The Michigan chronicle. [volume], March 27, 1943, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
DISROBE WOMAN IN DRESS SHOP
All The News Of
All The People
PRICE 10c
VOLUME 7
STAGE 5 STRIKES AGAINST RAC!
Dr. F. Raiford Cleared Of Grand Jury Charge
COTTER RAPPED
TREATMENT OF
HOSPITAL HEAD
Acquitted Physician 0 f
Perjury Charges
Last Week
Statement* that he was "severely
beaten, several of his teeth knocked
out.” given by Doctor Frank P. Rai
ford, after he had been questioned
by grand jury in January of 1942
regarding the alleged payment of
money to have indigent patients
»ent to his hoirpital. this week re
sulted in the acquittal of the well
known physician on perjury charges
after Recorder's Judge Thomas M
Cotter had assailed the grand jury
for "strong arm" methods In obtain
ing testimony from Raiford.
Judge Cotter severely repri
manded the Homer Ferguson grand
jury for the alleged "beating" ad
ministered to a
witoape bale**.
beaten up so badly during the grand
Jury testimony that ha eras ill for
arveral days and several of hla
teeth knoc' ed out"
"Such proc-sses." Judge Cotter
continued, "are hardly in keeping
with this free and democratic coun
try that we, are supposed to have."
The perjury charge against Dr
Raiford resulted from -lleged state
ment* made to the grand jury on
January 22 and 26 of 1942. regard
ing reported payments of money to
Dr. Pnul McQuiggcn to send patients
to Trinity hospital, eo-owned by Dr
Raiford and *>r Johnson.
Raiford testified the payment* of
money were merely political con
tributions for the campaigns of va
rious men associated with Wayne
County setup during the dates in
Question.
Denies Abuse of Doctor
Senator Homer Ferguson denied
MTSet RAIFORD, Page l
Between The
HEADLINES
ty PAUL KEEN
Utter** net*: Tfc* fiefs ex
prewed by Mr. Keen da flMe
ewarfly reflect the oplnt*9 «f
Use Michigan Chrenlela.
Down in the heart of Texas
where patriotism is so high that
a young man in ivilian clothes
cannot walk on the sidewalks,
Susie Skrobarcyzk and her father
were sentenced to a federal rap for
keeping a Negro in slavery. It
•eems that they kept Alf-ed Irwin
in peonage on their fgrm near
Corpus Christi where he was forced
to labor without compensation.
Other peonage cases 'are being
probed by the Federal government
but this w'as the first time in his
tory that a woman was given a
sentence in a federal prison for
keeping a slave. It seems that Abe
Lincoln left a lot of unfinished
business.
WOMEN IN ROW
In the enlightened state of New
York it seems that the state fed
eration of women's clubs with
drew the charter of the Midtown
Business and Professional Women's
club because it had admitted two
Negro members. The g. ls
who believe in democracy went to
court knd sought an injunction re
straining the state body from with
drawing their charter and charged
the whole thing up to racial preju
dice
JAPANESE EXCLUDED
A Japanese-American student
ran Into the brick-wall of Amer
icanism up in Jackson, Mich, last
week where the board of education
refused to permit the student to
enroll in the Jackson junior col
lege. Fifteen ministers protested
and signed the following brilliant
statement: flf lines are to be drawn
on the basis of a superior and an
MTSee HEADLINES, Page *
Telephone TErople 1-8878
LOSES LIFE IN BUILDING CRASH
Drink Nail
Polish, Five
Try Death
Police say that four young women
and one man attempted auicide by
drinking poison hero thia week
for various reasons of despondency
All received treatment and were ]
reported in a temporariy serious
condition at Receiving hospital.
Because her husband was in
prison for murder and *he was jan
expectant mother, 30-year-old
Mamie Lou Ra*an of 2707 Maple
street drank nail polish, so polls*
Jlls ICM Henderson. 22. of 206
101 Leicester, apartment three;
drank iodine, la an apparent suicide
attempt
She couldn't gat a job. ao police
claim was the reason Ollle Hopktna,
21, of 1330 Lyman place, drank
iodine thia week.
