Nebraska Newspapers

    POST OFFICE DISCRIMINATION BANNED
The Only Paper of Its
Kind West of die
Missouri Rivet
VOL. VI. Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, December 17, 1932. _ Number Forty-Three.
I Tune In ’ j
“0I6ESTIN61
Vlie HEWS' j
BKOAIKASTED X
Evcrf Week iron this Columr )
By CLIFFORD C. MITCHELL
• _
CO V EKING THE COl NTKY***
• • •
I have been asked to publicly anal
yse a statement made in this column
a few weeks ago (“I Give Thanks”)
wherein l stated that this syndicated
column appeared simultaneously in
over fifty .olored publications regu
larly and in half that many more at
various intervals.
# • •
For the first time since the estab.
ilshment of this column 1 have takc-n
the trouble to arrange and compile
this information and I am surprised
to learn that in a little less than
three years this column now appear*
in fifty-three papers, published in
forty-seven different towns in twen.
ty.five* states and the District of Col
ombia.
• W W
These papers ire: Alabama—In.
former; Times, and the World in
Birmingham, and the World in belma.
Arkanta*—the World in Marianna,
Arizona—the Gleam in Phoenix, t ali.
forma. News, and New-Age Dapatch
in Los Angeles. Colorado—States
man in Denver. District of Columbia
the Tribune in Washington.
• • •
Florida—Sent.nel, and the World
in Jacksonville. Times in Miami, and
the Bulletin in Tampa. Georgia, the
Italy World in Atlanta, and the Tril>
une ill Savannah. Indiana, the Amer
ican in Gary. Illinois the Bee in
Chicago. Kansas -Plait dealer in
Kansas Oily. The Whip in Topeka,
and the SUr in WichiU. Kentucky—
the leader in Louisville.
• • •
* Louisiana—the Broadcast in Mon.
Weekly in New Orleans, and
the Sun in Shrevport Mcihigan—
the Independent and the Peoples
Hews in Detroit. Mississippi—the
Leader in Green'ille, and the World
in Jackson. Missouri—the American
in Kansas City.
• • •
Nebraska—The- Omaha Guide. New
•York—the Star in Buffalo. Fraternal
Kesriew. an the Nt*w i ork News in
New York City. North Carolina —
tic Post m Charlotte. Times in Dur
ham Tribune in Raleigh, and the
Journal in Wilmington.
• # »
Ohio—the Mirror in Cincinnati.
Voice in Colurubus. ana the Forum in
Dayton. Oregon—the Advocate in
Portland Pennsylvania—the Tribune
is Philadelphia. Tennessee—the World
in Chattanooga, World in Memphis.
Umion in J^urfreesboro, and the
World in Nashville.
• . • a
Texas—the Express in Dallas. Reg.
ister in San Antomo, and the Messen
ger in Waco. Virginia—the Star in
Newport News, and the Planet in
Richmond. West Virginia—the Mc
Dowell Times in Keystone.
■ • »
In all, (early in December 1932)
eighty five different publications have,
mad* • at <>ne time
or another with the fifty-three pa.
pers aaatfd herein being regular u*.
n of same, with addition papers be.
tag adkted every few weeks, and their
cooperatio? ackr. -w (edged in my per.
sn»l eolnsni.. "SI’) is and That”, in
the Chicago 'Bee. Many otiwr pub.
liahcra, for years, have been co.op
era?-. ne h,,. sending me an “eichange”
ropy of their publication each week.
FRET I >1 ‘»f Ft I* EW It ITERS V!
!
AH girls who are anxious to keep
up their speed and practice" in typing
may have free use of typewriters at
Central “Y”, Thurs<lays. Fridays, and
Saturday's, from 10:00 a# m. to 5:00
p. m. o'clock. Go to the third floor,
southi-ast corner! Be sure" to bring
paper an which to type! For further
information call WEbsvnr 1539.
Well Known Omahan
Dies
MRS. ELIZABETH SPEECE DIES
AFTER LONG ILLNESS
Mrs Elizabeth Speese, prominent
citizen of Omaha, died at her home,
2314 North 27th Ave., Tuesday morn
ing, December 13th after a long ill.
nees.
