The Miami times. [volume], June 16, 1956, Image 1

About The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current

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30 TEACHERS CHARGED WITH IVMHIPIOMtS
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ZTZ, , _r “THE PEOPLES 1- MEWS PA PER” - flf
VOL. XXXI, NO. 42
BILLER OF THREE GETS LIFE TERM
By ELLIOTT J. PIEZE
Edward “Rubba” Roberts, 26,
who was charged with three
counts of murder in the first de
gree in the fatal shooting April
2 of his wife, Blanche, 28; his
father-in-law, James Smith, 67,
and ' mother-in-law Miriam
Smith, 66, was found guilty on
all three counts combined, by a
jury of 12 White men early Wed
nesday night, following a three
day trial in Circuit Judge Rob
ert L. Floyd’s court.
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On May 17th Commander Sue
Harris, John Griffin Post 165,
made presentations of the highest
honor awarded American Youth
through the Americanism Com
mission of The American Legion
at Booker T. Washington High
School. The objectives of the
School Awards are: Honor, Cour
age, Scholarship, Leadersip, Ser
vice, Companionship and Char
MIAMI, FLORIDA, SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1956
The jury, however, recom--
mended mercy, which under
Florida's law automatically saves
Roberts from death in the elec
tric chair, and sends him to pri
son for the remainder of his life.
The killings occurred at the
home of the Smiths, 6930 NW 18th
ave.
Judge Floyd took the verdict
under advisement and announced
that he will sentence Roberts
Friday afternoon at 1:45.
Roberts was defended by court
(1) Place emphasis on the de
velopment oif these objectives
in school pupils.
(2) Promote in youth an under
standing of these objectives,
so that in living their own
lives they will be outstanding
examples of good citizens.
(3) Prepare young America for
intelligent participation in at
taining, and maintaining, a
appointed attorneys Vivien Ruth-,
erford and Harry Prebish, while
Asst. State Attys. William Mead
ows and Don McKenzie reore
sented the state. A near capacity
crowd, composed mostly of Ne
groes, was present throughout the
trial.
The trial began Monday morn
ing with the selection of the
jury, and ran through Wednesday
afternoon, with a night session
being held Tuesday evening.
Among the more than 50 men and
women from which the jury was
chosen, there was only one Ne
gro Fred J. Hicks of 3151 NW
49th st. Hicks was called to the
jury box for examination, but
was excused by the Defense At
torneys on a preemtory challenge
without cause.
2 Cops Resign After
Dope Bribery Charges
Two Miami patrolmen hastily
resigned from the force last week
end when they were jailed and
charged with taking S9O in pro
tection money from a Puerto Ri
can dope peddler.
Reggie Sandilands, 33, of 2695
NW 49th terr., and Roy Hines,
future.
Winner of the Medical Award
was Lucius Reeves, class of 1956.
who served as president of B. T.
W. Student Council; business
manager of the County Wide
Student Council; discussion lead
er at the 19th National Associa
tion of Student Councils; mem
ber of the Allied Youth, Sr. Hon
or Society, Pep Team, Basket
ball Team, Intergroup Youth
Council, chosen as the most out
standing Protestant teen-ager by
the World Brotherhood of the
SIXTEEN PAGES lO CENTS
A total of 16 witnesses testi
fied for the state during the trial.
The defense had no witnesses,
and the defendant did not testi
fy during the trial.
Witnesses testifying for the
state were Oscar Range of the
Range Funeral Home, Deputy
Sheriffs Robert Gately, William
Wolfe, Paul Morgan and James
DeCoursey of the Sheriffs Crim
inal Bureau of Investigation; Dr.
Joseph H. Davis, pathologist and
Dade County Medical Examiner,
Justice of the Peace Hugh Du-
Val, ballastic expert Edward
Whittacker, also of the CBI, Mrs.
Delia Sawyer, a sister-in-law of
Roberts, E. B. Dennis, bail bonds
man, Clifford Lowrie, proprietor
Continued on page four
Jr., 27, of 1528 NW 6th place, are
free on $2,500 bail awaiting trial.
The two patrolmen were ar
rested last Thursday night after
an investigation by Miami police
and state narcotic agents. Police
officials claim both men have ad
mitted taking bribes from Ga
briel Jose Limarto, 33, who was
arrested May 19 by state narcot
ic agents. Limarto has claimed
that he paid the patrolmen the
S9O in order to prevent his ar
rest and return two pounds of
marijuana to him.
Both men have denied receiv
ing the bribe and have retained
Atty. Henry Arrington as counsel
If convicted on the charge the
patrolmen face a maximum sen
tence of 5 to 10 years in prison,
or a fine of $5,000.
Sandilands is an eight-year
veteran on the force and Hines
has served since lflftl.