Marital misunderstanding with
her husband, so police say. led Bar
bara Taylor, 34. of 2941 Brush street,
t-> take iodine in her home following
a reported argument with her mate.
Spoke To White
Woman, Is Jailed
A 3?-year-old man who spoke to a
white woman whom he did not
know from Arkansas while on Third
street last week, was found not
guilty of disturbing the peace by
Recorder's Judge John V. Brennan
on Monday.
The woman told the court that the
accused man. Embry Mrddox of a
Hinkley street address, had said:
"How do you do” to her.
Finding the accused man not
guilty Judge Brennan war reported
to have said that he appreciated the
white woman’s background, but
that it was not a criminal but a
social offense for Maddox to speak
to her, a woman he did not know.
HIT MAN WITH AXE
Accused of striking William John
son. 35. of 957 Benton street, over
the head with an axe. Edgar Hollis,
41. of 3623 Rivard street, was held
by police this week for assault with
intent to kill and murder.
Heart Broken, Sick Man
Pleads For Wife’s Return
"Baby, won’t you please come
home, cause your husband Is left
all alone.” is the plea of a heart
broken and desperately lonely man
who hungers for the presence of
his beloved wife ard his two small
children, all missing since Febru
ary 15.
A story of being away from home
and returning qflsr work hours only
to find that his 23-year-old wife.
Christine Thompson, and his two
children. Juanita, age two years,
ard Homer Thompson, age one year,
were missing, caused a nervous
breakdown to Homer Thompson,
34-year-old defense worker, was
told this week to the Michigan
Chronicle.
"Before I left for work I kissed
her goodbye." Thompson said. ' My
wife said that was no kiss and asked
me to kiss her again I did and then
left for work at Fisher Body plant."
Thompson explained that he knew
of no reason why his wife should
have taken their ‘wo children and
left him.
A few days after the disappear
ance eX tu* lam.iy. Thompson waJ
JWaaniaifflt ntmicfe
£ inpepemp tw t II t
INSIDE STORY
OF CHRYSLER
PLANT STRIKE
One Fired, Nine Laid Off;
Trouble Brewing For
Two Years
By JOHN WOOD
One man has been discharged
from Chrysler Highland Park plant
and nine others given layoffs rang*
ing from one week to ten days fur
their pert in a strike of Negro
C«*r, * ttctlrn <rf kit m mM.
tlon to better the working condi
tions of colored women at tfct
plant, who led the first walkout
last Wednesday night, was disci
plined for ten days, but could not
stem the rising tide of resentment
of Negro men who said “we are
fired of seeing our women being
pushed around."
Those given ten-day suspensions
ar*» Frank Holley, Leonard Mc-
Pherson (a shop committeeman),
and Warren Card. Layed off for
one week are Eugene Carter, A.
Perry, H. Perry, Cleveland Brown,
Nathaniel Eddington and Lee John
son.
Inside Story of Strike
Last week daily papers, in re
porting the story of the strike, led
the public to believe that the dis
ciplining of Carter was the direct
cause of the walkout. Actually,
the strike began Wednesday when
Carter led a protest to the company
forcing common labor on Negro
women—after management had ad
mitted that they could not find
white women to do the jobs cssgn
ed to Negro women.
It is not this writer's Job to inter
pret the rightness or wrongness of
the walkout; that is a question that
will eventually be decided by the
UAW-CIO. and, incidentally, a
question that may shed some light
on the operations of Chrysler Lo
cal 490 and its Negro policy, which.
Negro workers at th» pla.it contend,
is none too good. It WAS tha re
porter’s iob to interview women
workers, and those who could
speak for management, and expose
the truth or falsity of accusations
MTSee CHRYSLER. Page 2
confined to Edythe K. Thomas hos
pital for treatment for a nervous
breakdown and other ailments.