She is survived by three girls, An.
na Ethel. Beaulah and two sons,
Harry and Miles Speese.
Mr . Speese was a member of Mt.
Moriah Baptist Church.
The body was taken to Myers^Fun.
eral Home.
IMPERIAL LEAGUE SERVES
WAPPLE SUPPER
The Imperial League will serve a
Waffle Supper from 4 p. m. to 9 p.
rn. Sunday evening, December 18th
at the Morning Glory Tea Room. De_
licious waffles, creamed chicken and
coffee for 15c. The proceeds from
this supper will be used to help the
newly families have a merry Christ,
mas. Grace Adams is chairman.
This League is an independent or
ganization, but cooperates with other
social agencies. Emergency cases
may be referred to the league by call
ing Robbie Turner Davis, president at
Webster 2864.
FISK UNI. CHOIR BEGINS
JANUARY 15. 193.1
Nashville, Tennesee. Dec. 3, 1932—
On January 15, the Fisk University
Choir will sing in Detroit. Michigan,
the first of the eleven cities in which
it i# to appear on the tour covering
two weeks. The Choir is composed of
sixty college men and women under
the direction of Mr Ray Francis
Brown and the assistant directorship
of Mrs. Japies A. Mvers. who is in
charge of the spirituals. It will
present to its audiences an unusual
repertory of sacred unaccompanied
music ranging from the extremelv
difficult church music of the 16th.
17th ad 18th centuries to productions
by well known contemporary com
posers as Dett. Christiansen. Rach
maninoff, and T Tertius Noble. For
the first time in the history of the
choir it can sing with genuine fervor
“I got a robe” for now it has vest,
ments. a personal gift of Me. and
Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The
Choir is bein,r backed financially by
Paul D. Cravath, chairman of the
Hoard of Trustees and president of
he Metropolitan Opera Company. T.
Tertius Noble, organist and choir,
master of the St. Thomas Church in
New York City, who was guest con
ductor of the choir last spring was
>• impressed by its singing, that he
wr.ite last summer “O Sacred Head
Surrounded” and dedicated it to Mr. I
Brown and the Fisk University j
Ch nr. He is to conduct a group of j
hi- own compositions on each pro.
ru>r, of the tour. David Marines,!
head of tfie David Mannes M usic,
School1 and chairman of the music
.inmiltee of the Fisk Board, is co
■ rating with Mr. Brown and Mrs.
Myers to see that thy tour is artistic-,
ally sureessfu 1. Mrs. Ethel Bedient
Gilbert, Director of Publicity, for the
as: five years at Fisk, has general
charge of the tour. She is forming;
committees in each city to work with
the local manager. She hopes to,
great interest among all Fisk
s and Negroes in general in
verv large undertaking.
l*» become a goo*i a cap pel la choir
i- o attempt one of the most dif
cu!t thing# in music. After five
of relentless work Fisk has
made an unusual accomplishment.
R: hind these five years are sixty
■ r Tad.:.on which h:i*e made
nging* • ■ r the ft c&ppdln music*
'Vi' ,) r a 1 t v i k> r l ; t k' n g*. There h a -
n a growing musical tradition at
ITiiL Tn 1C71 tWa f»*6f e:„,
I • " in jpii .ne Iit-l jlionet? •
I w or • • • th« r way Into t
:-*«■ : f the world w;*h »hch
*"<ols Five years later in 1376
Mozart Society was founded to
!’-dy the classics as well as the spir_
ituals, for from the earliest days it
has been a practice at Fisk to teach
the best of the world’s music. Out
<*f this two-fold tradition of the sing
ing of. the spirituals and of classical
music has come the present a cappella i
hnir which made so great an im- -
pression through its series of coast
to coast broadcasts over the Colum
bia Broadcasting System, one of
which was transmitted to Europe.
Itinerary of the Choir: January 15,
letroit; 16, Cleveland; 18, Pittsfield;
l‘J, Hartford; 20, New Haven; 22.
