- VOLUME vra OMAHA, NEBRASKA, SATURDAY APRIL 28. 1934. NUMBER—FIFTEEN.
Helps Lynch Man, Now Begs To Be Saved
Waitress Gets 30 Days
- WHIPIIIT II
Sees No Harm I
Making Mules Out
Of Negro Convicts
Pine Bluff, Arkansas—(CNS)—Eight “teams” of
six Negroe convicts each welre tramping up and down
the mile-lon« cotton rows, hitched to a cotton planter,
with a seventh man driving them oxen-fashion, when the
chairman of the State Penal Board, called to investigate
a charge that convicts are being used in place of mules at
the Tucker Prison farm.
Chairman Walter Helms saw a demonstration of
convicts working “in the traces” atthe Tucker Prison
Farm, pulling cotton planters, and ruled that their task
was not too hard. Substitution of “man power” for
•mules during the crop planting period woulfl be continu
ed, he asserted.
Chairman Helms, with H. Grady McCall, secretary
to Governor J. Martin Futhrell were asked by the Gov
ernor to investigate the practice after it had been revealed
the men were being used because of a shortage of work
stock at the farm. Superintendent A. G. Steadman said
the work was no harder than other manual tasks the
men were forced to perform.
The convicts were being used only at Tucker Farm
No- 2, where Superintendent Steadman said, a shortage
of mules eristed, in an effort to speed the cotton planting.
The “hitch” consisted of a rope attached to the plant
er, with three turned crossticks against which the men
pushed as they walked along in the “middles.”
Chairman Helms said he had not been previously
advised the men were being used for the work, but that
after viewnig it and the conditions under which it was
being done, he saw no reason for it to be stopped.
“These mein are here for a definite purpose,” he said.
“Most of them received sentences calling for hard labor.
This labor is no harder than clearing timber, putting
ditches or hoeing in the fields. It is necessary that all
of the 1,600 men confined here be kept busy. This is the
one way of doing the job.”
Helms and McCall interviewed the men at work,
asking them is they objected to the work, and if it was
harder than other tasks at the farm.
One man from Wynne, Arkansas, said it was “plenty
of work,” and harder than digging ditches. “I wouldn’t
mind it if my feet didn’t bother me some,” he added.
Another man sentenced from Boone County for four
ye>ars, said, “It’s all right after you get used to it. Some
of the guys who weren’t used to farm work couldn’t get
along so well at first, but it doesn’t hurt you after you
have been here a while.”
A rain just before the demonstration had made the
ground soft, and many of the convicts had piled their
shoe at the turn row and were working in bare feet. It
was easier to walk in the black spongy soil without the
heavy work shoes, they explained, and they had asked to
take them off. #
ONLY FIFTEEN
NEGROES AT
BOULDER DAM
Las Vegas, Nev., April 22—Des
pite asurances fr<Jm the U. S. De
partment of Interior to the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People that the policy of job
discrimination against Negroes would
be stopped at Boulder Dam, only 15
colored workers are employed on the
project out of a total oof 4, 839.
The estimate daily payroll of the
Negroes is $61. The total daily pay
roll is $21,674.
The N. A. A. C. P. National Of
fice is continuing its efforts to have
more colored workers employed.
_____
Dr. Freeman To Study
In Berlin.
_
Washington, D- C-, (CNS)—Dr
Charles Wendell Freeman, a member,
of the staff of Freedmen’s Hospital
has been granted a fellowship in the
award of the Oberlander Trust of the
Carl Schurz Foundation and will
study at Berlin for a year beginning
in June. He will be accompanied by
his wife, Mrs- Mabel Jones Freeman,
well known teacher of classic danc
ing.
Stabs Wife With Ice Pick
Henry Harris, was given 90 days
in jail for hurting an stabbing his
wife with an ice pick- Mr. Harris
pleaded for mercy and stated to
the Judge that she did not want to
presecute him. The judge asked her
if she wanted her husband to kill her
PARENTS FIGHT
MONTCLAIR N J
IM CROW PLAN
Newark, N- J., April 23—Negro
parents of school children in Mont
clair, N- J- “ought to e satisfied with
arrangements for separating Negro
school children” according to Superin
tendent Frank G- Pickell
Mrs Kenny testified here Wednesda
at a hearing in the court house that
Supt. Pickell told her that when she
sought to get a transfer for her
daughter. Elizabeth to attend junior
high classes at Hillside school,Mrs.
Kenny said that Supt. Pickell added
that colored people in the South had
to take the crumbs and were glad to
get them.
