— — w v v v - v/ ——————
for Your Comrnunitr
/JlSTiCL/LQuALiir|)^^roL THENEWS WHILE IT ISNEWSj^^M HEW TO THELIne\ b Your Paper”
!_VOL. VII.—_ _OMAHA, NEBRASKA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1933 NUMBER. THITY FOUR
R^,
MEMBEI
W| 00 OUR PART
\ Tune In l
“BHESTMG |
He HEWS" I
) BROADCAST!^ \
/ Every Week from this Column J
{ By CLIFFORD C. MITCHELL \
THIS AND THAT
By CLIFFORD C. MITCHELL
A Publisher Writes.
Mrs. Florence W. Oakfield. pub
lisher of the Columbus, Obio, Voice,
writes:
My dear Mr. Mitchell: In
consideration of certain unavoidable
conditions, I hope you will overlook
the interval that has elapsed since I
received your letter. I have been lit
erally confined to the bed for many
months and have just been barely
able to have my paper edited each
week and including a noticeable de
crease in subscribers as well as ads,
on which my paper nearly solely
dependent, you can conceive an idea
of what difficulty I have been exper
iencing. Nevertheless I want you to
know how much I appreciate your
articles so obilgingly sent to me and
of the many favorable comments I
have received upon them from my
readers. I realize that they have been
somewhat of an expense to yon and
I am hoping that very soon I may
make some contribution to repay you
for the articles that have proved
themselves so important a factor in
my paper. I was very happy to learn
of your success in occupying the posi
tion that you now hold. You have my
cogratulations and the best of wishes
for a huge success . . ”
It is encouraging to receive com
plimentary letters from the publish,
ers I have been serving even though
it means nothing to me financially.
But in time maybe the situation will
work itself out and when I can be of
greater service to the papers by stir
ring up interest in their advertising
columns and awakening their readers
to be more responsive to the adver.
tisements placed in the papers that
maybe the publisher^ will favor me
with a check now and then—or at
le^.'t some stamps to help defray my
weekly expenses.
And speaking of service I find that
my “"Digesting The News” has now
oeen esed by one hundred and fifty,
one different publications, the latest
addition being the Spartanburg
Times, and SNS publication.
My weekly book comments now
timber eighty two publications, the
last three new ones being the Voice
of the Nation. Okmulgee, Oklahoma;
The Austin (Texas) Messenger, and
the Durham (N C ) Dispatch.
“Prisons and Prisoners” adds two
new publication, making eighty three
Jackson (Tenn.) World.
“Chicago—and Chicagoans” reached
is thirtieth publication when the Pitts
burgh Criterion used this copy as a
feature story.
The Louisville Defender is now us
ing my special weekly news feature,
making the thirty sixth publication to
do so.
Last week in another column I tom
mented cn an experience that I had
aft- r B - Dr. E X French. 3618
South State Street. Chicago, who
©
wanted to sell me one of his Lucky
Seals. One thing I give the Seer cre.
di-; for and that he is very persistent.
I have not yet bought his Seal but
whn he called pn me the -other day I
promised him that if he wanted to
make me a present of his Lucky Seal
that I would actually portray in a
written article for the benefit of my
readers just exactly what happened
a a result. But whether or not the
powers do not pass with the Seal
v r.en it is donated I do not know. At
any rate I'll always have an oppor_
turity decide to present me with one.
For little favors of the week I am
particularly indebted to Victor L
Gray, managing editor of the Chicago
Sunday Bee.
NEGRO BOY GOES TO WHITE
HOUSE FOR NRA GIFT
WASHINGTON—<CNS) — Robert
Fautlerey. a 19 year old Negro youth,
after hiking from Philadelphia to
Washington went to the White House
to request 880 from Presidest Roose_
velt. He said he thought very one
was to get that sum from the Govern
ment under a NRA regulation. He
Kills Women; Gets
Teii Years
THREE BULLETS PUNCTURED
HER BACK AS SHE FLEES
TROUBLE AROSE OVER AN
CiJ) GRUDGE
Dies From Wounds; Takes Plea.
—Sentenced 10 Years in Jeffer
son City Penitentiary
—
(Sepcial Correspondent Omaha
Guide)
ST. JOSEPH. Mo.—Oct g—A
shooting occurred here Ruth Gray
from Omaha and Arretta Mudd of
this city were the prinicpal figures
in this drama, which the Mudd woman
was 3hot and killed by Ruth Gray. It
is alleged that the cause of the
trouble started about four months
ago, when in a drunken free for all,
engaged in by the two principals in
Sunday nights tragedy, and another
woman by the name of Helen Alex
ander, in which the slain woman
knocked the Gray woman’s eye out
•>.ith a beer bottle, since then their
relations has been strained, and this
trouble which occurred Sunday night
was the accummilation of the whole
affair. Death was almost instaneous,
resulting from three shots fired by
Ruth Gray. Two took effect in her
back and the other in her arm. The
Gray woman pleaded quietly before
Judge Gaddy of the District Court
and was sentenced to serve ten years
in the States Prison at Jefferson, Mo.
