone, and the fracture of a small bone in both legs. The Rev. Mr. McDonald received painful lacer ations, but had no bones broken, as was also the ease with Mr. Fletcher. The Rev. Mr. Burton received head injuries, which, however, were not sufficiently serious to confine him to the hospital. The four men were brought by train to Omaha and sent to Lord Lister hospital, where three of them are receiving excellent care and doing quite well. Mr. Burton was able to go home. The party left Omaha at 3:30 Mon day morning in Mr. Fletcher’s Nash sedan, en route to Detroit, Mich., where they were going as delegates to the national Baptist convention, of which the Rev. Dr. McDonald has been the assistant secretary for sev eral years. Mr. Fletcher was driving and the Rev. Mr. Burton was seated beside him. Drs. McDonald and Mc Gee were riding in the back seat. The car was making about 35 miles an hour when it ran into gravel, skid ded and went over a 20-foot embank ment, breaking down a telegraph pole and completely demolishing the ma chine. Dr. McGee was dragged from the wreckage unconscious and badly hurt. Why they were not all killed was considered miraculous by spec tators who saw the accident and viewed the wrecked car. When seen at the hospital Tuesday afternoon both Mr. McDonald and Dr. McGee said that it was only by an act of Providence that all were not killed. Though suffering much pain all the patients were most cheer ful. A MILLION DOLLAR PLANT Secretary of National Baptist Pub lishing Board Makes Annual Report Denver, Colo. — (Special) — Die-; nominating literature of religious \ thought that spreads the gospel of the lowly Nazarene and helps to in doctrinate the young folks in the Baptist faith, was the keynote of the report of the secretary of the Nation al Baptist Publishing Board, made here this week by Henry Allen Boyd, who was regarded as the pioneer among the Baptists and as a builder and a constructive genius. The re port of Rev. Mr. Boyd showed that more than a quarter of a million dol lars worth of business had been done by the institution at Nashville during the past year, by this one million dollar plant, as it is invoiced for that amount. His report further showed that the circulation in periodicals, books, pamphlets of a religious na ture, passed the twelve million mark during 1027. LOS ANGELES TO HAVE COLORED COUNTRY CLUB Los Angeles, Calif.—Word has | been received here of the sale of the , $300,000 Parkridge Country Club | ' to a colored resort syndicate of the j * city of Los Angeles. It is said that the club will be converted into an amusement resort for colored citi zens of Los Angeels. JACK JOHNSON, EX-WORLD CHAMPION, ARRESTED BUT DISCHARGED Jack Johnson, ex-world heavy weight pugilistic champion, came to Omaha Monday, to act as second for Leo Diebel, of Chicago, matched against Willie (Young) L. Stribling, of Mucon, Ga., in a ten-round bout at the city auditorium Monday night. The referee declared the bout “no contest” in the sixth round and de clared it off. Patrons were demand ing their money back. Messrs. Die bel and Stribling were arrested and charged with staging a fake fight. It seems that Jack Johnson, not knowing Chief of Detectives Ben Danbaum, told that officer that he could not arrest the men, raised the little chief’s ire and he ordered John son arrested also. The trio were lodged in jail over night, but gave bonds Tuesday morning and were re leased until their trial Wednesday morning at 9 o’clock. The police court was crowded. Johnson was charged with aiding in a fake fight. Attorney A. V. Shot well represented the defendants. Diehel and Stribling were found guilty by Judge Dineen and fined $100. Jack Johnson was dismissed. The case has been appealed. In the opinion of several spectators the opinion was expressed that the evidence against the fighters did not seem to justify the judge’s verdict, and it was difficult to understand why if one second was chargeable with aiding and abetting a fake or sham fight, the other second, William L. Stribling, sr., was not also ar rested with Joiinson. DENVER ENTERTAINING BAPTISTS National Baptist Convention of Amer ica Invades Rocky Mountain City—Large Dele gation Denver, Colo.— (Special)—Carry ing the gospel to the people in for eign lands, Christianizing folks at home, and fostering religious educa tion under the auspices of their par ticular denomination, were three of the outstanding features of the Na tional Baptist Convention of Ameri ca, presided over by J. Edmund Wood of Danville, Kentucky, which opened its 1927 convention at the Zion Baptist Church, this city on Wednesday morning. It was the first time in the history of Denver that this city had lifted its gates and thrown open its doors to a national convention of Baptists. The convention controls, through its boards, a million-dollar publishing house at Nashville, Tenn., with Henry Allen Boyd as its secretary, one hundred and sixty acres of land in Dexter, New Mexico, recently do nated for Baptist use, one Baptist Church in Key West, Florida, four acres of ground at Monks