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.