Ruth Gray will be remembered by
th? people of Omaha as the daughter
ef Alien or A1 Gray, one time prize
fighter, but more recently operated a
Taxi Cab Company.
Nebr. Power Go.
Will Pay Your Taxes
Starting with this month, custom
ers of the Nebraska Power Company
will be rid of the federal tax on all
electricity used for domestic and
commercial purposes. No more will
the additional charge of 3 per cent
appear on electric service bills. This
tax will be paid by the Nebraska
Power Company, not the customer.
Domestic and commercial users of
electricity have been paying the 3 per
cent federal tax since Jun 20. 1932.
Taking on of the federal tax by the
Nebraska Power Company will cost
the company approximately $120,000
company, plus the increase in city,
; county and state taxes, plus the new
federal capital tax. will bring our
annual taxes to a total of more than
a million dollars a year or $2,700 a
.day.” said President Davidson. ‘‘This
means that seventeen cents out of
a year, according to President J. E
Davidson.
“The transfer of this tax to our
every dollar we receive for electri.
rty from all of our customers will
have to be paid out by the to the tax
collecting agencies. Many of our
customers do not realize this when
they receive their electric sendee bill
each month.
“For example.—if Mrs. Smith's
electric bill averages $4 a njonth, she
naturally feels that she is payng the
Nebraska Power Company $48 a year
for electric service. She doesn’t real
ize that seventeen cents of each one
of these dollars paid is redistributed
I to the tax collecting bodies to be used
for poliee and fire protection, sanita.
tion, schools, and for carrying on the
other functions of city, state, county
and federal governments.”
Besides the large increase in the
tax bill of the company, starting with
September 1, this company, like all
other businesses. has taken Oy, sub
stantially increased payrolls as a re_
■ suit of the NBA Mr. Davidson stated.
.
—
: was sent to Gallinger Hospital for
observation.
Fauntleroy got as far as the exe_
eutive offices, where he was stopped
by White House attaches. He told
them he had not eaten for a week
Police were called and he was put
under arrest.
Scout Troop 79 Goes Over Tod
William Douglas Killed By Truck
N.A.A.C.P. Local Branch
Puts On Drive for $5,000
The Omaha Branch of the Nat
iona! Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People, is putting on
a drive to raise $5,000 (five thousand
dollars), to carry on the work of the
rganization, that deserves the whole
hearted support of all the colored
people, it is the N A A C P This
organization for over a score of
years, has been on the battle for equal
rights and a fair deal for the black
citizens of the United States, and in
•oite of periodic efforts to discredit
it, it hag survived as the watch dog
of the colored man’s welfare as a
citizen of this country
The Omaha Branch, has been espe
cially active in its part of the nation
wide battle against wrong We can
point with pride to many successful
conquests against discrimination and
injustice
It wa= the local Branch of this
organization, that took up the fight
against the War Department, for
heeding to the protest of prejudice
citizens, and cancelled the order to
ration two companies oi the 25th In.!
fantry at Fort Omaha, officers, also
an order was issued, that no soldiers
should be stationed at Fort Omaha,
white or black, doing regular routine
soldier duty Since 1930, this Branch
has been instrumental in removing
95 signs reading, "No colored trade
solicited "’ In addition we have vigor-;
ously pushed investigations into cases ]
of police, who beat colored citizens
without cause we have been a contin
I uous menace to those proprieors of
restaurants, and similar places who
discriminate because of color This
Branch saved the jobs of 7,000, (seven
thousand) porter brakemen through
out the Nation When the Brother
hood of Trainmen in Nebraska, filed
a complaint against the Missouri
Pacific Railroad for violation of the
Full Crew Law, and sought the dis
charge of all Negro porter brakemen,
thig Branch was immediately on the
job We saw to it that the Missouri
Pacific Attorneys, should carry this
case to the Federal Court, which re
sulted in a Federal Injunction against
the Brotherhood of Trainmen, thereby,
making secure the jobs of 7.000 (sev
en thousand) porter brakemen
throughout this Nation
A fighter is helpless without wea
pons, and is handicapped if his wea
pons are inferior The weapon^ this
Branch need is dollars. 5.000 (five
thousand of them With such modern
equipment, the local Branch will be a
powerful, and dependable influence to
carry on the battle of colored people,
for their constitutional rights— the
right to enjoy life, and to pursue
happiness unhampered If he colored
people of Omaha fail to supply this
Branch with these weapons, they will
be actually aiding and abetting the
enemy
Urban League Asks
For Showdown
DEMANDS SHOWDOWN FROM
LABOR FEDERATION
NEW YORK CITY— (CNS>— The
National Urban League, through its
Industrial Relations department has
asked William Green of the American
Federation of Labor to state clearly
the position the Federation in the
matter of Negro exclusion from trade
unions. A wire to Green then pre.