Grove, S. C., property and churches in Panama valued at twenty-five thousand dol lars, and a large tract of land donat ed by the Liberian government of Liberia, W. C. A., and a theological and training seminary at Nashville, with five acres of ground on which there are located two brick buildings, with electric lights, steam heat, sew erage connections and within the in corporate limits of that city. The combined reports of the convention show that approximately two million dollars are represented in assets, with but little indebtedness. FILE SUITS FOR $80,000 AGAINST CITY OF DETROIT Detroit, Mich. — Suits totaling $80,000 have been filed against the City of Detroit by Mrs. Corinne Banks and Mrs. May Makle, promin ent citizens here, for injuries suffer ed in street car accidents. Attorney Van Lowe is acting as counsel for both. Mrs. May was injured when her automobile was struck by a street car and Mrs. Banks was injured as she was alighting from a street car. The former asks $25,000 in her suit while the latter seeks $56,000. ’ JACK” BROOMFIELD, A VICTIM OF HEART’S DISEASE, DIES HERE John H. "Jack” Broomfield, aged G2, died at his late residence, 2124 Lake street,' Wednesday afternoon at 5:30, succumbing to heart trouble with which he had been afflicted for the past two years. His condition be came critical about two weeks ago and hope of his recovery was sl’ght. He was cheerful and sunny to the end which came quietly and peaceful ly, his chief regret during his last days being that he had to be denied the privilege of seeing many of his friends who were anxious to call. John H. Broomfield was born at Savannah, Mo., June 2, 1805, being one of a large family. Az the age of 18 he moved to Rod Oak, la., where he worked on a ranch for sev eral years. He then entered the Pull man service and lost a leg in a train wreck. After recovery from this ac cident, he came to Omaha in 1887 and worked at hotels and various oth er jobs about the city, until 1899 when he and the late Billy Crutch fielii formed _a partnership and took over the ownership and operation of the Midway saloon and resort at i welfth street and Capitol avenue, which like similar resorts, at that time popular among certain classes, prospered. The Midway become known from coast to coast as a saloon and resort at which patrons could be served with any drink known and could risk their money on faro, roulette, dice and other games of chance that threw Monte Carlo in the discard. A list j of the patrons of the Midway in the heyday of its glory would be a start ling revelation of the vices and weak nesses of many men prominent in America’s business and professional world. Two or three unusual rules were enforced by Broomfield in this place. One was not to permit a man with a family or minors to gamble there and another was not to sell drinks to a drunken man. A large sign was prominently displayed which read: “If you have a family that needs your money, don’t gamble here.” From the time he became a part ner in the Midway he became active in the politics of the old Third Ward which was considered the pivotal ward of the city. There is no doubt that it wielded a tremendous influ ence, but it wielded this influence be cause of its affiliation with the “high er ups,” in the “more respectable” wards. And Broomfield was a pow erful influence in the Third Ward, because the political powers knew that he was absolutely on the square and that his word was his bond. Moreover, he spent his own money liberally in financing campaigns. Because there was a large Negro pop ulation in the Third Ward, it was generally considered among white people that Broomfield was the poli tical leader and representative of the entire Negro population, which, of course was not true. That he was a political power among his race can not be disputed and that he deserved the influence by loyalty to what he conceived to be their best interests must be conceded. Broomfield had known poverty and hunger. This made him sympathetic to any man or woman in want. He said more than once: “I know what it is to be hungry, and I mean what I say, hungry, almost starved. And say, I never can resist helping a man, who says he is hungry. He may be lying to me, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, and I would give my last nickel or the last piece of bread I’ve got to a hungry man or woman. It goes to my heart,” and tears filled his eyes as he spoke, “to have anyone tell me he is hungry. And old people, and little children, God, how it hurts me to see them suffer. I wish I was a rich man so that I could help every old person in this city, black or white, who is in need.” And this was not mere talk, he meant it. This statement from his lips re veals the heart of gold which beat within the breast of Jack Broomfield. In the days of his poverty he would give his last cent to help somebody whom he considered worse off than himself and in the days of his pros perity his purse and heart were open to all calls for help. He has paid rent and furnished food and fuel for scores of families during hard win