Accurate
Local and
NATIONAL
NEWS COVERAGE
VOLUME 2, NUMBER 8
JACKSON, MISS., SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1941
PRICE FIVE CENTS
»
Chicagoan ’s Claim
Halts Settlement Of
$15,000,000Fortune
State Discharges
Ex-Service Men
To Civilian Life
To the Seie'tivr Service System
has been asvyiHd the responsibil
*.ty of returning ex-service men to
tneir places in civilian life or in
ivrding jobs for those who were not
the armed fo**?*js of the Nation.
According to Brigadier Genera)
Thomas J. Gravson State Director
of Selective Service, the Reemploy
ment Committee set up in ihe 107
areas of Selective Service Local
Boards in Mississippi are meeting
with a cordial response on the part
of employers and the public in this
effort. The Mississippi State Em
ployment Service is according close
cooperation in this program.
To emphasize the gravity and
importance of this undertaking and
of the responsibility of the public
to men returning from the Service,
General Grayson today released
the following editorial, which re
cently appeared in the Chicago
Herald and American under the
caption, A PROMISE THAT MUST
BE KEPT:
“As Illinois soldiers over 2£ years
old are discharged and return
home, the Soldier’s Friend depart
ment of The Chicago Herald-Amer
ican receives an increasing r umber
of complaints that many are not
getting their civilian jobs back.
“Before they uere inducted they
were led to believe that they
WOULD get their jobs back
“The selective service la-.v pro
vides that they are to get them
back (or ‘ position of like seniority,
status and pay’) unless the em
ployed’s circumstances have so
changed as to make thR rehiring
‘impossible or unreasonable,’ and ft
was the assurance given in that
law that sent many of them away
to the army with easy minds. They
would not have to worry about
finding a new way to make a liv
ing when they came home again.
“Those who have come back to
find that they Do have to worry
about it naturally feel they have
been let down.
“They have made sacrifices to
serve their country, and the prom
ises that their interests would be
looked after while thev were doing
it have .not been fulfilled
‘•There will be, of course, cases
in which the promise of a job to
return to actually cannot be kept-,
particularly in view of the damage
defense priorities are about to do
to many kinds of civilian business
“But in every case wnere the
promise CAN be kept, it SHOULD
be and MUST be.
“The draft boards, whose duty it
is under the law to help returned
soldiers get their jobs, must exert
themselves to see that every such
promise is kept that can be.
“Paul G. Armstrong, state di
rector of selective service, estimates
that by Christmas-time 7,000 Illi
nois soldiers will have been return
ed to civil life under the age rul
ing.
“We owe it to them, in simple
appreciation of men who have done
their duty, in our defense, to flit
them as swiftly, and smoothly as
possible into jobs and a normal
civilian life.
“And we owe it also to the men
who still are IN the army.
“For their peace of mind, which
is what ‘morale means, we must
make it plain by our deeds that we
meant what we said when we
promised to keep their Jobs for
them until they came back.”
Governor Johnson
Okehs All-Weather
Highway
ALOORN. MISS., Nov. 8— While
discussing the facilities needed in
Mississippi, last week Governor
Johnson said that he woud sup
port a proposal for an all-weather
road from United States highway
Cl to Alcorn A. and M. College.
“The road now available to the
college y a disjrace." stated the
Governor. *T hops the Legislature
will make wme provision whereby
the Highway Department ea,n build
a good roau to it.”
Contractor Charges He
Was Husband Of Indian
TULSA, Okla.— (ANP)—The action of Mitchell Knight
en, Chicago building contractor, in challenging Sapulpa
court’s disposition of the .$15,000,000 oil holdings of a de
ceased Indian woman halted the payment of $7,413,286 to
the half sister and two nephews of the deceased woman.
Knighten’s suit, an outright claim, was filed in United States
district court here November 1 against Sinclair Oil and Gas
company, Sinclair Prairie Oil company, Reserve Development
company and Minnehoma Oil and Gas company for full pos
session of the 160 acres of oil producing property in Creek
county.
Ruling that the late Lete Kelvin
died in 1930 and her husband was
killed the following year in a car
accident, Judge C. O. Beaver in
I the Sapulpa decision awarded the
estate to Mrs, Izora Alexander Lee
of Claremont, Okla., as half sister
to the deseased woman, and to sur
viving nephews, Willie and Floyd
Mayweather, Kansas City, Mo.,
packing house workers.
