Nebraska Newspapers

    LOCAL AND NATIONAL
NEWS
_ & WORTH IT
/JUSTICE/EQUALITY HEWTOTHEUNE\ “To SeU It, ADVERTISE'*
EQUAL OPPORTUNITT PHONE HA.0800 ^
" * ^ * OMAHA, NEBRASKA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 1947—No. 29 _ a^oV
NEW LYNCHING METHODS ARE USED BY THE SOUTH
V
1 —
Vet’s Widow Sues Louisiana Sheriff!
^ \ I
Files $50,000 Damage Suit In
U. S. District Court For the
Lynch Murder ot Her Husband
SHREVEPORT, Lp.—Oscar H. Haynes, Sr., sheriff of Webster
Parish, Louisiana and his surety company, were made defendants in
a $50,000 damage suit filed here TTiursday, in, the United. States Dis
trict Court for the Western District of Louisiasa by Mrs. Carrie Lee
Jones, widow of the late Corporal John C. Jones, resident of Cotton
Valley, La., who lynched by a
mob near Minden on August 8,
1946.
The petition was filed by At
tomey A. P. Tureaud of New Or
leans for Mrs. Jones in behalf of
herself and her 5-yeaa-old dau
ghter, Myrtis Ann.
Mrs. Jones, now a resident of
Calfomia, charged that Oscar H.
Haynes, Sr., was duly elected and
qualified sheriff of Webster Par
ish on or about August 7, 1946
when her husband, Corporal John
C. Jones was in legal custody of
the sheriff and was incarcerated
in the Parish -jail at Minden, La„
and that It was the duty of the
sheriff to provide for the safe
keeping and protection of prison,
ers or persons accused of crime
placed in his custody.
On or about the night of Aug
ust 7, 1846, the petition contin
ued, an irresponsible mob of white
men appeared at the Minden jail
and demanded that Jones be tur
ned over to them. It was appar
ent that t*e mob intended to in
flict serious injury on Jones, the
Petition stated, and the defent
ant or his deputies aided and a
betted the mob by surrendering
Jones without the slighter resist
ance. The mob placed Jones in a
waiting automobile and lynched
him at Dorcheat Bayou, a nearby
wooded section, on the night of
August 7 or morning of August 8.
In her petition, Mrs. Jones
charged that Haynes failed in his
duty to safely keep and protect
Jones and by reason of his failure
he became liable to her and her
minor daughter for the death of
their husband and father.
Hynes is a resident of Minden,
Louisiana.
The lynching of John C. Jones
caused nationwide protest last
year after NAACP investigators
learned full details of how he and
his 17-year-old cousin, Albert “Son
ny Man” Harris, had been seiz
ed on the threshold of the Minden
jail and taken by a dozen or more
unmasked white n^n in automo
biles to a densely-w joded ection
between Minden arid Cotton Val
ley known as Dorcheat Bayou.
Jones and Harris were suspected
Continued On Page 8
Civil Service Gives
Chance for Career
An opportunity to file applies- ^
tions for a Civn Service (career j
appointment in the Federal ser
vice was announced today by the
Secretary, Central War Depart
ment Board of TJ. S. Civil Service
Examiners, 710 Federal Building,
Omaha. Nebraska. Examination
Announcement No? 8-58, issued
March 5, 1947, covering positions
of Laborer and Munitions Handler I
has been amended tp include posi- '
tions of Janitor, $1080 to $18221
per year base salary with provis
ion for periodic pay increases,
for duty in all Federal agencies
except the Post Office in the
Omah-Council Bluffs and Wahoo,
Nebraska, area.
Applicants most -be citizens of
om owe allegiance to the United
States. The age limit are 18 to 62.
except for veterans and persons in
the Federal service who are war
srvice indefinite mployees.
Applications may secured from
the Secretary. Board of U S. Civil
Service Examiners, at any near
by first or second-class post office
in the State of Nebraska or lo*a,
where the examination announce
ment is posted, or from the Sec
rtary. Central War Department
Board of U. S. Civil Service Ex
aminers. 710 Federal Office Bldg.,
Omaha 2. Nebraska, or from the
Director, Eighth U. S. Civil Ser
vice Region, Post Office and
Customhouse. St Paul 1, Minn.
