p The Only Paper of ffs
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V Vt °°v^iia Guide Kind West of the
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VOL vn.— Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, June 10,1933 Number Sixteen—
If 5c II
PER COPY
^1 118
1^" "Tune In ~ ■■ |
B KO A I)CASTI'.i* |
Every Week from this Column X
By CLIFFORD C. MTOJEll l
I’rejMrin* To Leave Prison,
• • •
Never did I even dream that when
Mrs. Cannady.Franklin, opened the
columns of her Portland (Oregon)
Advocate and commenced publishing
this column, a tittle over three years
ago. that my writings would attract
the attention of readers throughout
America as they have. When I sent
irv first copy to the Advocate I men.
tioned in a letter to the editor that if
before I left prison I could get my
writings in as many as twenty-five
different papers that I would consid
er my efforts a success.
• • •
Now that 1 am preparing to leave
prison I am publishing a brief sum
mary showiiai the extent that my
writings have been used:
digesting the News”—in one hun
dred and two publications.
“Weekly Book Comments.—in sixty
publications.
“PrUons and Prisoners”—in thirty
seven publications.
“This and That”— in twenty-four
publications, and short stories, feat
ure articles and personal sketches, in
seven magazines and special public
ations.
• • •
If, upon my entrance into Negro
journalism, as a free man, I can con
tinue. expand and more adequately
develope my writings and my service
to the colored publications and their
readers, and at the same time earn
enough to keep the wolf away from
the door and pay my just debts I shall
be exceedingly happy for in writing
I have found something that I love to
do and which I have wanted to do all
of my life.
• • •
Already, even before the prison
gates are opened to me, two commerc
ial writing offers have reached me.
Mr. Crews, editor of the Bronzeman.
wants me to write a series of articles
reflecting my reaction to freedom,
etc. And from Miami. Florida, a tele
gram has been received announcing
the establishment of a new Daily
there and asking me to wire them a
column daily. This I am already do
ing. and incidentally it is the first re
quest I have ever received to wire
copy. When I received a copy of this
new Daily I will tell my readers more
about it.
• • •
I take this means of thanking the
various newspaper publishers through
out the country who have featured
my coming release in news stories
and editorial comment. And I also
thank my many readers who have al
ready showered my with congratula
tions. Particular thanks are extended
to the Jackson Prison officials who
are making my last prison days so
congenial, and to the Inmates who
are making my last prison days so j
congenial, and to the Inmates who j
are showering me with little gifts j
that will come in handy after my re
lease.
• • •
Mr. Harry H. Pace, president of
the Supreme Liberty Life Insurance
Company, my benefactor and sponsor
of my efforts while I shall be on par
ole. advises me that working facilit
ies have already been arranged for
me in their home office, and I am ask
ing all of my reader friends to drop
me a line. My address will be, Clif-1
ford C. Mitchell, Writer. 3507 South
Parkway. Chicago, Illinois.
Renovizing Cam
pain Gaining Head
way
Gaining speed from new* of the
SltKt.OOO credit pool formed by Omaha
banks to assist homeowners in financ
ing improvements, the “Renovize 0.
maha” campaign went into high gear
this week, as nearly a thousand wom
en improvers, began a house to house
* anvass of the city. The women im- !
provers are leaving “Renovize Om
aha” literature, to pave the way for
made canvassers who will take the
field next week and secure rencvizintj
pledg' * from householder* and busi
ness men.
rirmation of the $100,000 pool,
which will be loaned out to household
ers for renovizing purposes at six
per cent interest and with a limit of
$200 per loan, was hailed by the Re.
novizing leaders as breaking the ice
jam of credit which has retarded home
improvements in recent years. It
presages a successful campaign, ac
cording to the Renovizers, who point
to Washington, D. C., where similar
coperative bank action put over the
renovizing drive wdth a bang.
The women improvers of the re
novizing campaign can be identified
through the official Omaha conven
tion key badge, with a pale green rib
bon attached. In their canvass they
have been instructed by General
Chairman Kirk Greggs to stress the
relief aspect of the renovizing drive.
Greggs points out that jobs created
now will lighten the load on Omaha
Chraitable agencies next winter.