Knlghten makes the claim that he
married Lete Kelvin in 1907 and
that she was known thereafter as
Lete Knighten, Lydia Field, Lydia
Monahwee, and Little Moffer. He
stated that he lived with the In
dian woman until 1912 when he
went to Louisiana because of a
brother’s illness. He further claims
that she died in 1917, a victim of a
jealous Indian lover.
According to the claim of the
Mayweather brothers, Lete Kolvin
was supposed to have married a
Joe Stevens before 1906 and she
died in 1930 and Stevens was killeo
in 1931.
While it does not mention the
Sapulpa findings, Knighten’s suit,
however, ties up the estate pending
settlement of his claims. If the
federal court upholds the claim, the (
entire estate will go to Knighten. !
Representing Knighten are: Attys.
George C. Adams, Chicago; A. B.
Honnold and Jay W. Whitney. A
secretary, bodyguard and special
investigator, Sheridan Bruseaux
have also been retained by Knigh
ton.
Funeral Rites
Held For James
Slaughter
Funeral rites for James (Jim)
Slaughter, prominent and well
known local contractor and carpen
ter, was held at his residence, 146
East Davis Street, following his
death early Saturday morning
from a stroke of paralysis.
The Revs A. L. Holland, W. A.
Bender and A B. Keeling officiat
ed at the ceremony.
The deceased is survived ty his
wife, Mrs. Anna Parish Slaugh
ter; one son, Clem Slaughter; his
mother, a sister, Miss Elmer
Slaughter, a teacher at Smith
Robertson School, several brothers,
a host of relatives and friends.
Axtive pallbearers were; Mr.
Will Laws, Will Robertson, Mar
vin Alexander. Frank Moore, Ken
ste Coleman, O. C. Jackson, Mel
vin Robinson, S. S. McLaughlin
and Mr. James Proctor. Inter
ment at the Tougaloo Cemetery.
JOSHUA JONES
By I. P. Reynolds
Bro. Bell says folks who claim
to stand in are sometimes the first
to fall out.
Organizing To
Keep Grip On
Rail Industry
Planning Drive
To Win Measure
Of Justice
NEW YORK—(NNS)—The «a- ,
tion’s Neero firernen are organiz
ing to prevent their elimination
from the railroad industry, and are
preparing a campaign to win a
measure of justice and equitable
treatment.
This was clearly emphasized I
when plans of the recently-forced
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Por
ters Provisional Committee for
Colored Loomotive Firemen were
made known here this week. The
committee was set up on the initi
ative of the Sleeping Car Porterr
Brotherhood and is the clumina
tion of that organization’s inter
est in the problems of the unor
ganized Negro firemen.
It represents some 2,000 Negro
firemen whose jobs are seriously
menaced by the present trend in
the railroad industry toward dis
placement of Negro stoker?. I
The immeditate program of the
committee calls for the initiation
of a series court actions di
rected toward the invalidation of
certain agreements negotiated with
the rail carriers by the Brother
hrod of Locomotives Firemen and
Enginemen. The latter union does
not admit Negroes to its member
ship and has consistently refus
ed to deal with grievances of Ne
gro firemen.
The situation was explained to
an NNS representative by Harold
A. Stevens, attorney for the com
mittee, who described other plans
of the firemen’s group to present
their case to the publishing.
DETERIORATED
Before the last war practically
all firemen stoking Southern loco
motives were Negroes, severely ex
ploited and ill-paid. Speradic at
tempts had been made to organize
the men without definite result.
When during the World War, the
government took over operation of
railroads, wages were increased and
many improvements brought about.
However, with the return to private
management following the war,
the contracts made by the govern
(Continued on Back Page)
Race Soldiers Arrive
To Defend Air Base
AUGUSTA, Ga.—<(SNS)—Five hundred Negro sol
diers, connected with the 77th Coast artillery regiment
arrived here Thursday, October 6, from Fort Bragg, N.
C. These men will be stationed here at the Daniel Field
for two weeks. They will ‘defend” the Augusta Air
Base during the Carolina maneuvers.
The regiment is under the command of Lt. Col. E.
McGarraugh, of the coast artillery corps.