Providence; 23, Boston or suburb;
125, Worcester; 26, New York City;
27, Syracuse; 29, Akron.
BILL ROglNSON DOES STUNTS
IN COURT ROOM TO AMUSE
JUDGE
Richmond, Va„ (CNS) Bill “Bo.
jangles” Robinson, a home town boy
who has made good in vaudeville as
a tap dancer and good story teller
brought cheers into the drab routine
of the police couit one day last week
while his show “Going to Town” was
j showing here. He paid a visit to
Justice T. Gray Haddon and told a
few stories and did some of his im
nitable stepping
Bill stold Justice Haddon that “a
Negro once appeared in this court on
a charge of having stolen a ride into
the city on a freight train. The judse
asked him if he could catch the next
trann out if he let him go, and the
| prisoner replied; ‘If you let me go
now I’ll get out of town so fast I’ll
catch up with that train I rode in on.”
After a f6w pleasantries about his
early years spent in Richmond, Rob
inson went into a dance turn which
his made him 6ne of the best known
figures on two +fe -prrnr.
ed, strutted and stepped with all of
the rhythmic, syncopating grace
which have brought him the plaud'its
of audiences everywhere
Before dancing Robinson and the
court acted a little sketch wM had
the full approval of prisoners, wit
nesses and courtroom loungers. Rob
inson went into the “pen” with the
prisoners, called to the judge that he
could dance his way out, and without
further ado gave a sample of tap
dancing such as the court hasn’t seen
since Robinson’s last appearance
here.
“Bojangles” also visited the Hen
rico County Ja-il and the State peni.
tentiary w'here he gave performances
for the inmates.
Radio
Revue
COMING 1933 ATTRACTION; BIG
RADIO REVUE
The Imperial League is sponsoring
a “Big Radio Revue” mid.nite show,
featuring many of the well known
radio stars. One of the guest artists
w'ill be Bernice Givens-Payne of Chi
cago. Many Omahans will be anxious
to hear Bernice play and sing. Each
week a'list of stars will be published
throu."'h the Guide. The place and
date will be announced later. Robbie
Turner Davis, president. Carrie Jew
i ell, Chairman.
MAN KEPT FROM GALLOWS SIX
TIMES IN 18 MONTHS
Jackson. Miss. (CNS) Tow Cara,
way convicted of an attack on a wfcit#
woman, was halted here last week by
the Mississippi Supreme Court whan
the high tribunal granted a supersed
eas in the Caraway case, which am
ounts to a stay of execution pending
dec sion of the circuit judge, in which
the later refused a new trial to Cara
way on grounds of new evidence.
Repudiation of a confession, alleg
edly made by Caraway immediately
after the Commission of the crime, is
the basis of the petition for the sup_
ersedeas. which was allowed by the
coart.
The repudiation is substantiated by
a deputy sheriff yho testified last
month that Caraway did not confess
although yhe. ‘he h»«"<jr»*iiK
ally so testified.
After several scheduled hangings
had been halted. Caraway was sup.
posed to hang last spring, but in the
meantime, an appeal was taken to the
high court on the ground of the false
testimony of the deputy
ATTEMPT TO DYNAMITE MOR.
GAN COLLEGE BUILDING FAILS
Baltimore. Md. (CNS)— It was re
ported to the police that an attempt
of three unidentified w'hite men to
dynamite one of the buildings on the
campus of Morgan College here, fail
ed, on Friday November 18. The men
were friahtened away while trying to
touch off the explosives.
I !
Dr. Lennox On the Job
——-- ____ I
WRITES TO OMAHA
FORI) BRANCH—
December 5, 1932
Ford Motor Company.
Mr. R. A. Hayes, Vice Pres..
16th and Cuming Streets.
Omaha. Nebr.
Dear Sir:
Sometime ago I wrote you relative
to securing our pro rata, of employ
ment with your concern.
In your letters and in our conver
sation with you a favorable consider
ation wa§, to Jae given concerning
same, but today we have learned ntf
employment has been given to mem_
Iters of our group. Since that time
have beer informed an employee
of our group who has been with your
company any number of years has
been let out.