ters. He frequently said, “My reli gion is to try to help somebody.” Not a bad creed. Broomfield wisely invested his money, that he didn’t give away, in real estate and business ventures, like the Peoples’ Drug store, which at Dr. J. H. Hutten’s request, he join ed with him in purchasing, in order that employment might be given to a young colored pharmacist, a graduate of Creighton, who could not find employment in his line in Omaha. His investments have proven profit able and he leaves a modest fortune reputed to be around $60,000. He at one time owned stock in the Black stone hotel, this city, and in similar enterprises. Mr. Broomfield is survived by one son, Leroy C., proprietor of the Peo ples’ Drug store and also in the real estate business, in which his father had also been interested in the last few years; three brothers, Levi, of Omaha; Nathan of Chicago; George of St. Louis, and other relatives. With Mr. Broomfield at the time of his death were his son and daughter in-law, and William H. “Bob” Robin son, his secretary for many years, who came from Chicago, his present home, Wednesday morning. Mr. Broomfield was baptized about i a month ago by the Rev. Father John Albert Williams, rector of the Church of St. Philip the Deacon, between whom and the deceased there had ex isted a warm personal friendship for many years. Mr. Broomfield was a member of the Elks, under whose auspices his funeral will be held Saturday after noon. The Elks will hold their ser vices at Myers’ funeral home at 1 o’clock Saturday afternoon, after which they will escort the remains to St. Philip’s Episcopal church, where the office for the burial of the dead, according to the ritual of the Episco pal Church, will be said by Rev. John Albert Williams. Interment will be at' Forest Lawn. LIBERIAN EXECUTIVE IS HONORED BY POPE PIUS President King Is Formally Received and Decorated with a Gold Medal by Roman Pontiff New Vork, N. Y.—A press dispatch received here from Rome, Italy, says that President Charles D. B. King of the little Negro republic of Liberia was received Friday by Pope Pius, who conferred on him a commemor ative gold medal. After the decorating of President King by the Pope, members of the Liberian executive’s suite were re ceived, and after this reception, President King visited Mgr. Fran cesco Borgongini Duda, secretary of extraordinary affairs at the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Papal sec retary, being absent. President King left for him the Cordon of the Grand Order of Liberation and received from Mgr. Borgongini Duda the Grand Cross of the Order of Piety conferred on him by the Pope. AMBROSE CALIVER IS NEW DEAN OF FISK UNIVERSITY Nashville, Tenn.—For the first time in its history, Fisk University has a colored American as a dean. The distinction goes to Prof. Am brose Caliver, who was named to the post by President Elsa Jones. Ikean Caliver has been connected with the deans’ office for a number of years, serving as acting dean dur ing the period of reconstruction at Fisk University. GEORGIA ENACTS “SAVAGE” LAW PROHIBITING INTER RACIAL MARRIAGE New York, Sept. 2—The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, has received copies of the Baltimore Sun reporting the enactment by Georgia of a “savage” law req’^ring registration of the an cestry of every person in the state in order to prevent the marriage of persons of Negro and white antece dents. The bill was passed in the last session of the legislature and has been signed by Governor L. G. Hard man. Enforcement of the law rests with the state health department, and it is required that the state health offi cer prepare printed forms on which every citizen of the state must give available information as to the race of his ancestors and any mixture which may have occurred, failure to give correct information punishable as a felony. Marriage licenses may be refused if proof of the “racial purity” of the applicants is not on file, and the be lief is expressed that the law will cause many residents of Georgia to journey to other states in order to be married. Commenting editorially on this new Georgia anti-intermarri age law, the Baltimore Sun says: “Altogether, it is one of the most savage laws relating to marriage ever enacted. Yet, we are informed, ‘Such a measure is absolutely nec essary in Georgia, according to its1 advocates, if white blood is to be kept pure.’ “We hear this with mild surprise. We had labored under the impression that white people in Georgia are op posed to marrying Negroes. We had no idea that savage laws are required to prevent them from doing so.” I YOUNG WOMAN HOLDS RESPONSIBLE POSITION WITH PROMINENT FIRM Miss Marguerite Horne of Duluth, who spent her vacation here last week as the guest of her aunt, Mrs. Reuben Moore and other relatives, and u a'ways a welcome guest in this city where her early childhood was spent, holds a very responsible posi tion with a leading business firm in Duluth. She is head cashier for the Silberstein and Bondy Company, dealers in ladies’ apparel and cater ers to Duluth’s most exclusive trade. Miss Horne has been in the employ of this firm for 16 years. She was first employed as a maid for two or three years and the firm, noticing that she was apt, neat and intelli gent, frequently permitted her to as sist irt the office. Then she was put on the switch board for a few months and later taken into the office where she has been employed for ten years first as assistant cashier and then promoted to head cashier, which posi tion she has successfully held now for several years. Miss Horne owes her rather uni que position to a happy combination of circumstances: first, to her own ability and faithfulness to her em ployers, and secondly, to the most fortunate fact, that she is employed by a firm like that of Silberstein and Bondy which has the courage to rec ognize and reward ability, faithful ness and loyalty by well-merited pro motion. J. FINLEY WILSON BEGINS 6TH TERM AS ELKS HEAD New York, N. Y.—The Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World closed one of the most successful conventions in its history in this city recently when J. Finley Wilson of Washington, D. C., was re elected grand exalted ruler for the sixth consecutive term. Chicago was chosen as the meeting place for the next convention of the organization, after Detroit’s warm bid for next year’s convention was defeated. Mr. and Mrs. Hiram R. Greenfield of Dundee are vacationing at the beautiful country home of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Florence at Missouri Val ley, Iowa, for the week. The Green fields motored down, leaving home Tuesday morning. * * NEGRO, PRIZE WIN NING ARTIST, WILL STUDY ABROAD Trip I« Financed Through Award From Harmon Foundation, the Sale of Picture* and a Contri bution from Otto H. Kahn New York—Hal Woodruff, a 27 year-old Negro artist of Indianapolis, Ind., sailed for Europe Saturday, September 3rd, on the Paris, his two years of study in France, Italy and Spain financed by the winning of a recent award in art, the promised sale of pictures yet to be painted and a contribution from Otto H. Kahn of New York. Sketching since he was a small child, Woodruff received his first national recognition last December when he was given the second award in art of the William E. Harmon Awards for Distinguished Achieve ment Among Negroes. This was in the first year of a series of awards which the Harmon Foundation of New York is granting for outstand ing creative contributions by Ameri can Negroes. Entries for this year’s awards in the fields of art, literature, education, religious service, music, science, business and race relations closed on August 15th. In his nomination to second place, Woodruff’s work, as well as that of candidates in all the other fields of award, was compared with the finest of its kind which had been achieved by white artists and judged by a group of persons eminent in the world of art. He received $100 and a bronze medal. This money formed the nucleus for a fund which he hoped to raise for a long desired European trip. His work first as a janitor in the colored Y. M. C. A. at Indianapolis and later as member ship secretary gave him little extra funds over what was needed to carry on his study in the John Herron Art Institute. Most of the five paintings which he submitted for the Harmon Award he was able to sell and an exhibit in the Leiber Galleries at Indianapolis led Herman Leiber, the owner, to promise to sell to the extent of one a month such pictures as Woodruff might paint while in Europe. This nearly completed his financial ar rangements for study while abroad, the final assistance being given by Otto H. Kahn of New York, who learned of Woodruff from Walter White, assistant secretary of the Na tional Association for the Advance ment of Colored People. Woodruff sailed in a third class cabin. His plans after his arrival are as yet indefinite, but he will first get in touch with Palmer C. Hayden, a colored Greenwich Village house cleaner, who won the first Harmon Award in Art and was subsequently financed for two years’ study abroad through a gift of $3,000 from an anonymous individual. Hale Wood ruff hopes to continue his work in landscapes on which he has already specialized. He was born in Cario, 111. His father’s death when he was a small child threw the burden of support upon his mother, who has been em ployed as a cook in New York and other cities. She is now the matron of a colored hospital at Los Angeles, California. Woodruff himself work ed his way through grammar and high school, doing odd jobs and wait ing on table. WATERS-BARNHART PRINTING COMPANY DAMAGED BY FIRE The plant of the Waters-Barnhart Printing Company, 414-16 South Thirteenth street, was badly damaged by fire of unknown origin on Monday 'afternoon. The fire was fortunately confined to the stock and press room where the damage was heavy. The loss is estimated at $40,000. This company has printed The Monitor 'ever since its first issue, July 2, 1915. Despite the heavy handicap under which it has worked, Waters Barnhart have succeeded in getting out its usual publications and other work.