Celebrated Singer Inspects Employment Office For Girls
NEW YORK CITY—Dorothy May nor (center) so
prano, and Governor Lehman’s sister-in-law, Mrs.
Harold M. Lehman, chairman of the benefit commit
tee of the Women’s Trade Union League, look over
a poster announcing the opening of the new “Day
Work” office for Negro girls during an inspection
visit to the Model Employment Office of Today.
Looking on is Mrs. Minnie Blackmon, interviewer
of the Day Work Office. The new employment office
replaces the “slave markets” which existed on some
street corners iii the Bronx, where housewives bar
gained on the streets with scores of young Negro
domestic workers for their services.—(ACME.)
I
Better Representation In
Gov’t Asked By Nabrit
Miss. Methodists
Convene
The 74th Session of the Missis
sippi Conference met in the beau
tiful new 24-room St. Paul Meth
odist Church, Meridian. Miss., ot
which the Rev. E. A. Mayes is the
past oaf.
Three sessions a day were broad
cast from the church over Radio
Station WCOC, the bishop distin
guishing himself as an announcer.
More than four hundred minister?
and laymen attended the meet
ing. The conference was presid
ed over by Bishop R. E. Jones,
Senior Bishop of the Central
Jurisdiction. Rev. W. H. Bladk
man was elected secretary of the
conference, and Rev. p. A. Tay
lor. statician.
The conference adopted a bud
get of $$]9,784.99 for the year. All
monies of the conference were
handled by the Rev. A. L. Hol
land who was elected treasure:
last year to serve four years. The
cbnference preserved the assis
tant treasurer, Mrs L. V. Hol
land. with a beautiful pen and
pencil sett and the Bishop in mak
ing the presentation said the work
of the office was the best report
in the New Orleans Area.
All of the pastors serving in
Jackson were returned for an
other year. Rev. W. H. Black
man for his second year at Pratt,
Rev A. L. Holland for his nihth
3par at Central; Rev. S. L.
Webb to Jackson Circuit for his
third year; and Rev. L. E. John
son as District Superintendent on
the Jackson District, Few changes
were made in the conference.
Dr. G. W. Smith was retired
and appointed field agent for the
Pension Fund for retired minis
ters. The conference next year
goes to Wesmey Methodist church
Vicksburg, Rev. M. P. Johnson,
pastor.
The session just closed was said
by all lo have been the best in the |
history of the church. Rev. Mayes
was returned to St. Paul for his
ninth year to the delight of many. ]
JAIL 200 SOLDIERS
BROWNWOOD, Tex.—(A N P)—
For creating a disturbance in the |
Negro section of this city Satur
day, two hundred colored soldiers]
from Damp Bowie were placed in
the city’s jail. The action grew
out of attempts of two officers to
quiet the disturbance.
Outlines Nine
Positions Negroes
Should Be Holding
By OTTO McCLARRIN
WASHINGTON, D. C.—(SNS)—
Insisting that more than ten mil
lion Negroes in America are with
out actual representation in the
executive branch of the government
in the most perilous time in our
history, James M. Nabrit, Jr., At
lanta-born, Secretary of Howard
University, presented a Ten Point
Demand Program in an interview
this week which he believes will
help bring about a solution to many
of the most critical of the Negro’s
present day problems.
The able administrative oincial
urges Negro leaders to stop vieing
for self glory and to unite and
fight for nine actually constructive
posts in our government du irig the
present national crisis.
LISTS POSITIONS
The Ten Point Program includes
a demand for nine government po
sitions, which, if held by Negroes,
will insure better representation for
colored Americans in the executive
branch of the government. Such
representation, Mr. Nabrit believes,
will eliminate numerous decisions
and policies of governmental offi
cials which have not been to the
Negro’s best interests.
The university secretary main
tains that every individua1, group
and newspaper among Negroes
should forego quarrels over petty
differences of opinion and join in
a collective effort to obtain the
following positions and representa
tion for Negroes:
i. An administrative assistant to
the President of the United States
(Continued on Back Page)
First Head Nurse
Named On Coast
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—(ANP)—
For the first time in the history of
California, a Negro head nurse was
appointed at the General hospital
last Monday, when at the results
of competitive examination Mrs.
Ferrol Bobo Conner received the
I appointment .