I siding over the annual convention of
J the American Federation of Labor in
Washington read as follows:
“Imperative from every standpoint
that current session of the American
Federation League again draws your
| attention to race discriminatory
| practices of various nationals and lo_
cals of the Federation. The recogni
tionof the Labor Movement under the
XRA plaees upon it the respcmsibil.
*•- including all workers regard
less of race within its ranks. It is
; illogical with the Federation prestige
and power that it should be too weak
; t0 bring itg component units in line
with its own declaration of fairness
I to Negro workers. We therefore urge
j :^at the present convention of the
American Federation of Labor take
i steps to insure the right of member.
. ship to Negroes in all its national and
.ocal units and thereby remove a
i barrier that has effectively kept Ne
groes from participating in the bene,
fits shared by other workers.”
---o
Or. Scott Pleads for
New Seal
DR SCOTT PLEADS FOR NEW
DEAL FOR BLACK AMERICA
AT AMERICAN LEGION CON
VENTION
CHICAGO—(CNS) — Pleading for
“a ro bust Americanism,” and for the
forthright maintenance of Amercian
deals of justice and fairplay for all
races in all sections of the United
States, Dr Emmett J Scott. Secre
tary of Howard University and form
erly Special Assistant to the Secre
! tary of War during tne world con
j flict, delivered a masterful address to
the Negro veterans of the '.'2nd and
j 93rd Divisions of the American Ex
! peditionary forces The address was
delivered on the occasion of the fif
j teenth annua! reunion of the Ameri
j can Legion to a packed audience of
Negro World War Veterans at the
Eighth Regimental Armory on Tues
day night. October 3
In addition to being an honor guest
I of George L Giles Post, No 87,
American Legion, Dr Scott was this
week also introduced to the American
Legion Convention by Colonel Louis
Johnson, National Commander at a
session of the convention He was
warmly greeted at this time by white
and colored associate,, of the World
War He was also guest speaker at a
banquet given the veterans at the
Roseland Club Wednesday evning
Praises Valor of Black Soldiers
In his speech to the men of the 92nd
and 93rd Divisions. Dr Scott gave a
vivid word picture in praise of the
gallantry of the Negro soldier through
out history “The glory of his serv
ice.” declared the speaker, “runs like
a golden thread not only through all
American history, but may also be
traced in all ancient and medieval
history.—in the history of the great
Chaka in the valley of the Nile thou
sands of years ago; in the exploits of
Hannibal, the great Carthagenian.
said to have been the greatest of tact
icians; in the exploits of L’Ouverture
in the Haitian rebellion against the
mighty Napoleon; in Attacks, the
first casualty on Boston Common in
America’s battle against the tyranny
of George III; in the black sailors
who were with Perry on Lake Erie;
in Black Sampson at Brandywine; in
Peter Salem at Bunker Hill; in Car.
ney at Fort Wagner; in the 24th and
[ 25th regiments of United States In
fantry and the Ninth and Tenth Cav
alry at El Caney and San Juan in
[ Cuba; and during the insurrection in
the Phillipines; and on the feats of
the Tenth Cavalry at Carrizal"
He pointed with pride to the accom
| pliahments of the men of the 92nd
and 93rd Divisions during the world
conflict, especially at Chateau Thier
ry, on the Rhine, and at Metz
Decries Ingratitude of Nation
Contrasting the service rendered by
black soldiers with the recognition
accorded them by their country in the
post war period. Dr. Scott decried the
ingratitude shown by the nation in its
treatment of them “As one who re
calls the assurances of 1917 and 1918,
j he declared, “I confess presonally a
deep sense of dissapointment; of
poignant pain, that a great country
i in time of need should promise so;
much and afterward perform so lit-1
tie "
Claim9 Negroes’ Right to A New Deal
‘‘We have a right to share in all
the opportunities offered in Ameri
ca,” he said “Instead of a world
made safe for democracy, we have
Mussolini and Fascism in Italy; Hit
ler and a Nazi regime in Germany,'
with their hitter persecution of Jew.
j ish people; and Communism and Bol
■ shevism in Russia There is no place
! in America for any of these ‘isms ’
; We must resolutely set our faces
; against every effort to give them a
: foothold in this land of America
i Our fight must be for a free Amer
1 ica, for the spread of true American
j principles in every section of our land.
| South as well as North, East and
■ West, and against alien efforts to
; destroy oar free institutions and that
| threaten the security of our repub
j lican form of government ”
He pleaded with the colored vet.
