The Michigan chronicle. [volume], November 21, 1942, Image 1

About The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
DKGS, NEGRO DEMOCRATS MAY BOLT PARTY
NAACP MEMBERS IN CLASH OVER PRESIDENCY
All The News Of
All The People
PRICE 10c
VOLUME 7
Main Office: 268 Eliot Street
3 DIE. COUPLE TRIPPED. IN FIRE
JURY ACQUITS WHITE SOLDIER OF RAPE
GORDON RAPS
WHITE JURY
FOR VERDICT
}V h i t e Soldier Accused
0 f Attacking Race
Woman Acquitted
By LARRY CHISM
“You’ve made a serious mistake
In this case by that verdict.’* Re
corders JHdge~ Arthur E Govern
told an all white jury of five 'then
and seven women near midnight
Friday.
The jury had returned with a
verdict of not guilty for a 19-year
old white Coast Guardsman, ac
cused of twice criminally assault
ing a 23-year-old and pregnant Ne
gro mother on the early morning
of August 24. this year.
Pregnant Woman
Mike Stephanchenko, living at
18445 Dean street, home on a 15 day
furlough from U. S. Coast Guard
station at Camp Kilmer, N. J., was
on trial Friday for the common law
rape of a 23 year old married wom
an who was returning home from
work on the crime date.
The alleged rape victim told the
court how she was ravished, drag
ged against her will into a field and
threatened with death if she did
rot yield to the fiendish desires of
the white soldier.
“You see these hands," she quot
ed the rapist as saying. "I’m the
M~Se« RAPE. Page 2
Seek Poison
In Woman's
Death Here
Wayne County medical examin
ers seek to determine whether
poison caused the death of 26-year
old Catherine Jordan of 623 Gra
tiot street or whether she died
from other causes.
She was taken to Receiving hos
pital on November 6 at approxi
mately 9:44 p.m. and died on No
vember 14, this year.
It was disclosed that she had
fallen down a stairway at her
home and suffered injuries from
this mishap.
However, Robert and Pauline
Tiger of 112 Medbury avenue told
police they believed Catherine
Jones had been poisoned, resulting
in a thorough examination of the
body at the county morgue.
Results of the investigation have
not a s yet been disclosed. How
ever Detective Lieutenant Leo
Doyle of the homicide squad said
there was little likelihood that the
woman had been poisoned, pending
a complete investigation of her
death by the coroner's office this
week.
Caught In Elevator,
Woman Is Injured
Lillian Dunson. 29, of 1016 Ale«-
•ndria street was treated at Re
ceiving hospital last week for In
juries received when she was
caught in an elevator at the Norton
hotel, it was disclosed this week.
She was treated for a possible
fractured pelvis and spine injury.
Her condition was not reported as
serious this week by hospital
i ji ffy * w‘
A glider factory, the Wayne Aircraft company, has been organized
by Neal Loving and Earsley Taylor and associates, and is now
operating at Hastings and Fort street. The factory is producing
gliders which will be used for war purposes. The above pictures
show one of the completed gliders in the plant.
25 Women Barred By
R. L. Polk Company
By JOHN WOOD
Rumors that WPA in Detroit
would soon be abolished and that
17-year-old girls would be inte
grated into defense industry, plus
the reports that 25 Negro girls
who answered ads for job 9 were
turned down by the R. L. Polk com
pany Monday, -caused the Citizens
Committee for War Jobs to plan
a new course of action this week
in its campaign for more jobs for
Negroes in defense industry.
With 15 of The 25 girls filing
charges of discrimination to be re
ferred to the FEPC the committee
wired John Corson, U. S director
of Employment Service urging a
revision of the U. S. Employment
Service Bulletin 45 to conform with
the President's Executive Order
8802. The committee also wired
John Craig, director of the U S
Employment Service in Michigan
M~See WOMEN. Page 2
'
Between The
HEADLINES
By PAUL KEEN
Editor’s note: The vlewi ex
pressed by Mr. Keen do not nec
essarily reflect the opinions es
the Michigan Chronicle.