I Mrs. Connor was selected from 30
other nurses who took the test. The
position is a promotional one. She
I is a native of Arkansas, but at
tended school at USC and City col
lege. For more than six years she
ha^ been associated with the Gen
nerai hospital. Mrs. Connor is also
a gradaute of the County Hospital
' school. She will head Unit 2.
Chanute Field
Air Workers To
Alabama Station
New Tuskegee
Base to Be
Ready in December
| CHANUTE FIELD, 111.— (ANP)
—Those portions of the 99th
Pursuit squadron which have
been trained here are leaving to
day for Maxwell field, the big
army air base located at Mont
gomery, Ala. The two units which
include the mechanical trainees
and air base detachment cf the
all-Negro aviation organization
will be stationed at Maxwell field
pending the completion of the
permanent base which will be at
Tuskegee, Ala. Work at Tuskegee
is proceedingiy rapidly, 1,500
men being employed in day and
night shifts. The field there is
expected to be completed in De
cember.
There were 364 men in the
group leaving Chanute field, 334
of them traveling in a troop train
while 30 others made the trip in
private conveyances.
Remaining at Chanute after
the transfer is completed will be
about 30 men of the two organi
zations, including a few students
who have not as yet completed
their courses and other personnel
now confined to the hospital.
(Continued on Back Page)
Jury Upholds
Guard In Killing
SPARTA, Ga. (SNS) — Boston
Evans, a colored convict serving
a life sentence for murder, was
justifiably shot to death by guard
William. Archer, a coroners jury
decided Monday, according to Act
ing Coroner Holland A. Berry.
Berry said testimony showed the
convict wiaa thnehtening- -to kill
another colored man in a bullpen
! of the Hancock County prison
camp when the guard shot him
through a window with a shotgun
Sunday.
Denied Right To
Bury His 'Friend'
GARY, Ind.— (ANP)—The case of “who has the right
to bury the body of Edward Monroe” was decided in superior
court here last Tuesday when Judge B. C. Jenkines ruled
that Hower’s Funeral Home here bt> permitted to proceed
with the funeral. The controversy grew out of a writ issued
in favor of Leo A. Taylor, white southerner, against the
funeral home for possession of the body. Taylor’s claim to
the body was made because he had taken an insurance policy
out on the deceased friend, and that he had the right to say
who would perform the burial ceremony.
Last Monday, while Monroe’s
last rites were in progress at the
new Hower’s funeral home, the
writ in favor of Lee Taylor was
served by sheriffs to halt the cere
mony. The writ stated that Taylor
was the close friend of the de
ceased and was desirous of hav
ing the Creswell Funeral Home
take care of the body. Atty. Ben
jamin F. Wilson, engaged by
Hower’s immediately catapulted
the case into superior court for a
hearing to determine who would
bury Monroe.
INSURANCE POLICY
At the Tuesday’s hearing, Atty.
Wilson developed from his cross
examination that Taylor’s claim
was made because of the insurance
policy taken out and paid during
the Iife of Monroe and that al
though Taylor claimed such affec
tion for the deceased, he did not
provide him with adequate shelter
during his illness. Taylor admitted
giving Monroe a shanty in which
to live.
No known relatives were listed
as surviving Monroe, and it was
brought to life that Mrs. Lacefield,
a sweetheart for the past ten
years, and some close /r lends luid
arranged for his hospitalization at
Mercy hospital and made arrange
ments for his funeral.
Taylor and his wife attempted
to take possession of the body in
order to be in position to say who
should bury the deceased. No other
motive, outside of the policy angle
could be established for their con
! duct, and it was further learned
that Monroe had acted as a
“flunky’ in their back yard during
his lifetime.
Judge Jenkins ruled that he felt
the fight was more of an under
takers’ quarrel than anything else,
and since representatives of Cress
well Funeral Home did not appear
in court, the writ was denied.
Two Killed While
Watching Parade
HOUSTON—(SNS)—Two un
identified colored men were kill
ed and at least two others in
jured critically Tuesday when a
metal and concrete awning on
which a crowd stood to watch
the Armistice Day parade col
lapsed. Those on the awning
were dropped about 20 feet. A
number of persons standing un.
der the awning were pinned be
neath the debris.
The parade was stopped when
the crash occurred.
King Hiram Grand
Lodge
VICKSBURG, Miss.—The King
Hiram Grand Lodge, Scottish Rite.