Applications must be received
by the Secretary, Central Board
of U. S. Civil Service Examiners,
710 Federal Office Building,
Omaha 2, Nebraska, until such
time that a sufficient number of
applications are on file to esta
blish an adequate register.
“It’s my first fight since be
coming a priest.”—Maj. Maurice
! E. Powers. U. S. Army chaplain,
after knocking out burglar in Ber
lin. • q*'r"'
Salt Lake
Great Salt lake has a salt con
tent of ikx-Mjt 20 r^r cent
Report On Bearings In the Senate On
IEIC Bill; Prominent Speakers I resent
-.- f
Hearings on S.984, the National Act Against Discrimination in
Employment were completed on July 18. A group of'distinguishde
-citizens including religious, labor, racial and civic leaders spoke
strongly in favor of our bill. Among these were: A. Philip Randolph
Co-Chairman of National Council for a Permanent FEPC; William
Green, President, American Fed
eration of Labor; Walter Reuther,
President, United Auto Workers,
CIO; Paul Williams, President,
Southern Regional Council;
Father Edward Cardinal who pre
sented a statement by Bishop Ber
nard J. Sheil of the Chicago Arch
iocese; Dr. Stephen S. Wise, Presi
dent, American Jewish Congress;
Dr. Beverly Boyd of the Federal
Council of Churches; Frank Gold
man, President of B*nai B’rith;
Roy Wilkins. Assistant Executive
Secretary, National Association
for the Advancement- of Colored
People; Rabbi William P.osen
bloom, President of the Synagog
ue Council of America; Major Hu
bert H. Humphries of Minneapolis
Julius A. Thomas, Industrial Sec
retary, National Urban League,;
Henry Epstein, Chairman, Na- |
tional Community Relations Ad- j
visory Council; Irving Salert, Jew
ish Labor Committee; Henry C.
Turner, former Chairman, New
York State Commission Against
Discrimination; Miss E. Pauline
Meyers. I. B. P. O. E of W; Gil
bert Harrison. National Vice Com
mander, American Veterans Com.
mittee; Rev. Sandy Ray, National
Baptist Convention, Inc; Col
Charles Schottland, Jewish War
Veterans Mike Masaoka, Japan,
ese-American Citizens League;
Joseph Korner, American Civil
Liberties Union; Mrs. H. Wolfe of
the National Council of Jewish
Women and Joseph Bustard, De
puty Director. New Jersey State
Department of Education, A state,
ment was submitted on behalf of
Judge Joseph M. Proskauer. Chai”
man. American Jewish Committee
Many others spoke or sent in
statements but it is impracticable!'
American Legion Challenged on AP
Story Linking ISlAACP With Reds
Amateur Boxing
Show to Be Held
at Creighton
Wednesday Aug. 27, is the day
set for the Amateur Boxing show
at Creighton Stadium at 8:30 p.
m. sponsored by the Omaha Ath
letic Club promoted by Jess Bak
-a fat
The O. A. C. Team will enter
the following contestant Cliff
Blackbird Lightweight State
Champ, James Bartett Welter
weight State Champ, Snaz Wal
ker Featheweight High school
champ, Eugetne Town Heavy,
weight, Leonard Crag A. A. U.
Runnerup Middleweight, Laonx
Triplett MicMleweight, Eldon
Chadek Featherweight, Harold
Bigfire Middleweight,, Charles L.
Martin Middleweight.
Teams have been entpd from
Offutt Field, St. Joseph Falls City
Mitcheel, S. D. and So. Omaha K.
of C.
Some of the boys from St.Joe
are as follows:* Kenneth Kelly
160 lbs., Theodore Kelly 118 lbs.
Emery Bryer 185 Tbs. Jack Smith
131 lbs., Garry Clarke 126 Tbs.