I received a letter from a down
home army camp last week in
which a private outdoes the Eng
lish in the matter of understate
ment. This brother writes from a
new camp in Mississippi: "We have
only been here for about two weeks
90 there haven't been but a few
fights yet and only one person
killed." I am wondering what the
hell is going to happen after the
brothers stay around for several
months. From the letter I gather
that a race war between white and
colored is taking shape and a de
crease in the white population of
the South will be assured as soon
as "passes the ammuni
tion" to a few belligerent brothers
STRAWS IN TIIE WIND
Negro Democrats who in 1932
told the Negro voters in the North
i M~See HEADLINES. Page 3
NOTICE!
Due to Thanksgiving Holiday, this paper
will appear on the stands Wednesday
morning.
WEE K 1
OPEN GLIDER FACTORY
DR.MCQLENDON,
REV. HILL WOO
NAACP VOTERS
Expect Bis: Vote At
Annual Meeting
A showdown between the sup
porters of Dr. McClendon and the
Reverend Charles Hill for the pres
idency of the Detroit Branch of
the N.A A.C.P. is expected as a
membership meeting of the
tion at Tabernacle Baptist church
on Sunday. November 22, it was
disclosed this week.
Dr. McClendon and Reverend
Hill are being drafted to run for
the office by rival groups and pri
vate caucauses among the N.A.A.- 1
C.P. members indicate that the
N A ACP. elections which will be
held the first or second week in
December may develop into a city
wide fight.
The Hill supporters charge that
Dr McClendon appointed the nom
ination committee which, accord
ing to the N.A.A.C.P. constitution,
should be elected The committee
Includes Father Dade, Mrs Terrell.
Ernie Marshall. Prince Clark and
Eugene Beatty. The majority of
the members of this committee are
said to be pledged to Dr. J. J. Mc-
Clendon, This issue will be dis
cussed Sunday at Tabernacle.
When asked by the Michigan
Chronicle concerning his intentions
in the coming election, Dr. Mc-
Clendon in a prepared statement
said:
"A group of my friends and
friends of the association have ask
ed me to be a candidate for re
election. Because of pressure of
professional duties * have not up to
now given them my answer. 4>ut
have promised to do so in the near
future. Since 1 have not given
them an answer, I do not feel free
to make a public statement at this
Reverend Hill hr* announced his
.candidacy for the office. He is now
a member of the N.A.A.C.P. execu
tive board. It war reported that
while the Reverend Hill is not ac
tively campaigning for the office,
his supporters tre leaving no stones
unturned in seeking tfii ouster of
Dr McClendon who has held the
M~See McC LENDON, Page 2
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1942
WHITE WAITER
FOUND GUILTY,
VIOLATED LAW
Southerner Refused To
Serve Race Soldiers,
Their Friends
A 47-year-old white southerner
■ who refused to serve Negro sol
j diers and their; companions several
i weeks ago at a hamburger stand lo
' cated it 3590 E Vemor highway
was found guilty of violating the
Civil Rights Law on Monday by Re
corder's Judge John J. Maher.
Allen Lee Griggs, white waiter
at the establishment, who lives at
903 Third street, received a sus
pended sentence from the court,
following the conviction of violat
ing the civil rights law.
Judge Maher advised the case
owner to fire Griggs.
A warrant issued last week by an
assistant prosecutor accused Griggs
of refusing to serve three Selfridge
Field soldiers and their women
companions, one of whom was the
daughter of a prominent detective ■
sergeant, George Rutherford.
It was disclosed that Privates
Carvil S. Jackson, 32 years old; !
Wentz Perkins 3rd. 33 years old and j
another soldier, all stationed at 44th i
Aviation Squadron. Selfridge Field. 1
Mich., along with Margaret Ma- ;
thews. 23, of 5644 25th street; Lil- j
lian Rutherford. 21, of 6097 Scot
ten avenue and Elenore Brown, 22.
of 608 Benton street were at the
eating establishment and were re- j
fused service by the white waiter. J
who came tq- Detroit from West i
Virginia. • *
Pvt. Wentz Perkins 3rd called the
police after the waiter had refused j
to serve the party,
i However it was disclosed that
police took the complainants to the
police station instead of taking the [
white waiter.
