Sunday Chicago bee. [volume], May 01, 1938, SECTION ONE, Image 1

About Sunday Chicago bee. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1925-19??

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B^mCENTS
Ki All News Stands
Volume 29 Number 18 SUNDAY, MAY 1, 1038 IN TWO SECTIONS: SECTION ONE
__ _ __*■ ,_
Last Houston Riot Martyr Finally Released
TODAY’S
TALK
RABBI MANN
*
MERf H A NTS’ ASSOCIATION
" ANTI-SEMETIC”
★
ITS CAUSE
★
THE ANSWER
★
By A. N. FIELDS
TJ. ABB1 LfUIS MANN was
called int. a conference a few
days ago at me Grand Hotel os
u i, ably to pou> v er on the eon
troubled situation.
‘* lie occa.. n w ;s the meeting of
a white souihside merchants’ as
sociation. The purpose of the
meeting—as stated by a Mr. Roth
who was said to be a lawyer—
was that “The object of this as
sociation is to get rid of Kelly and
Dynamite.”
He was arrested in his remarks
by W. P. Harrison who, in unmis
takable language, informed the
conferees that, if that was the
purpose of the meeting, they had
might as well adjourn at once;
stating that he understood, “ac
cording to letters sent out by
their committee that the object
was to discuss community im
i ' \ n ient.
* * #
•te meeting proceeded, Rab
i.. r. rising that the con
s ■ ay would run ..u. nu,...-}
.1 ophron wliii hau no'
i> usly participated in polite
ly threw around himself the cloak
of his profession and sought to
calm the situate n with a sum
mary of the religious responsi
bility of minority groups.
Regardless of the attitude of
this particular association, the
.Jewish business program in the
soulhside community has hud
much to do wi^^p5&«*^ng and
fettering the Anteiness,
civic and moral advancement.
The very psychology of those
who operate concerns in the com
munity, their unity of purpose in
bunding themselves together und
preventing Negro people from
even renting store fronts on 47th
street, except for a limited class
of business, indicates that their
attitude has contravened Negro
advancement.
If Negroes have learned to dis
like .Tews it is because the Jews
themselves by their conduct in
Negro communities have fanned
the flame into lire. The ques
tion involved is not an unti
Semetic question; it is funda
mentally an economic question.
The Negro people are tired of
being plundered, overcharged and
oftimes shortweighted by a class
of merchants whose ruthless busi
ness intercourses have already
created an anemic condition in
the arteries of Negro business life.
There are at this moment sa
loons operated on 47th street be
tween Indiana arid Cottage Grove
that should not be allowed to ex
ist in any community. They ca
ter to the lowest type in the com
munity with no thought of those j
(Continued on page 2, col. 2)
Escaped Lifer
Killed Returning
for His Buddies
CLARKSDALE, Miss., April 28
—When he went buck to effect a
wholesale liberation of his pris
on buddies, M. V. McNutt. 33, a
lifer, was shot and killed Tues
day by K. E. Jones, colored guard.
McNutt had escaped Monday
night from the state penitentiary
at Parch man. He returned Tues
day, armed to free prisoners at
ihe stockade camp No. 11.
Threatens Guard
The guard said McNutt threat
ed him with a pistol, in an at
tempt to force him to assist him
in freeing the other prisoners.
Seizing an opportunity when Mc
Nutt was off his guard. Jones
picked up a rifle and shot the
prisoner in the stomach. Death
was believed to have been instan
taenous. .
McNutt had been committed to
the state pen ■ i • v three years
ago on a lif* niow-v r mur
der
j PRESIDENT
DR. SHERMAN D. SCRUGGS,
Supervisor of Negro schools
Kansas City, Kansas, who re
cently accepted the invitation J
to serve as the president of
Lincoln university, Jefferson j
City, Missouri. He will fill the
position previously held for six
years by Mr. Charles W. Flo
rence. Dr. Scruggs will assume
his duties July 1, 1938.