Thompson, living at 8549 Oakland
avenue, sends the following message
to his wife:
Pleads for Family's Return
"Christine, please come home and
I bring the babies. After all we have
I meant to each other. I still love
J you. Darling, please get in touch
| with me. You know how crazy I
am about you and I want the whole
world to know it. Let me know’
where you ore at once. Your affec
tionate husband, (signed) Homer
Thompson.”
Anyone knowing the whereabouts
of Mrs Christine Thompson and her
two small children is asked to
! contact Larry Chism, 288 Eliot
1 street, phone Temple 1-8878 at once
I "I love my wife anc will be in
debted for life to anyore who helps
me find her” the despondent and
1 lonely husband s*.id this week, as he
also expressed a fatherly desire to
see his two children once again and
, to welcome ’us wife back into hi*
I horn*.
DETROIT. MICHIGAN, SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1943
Taking the land in their giffuntk "Buy A Bead
—Bm I Serviceman's Life," the War Widows'
Club officers are shown here as they purchased
one of several bonds for the organisation. Loft
to right, are: Mrs. Viola Johnson, vice presi
dent; Mrs. IJllian Matbevrs. president, and Mrs.
ACCUSE COP OF
MSROBMG HER
IN BIGSTORE
Young Mother Beaten,
Embarrassed In A
Public Place
Detroit’s citizenry wore aroused
this week after a police officer and
a Goodwin store employee pub
licly assaulted and then took a
young mother into the store at 38
Gratiot avenue where she was dis
robed as hundreds of spectators
muttered their indignation over the
incident, w ith the result that a riot
was narrowly averted.
It was learned that ‘Mrs. Lucille
Felton, of 3392 McGraw avenue, a
young mother, resident of Detroit
for 20 years and a defense worker,
had been beaten by an auxiliary
policewoman from the Goodwin
store and assaulted by a police
officer called into the case by the
white woman. •
Mrs. Felton, so the Chronicle
learned, had gone to the Goodwin
store with the intention of pur
chasing some Easter clothes. She
had gone to the third floor of the
establishment but did not see any
thing that she liked. She then went
to second floor with the intention of
buying a hat. but changed her mind
and was preparing to leave the
store when she was approached at
the front door by a white woman
who a<;ked her to return to the
store, as someone inside wanted to
see her.
The > store operative. It was
M~See DISROBED. Page 5
Baby Burned Hand
On Red Hot Stove
A two-year-old baby boy was
treated at Receiving hospital this
week for severe burns of the left
hand, after he had touched a hot
stove in his home at 2238 Rivard
street.
The condition/ of Peter Harvey
was reported a.< temporarily serious
by hospital attaches this week.
WAR WIDOWS BUY BONDS
Beatty Quits
AsSecretary
At YMCA
G. Barton Beatty, boya* work
secretary of St. Antoine branch
Y M C.A., tendered his resignation
Monday to accept a position as
executive secretary of the Moore
land branch YMCA. in Dallas.
Texaa. Mr. Beatty is expected to
leave Detroit this week.
Mr. Beatty is a graduate of Fisk
university and the University of
Michigan, and a member of Alpha
Phi Alpha fraternity. He had been
a( St. Antoine branch for three
years.
Mrs. Beatty, assistant director of
the John R-Adclaide USO Center,
will also resign her post and go to
Dallas with Mr. Beatty
Man Held For .
Alabama Cops
Police this week are awaiting a
report from southern authorities
concerning the arrest of John
Mitchell, alias Herbert Brooks, 27,
of 976 E. Forest avenue.
It was disclosed that Mitchell had
been arrested on suspicion of hav
ing killed a man and two women in
Birmingham. Ala. However, authori
ties from Montgomery informed
police here they seek a man known
as Herbert Brooks for a crime re
portedly* committed there revcral
years ago.
