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*^af**, *e'° - *e*d The Only Paper of Its
the Omaha Guide Kind West of the
Missouri River
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VOL. VII.— Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, June 3, 1933_ Number Fifteen
CRAWFORD CASE APPEAL HEARD
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By CLIFFORD C. WITCHELL i
CHICAGO BOUND!
• • •
If I live, and nothing happens to
the transportation facilities, some
time during the day of June 8th (this
year) I shall be Chicago Bound. This
has all been made possible, indirectly
through the cooperation of each read
der, throughout America, who has
read any of my releases during the
past three years.
• • •
Directly, my release has been made
possible through the generous coop
eration given me by the many editors
and publishers, of both races, who
have been so liberal and generous in
their efforts to publicize my weekly
messages.
• • •
Still more directly, my release is
the result of the scores of influential
American, of both races, who have
interceded, directly and indirectly, in
rry behalf, to our Pardon and Parole
Comm -ssoner W. Alfred Debo, and
to Governor William A. Comstock.
t • •
In my particular instance it was
not a question of whether any prom
inent person was willing to sponsor
my future efforts, but which of the
many offers to do would afford me
the greatest contact and give me the
greatest opportunity to continue and
enlarge upon my efforts now that I
have “found” myself and have proven
that I could be useful.
• • •
The Parole Commissioner event
ually decided, influened greatly by the
recommendations of Charlie Diggs,
assistant parole comissioner of De
troit. that my best contact was in the
offer of Harry R. Pace, president of
the Supreme Liberty Life Insurance
Company, of Chicago, who wrote a
long personal letter to Governor Com
stock. in which he assured the Gover
nor that if I were paroled to Chicago
that he. Mr. Pace, would take a per
Ksma: interest in my welfare and of
fer me every opportunity to make a
success of my work and to become a
credit to the race through my writ
ings.
To *11 Chicagoans I wish to send a
message: All my life my troubles
have always come about through the
representation that I possessed more
than I actually had. Now I wish to
start clean. I am frank to say that I
have nothing. Not only am I shy on
the worldly goods but I do not even
possess all that nature gave me—
however, a good dentist can remedy
that in short order.
• • •
I do come to Chicago, however,
with a proven ability that I can make
myself useful, and a determination
to erect upon the firm foundation
that I have now laid, a structure of
SERVICE that Chicagoans will be
proud of and that will reflect upon
those who are sponsoring my future
efforts.
So many people have contributed
^ their moral influence in making the,
present situation possible and I am
now preparing a complete statement
of such efforts, showing in detail
just how each person came to the
“front” for me, in a time when it
was needed. This acknowledgement
of thanks will be prepared in pam
phlet form and distributed freely to
all try readers, shortly after my re
lease—June 8th. Until then, Just
THANKS to all of you.
.
Watson and Davis Winners
In Kansas City Golf Meet
Va. Jury System!
Criticized in Craw
ford Extradition
_Case
USING BARE FEET TO SEE WITH
BLIND BOY LIVES CHEERFULLY
Charleston, S. C. (CNS) In a little
one.room cabin on a roadside near
Adams Runs. Osborn, P. O. on the
Sea-board Air Line just west of here
“the blind boy” lives, tills his tiny
patch of ground, and uses a pair of
unshod feet to “see” with. The blind
boy, who is seldom known by anoth
er name in his neighborhood is Jim
Jackson, a Negro in his early twent
ies. Stone blind, presumably from
birth, he has no family to care for
him. but manages through his own
cheerful efforts and the good-will of
his neighbors to maintain himself in
a fairly decent fashion, patching his
own clothes.
The boy was brought to attention
through his application to the Red
Cross chapter here for garments.
Mrs. Azile Brown Tyler, chapter
executive secretary, visited him in her
rounds of inspection in the county,
during which she interviews person
ally all applicants for clothing.
“His little shack probably is no
larger than this room.” Mrs. Tyler
said in her office, “but he keeps it
decently. He was hoeing his field
when I called on him.”
Mrs. Tyler said that the boy’s
clothes represented an amazing array
of patches, not daintly sewn, but in
credibly well done considering his in
firmity. She arranged immediately to
supply the Blind Boy with a complete
outfit, but was surprised at his refus
al of the offer of shoes.