URBANA, Ohio, April 28—Dr.
Charles L. Hill, dean of theology
at Morris Brown college, Atlanta,
was awarded the doctor of phil
osophy degree by Ohio State uni
versity at the winter convocation,
thus accomplishing the record of
earning five degrees at the age
of 31.
Dr. Hill was awarded the bach
elor of arts degree by Wittenburg
university, his master of sacred
lheology and bachelor of divinity
degrees by the same University.
Morris Brown college in Atlanta
conferred on him the degree of
doctor of divinity.
Travels Extensively
Awarded the American-German
Exchange scholarship to the Uni
versity of Beilin, Germany, for
eight months of graduate study.
Dr. Hill during this time traveled
72 000 miles, visiting 32 libraries
and monasteries and examined
6,000 manuscripts.
He speaks twelve languages,
and has received special congrat
ulations from the department of
languages for his exceptional
knowledge of the required French
and German language examina
tions.
Dr. Hill will return to Atlanta
in September to resume his duties
at Morris Brown college.
BIGAMY CHARGES FACE STEWART
HARLEM ROMEO; COPS FREED
i _
William Sau Hurt Stewart,;
! New Yorker, whose inter-racial
1 marriage made front page head
lines in Chicago dailies and
1 weekly papers last week, found
himself in hot water when he
was arrested early this week on
charges of suspected bigamy.
Stewart’s reputedly wealthy
Park avenue bride was allegedly
I kidnapped from their honeymoon
| apartment on Rhodes avenue and
t spirited to New York by her
brother where she was placed in
Ian insane asylum, permanently
| deranged.
She had been subject to peri
! ods of irrationality, relatives
! swore, having suffered a com
plete breakdown while attending
Smith college. She was on her
! way to take a nerve treatment
from a neighbor hood doctor
when she disappeared, her bro
ther told authorities.
Arrested on Bigamy Charge.
I Stewart was arrested by
$. W. PHILLIPS
FREE 21 YEARS
NAACP Victor in
Liberation Fight
KANSAS CITY ,Mo., April 28
—Stewart W. Phillips, the last of
the “Houston Martyrs”, the col
ored soldiers who were impris
oned because of their resentment
against the treatment accorded
them by Houston, Texas, citizens
during the war, was freed from
Leavenworth penitentiary April
19.
Phillips, overjoyed at his re
lease, sent the following tele
gram to Walter White, N. A. A.
C. P. secretary, in New York:
City:
“Just freed this morning. Am
overjoyed and my appreciation
knows no bounds. Will write
later. Thanks a million.”
It is a coincidence that Phillips
should be sending his good news
from Kansas City, for the cam
paign to release these men was
*he h'gh point of the annual con
ffvence of the N. A. A. C P. held ,
here in 1923. A ieuiuie of the
conference was a pilgrimage of
all the delegates to Leavenworth
prison, near here, to visit the
(Continued on page 2, col. 3)
Burns Fatal
to Aged Man
Believed to have fallen asleep
while tending the furnace at
4525 So. Wabash avenue, where
he was employed as a janitor,
Osie Gilmore received second
degree burns which resulted in
his death at Provident hospital.
Mr. Gilmore was burned about
the head, arms and back, Satur
day night when a defective fur
nace pipe caught lire. He was
G5 years old.
Death resulted a few hours
later at the hospital. The inquest
was held Monday morning, at
which time a verdict of acciden
tal death was returned.
The aged man’s unconscious
body was discovered in the base
ment of the building—a two
story brick—by Lieutenant Wat
son of the Chicago Fire Depart
ment, Squad No. 3. There were
no witnesses.
Mr. Gilmore was the father
of Mrs. Marjorie Spraggins,
teacher at Willard school. Fu
neral services were held Monday
with interment in Lincoln ceme
tery.
Woodlawn police at the request
of New York authorities on a
suspected bigamy charge, and
taken to New York to face his
wife by a previous marriage,
Marlene Isabelle Houlihan Stew
art, whom he married May 29,
1937, it is reported.
