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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1928)
L I F Ti LIFT The monitor NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS ___THK MV. JOHM AL»WT WILLIAMS, Editor GROWING — THANK TOW (2.00 a Year—S Cents a Cepy Omaha, Nebraska, Friday, November 30. 1928 Vol. XIV—No. 22 Whole Number 694 '... French General Orders Men to Quit Club After Insults (Special Correspondence to Philadel phia Tribune) Paris—Refusal of a white club at Bamako, French Soudan, to admit a Negro officer has aroused a storm of discussion in the Soudan, and in co lonial circles in France, and has brought about the resignation of every white off’cer in the club. The officer is Capt. Bebel, who is a native of French West Indies. On his arrival at Bamako, he was pro posed for membership in the Soudan club to which belongs the white elite of the colony, whereupon the presi dent of the club replied that in a special session the members had de cided to refuse admission to Capt. Bebel “in conformity with its rules.” Officer Resigns At this the officer who had pro posed the name of Capt. Bebel, Lt. Peletier, at once sent in his resigna tion, whereupon the president of the club Bent him the following letter: “Lieut. Peletier: Your letter ad dressed to the committee proves that you are a very vulgar person, indeed an ignoble one. "You should have known that it is impossible to admit a Negro in the club. It is reserved for Europeans, and is consecrated toward bringing about a better understanding between them. In sending in your resigna tion you are doing a great service to the club, and its well-wishers.” This letter was followed by an Army order forbidding all white offi cers to enter the club. It was issued by Gen. Lorin, commander, and is as follows: “The Soudan Club of Bamako has refused to accept as member a French officer presented by two French officers because he is a na tive of Gaudeloupe. “The officers of the garrison of Kati, in a spirit of soldiarity, for which they must be complimented, have sent their resignations to the Soudan Club. Forbids Membership “Because of this attitude of the Soudan Club the general in command forbids anyone under his command to become a member of the club. He also forbids them to enter this club or to take part in its affairs for any reason, whatsoever.” The governor of the Soudan, his staff, and several of the other offi cials of the colony, have also sent in | their resignations. La Depeche Africane, a Negro newspaper published in Paris, calls attention to the fact that it was a German-Swiss colonist who barred the Negroes from the club, and says: “It is on this soil so firmly French of the Soudan, this soil so alive with heroic souvenirs, this soil which nur tured the famous black regiments, grouping white soldiers and black ones around the tricolor, that two stupid merchants are trying to break the union of the two races which is the policy of French colonialism.” MRS. BETHUNE RECEIVES LETTER FROM HOOVER Daytona Beach, Fla.—(By the As sociated Negro Press)—The presi dent of Bethune-Cookman college, Mrs. Mary McLeod Bethune, is the recipient of a signal and outstanding honor in the form of a letter of appreciation for her work in the re cent republican presidential cam paign, personally signed by the Hon. Herbert Hoover, president-elect of the United States. Mrs. Bethune’s influence and work toward the elec tion of Mr. Hoover to the presidency have been consistent and far-reach ing. With her characteristic sincer ity and thoroughness, she has been able to do much toward keeping the minds of the people of Florida staunch for the republican party. The letter which Mrs. Bethune re ceived from Mr. Hoover is in direct reply to her telegram of congratu lations, sent to him on the morning of November 7th, and read3 as fol lows: HERBERT HOOVER Stanford University, Cal., November 8th, 1928. Mrs. Mary McLeod Bethune, Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona, Fla. Dear Mrs. Bethune: I am grateful for your message. I wish to express my appreciation for the service which you and your col leagues have given to the great cause of the republican party, and the friendship you have shown to me. With kind regards, I am, Yours faithfully, (Sgd) HERBERT HOOVER. This letter is being framed and is to hang in Mrs. Bethune’s office as a symbol of the good-will of America’s leader toward Negro people. New York, N. Y.— (By the Asso ciated Negro Press)—With the clos ing of “Americana” twenty colored performers find themselves out in the cold, for the show opens with an en tire new cast which does not include the colored folk, headed by J. Rosa mond Johnson and Taylor Gordon. According to the latest reports, Johnson and Gordon are seeking vaudeville engagements for their troupe which is a fast singing and dancing combination. SECOND FACT-FINDING CONFERENCE TO MEET NEXT APRIL Durham, N. C.