“I uses my feet to see with,” he
told the resident of the area, who
made the clothing application for
him. Apparently he has so familiar
ized himself with the feel of the
ground in his general neighborhood
that he is able to find his way about
with comparative ease and this he
believes would be interfered with by
the wearing of shoes. He goes unshod
the year round. The boy is on the
chapter’s free flour list, and must
travel some two miles to the distrib
ution point for the Adams Run sec
tion, a trip which he has been ac
complishing without difficulty. To
plant his lttle plot of ground, he
worked the stipulated time on the road
to earn the seed from the Recon
struction Finance Corporation.
Seldom has Mrs. Tyler encountered
a more grateful recipient of the Red
Cross cothing. The Blind Boy’s face
broke into a delightful grin as he
reached for an felt eagerly of the
fine new clothes which he could not
see. Turning, he called excitedly to
the woman who lives in a house near
by, and who keeps an eye out for his
general welfare.
“See what I got!” cried the Blind
Boy. who could not see the gift him
self.
PAUL JONES, DETECTIVE, GOES
FOR ONE MAN GETS TWO
Philadelphia, Pa. (CNS) Detective
Sergeant Paul Jones of the Washing
ton, D. C. police force, came here last
week to get a “con” man named Jam
es Hassler. He not only got his man,
but picked up “Red” Jones, who was
also wanted in Washington.
APPEAL HEARD ON JUDGE
LOWELL’S CRAWFORD CASE
RULING
Boston, Mass. (CNS) A decision by
Appeals (on Judge Lowell’s duling
the United States Circuit Court of
halting the extradition of George
Crawford to Virginia is expected on
or before June 15.
After long arguments by counsel
for the Commonwealth of Massachu.
setts and the defense of the United
States Circuit Court of Appeals late
today took under advisement the
State’s appeal from Federal Judge
James A. Lowell’s ruling of April 24
granting a writ of habeas corpus to
halt extradition of George Crawford,
wanted in Loudon County, Va., for
the murder of two women sixteen
months ago.
Federal Judges George H. Bing
| ham, Scott Wilson and James M.
| Morton, Jr., comprising the court, in.
j dicated keen interest in the case,
which has assumed nation-wide in
terest. The court room was crowded
throughout the day-long sessions and
many spectators were turned away.
Former Attorney General J. Wes
ton Allen and Butler R. Wilson argu
ed for the defendant, contending that
the Virginia indictment against Craw
ford was void because Negroes have
never been called for jury service in
the Virginia county, thereby controv
erting the constitutional rights of the
accused as afforded him by the Four
teenth Amendment.
They maintained that Justice Low
ell acted within his discretion in con
sidering in the habeas corpus pro
ceedings evidence and affidavits of
Loudon County officials showing the
Negroes are not called for service on
juries there.
The Commonwealth represented by
Assistant Attorney Generals George
B. Lourie and Stephen B. Bacigalupo,
with John Galleher representing the
Attorney General of Virginia, argu
ed that validity of an indictment,
valid on its face, cannot be attacked
in habeas corpus proceedings in in
terstate rendition.
Although the judges have before
them voluminous briefs in tbe case
comprising about 40,000 words, they
are expected to expedite their decis
ion. Both sides indicated intentions to
appeal to the United States Supreme
Court, if necessary, in their respect
ive interests.
The Virginia indictment charges
that Crawford on Jan. 13, 1932, mur
dered Mrs. Agnes B. Ilsley, wealthy
sportswoman, and her maid, Mrs.
Mina Buckner, at Middleburg.
Representative Smith of Virginia,
recently impeached Judge Lowell
from the floor of the House, after
Lowell granted Crawford Habeas
corpus writ. The House authorized an
investigation of Lowell, whcih is be
ing held up by the Judiciary Comm. |
ittee pending outcome of the Mass- j
achusetts appeal.
_
ZION BAPTIST CHURCH TO
SPONSOR BIBLE SCHOOL
There will be a vacation Bible
school at Zion Baptist Church begin
ning Monday, June 12th for two ■
weeks from 9 a. m. to 12 noon each [
day. This school will be opened to all
children up to the age of 15 years.