Meanwhile Mitchell Is held by
police here pending complete re
ports from the southern authorities.
He denies being implicated in the
cr.rr.es mentioned.
Attempts Suicide Rather
Than Put On Her Rubbers
ST I.OUIS, Mo. Because she
didn't want to wear her rubber# as
instructed by her grandmother, a
14-year-old girl attempted to take
her own life here last week.
The girl. l*ola Branch, of 2830
'Cass avenue. was found to be suffer
ing no ill effects at Homer Phillips
ho-«p.!al where she was conveyed
after she consumed a portion of
di'SO".\ed t’ngenune Rectal Conet
Mr* Wrl .c Mae Smith ;s the
grandmother who insisted on the
the inclement
weather.
Fred Douglas, captain of the War Bond sales
drive. Both Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Bkthaws
are ardent supporters of the bond drive. AH
dubs and organisations are urged to help the
War Widows* club make their drive a buga
success.—Freak Brown photo.
BARBERSHOP
PORTER HELD
FOR SLAYIHG
Argued With Barber,
Shoots Him Twice
In Face
A 45-year-old father of two
grown children and a porter by
trade, was held this week as a sus
pect in the fatal shooting last week
of a 38-year-old barber in a shop
at 1707 Jos Campau avenue.
Police disclosed that complete
details of the altercation between
the porter and the barber could not
be revealed until thi# week after
statements had been taken from the
alleged murderer. Frank Rembert,
of 5638 Roosevelt street
It was learned that James Hines
of 2738 Chestnut street had died
from injuries resulting from two
.38 calibre slubs in the face, at he
reportedly advanced towards the
porter, armed w ith a pair of bar
ber shears.
•’Bad Bleed" Blamed
Witnesses say that there had been
“bad blood" between the porter and
barber for several days following
a verbal altercation between them.
On Sunday, so witnesses gay. the
argument between the two men was
MTSee SLAYING. Page 5
With Wrong Girl,
Man Gets Stabbe
A possibility that Eddie Bellings.
21, of M 4 Hendrie street, was walk
ing down the street with the wrong
woman and was beaten as a -esult
w|< advanced this week by police.
It was disclosed that Belling* was
walking down street w.th a girl
whi-m he had met in a tavern near
Hastings and Palmer, when he was
4-mu ;ed by »omt as vet tin identic
fled person
He was ticated a*. Rc«.eiv ng hos
pital fur a lacerated abdomen.
Main Office: 268 Eliot Street
WOMAN DEAD,
TWO INJURED
BY GALE HERE
Cornice Of Building
Torn Off, Crushed
Victims
A cornice blown off a Hastings !
street two story building during a
strong gale last week crushed to
death one woman and seriotfrl/ in
jured two others as they were
buriod twneath » debrt* ot Hone.
Seriously injured in ttte same
oisbap and treated at Receiving
hospital were Mrs. Lillian Lee, 30,
and Mrs. Helen Wateon, 22, both of
914 Farnsworth avenue. Both were
treated far possible skull fractures
and other minor injuries.
Police say that a gale reaching a
velocity of 65 miles an hour at va
rious times throughout last Wed
nesday. tore off a heavy cornice of
the building, owned by Joseph B.
King of 2683 Calvert, the operator of
a pawnshop at 5114 Hasting street
The throe women were on the
sidewalk when the sudden strong
gale tore off a part of the brick
building and buried the victims be
neath the mass of stone, brick and
mortar, taking the life of one and
seriously injuring two others.
Local Dems
Will Install
New Officers
The newly elected officers of the
Michigan Federated Democratic
Club, 613 Cast Warren avenue, will
be installed Friday evening, March
26 at 9JO p m. sharp.
William L. Donelly. JMmocratlc
county chairman, will administer
the oath of office to Bmmett S.