Boxers from So Dakota Whiter |
Dickerson. 118 lbbs., Harlan j
Richscm 147 lbs., Sivest Swenson
160 lbs, and Dock Kurtenbock.
See these boxers at the Crei
ghton stadium Wednesday Aug.
27, for 15 mor bouts of good box
ing.
Cull Allen Reynolds
FARM ASSETS RISE
TO $100 BILLION
I
American farmers are now run
ning a TOO-billion-dollhr business,
according to a summary by the
U. S. Department of Agriculture.
The Federal experts value farm
land and buildings at $58.6-billion,
compared with $30.7-billion in 1933
and $34.billion in T941. '
Farm equipment, including trac
tors. trucks, plows, combibnes, and
other items were valued at more
than $21-billion, compared with
$8.4-bfllion in 1940. Statistics show’
the farmers are now “better
heeled’’ than ever bfor in history
Total farm assts are worth four
times as much as at the beginning
of the -war. i*
to list them all here.
The testimony of these and
other witnesses gave a well-round
ed picture of the tremendous sup
port for this legislation through
out the country and the many and
reasoned arguments in its favor.
In oposition to the bill were
Representative John Rankin and
Governor Fielding T. Wright of
Mississippi. The latter was then
engaged in a campaign for re
election. Other were Tyre Taylor
attorney for the Southern States
Industrial Council which tried to
wreck the Fair Employment Prac
tice Committee during the war
and Paulsen Spence of Baton
Rouge, Louisiana.
The full testimony is being
printed by the Senate Labor Com
m'ittee. Copies should be ready in
the early fall.
Our most Severe shock, and
wliat has already proved to be a
damaging blow, was the proposed
amendment to the bill which Sen
ator H. Alexander Smith, a co
sponsor and one of its authors.
Continued On Page Five
NAACP Will
Defend Vet
Shot By Cop
Demand Immediate
Suspension of Cop
Who Did Shooting
NKW YORK, — The National
jiasociation for the Advancemdm
of Colored People demanded V le
immediate suspension of root ie
patrolman Francis LeMaire, who
snot and critically wounded Lloyu
i_urtis Jones, 29-year-old disabled
veteran, in New York s busy Col
umbust Circle a week ago. At the
same time it was as learned that
NAACP attorney Amos C. Bow
man of the Harlem branch had
Deeh retainedto present the yqung j
voice student who ts being h&d
under arrest at Roosevelt Hos
pital’s prison ward where he is
still on the critical list.
A statement by the NAACP de
manded the immediate removal of
“quick triggered troopers who ask
questions later,’’ was issued b.y
Walter White, Secretary.
“Officials and members of the
NAACP are shocked and horrified
over the cold-blooded shooting of
a defenseless, peaceful citizen by
a man who was sworn to protect
the lives and safety of all «Ur cit
izetns,’’ he said.
far presented there was absolutely
no provocation for Patrolman Le
Maire even to have beaten Lloyd
Jones with his nightstick. Wh0n
he drew his revolver and pumped
bullets into the dazed veteran he
became a maddened maniac to
every single person in our city.
• “We are immediately demand
ing that this man be suspended
from our police department and
that he be prosecuted. Quick trig
gered troopers who ask questions
later can no more be tolerated
in New York City than they can
in Batesburg, South Carolina.”
—ones, a music student who
had hopes of securing a Guggen
heim Fellowship, was shot down
by the patrolman at the Columbus
Circle entrance to Central Park,
where discussion groups and park
bench sitters have long been a
feature of Manhattan life. Accord
ing to eyewitnesses produced by
the newspaper PM, JoneS had
been singing for one of these
small groups on the night 6, leav
ing at 11 p. m. to wait for a
bus.
LeMaire, who had became a re
gular member of the police force
only twenty-five minutes earlier,
approached Jones with another
policeman, ordering him to move
on and jabbing him with his night
stick. When Jones objected to
some of LeMaire’s language, the
policeman is alleged to have at
tacked him with ihs, nightstick,
breaking it on the Negro veteran's ,
head. With blood streaming down
his face, eyewitnesses claim that
Jones lifted his arms dazedly to
protect himself. LeMaire is then
alleged to have stepped back,
whipped out his revolver and
pumped three bullets into the dis
abled veteran's stomach. j
"A wage policy that made price
reductions impossible would mili
tate against the workers’ own in
terests.”—Matthew Woll V.-P.,
AFL.