Later a warrant was issued by as
sistant prosecutor Frank Wendt
I charging Griggs with violation of ;
I the Civil Rights
j Judge Maher disclosed that the
owners of the establishment ad
j mitted they had served Negroes in
j the case and that there was no evi
: dence of discrimination intended
■ by the owners of the hamburger
Dagger Used To
Stab Husband
An eight-inch dagger was held
by police this week as evidence
pending •> complete investigation
into the stabbing of Lyman Stev
ens, 47, of 2734 Brush street this
Stevens was treated at Receiv
ing hospital for a laceration of the
stomach.
His wife. Angelina Marion, alias
Stevens, was held for questioning
by homicide squad detectives as
signed tr the case.
Family misunderstanding was re
portedly the cause of the alterca-
Fourth In A Series —
Trouble In Highland Park
Negro Police Would Be A n Asset To The Community
By John Wood -
Few communities In the country i
have the unusual police setup as
that in Highland Park, for there'
are hardly any communities in j
which the maintenance of law and
order depends upon the police
' forces of two different cities. Many
Highland Park citizens are of the
1 opinion that this dual police sy *-
HELPING WAR CHEST FUND
«■"" 1 1' " mm-'WW «■■«»■ "r
~■ •> ;*7> :••
The War Chest Fund goal was reached last
week, and one of the reasons was the large con
tribution made by the Paradise Distributing
company. The Paradise Distributing company
made a contribution of SSOO to the fund. In the
CLOTURE SEEN
AS ONLY HOPE
FOR TAX BILL
Bilbo Lc.a cl s Filibuster
To Prevent Senate
Passage
By HARRY MrALPIN
WASHINGTON. A full
scale filibuster, complete with
Dixie drawls and pitchers of
ice water, was under way this
week in the Senate to block
the Pepper-Goyer -.iti-poll tax bill
Touched off by Eon. Theodore j
• Back to Africa” Bilbo of Mississip- J
pi, the move by the Southern poll i
taxers ’» “talk the bill to death"
was blossoming into full bloom with :
stacks of technical reference books !
piled on the cluttered desks of the
Dixie bloc.
The filibuster started before the
bill was even brought to the Senate
Determined to stop the move to
give voting rights to ten million
poor whites and Negroes in the
Southland, Sen. Tom Connaily of
Texas used his long experience in
Congress to enmesh the measure in
MTSee I OI L TAX. Page 3
Negro Democrats
Warn Party Heads
Axis Victim
$ *•*' '
Josephine Baker, internationally
famous singer, died in the city
hospital at Casablanca, Portugal,
October 12, and was buried by
the city. Miss Baker, who fled
from Paris after the occupation
by Axis troops, lost all of her
wealth as a result of the invasion
and died penniless.
■ force is responsible in The
west of Thompson avenue. If a
youngster, or an adult for that
j matter, is so inclined, he could I
violate the law on one side of [
Thompson -avenue, and evade the
| law by simply crossing the street
While this condition docs not ne
-1 W~sie TROUBLE, Page 2 I
I tern, plus the fact that there are |
no Negro police on either force j
I patrolling the community, is in |
| large measure responsible for fro- |
; quent neighborhood disturbances |
by irresponsible youngsters. From ]
Thompson avenue cast the com
munity depends upon the Highland
Park police force to keep law and
■ order, while the Detroit police |
24 Pages
A Better Newspaper I
Telephone TEmHe 1-8878
picture Reuben Ray (left), president of the com
pany, and Grady Jackson (right), treasurer, are
shown as they gave their check to Roman Johns.
—Photo by Sonny Edwards.
By RUSS J. COWANS
Seething with anger over back
stage movements within the Demo
cratic party in the county and con
fident of their ability to swing the
majority of Negro votes, the Negro
Democratic leaders in Wayne coun
ty are threatening To bolt the party
and re-join the Republican rgnks
from which most of them left to
support President Roosevelt in 1932
it was disclosed this week.
Charges of "bossism” and the
| failure of party leaders to carry
out a progressive program are be
ing hurled at local Democratic
I chieftians. ,
i The revolt of Negro leaders in
Wayne county%/ould have national
significance because it wuoUj go far
! to break the Democratic control of
i Wayne County which is the bul
wark of the party in Michigan and
thereby throw Michigan in the
GOP column.