: eras not to be led astray by utopian
and alien principles of government,
and urged that they perform their
full citizeship duties, in the confid-1
i ent hope that ‘‘better America” will
no* fail to accord them all of the'
, rights guaranteed them by the Fed
era! Constitution He said: “The so
cial revolution through which we are
at present passing should have our
unqualified support I have always
! believed that, even in the presence of
bitter disappointmnt, it is the duty
of every good American to do his
part, and that having done his part,
as you men did during the World
War, one has claims upon the grati
tude of the republic which can not be
denied in the forum of sober thinking;
in fact, the performance of full citi
| zenship’s duties by us will impose in
escapable obligations whch patriotic
Americans will not seek to deny, or
i evade This present social revolution
: means the preservation of those in
stitutions which should be as near
and dear to us as to any group of our
common citizenship
“It is our duty, and it i3 our re
sponsibility, the duty and responsibil.
ity of every man who wore the kahki
uniform during the World War to
fight for that Americanism which
Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt so
| eloquenty preached; that American.
' ism which should be the legacy and
heritage of every American citizen—
| the humblest along with the most ex
; alted
“I have always contended that a
i country worth fighting for is worth
| living for At the same time, I have
always contended that a man who is
brave enough to carry a gun in de.
] fense of his country’s honor should
be honored with all of the rights and
: privileges of untrammeled citizenship
—complete protection of life and lib
erty, freedom from the menace of
cowardly mobs, all of the political and
civil rights that other men enjoy: the
; elimination of unfair and unwarranted
1 discriminations of all kinds, and at
| this time, of all times, a square deal
in every industrial code under the
i N R A ”
In conclusion the speaker stated
“liberalization in the future in racial
j contacts must be the rule and not the
Mr. William Douglas of 2613 Pa
trick Avenue, was hit and fatally in
jured by a truck at 24th and Patrick
Avenue, Wednesday night between
seven and eight o’clock. The driver of
the truck was Leonard Bender of
2516 Cuming Street. Mr Douglas
was hit as he was crossing 24th St.,
in front of the Ritz Cafe. He was tak
en to the Covenant Hospital, where he
died Thursday morning at 5 a m
His injuries consisted of a fracture
of the right ankle, fracture of the
left leg. below the knee, fracture of
the right wrist and other internal in
juries. He never regained conscious
ness.
Mr. Douglas leaves to moan his
death his wife, Mrs William Doug
las, his sister Mrs Hattie O’Neal,
and one nephew Mr. Thomas Steel of
Kansas City, Missouri.
exception ”
Other Prominent Vets and Citizens
Congressman Oscar DePriest, Col
Joseph L Ward of the Colored Vet
erans Hospital at Tuskegee, Alabama;
Col Otis Duncan of the “Old Eighth
Regiment” of Illinois. Dr T Edward
Jones and Col West A Hamilton of
Washington. D C ; and dozen,, of
others were also present and spoke
at the Eighth Regiment Armory
meeting the night of October 3, and!
at the banquet Wednesday evening.
Octobr 4 The Colored Veterans of
the 92nd and 93rd Division have had a
royal good time at their numerous
“get togethers” during the week
MEMBER OF ROOSEVELTS
OFFICIAL INSULTS NEGROES
OF COUNTRY
WASHINGTON— (CNS)— W L
Roberts, of Atlanta, Georga, Assist
ant Secretary of the Treasury got
“°n the air” Monday night September
-5, over station WMAL here and
broadcast a ‘‘nigger speech’”’ so re
plete with vile references and obscure
language that he was “cut off the”
three times in five minutes
Aj a speaker at a banquet in honor
of the Washington baseball club win
ner of the American League pennants
at the Occidental Hotel Monday night
“the gentleman from Georgia” took
occasion to insult millions of good
citizens including 12,000,000 of Ne
groes. by his obscene dialect stories
and his outrageous reflections on the
Negro citizenry of the Country
A highly incensed and very much
disgusted delegation of citizens call
ed at the National Broadcasting office
in the National Press Building, at
14th and F Streets, Northwest, Wed
nesday morning and met there an
equally highly incensed and thorough
ly disgusted official of the broadcast
ing company, controlling the station
WMAL, over which Roberts broad
casted his obscene storio, last Mon
day night.