WBrit's First Champ
James Figg. who won the crown
as bare knuckle champion in 1719.
rotirpri in 1 ”?r\
Listen to “ALL STAR WESTERN THEATRE
STATION WOW. 6:30 P. M. EACH THURSDAY.
“TUT, TUT, NOTHING BUT BUTTER-NUT BREAD
Alat’l 1 heatre
W ill Continue
to Bar Negroes
WASHINGTON, D. C—Despite
the tremendous pressure being
brought to bear against it, the
National Theatre, the only legi
imate theatre in the Capitol, will
continue to bar Negroes unless
the racial policies of the entire
City are changed, the manage
ment intimated, last week.
Marcus Meiman, president of
the operating corporation, in a
statement, said that the theatre’s
present policy would be changed
only if, the general policy (toward
Negroes) is change in Washing
ton by legislation, or if business
and civic groups revoke racial re
strictions. j -
His statement came in the mid
st of contract negotiations be
| tween the League of New York
! Theatres and Actors’ Equity. Eq
uity is demanding a contract
clause which would forbid its
members to appear at the Nat
ional Theater unless exclusion of
Negroes is stopped by June 1,
1948.
The League, which is composed
of theater owners, operators, and
producers has opposed the clause
demanded by Equity on the pre
mise that the policies of Wash
ington theatres are outside the
jurisdicion of its contracts with
Equity.
Indian Gov t
i
Praised By i
W' d/fer IP hite
NEW YORK, — “Negroes and
whites of America united in the
National Association for the A<1‘
vancement of Colored People send
their warmest congratulations to
India on attainmen of her free
dom ”, cabled Walter White to
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, head of
the new India government. At the
same time Mr. White cabled India’
great spiritual leader, Mahatma
Gandhi, “To you who despite op
position of every variety have led
India to her freedom we send
you our sincerest congratula
tions.*'
The NAACP executive Secre
tary expressed great enthusiasm
over the appointment of Mme.
Vijaya Pandit as ambassador to
Moscow for the new government.
“Mme. Pandit is undoubtedly one
of the world's great statesmen”,
declared Mr. White.
3700 ACRES IN HOMESTEADS
OFFERED PUBLIC
SACRAMENTO, CALIF— The
Bureau of Recamation announced
last week that 3,700 acres of rich
bottom land in the Tule Lake
district of northern California
would be opened to homesteading
about Oct. 1.
The land is located in Coppeck
Bay area of Tule Lake, near 7,
500-acre unit awarded 86 veterans
last December after a drawing.
These veterans are now harvest
ing a bumper crop of barley, seed
clover, alfalfa and potatoes.
Veterans of World War 11 will
receive preference in filing dur
ing the first ninety days of the
availability period. The 3,700 acres
would provide <6 farms.
During the war, Tule Lake
was the site of a Japanese re
location camp.
Inquiry Sent to
Legion Post From
Seey Roy Wilkins
NEW YORK,—The Illinois State
Department of thg American Le
gion asked if its letter revoking
the charter of the Roy B. Tisdell
post in Peoria, 111., “contained any
mention of the National Associa
tion for the Advancement of the
Colored People, or any intimation
whatsoever that the NAACF is
communistic.’’
Reason for inquiry, sent by
Roy Wilkins, NAACP assistant
secretary, to State Commander
Walter P. Kleuskens of Chicago,
was an Associated Press dispatch
of August 13 which stated that
the Peoria post commander, C. A.
Hazelwood, had participated in
activities demonstrating his as
sociation with those engaged in
dissemination of communistic ideo
logies.
Immediately after this quota
tion, the Associated Press placed
a paragraph in its news story say
ing, “Hazelwood is a leader in
Peoria activities of the National
Association for thg Advancement
of Colored People.”