WESTERN UNIVERSITY CLOSES
\FTBR 38 YEARS OF STRENUOUS
ACTIVITIES
by R. A. Adams
(For the Literary Service Bureau)
“Fire in their eyes and determin
ation in their hearts” might aptly des
cribe the atttitude of the trustees of
Western University, as they discussed
its affairs and, expressed their indig
nation and voiced their protests a
gainst what they considered a foul
blow aimed at the life of the institu
tion.
The concrete cause was dissatisfac
tion with the adjustment of the af
fairs of the Industrial Department,
supported by the State of Kansas and
operated under the supervision of
Western university.
The objectionable features of this
arrangement are: (1) the action of
the Governor of Kansas in placing the
control of this department in the
hands of persons who were antagon
istic to the existing relationship be
tween the AME. Church and the
State, in its operation; (2) election
to the chairmanship of this board of
trustees a man who had expressed
the determination to bring about the
“divorcement” of these interests; (3)
action of this board in placing as su
perintendent of this department a
man who had been discredited and
penalized, by his church, for gross
misconduct, and who, for that reason,
was considered unfit to direct the liv
es of young people; (4) the discourt
eous treatment accorded Bishop Gregg
by the administration and by the new
management of this school; (5) the
ruthless grabbing control of the af
fairs before the expiration of the
school year, with its effect upon the
commencement exercises.
The resolution which closed the
school was offered by a committee
composed of Revs. T. W. Greene, Jr.,
J. A. Chandley, S. R, Stanley, R. A,
Adams. W. D, Wilkins, and it read:
WHEREAS we consider it impos
sible successfully to operate Western
University under conditions brought
about by the new management of the
State Industrial Department.
BE IT RESOLVED: That it is
the sense of the trustee board here
assembled, that all operations at Wes
tern University be suspended until
such time as it may be deemed advis
able by the trustees to resume such
operations.
FISK ALUMNI REUNION
Nashville, Tennessee, May—Mr. An
drew J Allison, Secretary of the Gen
eral Alumni Association of Fisk Univ
ersity. is arranging a very attractive
program for the part the Alumni will
Chicago Citizens Demand Equal Rights
CALLOWAY TO PLAY
Negro Is Put On Tenn.
Jury; First Since 70’s
Chattanooga, Tenn.—June 6— R.
C. Hawkins, a retired mail carrier,
was accepted yesterday as a juror af
ter eleven white men had been select
ed to hear charges of burglarly again
st a Neyro. The defendant was found
guilty.
This is the first time that a Negro
has been placed on a jury since the
Reconstruction period following the
Civil War.
Because of the Jim-Crow system
prevailing in public places, the jury
was not sent out to a restaurant to
eat. Instead, meals were brought di
rect to the jury room by court at
tendants.
The International Labor Defense in
the Scottsboro, Euel Lee. and Hern
don cases sharply raised the demand
for Negroes on the jury.
The State and the defense agreed
that IJawkins was qualified.
New Orpheum To Re-Open Week of
June 17th with Cab Calloway
The spirit of Omaha’s renovization
campaign is much in evidence at the
Orpheum theatre this week. Since
the theatre closed Saturday for one
week to redecorate and refurnish for
its reopening next Saturday under
new management workmen have been
busily engaged -riving the house an
attractive face of newness.
Several outstanding surprises at
least will delight local theatregoers
at the Orpheum when it rc-opens Sat
urday June 17. The theatre will in
clude entirely new sound equipment
of RCA design that is reputed to have
cost more than $35,000. It is similar
in type to that of the Musical Hall,
the world’s largest movie palace, at
Rockefeller ^“nter, New York City.
The outstanding feature of the new
, sound equipment is its equal distri
! bution of volume. A person may sit
! in any part of the theatre and receive
jthe same audition from these RCA.
j sound horns as a person seated in any
! part of the theatre,
i A second delightful surprise for
; Orpheum patrons upon the relopening
of the theatre. Saturday. June 17,
| will be the stage attraction which will
I be headed by Cab Calloway, the red
hot maestro of jazz and his original
[Cotton Club orchestra from Harlem,
i A galaxy of dusky night club artists
will be in support of Cab and his band
They will include Nicodemus, eecen
jtric dancer; Elmer Turner, girl tap
dancer, and Leitha Hill, blues singer.
play during Commencement week.