I realize conditions of today, but
knowing that we comprise 5% per_
' mt of the city’s population and
spend the same amount with your
. oncern directly or indirectly, we art
entitled-to our fuH pro-rata of em
ployment, which would be 37 employ
ees.
For your information a tabulated
F ; m is enclosed which shows actual
■ •ndittc.rs regarding the employment
.-uuation with your company, and we
. :c wondering what consideration can
ha given regarding same.
We are hoping that a rectification
n he brought about regarding eni
nlovment for members of our group.
Thanking you for whatever favor
able consideration you may give, I
am
Respectfully yours.
Dr. G. B. Lennox. Pres.
Omaha Working Men’s
Commissioners.
1602 Vi X. 24th St.
WRITES BELL
TELEPHONE CO.—
December 5, 1932
Mr. W. F. Cozad. General Manager, j
Northwestern Bell Telephone Co., i
1906 Douglas St.,
Omaha. Xebr.
' Dear Sir:
Some time ago I wrote you relat.
ive to seeking consideration in the
form of employment for your Coloreci
j customers who have been constant
supporters of your institution.
In your letters and in our coriver.
, sation, a favorable consideration was
| to be given, but to date no repres- j
entatives of our group have been em.
j ployed.
I realize it is a great task to bring
: about an immediate rectification at
this time, but knowing that we com
prise percent of the city’s pop
ulation and are 511* percent of the
Northwestern Bell Telephone Comp
any’s supporters, we are entitled to
; our full pro.rata of employment,
which would be 88 employees.
For your information a tabulated
lorm has been figured out relatively
1 tq the situation regarding employ, j
t uient in the Northwestern Bell Tele
phone Company, which we hope that
you will carefully examine.
If there -- that a rectific
ation can be brought about relative
to giving employment to our group
:t will be greatly appreciated and
r- ■ y ‘this body of people who
are also suoporters of your concern,
but.given the least or no consider-;
ation.
Thanking you for whatever favor
able consideration in the form of em
ployment you may give. I am
Respectfully yours.
Dr. G. B Lennox, Pres.,
Omaha Working Men’s
C-omm issioners
1602^4 N. 24th Street.
Wagner Presents
Levee Resolution
Says No Jim-Crow
in New Post Office
POST OFFICE ASSURES NAACP
NO JIM CROW ROOMS IN
LOUISVILLE
New York, Dec.—Assurance has
been given from the office of the
Postmaster General in Washington
that the Department does not intend
to establish segregated rest rooms in
the new Louisville, Ky., post office.
Writing to the National Asociation
for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple, in response to its protest, Arch
Coleman, First Assistant Postmaster
General says:
“The Department does not contem
plate the establishment and main,
tenance of separate rest rooms in the
Louisville, Kentucky postoffice for
white and colored employees or to
segregate them.”
The reports of intended segregation
came from the Louisville branch of
the NAACP. and these plans are def
initely scotched.
NAACP. PUSHES FIGHT ON MOB.
BING AND JI]yf CROW IN
„ ^SOUTHERN FLQUR RELIEF
New York, Dec.—Negroes and Red
Cross workers distributing free gov
ernment flour in Southern states are
being intimidated and prevented from
reporting the discrimination practiced
against Negroes according to a letter
sent yesterday to Judge John Barton
Payne, national Red Cross chief, by
the National Asociation for the Ad
vancement of Colored People
The NAACP. letter points to the
floggings and intimidation at Clear,
water, Florida, as showing the spirit
which prevails. In reply to a letter
from Judge Payne, giving assurance
that no discrimination would be tol
erated by the Red Cross, the NAACP.
says:
“The very system which prevails in
the South makes it impossible for a
local official to report the true state
of affairs to the national headquar
ters of the Red Cross. In many cases
they are prevented from doing so by
intimidation such as is dearly indic
ated in Clearwater, Fla., and in other
casts they report no discrimination
because it is not within their power,
considering their training and back
ground. to discern unjust and unfair
discrimination when it actually ex.
ists/’
i’he NAACP. urges an :nvestig_
ation on the spot by rational head
quarters of the Red Cross,
New reports from Clearwater. Fla.,
state that none of the mobbists who
brutally :! logged two members of the
Colored Welfare Association has been
apprehended. Colored people are be
rng paid for relief work not in ca-h
a? are the whites but in grocery nr.
aers and on these orders there Is no
allowance for meat other than “white
bacon" or fat pork, no butter, no
fresh milk.
