- 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 frT 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