The following persons have volun
teered their services for the week:
Mesdames Olivia Kirtley, H. L. An.
drson, Helen McWhorter, Lula Bry
ant, V. A. Bolden, Eva Mae Dixon,
and Miss Thelma Harper.
SEEK SUPREME COURT ACTION
TO STAY EUEL LEE EXECUTION
Baltimore, Md. (CNS) Counsel for
Euel Lee, alias Orphan Jones, con
victed of murdering Green K. Davis, ]
an Eastern Shore farmer in Maryland
are endeavoring to prepare for pres. \
entation to the Supreme Court papers
seeking to prevent his execution June
2.
It was planned to file the papers
by May 27th so that the Supreme
Cout could on Monday. May 29th an
nounce which action it will take in
the matter.
Lee was twice convicted of the mur
der, the Maryland Appellate Court
setting aside the first conviction be
cause colored persons were not on
the panel from which the trial jury
was drawn.
It refused to set aside the second j
conviction by a white jury, holding
the fact that names of colored per
sons were on the panel complied with
Constitutional requirements.
Lee was charged with having mur
dered Davis, his wife and two daugh
ters in Worcester County, Md., on
October 11, 1931, but was tried only
on the charge of murdering Davis.
WHITE WIFE KILLS RICHARD O.
GREER, PLAYWRITER
Los Angeles, Calif., (CNS) Three
years ago a white woman sold her
Asbury Park (New Jersey) Hotel,
maried Richard 0. Greer, and came
here with $80,000 to back her Negro
husband in the production of a play
Greer was writing.
Last week a coroner’s jury return
ed a verdict of justifiable homicide in
connection with the fatal shooting of |
Grer by hs white wife, Swananna
Greer.
Willis Tyler, Negro attorney for
Mrs. Greer, told the jury that unhap
piness beset the couple after they
came to California and that the shot
which killed Greer followed a long
series of beatings Greer administered
to his wife.
The question of whether Mrs.
Greer will be held for trial is to be
decided by the District Attorney.
The Greers at one time put a play
called “Blood Stream” on Broadway.
It was short lived, and the couple
went west to produce another play.
They opened an up-to-date sandwich
shop here which has a large patron
age.
GETS OUT OF TIGHT PLACE BY
TOSS OF HIS CAP
Washington, (CNS) Tom Logan, 18
years old, brought to trial before
Judge Schuldt in the Police Court, on
an attempted house breaking charge,
literally tossed his own case out of
court.
Logan was accused of climbing up
to the roof of a house with another
colored boy known as “Red Mice,”
Police said the boys were trying to
enter the place through a skylight
trapdoor.
Taking the stand in his own de
fense, Logan explained to Judge Gus
A. Schuldt that “Red Mice” had
thrown his cap upon the roof, and he
had gone up with him to recover it.
“The officer informed me this roof
is about 25 feet high,” said Assistant
United States A^dfhey Michael F.
Koogh. “How did ‘Red Mice’ throw
your cap up there?”
Logan picked up his cap and hurled
it toward the ceiling. It struck with
a resounding smack.
‘Case dismissed,” said the judge.
ST. LOUIS & KANSAS CITY DE
FEATED BY SWASTIKANS IN
GOLF TOURNAMENT
The Memorial Day Golf Tournament
at Kansas City, Mo. in which players
from St. Louis, Omaha and Kansas
City competed, was won by Ulysses
“Gabby” Watson member of the Oma
ha Swastika Club with a score of 76.
William Davis also of the Swastika
won 1st place in the class B flight.
Both were awarded silver trophys
Thirteen Omahans competed in the
tournament. r,
MASONS LOCKED OUT OF LODGE
ROOMS IN “MASONIC TEMPLE”
Washington, (CNS) The Acacia
Grand Lodge of Masons and the Eas
tern Star Chapters were locked out of
their lodge rooms on the fourth, fifth
and sixth floors of the New Masonic
Temple Building, Tuesday, May 23,
by order of the receivers of the Na
tional Benefit Life Insurance Com
pany.
In May, 1931, just after the build
ing was fiinshed, the Grand Lodge
leased these floors for the sum of
$1,000 per month. It is claimed they
are in arrears about $14,000.
Sometime arxo they were served
with a court order of a debt of $14,
000 for back rent and the furniture
and fixtures had been attached. The
time for payment expired on May 23
and as no settlement had been agreed
upon. Receiver Bryan ordered the
doors locked.