ST. MARKS RECTOR BACKS
NAACP. FIQHT ON N Y.
nurse jim c'r O AY
New \ ork, Dec.—L. H. King, Rec
tor of St. Mark's ME Church is back- j
ug up the National Association fori
ine Advancement of Colored People
in the fight being made against the I
discrimination being practiced against!
colored nurses under the admnistra
tion of J: G. Greeff, Commissioner of
Hospitals.
Rev. King has written to Comm is-1
?:C,T,C1. Greeff urging that -when aliens :
are displaced from employment in j
that service, American citizens of col. .
or be given opportunity to fill the
jobs made available
"A considerable number of deserv. |
:ng citizens displaced in your Depart
metn by alien labor are of the Negro
group,” writes Rev. King. “Such a
displacement works upon this group
very substantial economic hardship.
The considerable number of Negro
t
' nurses, orderlies and others now un
employed, would have an opportunity
as native citizens to qualify for place
ment in these vacancies and just con
sideration be given to their claims
for employment.”
- -
LYNCHING IN LOUISIANA
Wisner, La., (CNS) William House
a 26 year, old Negro, was lynched
near here last week, by a band of
men who took him from the Wisner
town Marshall
The man was arrested after two
young women had complained that he
had insulted them. The prisoner
was taken to jail at Winnsboro by
the marshall for safe-keeping.
| Graham and P. C. Sutton, also of
Wisner, went to Winnsboro and took
charge of House with the intention of
returning him here for trial.
Two miles from Winsboro, Grah
am said, a band of about fifteen men
! stopped his car and forced him to
give up his prisoner and pistol.
Sheriff Allen Price of Winnsboro
■aid the Negro’* body, with two bul
let wounds in it, was found hanging
from a tree this morning.
APPEAL BRIEF FILED IN DUMAS
CASE ASKING RAPE CONVICTION
REVERSAL
■ r ,>»
Oklahoma City, Dec.—Roscoe Dun.
jee, president of the local branch.
National Association for the Ad
j vancement of Colored People, an
nounces tl at appeal brief has been
j filed in the Oklahoma State Crimin
al Court of Appeals in the case of
! Charley .Dumas, convicted on a forced
| confession of rape alleged to have
j been committeed on a white girl
1 while Dumas was a road camp pris_
oner. The brief recites that Dumas
was made to plead guilty without
having any attorney, that he was ud
der threat of mob violence, that he
had only five minutes conversation
with an attorney appointed by the
court and that the presiding judge
‘ had remarked after imposing death
■ sentence that “he wished he could
i pull the switch.”
GOVERNOR OF OKLAHOMA
APPOINTS FIRST NEGRO
STAFF MAJOR
H. C. McCormick, bookkeeper at the
Farmer’s and Merchants Bank of
Bo'ley, Okla., where the Negro presi
dent was killed, received a check for
$500 which is the double award for
killing bank bandits and a comma
.'•ion as a colonel on the Governor’s
staff, the first of its kind in history. ’
Mr. McCormick shot and killed the
bandit Bridewell of the “Floyd
Gar " in the robbery .attempt of .the
Farmer and Merchants’ bank of Be
ley, Okla.
HOOVER TRAIN STORY REVEAL
ED AS HOAX
Sari Francisco. Calif.— (CNS)— -j
Charles E. Fish, the railroad watch
man who claimed he fought two men,
one a Negro, trying to dynamite a
bridge near Palisade, Nev. over
which President Hoover’s train was
soon to pa s on November 8, now ad
mits that the story was false.