A. F. & A. M. of Mississippi held
their 1941 Annual session here Sun
day, November 2nd, with one of
the largest delegations in attend
ance in the fraternal history of
the Hill city.
The session opened with a Street
Parade Sunday morning, which was
said to have been one of the longest
and best order parades to be seen
in Vicksburg.
With special bus accommodations,
delegates attended the session from
every section of the state as well
as a number of prominent frater
nal leaders from Louisiana and
Tennessee, according to Mr. Clar
ence Winters 33 degree Grand Sec
retary. The reports received at the
session were the best he had re
ceived during his tenure of office,
not only in finance, but in show
ing the largest gain in Mississippi
throughout the jurisdiction of any
period in the lodge’s history.
At the session several changes
made in the organization in order
to simplify the administration, the
most important being the transfer
of the widows department to the
office of the Grand Lodge, and the
election of G. D. Sharpe of Clarks
dale as Treasurer of the Widow’s
department.
The headquarters of the lodge is
located in Jackson with HI. J. C.
McLendon 33 degree Grand Mas
ter, and HI. Clarence Winters, 33
degree Grand Secretary.
Large Crowd Sees
Tougaloo, Alcorn
In 0-0 Tie
By PERCY GREENE
JACKSON, Miss.—(SNS)— In bit
ing cold, perhaps, the worst in
early November here in many years
that brought out heavy blankets
quilts, shawls, and other warmth
giving additions to overcoats, more
than 2000 spectators, old grads and
former students of the two rival
clans .gathered under the bright
lights of Mlllsaps College Stadium
here Saturday night for the annua)
Homecoming Game between Coach
“Duke” Williams Tougaloo College
Bulldogs and Coach Abraham’s Al
corn College Braves, between whom
there has developed in the past
few years the keenest and some
time most bitter rivalry as can be
found existing between any twc
schools in the country.
In spite of the biting cold a good
ly crowd had entered the stadium
! an hour before game time, as t? ;
time for the starting whistle ap
proached and before the end of
the first quarter, bonfires on the
ramparts and under the flats
around the stadium reminded one
of a picture of an ancient army
camp on a cold winter night.
As a prelude to the bitter 0-0
deadlock that followed the keen
rivalry that exist between the twc
schools can well be seen from the
fact that, with only a few minutes
before the starting whistle Coach
Abraham of Alcorn approached
Coach Williams of Tougaloo and
voiced his objection to the use, as
an official, of John H. Young III
former Jackson College Coach, who
had come from New Orleans foi
that purpose, and asserted that ii
Coach Williams insisted on using
Young the Alcorn Team would not
play.
According to Coach Williams, all
the officials had been certified and
agreed upon three days before.
With Coach Williams conceding
to the demands of Alcorn in re
spect to Young, the game got un
derway promptly at 9 o’clock.
As the game progressed it de
veloped into a contest mainly be
tween Braddock. sensational hard
running and consistent punting
Tougaloo back, and Lenora, former
Alexander High School Star, and
four year Big “8” choice, Alcorn
triple threat ace, as each turned
in some sparkling performances as
the game wore on.
In the first quarter Braddock had
the Tougaloo crowd yelling as he
took the ball on his 40 to skirt
around the Alcorn right to place
the ball on the Alcorn 15, and
late in the second quarter Lenora
back on his 30 went around right
to the Tougaloo 10 the play that
saw the ball advanced to the Tou
galoo 2 yard stripe.
Both teams missed at least one
good chance to tally. In the first
quarter, Alcorn kicked to Tougaloo
to open the game, and on the
(Continued on Back Page)
Local Business
Man Hurt
W. J. Summers, prominent local
business man and owner and op
erator of the Blacks tone Cafe
Summer’s Grocery and Market, ano
a number of other business enter
prises, was painfully, but not ser
iously hurt when a Plymouth Coupe
in which he was driving North or
Parish Street collided with a car
driven by a non-commissioned of
ficer from the Jackson Air Ba«<
at the corner of Amite and Fari>
Streets, Saturday night.
Mr. Summers received a number
of scratches and bruises about th
legs and body, and the driver of thr
other car also suffered several mi™
In the car with Mr. Summers was
Miss Elmer Hodges an Was
of the Blackstone Cafe, who*?*
h0“' the time of th
accident, also received minor 1
thf^lK”" b“Uy '"“”**«*