This is the 52nd anniversary of the
General Alumni Association and many
of the largest and most spirited class,
es are expected to return. The class
es of *93, ’98, ’03, T3, ’187 ’23. and ’28
are hoping to be back in fullforce.
The class of ’13 has the distinction
of being the smallest ciass graduated
from Fisk in the last 35 years it hav
ing only 13 members.
SENATOR WAGNER TO URGE NO
JIM CROW IN PUBLIC WORKS
BILL
New York, June—A provision in
the new 3-billion dollar public works
bill to prohibit discrimination in em
ployment on account of race, creed or
color, is being presented by Senator
Robert F. Wagner of New York in
response to a request of the National
Association for th Advancement of
Colored People, it was announced to
day.
The huge new bill, carrying a total
of $3,300,000,000 the 300 millions be
ing for direct relief, is designed to
relieve unemploym’nt by a program of
construction on federal, state and
municipal projects including public
highways and parkways, public build
ings, flood control, water power, riv
ers and harbors improvements, low
cost housing and the removal of slums
and bridges and tunnels.
The interest on the loan necessary
to carry on this work is to be paid by
a tax which will hit Negroes as well
as whites and that for this one rea
son, in addition to the many others,
Negroes should not be discriminated
against when they seek jobs on these
projects.
Walter White, secretary of the
NAACP., who wired Senator Wagner
asking an amendment to prevent dis
crimination and who received a reply
saying “I will be glad to present the
amendment you suicgest,” urges all
branches of the association, individ
uals, churches and other organizations
to telegraph or wire their senators
asking them to vote to make this a
mendment part of the public works
bill out of justice to Negro workers
and other minority groups.
ASA D. HERRING FORMER
COUNTY FARM AGENT
CONVICTED OF MURDER
Lillington, N. C. (CNS) Convicted
of murder here last week, Asa D.
Herring, former county farm demon
strator for Harnett County, was sen
tenced to life imprisonment in State’s
Prison, as an accessory before the
facts in the killing of Jacob Hill. Af
ter a trial lasting several days, Herr
ing was found guilty by a jury that
was out only 35 minutes. Notice of
appeal was filed. He was taken to
State’s Prison for safe-keeping.
Herring, who is the husband of the
Negro school supervisor of Harnett
County, is 28 years old. has one child,
and lives in Dunn, Harnett County.
His father was an influential leader
in Sampson County for forty years.
He died last fall after a life of signal
usefulness, as a teacher and farm -
gent in Simpson County just south of
Dunn.
Herring was charged with being an
accessory both before and after the
fact in the murder of his brother-in
law, Jacob Hill, of Clinton, on the
night of the 15th of January. 1933.
Three others were charged with the
same offense. Two of them,tried in a
separate case last week were Convict
ed. They were: Johnny Lee, who con
fessed to firing the fatal shot, and
was sentenced to be electrocuted July
7, and Paul Holmes, sentenced to
serve 25 to 30 years in State’s Prison
after the jury found him guilty of
murder in the second degree. Joe
Ham, another man, involved in the
affair, is yet to be tried.
Jacob Hill, Clinto barber, was found
dead near his parked ear at a lonely
spot a short distance from Dunn on
the night of January 15th. Investiga
tion by the officers, resulted in the
arrest of the 'men above named. Lee
Holmes and Ham claim that Herring
had persuaded them into the conspir
acy to take Hill’s life after promising
them $175 to do the job, later raising
the price to $200. Lee admitted that
he did the killing, and on the witness
stand he attempted to exonerate all
others except Herring, claiming that
they had nothing to do with the shoot
ing. It was his testimony, along with
that of many others, that convicted
Herring. ,
WHITE SUPERVISOR WHO STOLE
SCHOOL FUNDS TO SERVE TERM
Jackson, Miss (CNS) The Mississi-1
ppi Supreme Court on last Monday
affirmed the five year penitentiary
sentence of Bura Hilbun, former su
pervisor of Negro education in Missi
ssippi. on charges of misappropriat
ing $51,000 of Rosenwald funds allot
ted to Mississippi for school mainten
ance. The court decision declared that
evidence was without conflict, and it
showed the appelant’s guilt beyond
all reasonable doubt. '
Attorneys for Hilbun attempted to
argue that “the donor of the Rosen
wald funds had never raised his voice
in criticism of the manner in which
he administered the funds, therefore
nobody else had any rieht to com
plain, and that there could be no em
bezzling of this fund because it was
a gift to the Negro children of this
state.” The Supreme Court of Missi
ssippi disregarded this weak and
filmsy evidence.