Mrs. kennvVstory was told before
Assistant Superintendent of Public
Instruction Strahan. who was hearing
the cclmplaint of Montclair parents
that the school board, by drawing
new district lines is trying to make
the Glenfield school in Montclair an
all-Negro elementary and junior high
school and is trying to bar colored
children from Hillside school. Mrs.
Kenny said her daughter was gradu
ated from the eighth grade at Nish
uane school in June, 1933 and, al
though her class was sent to the junior
high grades at Hillside, she and an
other colored girl were directed to
attend Glendfield school.
The fight for the parents is being
led by the Montclair branch of the
N. A. A. C. P. with Atty. W. P.
Allen, president of the branch, in
charge of the case- Associated with
him is Elias Kanter. Newark attorney.,
retained by certain of the parents
Senate Confirms
Si Dr.jTompkins
Washington—(CNS)— Dr- Wil
liam J. Thompkins of Kansas City,
Mo-, has been confirmed by the
Senate as Recorder of Deeds for the
District of Columbia- He is ex
pected to assume the duties of his
office on Monday, April 16
It is rumored that Jefferson S
Coage, promoted to the Recordership
in 1930 wll remain in the office as
a deputy.
Under a bill in Congress the ap
pointment of the recorder will be
transferred to the district of com
missioners, who will also appoint all
the employes of the office
Designed to make the office self
supporting, the bill sets up a new
scale of fees, and empowers the Dis
trict Commissioners to make changes
in the rates in the future as circum
stances warrant- Under present
laws the rates are fixed by Congress
and the appointment of the recorder
is made by the President of the
United States
Man With Too Many Suits
Offcer Rhoades and Birch made an
investigation on-and found that
he had too many suits with the label
ripped out of them- Officer Rhoades
stated to the court that he was a bad
egg- He was the one that is sup
posed to have thrown a brick through
the store at 24th and Erskine St
Captain Fitz Frank thought the boy
ought to have a break- The boy’s
mother pleaded for the release of her
son. because he was her sol support
Jadg Palmer gave him a ninty day
release and warned him not to re
turn.
— v ’ '
Waitress Gets 30
‘Days For Gutting
Miss Fannie Hawthorne, 2320 >T
26th st who was charged with cut
ting Miss Ollie Redd, appeared in
Judge Palmer’s court on Wednesday
morning, April 25th and the follow
ing witnesses testified as to what
really appeared at the Dreamland
Hall, on April 16th.
Mrs. Rose Overton was present,
but did not testify. Miss Ollie Redd
was the first to testify. She stated
she was standing talking to some
friends and Mr. Willie Hall and Miss j
Fannie Hawthorne were dancing by
her. They bumped into her and she
looked around and said to them, both
“Well, you might have at least ex
cused yourself,” Miss Redd said that
•Willie Hall answered and apologized
for bumping into her and she ac
cepted his apology by saying, “all
right-” At this point- Miss Hawthorne
replyed, “Yes, you are-its all
right- Miss Redd stated that she then
said, “Well now Fannie, if you want
to fight and fight right, I’ll fight;
you any place and any time you like.” !
At this point Fannie cut at he and ;
cut her dress clean through her I
girdle, the double seams in the girdle 1
preventing her from cutting Miss
Reed’s abdomen- At this time the
crowd around them grabbed Miss
Hawthorne and ied her away. Mr.
Jewell was leading her out, when
she said that she had to go to the
ladies rest room- Mr. Jewell be
lieved her story and let her go, she
then returned to Miss Redd, who was
standing with her back turned talk
ing. Miss Redd saw her cousin
throw her foot up and she turned
just in time to see Miss Hawthorne’s
hand raised to strike with the razor.
She threw her hand in front of her
face, to pevent from being cut, and
her arm was cut about 14 inches
in length and about 2 inches deep
Miss Redd, at this time called Dr.