The delegation eonsi-ted of the Rev
R W Brooks, of the Lincoln Mem
orial Congregational Temple, as
chairman and spokesman; the Rev
W H Jernagin. of the Mount Carmel
Crp*:st Church; Archibald S Pink.
ett, executive secretary of the local
branch c.f the NAACP ; Mrs Gab
rielle Pelham, Mrs D Brooks, Dr
Herbert C Marshall, Col West A
Hamilton, of the Washington Sen
tinel; Garland Mickay, of the Wash
ington Tribune; and a representative
of the Baltimore Afro American
Upon being ushered into the office
1 of W. M. Russell, vice president of the
National Broadcasting Company, in
| charge of the stations WRC and
WMAL, in Washington, the delegation
: met a mcst courteous official who
greeted them with the remark: “Lad
; ies and gentlemen I know exactly
what brings you here In fact I am
; sure I know more about the entire
unfortunate incident than you do.”
The Rev Brooks, after introducing
’ the different members of the delega
| tion, stated in formal manner the
! reason for their visit and read to Mr
Russell, for his information, copies
of letters that had been sent to Mr
J Roberts and to President Roosevelt,
Credit to Scout Master T. P.
Mahammitt
__ •
The big feature of the 3emi annual
Covered Wagon, Court of Honor *t
Central High auditorium, was the
honoring of five boys of Troop 79,
one of the three colored Troops of the
Omaha Council, which consist of 86
Troops. Five members of one troop
was awarded the highest honor of
Scoutdom. which is the Eagle of
Palms,
The five Scouts receiving awards
were Ricketts Nelson, Clem mist Will
iams, Clead Madison, Edward Wig
gins and Richard Marshall. Scout
Master T P Mahammitt came in
for a great medals of honor. He i»
ScouT Master of Troop 79, and de
serves great credit for the efficient
and orderly manner in which the
members of Troop 79 conducted them
selves.
In presenting the awards. Colonel
McCollough called him before the
audience and introduced him as the
Scout Master of Troop 79. Mr. Mah
ammitt has been connected with the
Scout movement since its inception
in Omaha.
School Girl Killed
24th St. Death Trap?
Mamie Louise Harris of 2532 Pa
rick Avenue, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Harris, was fatally in
jured when hit by a truck at 24th and
Patrick Avenue, on the same corner
where Mr. William Douglas was kill
ed Wednesday night. Louise was re
turning from school with her father
when she was hit by the truck. She
was hit as she and her father were
crossing the street. The driver of the
truck that hit her was Henry Zavett
of 1617 North 22nd Street. He was
driving a Hardware truck, which he
owned himself.
Louise was a student at the St.
Benedict School at 24th and Grant
Street. She was immedately taken to
the Covenant Hospital and died short
ly afterwards.
of whose official family the “gentle*
man from Georgia” happens to be a
member
Mr Russell listened attentively to
the reading of the letters and at the
conclusion told the delegation that he
was not there or at home at the time
of the broadcast, but was called later
by his assistant and his office force to
come down to the office at once “I
met on arriving,” he said, “an excited
staff and a very pale and much up
set young man, who told how he had
broken a regulation of the company
in switching off the current during
the broadcast Mr Russell explained
by stating that his man wa, seated
across the hall during the speech and
could not a young man under 21 years
of age, got an inkling of what the
jokes would be and the general trend
of the speech and from his place in
, the control room switched off the
' current Mr Russell said this was
against the rules for the young man
[ to do this, but that he would see to it
that he was suitably rewarded
Assuring the delegation of the deep
regret of the National Broadcasting
1 Company for the unfortunate incid.
j ent of Monday night, Mr Russell said
i hundreds of telephone calls, letters
I and telegrams had been received in
protest from all classes of citizens
Asked by Dr' Marshall when Mr
Roberts would again speak over
i WJIAL. Mr Russell emphatically re
plied: “Not in your life time.”
Hundreds of letters of protest and
| disguest are reaching Washington
| each day since the unfortunate incid
i ent
HAMPTON INSTITUTE GETS
520,000 BEQUEST
- _
j NEW YORK CITY— (CNS) — The
[ will of Edward Severin Clark, one of
; the heirs to the fortune built on the
Singer sewing machine recently filed
in the Surrogate’s office of Otsego
County. Nw York contains a bequest
of $20,00 for Hampton Normal and
Agricultural Institute of Hampton,
Virginia.