—(By the Associ ated Negro Press) — The second meeting of the Fact-Finding confer ence will be held in Durham, April 17, 18, 19, 1929, according to an an nouncement made this week by Dr. James E. Shepard, president of the North Carolina College for Negroes, and who at the first conference was elected permanent chairman. “The change in time,” said Dr. Shepard, “has been made at the re quest of numerous organizations and individuals who felt that since the first Durham conference in an un precedented manner had brought to gether all of the varied groups repre senting the different schools of thought among Negroes, that it should be held at a time when there will be no conflict with any other na tional gatherings, thereby permitting the largest possible attendance.” “The Fact-Finding conference held last year attracted wide and favor able attention and out of the inter esting and helpful experiences it af forded we are planning for the com ing one. “The program committee, the members of which are Dr. Mordecai W. Johnson of Howard university, Dr. George Haynes, of the Federal Council of Churches, Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, C. C. Spaulding, and my self, are endeavoring for this coming meeting to avoid presentations which are the opinion of any single individ ual. We plan to get the collective thought from scattered sections of the country on the varied problems which affect the race, compare the same and present it to various out standing organizations for further solution. It is planned to do some research work so that the subjects as they are laid before the confer ence for discussion shall be in form to make possible final opinions. The program will be announced at a later time.” The program will be announced at a later time. Those desiring specific information about the conference can secure it by writing Dr. J. E. Shepard, Durham, N. C. LONG BEACH FORMS INDUSTRIAL LEAGUE Los Angeles, Cal.—(By the Asso ciated Negro Press)—New places are opening and new interest is being aroused in racial affairs at Long Beach. Business men, including one of Los Angeles, have formed an or ganization known as the Long Beach Industrial association here recently. Its scope is to be broad, giving gen eral help to the Negro of the indus trial world. It will assist in furnish ing employment, handle loans, real estate, and furnish legal advice or assistance. EDITORIAL IS HE THE GUILTY MAN? The Monitor would like to believe that with the arrest of Jake Bird the ax-man who is responsible for the murder of Joseph Blackman, Mrs. Resso and Creda Brown, and the mur derous attack on Mr. and Mrs. Harold Stribling, is safely be hind the bars and our city thereby freed from the fear and horror of their repetition upon other victims which has gripped the community. We would like to believe it, but frankly, we do not. Nor should there be any relaxation upon the part of the police authorities in their efforts to clear up these crime mysteries. It may be that in the arrest of Bird they have the man who attacked the Striblings, and maybe not. That has to be proven. In our mind and that of others, there is an element of doubt. But granting that no mistake has been made and that Bird is guilty of the Stribling crime, it is exceedingly doubtful that that will clear up the Resso-Brown murder, and certainly not the Blackman murder. Is there not a grave possibility that in centering attention upon Bird that some ax-man or ax-men guilty of these other crimes may be at large and strike again no one knows where? We have said that there is an element of doubt in our mind as to Bird’s guilt. And that doubt arises from the fact that we find it difficult to reconcile Mi’s. Stribling’s positive identification of Jake Bird made at the hospital Tuesday after noon with her equally positive, reiterated and minute descrip tion of her and her husband’s assailant given to the police on Tuesday morning following the attempted murder and the hor rible experience through which she had passed. Unquesion ably this young wife and mother was in a highly nervous con dition. But she furnished the police a minute description of the murderous assailant upon which they began their diligent search. During the two or more hours, according to her story, that she was compelled to be in his unwelcome company, a large part of that time in her lighted home, where her hus band lay weltering in his blood, Mrs. Stribling observed the hatchet wielder so closely that she noted not only his com plexion and size and general clothing, but his tie, his hair, the buckle on his belt, his creased trousers, his low cut tan shoes. With such close scrutiny it would seem that she would have no difficulty in identifying him. This was the description furnished the police: “A light skinned colored man, age 21, five feet seven inches tall, weight 140 pounds; grey tweed coat with half-belt in back; grey suit with neat crease in trousers; tan low shoes; hair combed straight back on his head with some kind of brilliantine or stacomb on it. Thick lower lip. Talked as if well educated.” The description given sheriff tallied with this, adding however “a brown tweed cap,” “black tie” and “white shirt.” The officers combed the city and a country-wide search was made for a man answering this description. Several re spectable young men of our <?tty and elsewhere, as well as questionable characters, who tallied with this description were apprehended, questioned and in some cases temporarily de tained. Many suspects were brought before Mrs. Stribling, none of whom was identified. In each case she said “No.” Finally on Friday Jake Bird was arrested and taken before her. Conflicting reports as to what happened then are current. The officers claimed Mrs. Stribling partially identified Bird. Other persons denied this. She was said to have become hysterical. Bird was taken to the penitentiary for “safe keeping.” Tues day