Hawkins to unwrap the wound and
show it to the court. Judge Palmer
frowned on this and stated that it
was not necessary to show the wound
to the court,, but for the Doctor to
state the condition of the wound when
he dressed it- Dr. Hawkins stated
that it took 15 stitches to sew the
wound. The cut was from the should
er down to the elbow about 14 in
ches in length and through the skin
about one half way through the
muscle of her arm
Miss Griffin was the next witness
She stated. “We were all standing
talking in front of the orchestra
when I heard a commontion of loud
talking and saw Mr- Jewell and some
one else take Fannie Hawthorne to
the rear of the hall, and in a few
minutes, I saw Miss Hawthorne come
back toward Miss Redd and I saw her
cut at Miss Redd ”
Mrs- Georgia Wilkens next took the
stand, and stated to the court- “I
can make about the same statements
the others made only I tried to kick
the razor out of her hand- when she
cut at Miss Redd, but I was unable
to prevent the contact and Miss Redd
was cut
The next witness to testify was Mr
Melvin Small. He said someone told
him that Miss Redd and Miss Haw
thorne were in a fight and at this
point Miss Hawthorne interrupted
and said that Mr- Small was going
with Miss Redd and that after the
dance, Mr- Small came in the Ritz
cafe with a gun and her boss, Mr
McLaughlin had to slip her out the
back door and send her home to keep
Mr- Small from attacking her with
Continued on Page Four
LYNCH AIDER
ESCAPES MOB
Shreveport, La—Nineteen years
ago a youth namer D. B. “Bunce”
Napier was behind the wheel of an
automible speeding dangerously over
rutted Georgir roads, and in the car
was Leo Frank, convicted murder of
Mary Fagan, en route to his death at
hands of a silent but determined band
of men
I Tuesday night the same man, now
known as fred Lockhart, 38, sat in
a cell in the Caddo parish jail and
j heard the cries of a mob which fought
| furiously but futilely with officers in
■ an effort to get possession of the
; confessed siayer of 16 year old Mary
i Giffin.
Tonight the man who had changed
| his name to Fred Lockhart after his
; escape August 19, 1931, from the Geo
! cgia chain gang to which he had been
sentenced for criminal assault, remain
ed behind the bars of the Caddo parish
‘ jatt JtevraM Ik*-knows ntfcr'■ iwwr
Frank felt when the mob got him
Lockhart, whose confessed slaying
of Mary Giffin here a week ago creat
ed a wave of indignation which caused
a mob to storm Caddo parish court
house in an effort to get him, today
told a reporter of the part he took in
the lynching of Leo Frank, whose
i crime, trial and death were a sensa
tion to the nation
Visits Guide 6Piaat
Mr- A- J- Mitchell, Mr- and Mrs-,
Ralph Mitchell all of La Junta'
Colorado who are visiting their ne
phew and wife, Mr- and Mrs- Clay
ter of 2214 Lake St- and Mrs- Clayter
paid a visit to The Omaha Guide of
fice, Friday morning- They reported
that it was the finest plant of its
kind, among our race that they had
seen- They said that it was a pleas
ure to go through it, and that their
only regret was that they had not
caught the paper in action on the big
press and on the folding machine
Mrs- Mitchell stated that she would
be sure to tell all of her friends about
the Omoha Guide paper and the office
and plant, when she returned to La
junta, Colorado and if possible open
up a station routs there
Community Center
If Holds Meeting
Mr- Phil Ketchum( acting chairman
of the Community center and Urban
League board called a board [meeting
Thursday April 26th at 4 p- m- for
the purpose of hearing the usual re
ports of the active committees and
voting on a new member for the board
that the nomination committee had
Recommended for a member of the
board and to be elected president of
the organization
Special News Item
From Calif.
Mr- George Johnson and Mr- Dixon,
formerly of the Georgia Minstrels
arrived in the city from Los Angeles,
Calif to join the Big Follies, a theatre
performance that is being staged by
Mr- Wiley Langford, chief Clerk of
the Nebr State Penitentiary.
Mr- Dixon is known in the theatric
al world for his comical antics and
Mr- Johnson is known as one of the
world’s greatest shin shan dancers
Mr- Johnson is stopping at 2236 Lake
St-, while in the city and Mr- Dixon
it stopping at 2619 Seward St
Writers Urge Cong
ress To Pass Bill
New York—A letter to Congress signed by eighty
one w riters, publicists and editors urging the enactment
at this session of the Costigan-Wagner anti-lynching bill
was forwarded Saturday by the Writers’ League against
lynching in San Jose California last November.
The bill was reported out favorably by the senate judi
ciary committee April 12. W. E. Woodward is chairman
of the League and Suzanne LaFollette is secretary.
Among the signers are Louis Adamic, Getrude Ather
on, Stephen Vincent Benet, Robert Benchley, Henry S.