George Ambler, grand master of
the Masons, said that he could not
say just what the men will do until
the trustees meet the first Wednes
day in June.
The Masons do not own the build
ing, nor have then any equity in it at
present. It is owned by the National
Benefit Life Insurance Company
which carries a mortgage of $205,000
on the structure.
G. A. Clark, one of the receivers,
stated that they would be glad to get
a sale for the property for $205,000
although, he stated, the insurance
company had put over $600,000 into
its purchase and completion.
It is also claimed that the Masonic
Grand Lodge has put more than
$300,000 into the Temple project, and
are now locked out of house and
home.
‘PROFESSOR’ MILLER BANNED
AT OHIO STATE TO LECTURE
AT BRYN MAWR
Oberlin, Ohio, (CNS) Dr. Herbert
A. Miller, of this city, who was drop,
ped from the faculty of Ohio State
University two years ago, because of
his broad news on racial matters, has
been appointed a lecturer at Bryn
Mawr College, Pennsylvania. Two
years ago. Dr. Miller, then an instruc
tor in sociology at Ohio State, was
“let.out” by the board of trustees,
who refused to renew his contract,
because of Dr. Miller’s broad racial
views and his exemplication of them
at Wilberforce University upon the
occasion of his last sociological study
visit there accompanied by a class of
white students from the State Uni
versity. Some of the students danced
with the colored studenst at Wilber
force and on some complaint of the
incident, Dr. Miller was “let.out”.
COLLAR BUTTON DISPUTE
LANDS MAN IN JAIL
Washington. (CNS) Emanuel Scott
in a dispute over the ownership of a
collar button ran amuck and before
the police could quiet him injured
several persons. He is now serving 90
days sentence in jail. |
The story runs that someone dis
puted Emanuel’s ownership of a col
lar button at his home in Southwest
Washington, and it pained him no
end. It also pained two women who
were hit with bricks, a man was
knocked unconscious and another
man who was slashed with a knife,
when Emanuel ran amuck.
Police said when they arrived on
the scene, Emanuel had an ax and
was preparing to chop down the
house to soothe his injured feelings.
ALLISON DAVIS AND HIS WIFE
HELD BY HITLERITES
Washington, (ONS) Word comes
from Hampton Institute. Virginia,
that Allison W. Davis of this city,
who is an instructor at Hampton, but
who for the past year has been study
ing in Europe, has not been heard
from for the past two months.
At the time of the latest outbursts
of Hitlerism, Mr. and Mrs. Davis
were traveling in Germany, but for
| the past two months it seems they
have been swallowed up in the coun.
| try as no word has been heard from
them by anyone on the campus.
Mr. Davis is away on a special fel.
1 lowship to Oxford University, where
he is studying social anthropology.
Last year he pursued postgraduate
work at Harvard towards his doctor’s
degree. He was granted a leave of
two or three months by the English
university’s in order to visit Berlin
and the German provinces in connect
ion with his reseaeh.
.It is not known that the Davises met
harm or embarrassment at the hands
of the Nazis, and if they were in Ber
lin or any of the larger cities, the A
merican legation would come to their
protection. It is possible, however,
that in the height of the race preju
dice engendered by the Hitlerites,
they might have been detained or in
carcrated, in some.out of way Germ
an province.
Mr. Davis is well known among the
young leaders of thought. He has
written both verse and prose and has
been both lauded and criticized by dif
ferent schools of thought.
He is a graduate-of Williams Col
lege, Williamstown, Mass., and elect
ed there to Phi Beta Kappa Society.
From Williams, he went to Harvard.
At Hampton, he is instructor in liter
ature.
In 1931, Mr. Davis and his wife, the
former Miss Elizabeth Stubbs, dau
hter of a prominent Wilmingrton fam
ily, were maried in the Andrew Ran
kin Chapel of Howard University by
Dr. Mordecai W. J. Johnson.
SQUARE DEAL STORES HOLD
MEETING
The Square Deal Stores met at the
home of the vice-president, Mrs. J. C.
Carey, 2636 Binney. Many important
business topics were discussed at the
suggestion of the president Mr. Ad
ams.