WHITE WIFE SLAYER OF GREER
PLAYWRIGHT, HELD FOR
MURDER
Los Angeles, Calif., (CNS) The
Coroner’s jury verdict of a justifiable
homicide in connection with the fatal
shooting of Richard 0. Greer, by his
white wife, was disregarded by a
grand jury on June 2 which charged
the wife with murder.
Mrs. Suwanna Meyer Greer, thirty
years old, once wealthy resident of
Asbury Park, N. J. came here some
months ago with $80,000 to back her
Negro husband in the production of
a play Greer was writing.
The indictment was a surprise,
since authorities had indicated they
agreed with a Coroner’s jury verdict
whch called the shooting “excusable
homicide.” Mrs. Greer contended she
shot him after he beat her in a drun
ken rage.
Mrs. Greer, a native of Germany,
also was accused of violating an act
making it a felony for aliens to pos
sess firearms.
JOB DISCRIMINATION BILL
PASSES N. JERSEY HOUSE
Trenton, N. J. June—A bill which
will prohibit discrimination against
Negro workers in employment on
state public works projects passed the
New Jersey lower house last week
and is now before the senate. The
bill was introduced and pushed by As
semblyman J. Mercer Burrell, colored
member from Essex county. It was
backed by the New Jersey NAACP.
and other organizations and was
modelled after a similar bill passed
by the Indiana State legislature un
der the sponsorship also of a colored
legislator in that state, Rep. Henry J.
Richardson, jr. The national office of
the NAACP. supplied the text of both
bills.
MRS. STUBBS REPORTS THE
DAVISES SAFE AND WELL
TREATED IN GERMANY
Wilmington. Del. (CNS) The report
eminating from Hampton that Alli
son W. Davis, instructor at Hampton
Institute, on leave in Germany; and
his wife, formerly Miss Elizabeth
Stubbs of this city, had not been
heard from for the past two months
and were in grave danger in Germany
is denied by Mrs. J. B. Stubbs, Mrs.
Davis’ mother.
According to Mrs. Stubbs. Mr. and
Mrs. Davis who are students in Ber
lin, were treated more cordially in
Germany than in England, and al
though they have witnessed many
Nazi demonstrations, they have had
no cause for fear.
G. R.’s SPONSOR VISIT TO
ELECTRIC KITCHEN
All women interested in visiting the
electric kitchen of the Nebraska Pow
er Company are invited to accomp
any the High School Girl Reserves on
LOOKING BACK
“Speak when you’re spoken to
Come when you’re called”
used to be the terse admonition given
to the young. As a general thing
children were not allowed to remain
in the room when older people were !
engaged in conversation. “Mos’ gen
ully they knowed better” than to try
to stay. How different, now!
“No. Mother; it wasn’t that way; it
was this way!” “You are so forget
ful, can’t you tell a thing straight?”
“But I saw something funnier thae
that. Wait, Mother; let me tell it
right.” These are common expressions
used by young people who “butt in”
when their parents and other peonle
are talking. Some of them actually
ho.? the conversation and take it a.
way from their elders.
And some of these grievous offen
ders in this way are children of ten
der vears an those of the adolescent
period. Good thing they don’t have my
parents, for they’d get one of those
famous old back.handed licks and find
themselves “sprawling.”
a special trip to the electric kitchfn
on Monday, June 12th, at 2 p. m
sharp. A demonstration of all electric
equipment will be given. Refresh,
ments will be served. The trip is free
and open to any girl or woman inter
ested.
-.^■■4, . . T , , ■ __ _ _ _ _
J ‘ ^ ^ '
| Dr. Lennox {
I On the Job !
! •
... f
May 5, 1933.
Northwestern Bell Tepehone Co..
Mr. W. F. Cozad, General Manager,
19th and Douglas Street.
Omaha, Nebraska.
Dear Sir:
Some time ago I communicated with
you relative to the prorata of employ
ment of your Colored customers. Re
ceiving a reply in regards to same,
but at that time you were not in a
position to bring about a direct or fa
vorable consideration.