afternoon he was brough back, dressed as she had describ ed her assailant. When she saw him, she said, “Before God, he is the man.” Bird protested his innocence. Bird does not answer Mrs. Stribling’s first description. He is a brown skin, and by no stretch of the imagination could he be considered “a light skinned colored man” or mulatto. He is five feet ten and weighs over 160 pounds. His hair is coarse and innocent of stacomb. He is quite uncouth and has the ap pearance of a roustabout and is the very opposite of a high school “sheik.” Mrs. Stribling, whose whole demeanor in this matter has been one of commendable caution lest a mistake should be made, laboring under intense excitement, as she must have been, was either mistaken in her first description of the assail ant, which, of course, is possible, or she is mistaken now. Bird does not fit the picture, that’s all. And while due weight must be given to the fact that in her terrible experience the face ot her assai:ant must have been indelibly impressed upon her mind, it is difficult to understand the disparity. Hence, the doubt in our mind. . , , , ,, If Bird be the guilty man he should be punished to the limit. He is entitled to and doubtless will be given a fair trial and that is all that can be asked. If he is not guilty there should be no “framing” of him and railroading him to the pemtentmry^uid bg brought 8peedily to trial for the Stribling attack and at the same time the police ought not relax their efforts to clear up the Blackman and the Resso-Brown murders. CHICAGO SONG WRITER IS SELECTED FOR RECORDING New York City—(By the Associa ted Negro Press)—J. C. Johnson, the well known song writer and one of our own group, has been selected by the Columbia Phonograph company from thousands of artists throughout the country to record crooning mel odies. Since the success of his latest record, “Good Things Come to Those Who Wait,” he has been heralded as the “black Gene Austin.” Born in Chicago 26 years ago, he later attended the Wendell Phillips High school. Nine years ago he came Sew York where he started to write music. He has written many of the popu lar song hits used by Dolly Kay, Paul Whiteman, Ethel Waters, Happiness Boys, Revellers, and others. We know that the “Black Gene Austin" who is all the rage in New York City, will soon sweep the coun try with his popularity if he contin ues to record such hits as “Good Things Come to Those Who Wait,’’ and “Explaining.” REALTY COMPANY PLANS “NEGRO COLONY” AND CLUB New Orleans, La.— (By the Asso ciated Negro Press)—The Industrial City company, which is organizing a Negro colony in this city, has pro posed a country club and will give $25,000 as a nucleous for the found ation derived from 10 per cent of their sales of lots. Members of preorganization com mittee consists of prominent citizens such as C. C. Dejoie, president of the Unity Insurance company; Wal ter L. Cohn, U. S. comptroller of customs; G. H. J. Devore, president fo the First Baptist association; A. F'.ynn, editor National Negro Voice; Victor F. Collins, superintendent of the People’s Insurance company; and S. Lyons Jordan, manager of the Eagle Insurance company. Miss Alice Hunter, the genial of fice assistant at the North Side Branch, Y. W. C. A., has been con fined to her home the past week with an attack of grippe. Police Profess Belief that Brutal Axman Is Taken In the positive identification Tues day of Jake Bird by Mrs. Stribling, police profess the belief that the ax man is in custody. Three terrible crimes were com mitted in Omaha within close prox imity of each other. Sunday morn ing, November 18th, Joseph Black man, aged 76, was found murdered in his home, 4122 North Twenty eighth street. A bloody hatchet was found behind a wood pile, and in the stove were found the charred remains of a flashlight and a kid glove. Cecil Blackman, the man’s son, was held by police, but subsequently released. Early Monday morning Mrs. Ger trude Besso, 21, and her sister, Cre da Brown, 18, were slain in their home, 3546 South Forty-first street, their heads being bashed by an ax while they slept, one in her bed up stairs, the other in her bed down stairs. Tuesday morning about three o’clock, Mrs. C. Harold Stribling, 121 Carter Lake, awoke to find a man whom she described as a young Negro standing over the bed next to her with a hatchet raised over the head of her husband, with which he hit him twice as he lay asleep be side her, and then struck at her, in flicting a wound over her left eye, as she turned her head to avoid the blow. She said she was so scared she couldn’t make a sound, at first. “The wound didn’t seem to hurt. I guess it was because I was so scared by him. Then he stood there looking at me, while I begged him to go away. The blood was running all over my face, and on the bedclothes. Every thing was gettir ; bloody. I asked him if I could go to the bathroom and wash it off. I don’t remember what he said, but I guess he said all right, becavese I got up and went to the bath room. “The next thing I remember, I was telling him that the blood would not wash off. He rifled my husband’s trousers lying on a chair. Then he came back to me. I reasoned and plead with him for an hour. He in sisted that I go with him.” With house slippers and only a fur coat over her night dress she went with him. And when he came to a place where the swamp brush was thickest, he let her go. Pillbox Patrolman Edwards found her some distance from home after five o’clock. Her husband and she were taken to the hospital where it was believed that Stribling had a very slight chance for recovery. A delicate op eration, however, saved his life. Mrs. Stribling furnished a minute description to the police, describing her assailant as a “light skinned col ored man, neatly dressed and appar ently well educated.’’ An intense man hunt was begun. Several sus pects were taken before her, but none was identified. The police were apparently baf fled. Last Friday afternoon, acting upon a tip from Steve Maloney, for mer chief of detectives, to John Dunn, deputy sheriff, Jake Bird, aged 26, who drifted into town last summer and was an important wit ness against the Burlington railroad in a damage suit for the death of a wealthy Cleveland youth, whom it was claimed was kicked off a train by a special officer at Ashland, was arrested in his room on Clark street, and taken by Sheriff McDonald to Mrs. Stribling’s room at the hospital. It is claimed that she partially iden tified him, but wanted to be sure. He was taken to the penitentiary where he was subjected to a rigid test by Omaha officers and officers from Iowa, East Omaha being in Iowa. He maintained his innocence. Finger prints taken at the Strib ling home do not correspond with those of Bird. Tuesday he was again taken to the hospital when Mrs. Stribling solemn ly affirmed, “Before God he is the man.” She begged him to confess that it might go easier with him. He retained his composure and main tained his innocence. He was taken by the Iowa author ities and will be tried for assault with intent to commit murder which car ries a penalty of thirty years. NATIVE AFRICANS TO HAVE WESTERN CULTURE Achimota, Africa—(By the Asso ciated Negro Press)—The Prince of Wales college at Achimota on the Gold Coast, will be open in all its departments at the beginning of 1929. This is the great educational institution upon which the Gold Coast government is spending a half million pounds sterling or nearly tihree million dollars. Africa will then for the first time have a com plete educational institution in which the aim will be to take the very best in the cultures of the West and of Africa and combine them for the full development of the education of the men and women of the African race. The principal of this college is the Rev. Alex G. Fraser. Proposals have been laid before the British colonial officer for the college, which would put Achimota in a somewhat similar position to that of the great English colleges. The governing body would consist of Europeans and Africans. Of the lat ter at least one would be a woman, and at least six Africans must be nominated. Mr. Fraser also envisages a devel opment some time in the future of simple wireless instructions to village communities by means of radio talks. “We have received applications for admission to the college,” writes Mr. Fraser, “from all over Africa, and from every part of the world where members of the African race are liv ing, including the United States. At present, however, we must rigidly re strict our 600 students to the people of the Gold Coast.” SIX SONS BEAR FATHER’S BODY TO THE GRAVE Johnson City, Tenn.—(By the As sociated Negro Press)—Six sons of the late Rev. W. A. Scott served as pall bearers when his body was laid to rest here recently. The distin guished minister passed away at his home on Chilhowie avenue. The fu neral services were held from the Langston High school auditorium due to the crowd which attended. SCIENTIST HOLDS RACE MENTAL ABILITIES DIFFER Schenectady, N. Y.—(By the As sociated Negro Press)—Theories long advanced by anthropologists, that there is no mental difference due to racial traits, were contradicted here recently by Dr. C. B. Davenport of Carnegie institution of Washington, in a thesis read before che meeting of the National Academy of Sciences, which has just closed a three-day ses sion. Dr. Davenport presented a report of an investigation he had made in tracing the mental differences which distinguished the white, brown, and Negro races due to the genes and ihronosmes from which they spread. According to his findings after subjecting members of the white and black races to certain psychological tests, “Races differ in innate mental traits as really as they do in physical characters; that when full-blooded Negroes and whites of the same so cial status, education, and occupation are compared the Negroes show a superiority over the whites in at least certain parts of the field of sense discrimination, notably in musical tests. In ability to retain and re produce a series of figures they seem equal if not superior to the whites, but in tests involving some organiza tion, foresight, and planning the whites show a superiority.’’ OHIO ODD FELLOWS DEDICATE HEADQUARTERS Columbus, Ohio—(By the Associ ated Negro Press)—Following a col orful ceremony of the new fraternal headquarters building, costing $200, 000, recently, everything has been set for the opening of the beautiful vaudeville theater which has been built in by Ohio district grand lodge No. 24, of Odd Fellows, of which George E. Hall is district grand mas ter. Sammy Stewart and his famous band have been brought from Chi cago to open the theater, accompan ied by a group of Chicago’s pretti est dancing girls who are to form the chorus for the theater’s stage shows.