Stewart’s second bride, the
former Sylvia Lazarus, daughter
of a wealthy New York insur
ance man, was snatched from his
arms last Tuesday night when
Policemen “Big Tim” and “Lit
tle Tim,” O’Connor, Emil Ded
lak and John Krikava from the
Woodlawn station, accompanied
by the girl’s brother, went to
6351 Rhodes avenue, where the
couple were staying. The young
woman was taken back to New
York, and the next day Stewart
appeared before Judge Caplan
and asked for warrants charging
kidnapping. The four officers
(Continued on page 2, eol, i)
Mortician Vindicated
in $25,000 Libel Suit
Funeral Association Head Fails to Put
in Appearance at Trial
The much publicized $25,000
libel suit instigated some time a
go by Robert Richard Reed, ex
ecutive secretary of the Indepen
dent National Funeral Directors
association against Perry C.
Thompson, local journalist, and
Charles Crook, prominent Chica
go undertaker, was dismissed this
week when Reed failed to appear
in court to substantiate his
charges of libel.
Reed, it was reported from re
liable sources, left * town some
time ago and has failed to re
turn. The case was called to
trial five times but in each in
stance Reed could not make ap
pearance. When he failed to show
up, a i-ross suit, filed by Under
taker ('rock charging libel a
gainst Reed ’.as heard.
The ourt, after hearing evi
dence, i warded Crook a $500
judgme t. ^
The e d:~t not altogeth
er une I ?ettTd Dy Reed as evi
denced y the fact that months
prior ’ i he calling of the case,
!'*• is '£'■} hi iv moved all o>;
his fuvnirhings and fixtures from
the sumptuous offices of the In
dependent National Funeral Di
rectors association at 3446 South
Michigan avenue. Since that
time he has not been heard from.
The case grew out of allega
tions said to have been made a
gainst Reed by Crook and
Thompson, whom he claimed had
conspired and maliciously circu
lated propaganda stating that he
was an ex-convict. The suit fur
ther contended that the defend
ants had accused him of serving
six months time on a North Caro
lina chain gang; that he had been
intimate with his dead sister’s
young niece after bringing her to
Chicago to “protect” her, and that
Crook and Thompson had con
spired to drive him out of busi
ness and alienate from his influ
ence the constituency of the Inde
pendent National Funeral Direc
tors' association.
In the face of all these serious
charges, Reed, although the case
came to trial five times, was un
able to be present at either time.
Atty. Houston Ii. Hall was
counsel for Crook; Atty. Francis
Stradford for Thompson. Attys.
William Temple and Benjamin
Clanton were counsel for Reed.
It is reported that they withdrew
from the case when their appeals
to Reed to return for trial were
ignored.
Dantz Inquest
Is Continued
Indefinitely
At the inquest held in the death
of John Dantz, 5343 Calumet ave
nue, at county morgue, Friday
morning, hearing was continued
indefinitely pending the appre
hension of Ralph Pye, 5034 Calu
met avenue, wanted in connection
with Dantz’s death.
The man died at county hospi
tal Wednesday night from inju
ries received when he jumped or
was thrown from the third floor
bedroom window in the apart
ment of Pye’s estranged wife.
Elizabeth, who was living
with a friend at 5442 Michi
gan avenue. Death was attri
buted to a fractured skull. He
had also received knife wounds of
the right forearm and back of the
right hand, said to have been in
flicted by Pye during a fight in
the woman’s bedroom.
Attacks Visitor.
Dantz, who was married, is said
to have visited Mrs. Pye on Wed
nesday night around 8 oclock. A
short time later, Pye came in, and
upon seeing Dantz there, became
enraged, lunging at him with a
knife. Dantz fled to the bed
room and a few minutes later
jumped or was thrown out of the
window. Pye, who is described
as around 6 feet tall, weighing
200 pounds, was dressed in a gray
overcoat, suit and soft gray tel*
hat,
3 Whites Die
in Chair for
Slaying Negro
BELLEFONTE, Pa., April 28
—Three white youths paid with
their lives in the electric chair
i here early Monday morning for
! the slaying of Floyd Tranon, 38
year-old Negro, in a holdup near
J Chester, Pa.