Fish after flagging the train saidj
he heard a disturbance on the Wes.
vetu Pacific tracks which cross over
the Southern Pacific tracks: and that
- he investigated he found ai
white man and a Negro on the over,
head track.' He said they had six
sticks f dynamite, and that he had
had a scuffle with the two men and
that they escaped ip the darkness, af
ter iniuring him
Fish now admits that he shot him.
: elf and made up the story to gain j
notoriety.
CENTENNARIAN DIES IN K. C.
Kansas City, Mo. (CNS) Green
Burks, an aged Negro who said he
was born in Saline County this State
113 years ago died here last week He
said he was a slave before the War
of Rebellion.
CLAIM LEVEE CONTRACTORS
UNFAIR TO COLORED
EMPLOYEES
Sensational Developemcnt Awaited
WAGNER TELLS NAACP. LEVEE
PROBE RESOLUTION WILL BE
OFFERED MONDAY
New York, Dee.—Senator Robert
F. Wagner of New- York has tele,
graphed from Washington to the Na
tional Association for the Advance,
ment of Colored People to state that
his resolution callin,.' for a Senate
probe of the peonage and slavery
conditions on the Mississippi Flood
Control project will be introduced
on Monday,
“Am working to avoid reference to
committee,” Senator Wagner’s tele
gram reads, “so as to expediate con
sideration Date of hearings will
depend on chairman of committee if
resolution is carried.
Nation wide determination to see to
it that the resolution is carried in the
Senate is shown by the enthusiastic
mass meetings which are being re
ported to the NAACP. from branches
throughout the country.
Dr. H. Claude Hudson, President
of the Los Angeles branch, reports
that a large crowd attended the meet
ing in that city and that there was
c.'thtuMntk a,,piuu.-e wire..—one
speaker said the MiSf/ssippi levee
fight would be won as the Parker
light had been won. The meeting
sent telegrams to Senators Johnson
and Shortridge of California, demand,
ing their support for the Wagner
resolution, “to end the intolerable sit.
uation in Mississippi Flood project
and to secure treatment for colored
citizens in all government contracts.”
From Cincinnati, President Theo.
dore M. Berry reports that speakers
were sent to 15 leading churches of
the city which endorsed resolutions
that were sent to Senators Fess and
Buckley of Ohio.
In Kansas City, Mo., President
John L. Love reports that telegrams
went to the Misouri senators from
eight of the leading churches of the
city and from the Interdenomination
al Ministers Alliance, the Association
of Colored Women of Kansas City
and from the local NAACP branch.
W. C. Murray, Oklahoma City
branch President, telegraphs that on»
Oklahoma Senator, Thomas has
pledged his support to the Wagner
resolution and a telegram asking his
support was sent to Senator Core.
Additional senators now pledged .in
favor of the Wagner resolution in
clude Senator K. g. Crammer of
Washington and Senator Roscoe C
Patterson of Missouri. Senator W.
Warren JJarbour of New Jersey has
i-foni -od to discuss the qiatter with
Senator Wagner.
f ■ vPe Contractors Hire Lobbyist
Fred Beneke, of Memphis, lobby
ist hired by the levee contractors, has
reached Washington and a bitter
f ght on the NAACP. campaign for
equal treatment for colored workers
is in prospect. It is reported that
he contractor’s lobby originally were
able to defeat the bill which called for
prevailing rate of pay as the stand,
ard for levee workers Levee work
is also exempted from the provisions
of the eight.hour work law.
Sensational development are hint
ed as a possibility in the course of
-he fight by the NAACP. and every
resource is being mobilized to carry
to victory a fight which may prove
to bo just as close, as bitterly fought
and as vitally important to colored
Americans was the Parker fight
HARRY BUFORD’S REINSTATE
MENT DEFERRED
Mr. Hairy Buford, lieutenant of p0.
lice, who was exonerated by Judge .
Woodrough from the liquor conspir.
acy asked to be reinstated, but the
reinstating’ has been deferred until a
later date.
Two other officers. Paul Sutton,
and Joe Patach, were indicted with
Buford They remain under indict,
ment owing to the mistrial.