Canby, Erskine Caldwell, Theordore Dreiser, Edna Ferb
er, Dorthy Canfield Fisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Sinclair
Lewis, Christopher Morley, George Jean Nathan, Elmer
Rice, Upton Sinclair, Oswald Garrison Villard, Carl Van
Loren, Phil Stong and Robert Morsr Lovett. The com
plete list of those who have authorized their names to be
affixed to the letters:
Louis Adamic Adamic, Getrude Atheron, Faith Bald
win, Mary Beard, Robert Benchley, Stephen Vincent Ben
net, Bruce Bliven, Herschel Brickwell, Van Brooks, Stru
thers Burt, Erskine Caldwell, Henry S. Canby, Marc Con
nelly, Countee Cullen, Babette Deutsch, J. H. Dillard, Ed
ward Donahoe, Theodore Driser, Abraham Epstein, Clif
ton Fadiman, Edna Ferber, Arthur Davison Ficke, Doro
fhy'Canfield^Fislier. E. Franklin Frazier, C. Hartley
Grattan, Harold K. Guinzburg Louis M. Hacker, Harry
Hanses, Jessie Fauset Harris, Arthur Garfield Hays Rob
ert Herrick, Sheila Hibben, B. W. Huebsch, Inez Haynes
Irwin, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Freda Kirchey, Alfred
A. Knopf, Joseph Wood Krutch, William Ellery Leonard,
Newman Levy, Sinclair Lewir Alian Locke James Weldon
Johnson.
I_
i —-/a— -—- -----
To Join The Barnum Circus,
Mr- J- N- Anderson, late of the
Georgia Ministrels has been visiting
friends here in Omaha for the past
three weks- H will leave Friday
night, April 29th for New York to
join the Ringlind and Barnum circus
with Arthur A- Wright’s director of
the Ringling and Barnam’s Side show
band.
No President
Elected Yet
After much discussing pro and con
from the following members that
were present, Dr. Palmer Finley, Mr.
E. W. Sherman, Mr- H- A. Taylor, Dr.
Craig Morris, Dr- J. Wesley Jones,
Ms- Mead, Mrs- Killacoster, Mr- T.
P- Mohajmmit, Milton Johnson, C- C.
Galloway and H- L- Anderson, the
recommendation of the nomination
committee was tabled .and the chair
ruled that the members'should write
their choice for nomination for presi
dent of the organization to the office
of the Council of Social Agencies by
Tuesday at 12 p. m- May 1st
The ruling of the chair was accept
ed unamiously by the board- The
chair also stated that as soon as
said nominations were entered he
would call another meeting for the
purpose of electing a president. Dr
Palmer Finley withdrew his name
from further consideration as presi
dent of the organization. Mr. E- W
Sherman also wthdrew his name
from further consideration- Mr. T
W- Mohammitt was asked to con
sider the presidency of the organiza
tion and he declined.
The meeting was adjourned to be
called by the acting chairman for a
meeting to be held sometime next
week, after nominations have been
received.
SILVER QUESTIONS
IMPORTANT
—————
The enthusiasm that followed the
establishing oc silver’s value at 64
cents an ounce has suffered consider
able abatement. Reason: The value
Contnueb on Page Four_
Kerns Case To
Come Up Thur.
The case against the management
of the Brandeis Theatre, filed by
Mrs. J. Harvey Kerns and Mrs. Wil
liam Haines for violation of civil
rights will go to trial Tuesday, May
1, at 9 a. m- and Wednesday May 2.
at 9 a- m- respectively in the Muni
cipal court. A jury has been asked
for by the defendents.
It will be remembered that a few
weeks ago the plaintiff in this case
was alleged to have been humilated
and insulted when after personally
purchasing tickets to the show at the
Brandies Theater, took seats on the
main floor, was threatened and inti
midated by the employees and mana
ger in attempting to force them Jo
remove up stairs. Mrs- Kerns is the
wife of Mr- J. Harvey Kerns, execu
tive secretary of the Urban League,
Community Center of Ofmaha.
MR. RICHARD LOW, OF
N.R.A. SPEAKS TO THE
OMAHA WAITERS ASSN
At a meetng of the Omaha Wiaters
Association, at the Mid Cid Center,
Tuesday night, Mr. Richard Low of
the N. R. A., speaking on the Restuar
ant Code said, “The Codes are just
as much a law as any other law that
is on the statues books.” After re
viewing the relations of the Restuar
ant Code as applied in Omaha, by the
local hotels and the differences of the
wages paid to the waiters of Chicago
and other Cities, especially of the East
He said, “While it is true the purpose
of the Codes is to protect the indus
tries as well as labor, labor must or
ganize to be in a position to get a
full measure of the benefits guaran
teed by the Code-” He also said that
when waiters have been paid wages
less than called for by the Code, by
filing a complaint under oath, that
such has been the case, the employers
will be forced to pay to waiter the
difference between the amount of
money which he has paid, and the
amount he should have been paid
under the Code, the burden of proof
resting upon the defendent