In his telegram Wilkins stated:
“National Association for Ad
vancement of Colored People is
not now and never has been en
gager in spreading communism.
Sice it was organized in 1909 its
objective has been to secure the
full citizenship rights of Negro
Americans under the TJ. S. Con
stitution and federal and state
laws though legislation, he courts,
and other channels open to Arreri
Rights. Since Assicoated Press ap
parently did not quote your en
tire letter, we wish to inquire
whether it contained any mention
of National Ascsociation for Ad
' vancement of Colored People, or
any statement that Hazelwood's
alleged acivities with this associ
ation entered into th® decision to
revoke the Tisdell post charter,
or any intimation whatsoever that
this associaion is communistic or
that its activities help to spread
or encourage the ideology of com
munism. We will appreciate
prompt reply.”
State Answer Denies
Charge In WU Dispute
The Wilberforce University
church-state controversy has been
written onto the common pleas
court docket again with the fil
ing of an answer by he state ta.
tomey general's office denying
that Dr. Charles H. Wesley is at
tempting to act as Wilberforce’s
president.
In a terse, four-line reply to ac
tion brought by the board of trus
tees of the church-controlled col
lege of liberal arts and sciences
which sought to prevent Wesley
from using Wilberforce property,
the state declared:
“The defendants deny that
Charles H. Wesley has attempted
or will attempt to perform the
duties of the president of Wilber,
force University as alleged by
the plaintiffs in their petition.”
Hugh S. Jenkins, attorney-gen
eral. and Joseph S. Gill, assistant
attorney-general, signed the answ.
Pr as representatives of the “board
of trustees of the colleg of edu.
cation and industrial arts of Wil.
brforce University.”
Common Pleas Judge Frank L
Johnson has designated Sept.2 for
a hearing.
In court last week Judge John
son cleared the path for +*e state’
s action when he over-ruled the
All-White Juries Free Killers
In ‘Self-Defense Murders’
As ‘Justifiable Homocides
NEW ORLEANS, La.—Dixie’s “self-defense murders” in which
white min shoot Negroes in the back and all-white grand juries or
coroners term the killings as “justifiable homicides committed in
self-deTfense,” are steadily increasing and have totaled four during
the past four weeks, according to Daniel E. Byrd, president of the
Sponsors Mass Rally
In South Om^ha
Metropolitan Council No. 11,
United Packinghouse Workers of
America is sponsoring a Mass |
Rally at 36 and Q st„ this Friday j
evening at 8 p. m. They are ex
tending a cordial invitation to the
public.
Purpose of the rally will be to
acquaint everyone possible with
the recently passed Taft-Hartley
Law.
Ralph Helstein, International
President of the United Packing-1
house Workers of America will1
deliver the main address Presi- j
dent Helstein is a capable and sin- j
cere speaker. He is also a prom-1
inent Labor Attomey and can ex- [
plain the effect this viscious Anti- j
Labor Law will have on Labor j
unions and on the Community. j
Boys Town Band will be there
to entertain with a5short concert.!
Bernice Ashel nationally known j
guitarist and singer will lead the j
mass singing of popular songs.
Many of the District Judges,
Municipel Judges, the County At- j
torney and his staff, the clergy
and many, many others have sign
ified their intentions of attend
ing this rally.
Many valuable prizes will be
given away free. Some of the free
prizs will be a Maytag Washer,
a combination Radio and a deeP
freeze unit and etc.
In case of rain Friday evening
th^ rally be moved to the City
Auditorium, 15th and Howard st
SAILOR HUSBAND
GOES OVERSEAS
Mrs. Ella Mae Tucker of 1006
North 24 st., the popular assist
ant manager of the Hurry Back
Cafe at 2229 Lake st.,left Sunday
evening for three-week visit with
her husband Mr. Thomas Tucker
who is a salior in the Navy at
the Oakland. California Navy Sta
tion. Mr. Tucker has been in the
service for two years: he leaves
| in three weeks for three years
I overseas service. Mrs. Tucker will
! return to her position at the Hur.