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iviOdL an goou parenia nave as meir ultimate goal me
aim of seeing that all of their children are given further
training beyond the high school level. The number of
parents who achieve this goal is relatively few when the
number of children is more than two. We here in Miami
are proud to boast of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clark,
Sr., who*were successful is achieving this goal when their
youngest son Joseph Clark graduated from Hampton In
stitute on Monday, June 4, with scholastic honors and
many other recognitions. Joseph was Student Council
President during his senior year and also served as an ex
change student to one of the country’s leading White col
leges. The Clark’s were honored at the annual banquet of
the Hampton Alumni Association on June 3 for having
five sons and daughters to graduate from Hampton In
stitute and one son to graduate from Tuskegee Institute.
MIZIU ASKS NEW IRMI IN Uttl SOU
TALLAHASSEE Dr. Von D.
Mizell has asked the Leon Coun
ty Circuit Court for a new trial
of a libel suit brought against
him by a state legislator.
A jury on May 31 ordered the
civic leader to pay Rep. Prentice
Pruitt of Monticello, $15,000.
Pruitt had asked $500,000 on
Fort Lauderdale physician and
grounds a telegram sent him by
lizell in protest to proposed seg
regation legislation damaged him
professionally and socially.
Mizell contended in his motion
for a new trial that the court
erred when it struck from his
defense a contention the tele
gram accusing Pruitt of aiding the
Communist cause was a privileg
ed communication. He said Pruitt
should have been required to
prove “malice.”
JfcO APPEAR
/BEFORE BOARD
June 19
TALLAHASSEE More than
30 scncfCl teachers face loss of
their teacher certificates Tuesday
when they appear before the
Cabinet Board of Education to
answer charges of buying aca
demic credits at the Florida Nor
mal and Industrial College at St.
Augustine.
The State Department of Edu
cation made the disclosure only
this w;pek after a two-year in
quiry that was conducted in
trict secrecy to avoid warning
he suspects in the case. Eight ot
.he suspect are said to have ad
mitted buying the credits.
J- T. Kelley of the educa
tion department said the cred
Bus Suit To Be Filed
In Federal*Court
CONVICTED
aETS SUSPENDED
SENTENCE
A suit to eliminate segregate
on Miami busses is being readier
for filing in Federal Court, ac
cording to G. E. Graves, militan
NAACP local attorney. *
Graves made the statemen*
Thursday after his client, Ru
dolph Reid, 19, who refused tc
take a bus seat behind white
passengers on a 27th ave. bus
was ruled guilty of disorderly
conduct in a two-hour trial in
ity court.
Judge Francis Sobieski fine'
Reid SSO or 24 days in jail bu
suspended the sentence. Grave
announced that no appeal ha
oeen planned.
Judge Sobieski stated that i'
charges had been brought unde*
the state's segregation laws he
might have thrown them out ai
unconstitutional.
City Prosecutor Tom O’Con
nell tried his best to show thal
Reid’s refusal to obey the bus
driver and abide by state ant*
city segregation laws was invoked
by the NAACP to test the valid
ity of the laws.
But Judge Sobieski comment
ed that he found no evidence t'
convince the court that the youth's
actions last Monday were pre
meditated or intended to pro
voke any incident.
The city used four witnesses
■ and Reid called his two compan
its had been sold at prices rang
ng from S4O to SIOO by Frank
Wilson, registrar at the college.
Wilson has been discharged and
now faces charges in St Johns
County Circuit Court, Dr. Kelley
said.
The sale of the credits, which
permitted the women to be grad
uated and received teacher certifi
cates, occured during the spring
and summer of 1954, Dr. Kelley
said.
He said Dr. R. W. Puryear,
president of the college, discov
ered that credits were being sold
and immediately notified the
board of, education. Dr. Kelley
and Asst. Atty. Gen. B. J. Owen
were assigned to investigate.
Names of the teachers accused
of obtaining their teacher cer
tificates through fraud will not
be released prior to the hearing
Dr. Kelley said.
ie Collins, 18, in hi s behalf.
Reid appeared for the trial
ith his mother, Mrs. Josephine
*eid, and his White (guardian,
Uty. M. S. Marlin. Reid’s fathef
r as killed in action while serv
ing with the U. S. Navy in the
?acific in 1944.
Reid testified that on the day
he was arrested, "The police of
ficer was very courteous but I
?an*t say the same for the driv
er.”
In his defense, Reid contended
his choice of a seat caused "no
lisorder and no disturbance" on
the bus. He claimed he had not
"ted on "promptings from any
oup" in taking the seat ahead
f white persons. “I sat where I
sually sit on the bus," he testi
ed. "I’ve neven been asked to
oove before, even when I sat up
rther front on several other
>uses."
Meanwhile the local chapter of
le NAACP issued a statement
lat they will petition the legis
lative body to repeal existing seg
jgration laws. If that fails they
viil seek legal remedy through
he courts. The NAACP said the
nethod of boycott will be used
as a last resort.
The Negro Citizen’s League, rea
ctivated during the recent sec
)nd Democratic primary, urged
itizens not to Join a boycott
novement, obey state laws re
tarding segregation until they are
changed, and to support all legal
moves by Negro organizations to
end segregation.