From observation many telephones
have been discontinued by subscribers
due to unemployment. The present
salary as received by a large number
of the masses cannot afford the up
keep of a telephone, especially the
rates of today that have not been de.
creased in proportion to the average
earning capacity.
We are again appealing to you
from a humanitarian point of view
for a group who have given you con
tinuous support and would give more
if they received the proper consider
ation in regards to employment as
other citizens.
We cannot understand this great
discrimination of employment when
there is none shown at the time our
fee is received or service is sought
from us. If your concern is able to
give a reduction in phones for serv.
ices received in proportion to the pro
rata of employment due us, we could
make ourselves satisfied. Realizing
there is a distinction manifested, we
cannot, knowing the employment re
ceived is far, far below the pro rata
to which we are entitled.
we realize you represent an inde
pendent concern, but in view of the
fact we also help to support your
company, and are taxed the same as
others entitles us to this full prorata
of employment. This situation we are
bringing to you is a serious one, and
we are asking that you give it your
favorable and profound consideration.
Meanwhile, we should like to ex
press the appreciation of this com
munity for the use of the Mid.City
Community Center Building, former
ly known as a branch of the Unem
ployed Married Men’s Council.
Through your generosity allowing
this building to be used by this com
munity to help better situations along
different lines.
We are sure it is realized, if this
group was given equal opportunities,
of employment as others, we should
be able to purchase this building,
which is up for sale, thereby re
moving the burden from your com
CHICAGO NAACP. LEADS FIGHT
AGAINST DISCRIMINATING
PUBLIC PLACES
CHICAGO NAACP. TAKES LEAD
IN FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
Chicago, III., June—Within a space
of five months the Chicago branch of
the National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People has
jumped to the lead of all branches of
the association by its fighting pro
gram of action for securing of full
civil rights for the Negro citizens of
Chicago and Illinois. It has filed suits
against a railroad, two bus compan
ies, a department store and two res
taurants for jim crow practices. It
has fought for helpful and against
discriminatory legislation in the state
legislature, has investigated treat
ment of Negro prisoners in state pen
itentiaries, pressed the fight for more
and better jobs without discrimin
ation in city, and state work, lined
up against any beach segregation, in
vestigated school conditions, provid
ed a monthly open forum for the dis
cussion of vital subjects of race wel.
fare, and has established the Wilson
Lovett medal, an annual award to the
colored citizen adjudged to have con
tributed most to the advancement of
colored people in Chicago. In addition
to all this work, the branch is pre
paring to entertain the twenty-fourth
annual conference of the NAACP.
June 29, July 2. The president of the
branch is A. C. McNeal and the sec
retary is Archie L. Weaver. An office
is maintained at 3456 State Street,
with a clerk on duty.
. !1. ' ‘ . 1
pany.
However, the same is not given not
only by your company but others, and
as differen corporations and concerns
seek our support, we are seeking
their cooperation and support in the
form of our proata of employment
which is greatly needed at this time.
Thanking you again for whatever
manifestation you may give to help
us secure a favorable consideration in
regards to this matter, I am
Respectfully yours.
Dr. G. B. Lennox, President,
Omaha Working Men’s Com.
Northwestern Bell Telephone Co.
May 10, 1933
Dr. G. B. Lennox,
2122% North 24th St.,
Omaha, Nebraska.
Dear Dr. Lennox:
Your letter of the 5th is before me.
This confirms the situation with ref
ference to our discusions of last sum
mer and subsequent correspondence
on the employment condition.
I have today checked the matter
with our Employment Supervisors
here and I find it stands exactly
where we left it, that, they are plann
ing to employ certain selected people
from our Colored population whenever
vacancies occur in the classes that per
mit recruiting from these ranks.
You realize, of course, that the em
ployment situation in general has not
changed since my visit with you, and
when I tell you we have not employed
anyone since that time, you will, I
believe, also fully appreciate the dif
ficulties confronting us in meeting
your suggestions.
We hope conditions improve, in fact
the indications now are that there is
some improvement underway. We
hope that improvement continues, but
I am rather of the opinion that it will
be some considerable time before vac
ancies occur which will permit our
making replacements and thus using
present unemployed people.
Be assured our plans remain the
same as when I reviewed the situation
with you and we will cooperate fully
as soon as there is opportunity.
Yours very truly,
W. F. COZAD,
General Manager.