I ry Back Cafe when her husband
1 leaves for his overseas duty.
church faction’s attempt to dis
miss the case, at the same time
vacating the state’s demurrer to
the church's original petition.
Following he two dismissals, he
suggested that the state file an
answer, which it since has done,
and then that the church file a
demurrer to that answer, after
which he court will be able to
pass upon the real issue at stake
whether Dr. Wesley can legally
i act as president of the separate
I college of education and indus
| trial arts which at present state
controlled.
Early court skirmishing in the
| university dispute began in June
when Dr. Wesley was deposed as
president of the complete ins*itu
itlon and replaced by Dr. Charles
j Leander Hill.
J Dr Wesley countered by install.
Ing himself as president of the ed
ncation and industrial arts college
of the university and has since
carried on a summer school there.
His action served to bring the
struggle onto a legal battle
ground when the church board
sought an injuction to prevent !
him from using church property J
«.t the university.
Say you saw ;t advertised in The
Omaha Guide
of the Louisiana State Associa
tion of NAACP Branches, dur
ing an interview Thursday.
Hr. Byrd’s files reveal that the
most recently uncovered murder
was the wanton slaying of Wil
liam Brown, an 83-ye*r °ld Negro,
on July 19 at Lettsworth, La., by
a game warden.
Other slayings recorded were
those of Wesley Thomas, 31-year
old woodcutter, at Calhoun, La.,
by W. D. Thompson, a 21-year
old white man on July 30; the
fatal shooting of Versie Johnson,
34-year-old , prisoner, by law of
ficers at Prentiss, Miss, on Aug
ust 1; and the shooting of Elijah
Myles, 21-year-old rubbish col
lector, here in New Orleans on
July 18 by Ferdnand Mohr, white
foreman on the Agriculture Street
Dump.
Concerning the Lettsworth kill
ing which was fully uncovered
last week b a white labor union
official, William Brown, 83-year
old Negro, had gone into the
woods near that town to hunt
squirrels. Charley Ventril, a wjhite
game warden, went into the wbods
engaged Brown in an argument
concering the contents of Brown's
huntin bag, according to reports
received.
The warden is alleged to have
walked to a nearby white share
cropper and told him, “I just shot
a nigger!; let his folks know.”
The union official told NAACP
representatives that the official
coroner’s report stated: ‘The Ne
gro's gun was cocked; the killing
was justifiable because the war
den shot in self-defense.”
At Calhoun, La., Wesley Thom
as, 31-year-old woodchopper, was
shot in the back and killed by W.
D. Thompson, 21-year-old white
farmer, in a sharecropper's shack
Wednesday, July 30, about noon.
According to law officers, Thom,
as allegedly threatened the life of
his white employer about 9 a. m.
that day. Shriff Milton Coverdale,
who expressed the opinion that
the killing was justified, said a
search had been under way for
Thomas since early that morn
ing when he engaged in an argu
ment with Z. W. Fuller white
farmer. The young slayer’s fath
er was a witness to the ai gument,
the sheriff said.
Young W. D. Thompson, who
I
Continued On Page 8
ASKS FREEDOM TRAIN
CARRY FEPC EXECUTIVE
ORDER 8802
NEW YORK,—With final plans
being launched for the visit of the
Freedom Train to 300 communi.
ties beginning September 17, It
was announced here that a re
quest was sent July 18 to the
American Heritage Foundation,
sponsors *of the train, to include
among the historical American
documents on exhibition Presi
dential Executive Order 8802, is.
sued June 25. 1941, creating the
wartime FEPC.
The request was made by Wal
ter White. NAACP secretary, who
wrote Winthrop Aldrich, chairman
of the Heritage Foundation board
of trustees:
“No document issued during re
cent years has so aroused the in
terest and enthusiasm for th
democratic process among min.
orities.’’
The NAACP said it has been
assured informally that there
would be no segregation on ac
count of race in the viewing of
the documents on Freedom Train.
“Let us civilize the Americana
when they come!“—Beverly Bax
ter, British M.P., advising ice
water not to be served to U. S.
tourists.
. a