The Square Deal Stores agreed to
finance a free reception June 15th at
which time the entire city of Omaha
will be fed sumptously. Everybody
is welcome.
At this meeting the important topic
of making jobs for people of our
community was given consideration.
An effort will be made to consolidate
the civic organizations of this section
to the end that Colored teachers are
given a break at the coming term.
The Board of Education will be con
sidering applicants for the few vac
ancies that exist shortly.
The establishment of a branch lib
rary out north was also discussed. It
was brought out that South Omaha
Benson and Florence has such bran
ches.
—
FEDERAL OFFICE OF EDUCA
TION SERVICE TO NEGRO
SCHOOLS
Washington (CNS) Dr. Ambrose
Caliver senior specialist in the educa
tion of Negroes' for the Federal Of
fice of Education, tells, in the May
issue of the Southern Workman how
the Federal Office serves Negro
schools.
Several Colored Appoint
ments Made by New
Administration
Latest reports state that nearly 18
colored workers have been given jobs
in the various departments by the City
Commissioners. Chief among these
was the appointment of M. C. James
as Inspector of Weight and Measures
Mr. James who lives at 3812 Dwey St.
is the father of five children, a mem.
of the NAACP and the St. John church
BURLEIGH’S 39th YEAR AT ST.
GEORGE’S CHURCH, N. Y. CITY
New York City, (CNS) St. George’s
Episcopal Church in Stuyvesant
Square, one of the most prominent
Protestant Episcopal Churches in the
country, last SundayL celebrated the
thirty-ninth aniversary of Harry T.
Burleigh as the choir’s baritone solo
ist. The occasion w§s also the ninth
consecutive year in which the rich
music of Negro spirituals filled the
spacious edifice.
When the singing and the service
were done, parishioners and friends
who had crowded the old church hur
ried to the choir rooms in the base
ment to congratulate Mr. Burleigh.
As he shook the scores of offered
hand and smiilng accepted the congrat
lations the white-haired soloist gave
credit to the rest of the choir, to the
choir master, and the organist, to al
most anyone but himself; but in real
ity it was a Burleigh day at St.
George’s. All but three of the spirit
uals that had made the congregation
sigh audibly with pleasure had been
arranged by Mr. Burleigh, and he
sang four of them solo.
One more had been especially lent
to the church in his honor by Hall
Johnson, and the Largo fom Dvorak’s
“New World Symphony” had been
played for him on the violin while he
sat in his stall and thought of his old
friend, who had written it after hear
ing from him of the Negro music that
he had just begun to arrange.
“Yes. this is my thirty-ninth year.”
sard Mr. Burleigh in a reminiscent
interval allowed by a pause in his
dressing. “Old Dr. Rainsford hired me
when I was struglir*? with my music
in New York. They began these ser
vices on my thirtieth anniversary in
1924, and every one seemed to like
them, so they continued them.”
Mr. Burleigh asked almost every
one if they were going to the party
Mrs. Walter Rosen was giving for
him afterward, told his son, Alston
Burleigh, to thank those he could not
get at; told those he could that he
was proud of his son’s playing in
“Run Little Chillun,” and altogether
radiated happiness.
Alston Burleigh explained that his
father had begun the arrangement
of the spirituals when he was study
ing music, the first man to set them
down for voices. He sang them first
in public when he used to tour with
Booker T. Washington to raise money
for Tuskegee. He had been singing
them for the pure pleasure of it ever
since he was a boy in Erie, N. Y., and
he and his father and mother hum
med them at their work. He was a
wine.waiter at the Grand Union Ho
tel at Saratoga when Victor Herbert
was assistant bandmaster. Though
the musician could never get his wine
cold enough, he liked to hear the
spirituals, and Mr. Burleigh was his
friend until he died.
As his son finished his anecdotes,
Mr. Burlegh emerged from the lock
er room, where he had been dressing,
smart in a cutaway, piped vest and
pearl gray necktie. He eathered in
the crowd with one broad smile, told
them it was time to go to the party,
and led them off to it happily but
hurriedly, for he had to sing again
at the evening service^ and he want
ed every minute of enjoyment.
HAY RIDE
Under the direction of the General
Educational Committe of the YMCA
a ear load of youngsters hay rode to
Manden Park on last Friday. Basball
and othr gams were played.