Get Forty-one Cents
The trio robbed Tranon in a
“lover’s lane,” taking 41 cents
and then shot him in the back as
he attempted to run away.
Members of a gang which a
judge termed the “worst that ever
came out of Chester,” were Ed
! ward Rose and John Oreszak,
I both 21. and Theodore Dominiak,
I 20.
Ralph E. Mizelle ;
Speaks at Alpha ,
Phi Alpha Forum
Ralph E. Mizelle. assistant at
j torney in the Solicitor’s Office.
Post Office Department, Washing
ton, was the speaker at the
monthly Forum of the Alpha Phi
Alpha fraternity last Saturday
night, April 23, before a large
group of the members. Talking
from the subject, “Behind the
Scenes with the New Deal’’, he
; forcefully described the benefits
being derived from this admin
istration, particularly to the col
ored Americans. He said the ad
| ministration had proved its inter
jest in the common people and
1 every day was developing
'methods for making the lives of
all citizens more stable and sat
isfying. He gave facts and data
indicating the immeasurable good
that is being done for the colored
i citizenry in general and gave
I specific information to show the
'high esteem which the Demo
'cratic Party holds for all colored
Americans.
Mr. Mizelle also suggested
remedies for the improvement of
the racial political picture which
depends largely on the attitude
and subsequent action and inter
est of potential racial leaders and
other outstanding colored citizens.
He said cooperation and unity,
the elimination of petty feelings
and jealousies, as well as active |
participation in political affairs j
without thought of financial re- i
turn or political appointment I
would do much to further the |
cause of the colored citizen in
more important consideration as
an integral part in state and na
tional affairs.
Mr. Mizelle, with his wife, are
successful attorneys with their
own law firm In New York City.
He is a graduate of the Univer
sity of Illinois and Fordham uni
versity Law School. During the
last Presidential campaign he
was regional director for colored
citizens of the New England Stat
es and New York, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania. He was recom
mended to his present position i
by Mr. James A. Farley, Postmas- j
ter General. While in the city, j
he was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. j
Lloyd A. Hall.
-I
Randolph to
Visit in the South
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 28
—Following the signing of a wage
agreement with the Pullman
company last August, Pullman
porters in the South are rapidly
joining the Brotherhood. As a
part of the organization cam
paign, A. Philip Randolph inter
} national president, and M. P.
Webster, first international vice
president, will visit Jacksonville,
Tampa and New Orleans, during
May and June,
VICTOR
• ——— ■— i, —— ■■ ■ —. ■. ... .. —.— •
! CHARLES CROOK, promi
nent Chicago undertaker, who
was vindicated of libel charg
es growing out of a $25,000
suit preferred against him by j
R. R. Reed, executive secreta- i
ry of the Independent National
Funeral Directors' Association.
Mr. Crook won $500 judgment
against Reed in a counter suit.
DEAN LEWIS
SPEAKS ON
By HARRY O. ABBOTT
Dean Jesse W. Lewis of How
ard university’s School of
Commerce addressed some 600
persons at Bethesda Baptist
church Sunday night on “The
Challenge of Business.” He was
the principal speaker on a spe
cial program under the auspices
of the Chicago chapters of the
Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
The exercises marked the thir
teenth annual observance of the
“Bigger and Better Negro Busi
ness” campaign, begun in 1925
by the fraternity under the di
rection of Mr. Lewis. -
Somewhat different from con
ventional talkers on the better
business aspect, Mr. Lewis spent
little time in pointing out the
weaknesses of Negro business,
but dwelt on positive factors in
the general situation. While sta
tistics quoted were somewhat
(Continued on page 2, col. 5)
SUCCESS MARKS CLOSE OF 38
URBAN LEAGUE MEMBER DRIVE
In a blaze of glory, the Chica
go Urban League brought the
first phase of its 1938 campaign
for memberships to a close with
an informal reception at Poro,
Sunday afternoon. Dr. Charles
M. Thompson, a member of the
board for several years, deliver
ed the address of welcome, and
Dr. M. O. Bousfield, president,
delivered the principal address.