Cunningham, recently elected cha*--
man. and Judge Jamas M. Jeffrie*
of Common Please court will install
the remaining elected officials.
The installation committee antici
pates » large gathering of public
officials including National Com
mitteeman Edmund C. “Shields,
Slate Democratic Chairman Ernest
C. Brooks and many other bigwigs
of the Democratic party.
Mayor Edward J. Jeffrie*, who has
been vacationing in Florida, has al
ready announced the acceptance of
his invitation and that he will at
tend.
ehert and left thigh. His condition
was reported serious.
Police learned that Belling* and
the young girl, known as "Albie"
were together when she screamed,
attracting the attention of Edward
Simmons. 19-year-old friend of
Belling' who waj walking just
ahead of the other couple.
Police seek the apprehension of
the alleged kolfcman who evidently
resented Belling,* walking down the
street with h.« young companion on
the dale in question.
WE
Are Americans Too
BELIEVE WALK
OUT LED BY
KLANJLEMENT
Whites Delay Production;
Ultimatum Issued By
U. S. Rubber
Believed to have been led by
Ku Klux Klan elements seeking
control of labor unions, a serits of
wildcat strikes at the Packard
Motor company, and tha United
States Rubber company, resulted in
the loss of thousands of man-hours
last week as white workers walked
off their jobs in protest to working
with Negroes, and caused a spokes
man for the Rubber firm to issue
an ultimatum to the white workers
to return to their jobs or face dis
missal.
Only reason for the “hate strike*"
at the Packard plant, a hot-bed of
Klan activity for the past year, wae
that whites objected to working
with Negro women, while at the
U. S. Rubber plant the "separate
toilet" issue, long a bona of conten
tion among lomenters of anti-Ne
gro demonstrations was added to
protests to upgrading colored
workers. Although. of Xbm
bed refused to accede Is the while
workers demands that aspirate
toilet facilities be eetsbliefce* ler
Negroes, and that that company has
! iriM gnu. pagal
MONEY FIGHT
BRINGS DEATH
TO YOUNG WVE
That “money Is th# 1 root of all
evil,” and may lead to- murder es
pecially when there era hegfted
word# over its possession between
a man and his wife, was apparent
this week when police investigated
the shotgun death of 28-year-old
May Etta Morris of 13912 J-umpkln
avenue.
Mrs. Morris eras killed Instantly
with a blast from a single barreled
shotgun aimed at her back, only a
short time after she had appealed
to her husband's aunt for help,
while attempting to escape the ap
parent wrath of her young husband.
' Police learned that May Etta had
an argument with her husband.
Collie. 30 years old. after he bed
held back a part of hia pay from
her. In the ensuing argument, held
in the bedroom of the aunt's hornet
police learned that the deceased
had fled from the bedroom and ran
to her aunt'* room, begging bar to
make Collia leave her alone.
A short time later, to police die
closed, Collie came ont of his bed*
room with a shotgun and chsssd
his young wife who started towards
the front door of the house, la SB
apparent attempt to get away from
her irate husband, who held a load
ed shotgun pointed at her heck.
Collie, so police say, fired once.
The blast of slugs from the sbotgue
shell struck May Etta in the back,
killing her instantly.
The accused murderer is aapeetad
to be questioned this week by De
tective Sergeant Delbert Raymond,
aligned to the case from homicide
squad. Collie was apprehended af
ter he had fled the crime scene
with the death gun In his pnmeaslon.
A. Clayton Powell
Here Wednesday
Rev. A. Clayton Powell, paster es
Abyssinia Baptist church and mem
ber of the New York City Coußeil,
will deliver an address at Seeegtd
Baptist church. 441 Monroe Wedaae*
day evening. March 31, at 7:88 pas.
He will appear under the auspices
of the Semqr choir.-
One of the outstanding leaders es
the Race. Rev. Powell will apeak o«
the struggles of the Negro psepla
land their part in the world war.
NUMBER S 2