In addition, the leaders accuse (
the party leaders in Wayne County I
of failing to consolidate gains
among the Negro rank and file,
and also failure of the party to
recognize that Negroes are not ce
mented to either party.
The Threat to revolt, submerged
for the past months, was precipi
tated last week following the ap
poitnment of Onslow Parrish, presi
dent of the Appomattox Republi
can club, to fill the vacancy in !
the register of deeds office caused
by the dismissal of Eddie Tolan. ■
former Olympic sprint champion
Tolan, an appointee of Harold Stell,
former register of deeds, had been
working in the register of deeds
office since 1933. He supported
i Stell against Barney Youngblood.
! present holder of the office, and
j when his former boss was defeated
, for reelection, Tolan was let out.
| The spread of* disunity, accord
ing to the leaders, is a develop
! merit of Prosecutor William Dow
f ling's efforts to dominate demo
cratic policies in Wayne County.
This attempt by Dowling, they
charge, has spread disruption with
in the ranks of Negro Democrats
in' the county.
Joseph Cole, one of the wheel
horses in the Democratic party,
was probably more vehement in his
asserTion that the cause of the
trouble can be attributed to Dow
ling.
"Bill Dowling has attempted to
•grab control of Wayne County,"
J MTSee DEMOCRATS, Pag* 1
NUMBER 34
THREE DEAD
IN BIG FIRE
HERE SUNDAY
Aged Woman And
Couple Burned
To Death
BY LARKY CIIISS(
If she had had strength enough
to crawl only a few feet farther
towards the front door and fresh
i air, Mrs. Lillian Avant might be
i alive today to tell a horror story
of just how her 30-year-old roomer
ar.l his r '“orted girl friend had
| been burne to death in the rear
bedroom of a two-story wooden
frame building at 1017 East Fort
■ street, early Sunday morning.
Find 3 Bodies In Ruins
Apparently stifled by smoke and
too weak from fear and fatigue,
: 52-year-old Lillian Avant was
I found to death just inside
,the front door of the second hand
store where she lived,
j Two other bodies, apparently
I burned to death, were al9o re
moved from the fire gutted House
I by police, and firemen early Sun
day morning.
i These bqdies were tentatively
identified as those of Elza De Ha
ven, 30-year-old roomer and Elen
ore Wilks, 22 years old.
Eye Witness Tells of Tragedy
An eye witness to the fire In
which three persona lost their lives
Told the following story to the
Michigan Chronicle a few hours
after the tragic occurrence at the
Fort street address.
"I went to the store at 7 p.m.
Saturday and I thought I smelled
; smoke then," Mrs. Mary Grand
berry, 39. of 707 Rivard street said.
MTSee THREE DIE, Page 3
Josephine
Baker Dies
Penniless
NEW YORK. (ANP)
Josephine Baker, internation
ally famous singer, in the
city hospital at Casablanca,
Portugal, on Columbus day,
October 12, and was buried by the
city, the Associated Negro Press
has just learned.
Miss Baker, the American girl
who became the toast of Paris case
circles and who had her choice of
long limousines, fine clothes and
expensive viands, died penniless,
tlic Nazi invasion wiping away vir
tually all her possessions.
By her side at the time of her
death was her estranged Italian
husband who returned to Casablan
ca from Italy where he had been
living since their separation. A
MTSee JOSEPHINE, Page 2
DETROrf
This Week
Wednesday Every Week—Booker
T. Washington Trade Luncheon,
Y.W.C.A. 12 noon.
Wednesday Every Week—Young
Democrats meet Plymouth church
7:30 p.m.
Every Day—Citizens Committee,
12:30 p.m.
Thursday. Nov. 19-C. C. Spauld
ing speaks at 12th annual dinner
of the B.T.W.T.A. at Y.W.CA.
8 p.m.
Thursday. Nov. 19—Mobilization of
Women, Vernon Chapel, Conant
Gardens, Rev. Charles Hill and
Geraldine Bledsoe, speak.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday-
Opening of Paradise Bowling Al
ley, 640 E. Adams.
Sunday. Nov. 22—Judge Jackson of
j Cleveland, Ohio, speaks, Taber
! nacle Baptist church. 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 22, Rev. Sandy Ray
j speaks. Second BapTist church, at
1 10:30 p.m.