A. L. Foster, executive secretary,
expressed the appreciation of the
staff for the splendid work ac
complished and Frayser T. Lane,
who served as chief clerk for the
campaign, rendered the report.
William P. Harrison, general
chairman, presided, and Mrs. R.
A. Cole, vice chairman, assisted.)
There were musical numbers and'
refreshments were served.
“This was the finest campaign j
which we have ever had,” Fos-1
ter declared in offering praise to,
Harrison, Mrs. Cole and the |
workers. “We have not only ex- j
ceeded any previous year but we
have won many more friends." j
Mr. Harrison won the first
prize, a made to order suit do-1
nated by B. J. Cahn, president of
Kuppenheimer and Sons and a
board member. Harrison secur
ed fifty-two new members with'
a total of $367. The second prize
Chair Goes
Haywire; Two
Get Reprieve
| _
HUNTSVILLE, Tex., April 2t
— (ANP)—Early last Frida}
morning at stale prison, Johr
Vaughn, convicted slayer of a po
liceman. stood before the electric
chair, declaring his innocence be
fore the 40 spectators and officials
in the death chamber—when
suddenly the electricity for the
death chair failed. Warden Waid
hurriedly called to Chaplain Gar
rett, standing at Vaughn’s side.
“Wait just a minute. The motor
is down.”
A quick inspection revealed a
motor-generator had broken
down. The warden phoned Gov.
Allred who reprieved Vaughn
and another condemned prisoner,
Johnnie Banks—convicted of kill
ing a 13-year-old girl—for a
week. Smoking a cigar and un
mindful of the commotion caused
by the interrupted execution,
Vaughn said to the witnesses:
“I have a speech I want to
make to you men. I am being
executed to save another man
from being executed. I said a
prayer today ana I asked God to
stop this electrocution, and He
has brought warning to man to
realize it was against His will
... I fell heir to another man’s
crime.” When he had finished
the warden led him back to his
cell in “death row.”
Hold Funeral of
C. W. Williams,
Hamburger King
Funeral services were held
Monday morning at 11 o'clock a*,
the Charles Jackson funeral
home for Clarence Williams, Chi
cago’s famous “H am burger
King,” who died last Thursday
night at his home, 3626 Calumet
avenue, of a heart attack. Mr.
Williams, who had been in ill
health for several years, was 53
years old.
He is survived by his widow,
Mrs. Mattie Williams, three sis
ters, Mrs. Gladys Hall, Chicago:
Mesdames Helen Slevin, Wash
ington, D. C.; and Grace Griggs,
Lertie, Va.; and a half-brother,
George R. Arthur, executive sec
retary of the Wabash Avenue
YMCA.
Mr. Williams, a native of Bal
timore, Md., was one of Chicago's
most reputable and widely
known citizens, and was famous
throughout the city us “Clarence,
the Hamburger Man.” He had
been in business for years at 35th
street and Giles avenue, near
the 8th Regiment Armory. Hun
dreds of both white and colored
citizens were included among his
(Continued on page 2, col. 7)
was won by Hon. Patrick Pres
cott, three shirts, donated by the
Washington Shirt company, and
Dr. Charles M. Thompson, the
third, a shirt given by Mary's
Men’s Shop. Artist Edwards re
ceived the prize for having se
cured the largest number of in
dividual memberships, cuff links
from the Palm Olive Men’s Shop,
owned by Henry O’Bryant, the
only Negro conducting a retail
store in the loop district.
Jacobs Smart Shop contributed
the first woman’s prize, a beau
tiful dress won by Mrs. Rosalie
Wood of the Metropolitan Fun
eral System. Mrs. Wood secured
$204 in subscriptions. A beau
tiful hand bag was presented
Mrs. Thelma Morrow as the sec
ond woman’s prize by Mae's
Dress Shop. The third prize was
three pair of stockings given by
Celia Hall.
A permanent membership com
mittee with Mr. Harrison as
chairman, has been organized and
will continue to solicit member
ships until every person or busi
ness originally listed by the Plan
ning Committee has been solicit
ed. The league proposes to in
crease its southside membership
to at least 1,000 individuals be
fore the year ends. The commit
tee will meet each month.
Action Is Severely
Criticized
_
i Four boys, all in their e l\
j teens, stood before Jud* Pusan -
I ski Monday morning in e nle
court, facing serious charge
growing out of a shootim tTi j
1 in the lobby of the Wat Av-. -
i nue Y. M. C. A. on the night of
! Mar. 4.
The shooting climaxed a dance
: at the “Y'\
Despite the evidence presented,
the seriousness of the charges a
gainst the youths, the fact that
they refused to cooperate with
police, probation officers and "Y’
officials in connection with the
case, Judge Posanski ordered
: them released.
He gave them until May 25 to
tell where they secured the guns
used in the affray, and what dis
position was made of them. The
guns have never been recovered
Court’s Action Protested.
The court's action was bitterly
protested by Howard D. Gould
and Joe Jefferson, members ol
the Boys’ Work comr ’> »- of the
Y. M. C. A. Such f bon. it v .is
the opinion of mane o the hear
ing, instead of woi ', ny to die s'
leviatioi' of iuve • m*
( act as a sti c tn
t crime outburst. * . < • '
I The youth -I
6536 St. Lawn •
McArthur, Hr o,,.<
j nue; Henry 1 \ i; *
I ley avenue; Elrm. i < < y)
der, 6437 Rhodes ac-eue, a
from well known and highly re
spected families in Woodlawn.
Young Alexander, alleged to be
the leader of the boy gang, said to
call itself the “Black Treaders.”
is the son of Mr. and Mrs J. L.
Alexander. His mother is a
teacher at Shoop school in Mm
gan Park; his father is on nem
at McCosh school.
Alexander, however, i hem
detained pending his trial next
Monday following an attack on a
guard at the Juvenile Detention
Home, last week. He. with the
others, were being held at the
home awaiting trial in the “Y
shooting case.
Attacks Guard. Escapes
On last Thursday night, April
21, he and another youth, whose
name was not learned, slugged
and seriously injured one of the
guards at the home in a desper
ate try for freedom. Alexander
escaped, but was returned 24
hours later by his parents.
The boys, according to the
guard's testimony at the trial.
(Continued on page 2, col. 6)
Kansans Win
Fight for Use
of Swim Pool
NEWTON. Kans., April 28—On
April 15, citizens through the lo
cal branch o£ the N. A. A. C. P.
won the first step in what ob
servers believed would be a long
bitterly-contested legal battle to
compel city officials to admit Ne
groes to the municipal swimming
pool.
The Kansas supreme court ’’0
fused to throw out a suit brought
against the city, ruling that there
was ground for action .bind that
the city of Newton mu&t answer
in 30 days. Attorneys for the
city had sought to have the mo
tion quashed. The Newton
branch of the N. A. A. C. P. has
retained Elisha Scott, famous To
peka lawyer, as chief counsel.
Fight to Use Pool
Over a per iod of two y xns th<
use of this pool has resulted in
skirmishes, and suit was finally
brought in behalf of Don Id E
Kern, a petition for a writ <>r rsarr
damus directing city oflVial
admit Kern to the pool.
Built with city funds secured
through a bond issue voted at the
general election, the use ot the
pool, the local branch contends,
is as much a r ight of colored citi
zens as whites, since they also
pay taxes and voted for the bond
issue for a municipal pool. They
| are being denied their rights il
' legally, they contend, in being
1 barred from using the pool.
I