The guardian. [volume], April 15, 1939, Image 1

About The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960

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ICHE_ GUARDIAN
VOL. 38, NO. 24
75,000 HEAR MARIAN IN OPEN AIR
Start Campaign to End Baseball Jim Crow
Rox. Widow Dies in Blaze - Pack Jordan Hall for Easter Pageant
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By LILLIAN LEWIS FEURTADO
This beautiful spectacular religious
ilay, “The Open Tomb”, presented on
he stage of Jordan Hall, at daybreak
,n Easter Sunday morning, was writ
en and produced by Dr. W. Frederic
Fisher, D.D. This is the sixth annual
resentation of this exquisite repre
■ ntation of happenings at the grave
if Jesus on Easter n.orning, centuries
igo. The curtain rises on the hill and
the empty blood-smirched cross oi
Jalvary—a high priest and Levite—
in soldiers on guard at the sealed
omb. Tn quick succession come a
>an<l of lepers seeking the Healer,
mt dispersing when they learn that
'le has been crucified and buried in a
। arby tomb. The scene shifts and
vo angels appear and roll the stone
.wav and frighten away the guards.
Then come Mary and her two com
anions seeking where they have laid
heir Lord. This scene of sorrow is
fTectively played. They are joined
others bent on the same errand and
when they see the open tomb their
;i mentations increase and bowed in
lief they pass to the city gates. For
time there is the lonely spot with
:he ominous cries in the foreground
md stone and the open tomb reveal
ng the burial clothes lying idle in the
background, and while the audience
gazes silently into the tomb a shadowy
figure slowly approaches to the en
trance becoming clearer and clearer
is it advances. It is the figure of our
Lord, in long snow white raiment,
hand uplifted to Heaven, then a Voice,
A. A. AUSTIN TO
SPEAK FOR SIGMA
The Boston Chapters of the Phi
Beta Sigma Fraternity are happy to
present Brother Augustine A. Austin
of New York City as their guest
speaker for the annual mass meeting
to be held Sunday, April 23 at Metro
politan Baptist Church on Shawmut
Ave., to climax the Bigger and Better
Business week celebration.
Mr. Austin is a successful real
estate and insurance broker. As the
president of the United Mutual Bene
fit Ass’n, much of its progress is due
to his untiring efforts 1935. He is
the president of the Antillean Hold
ing Co., Inc., and the A. A. Austin Co.,
Inc., and manager of Ledout, Basse
terre and Redmirb Realities, Inc. He
si rved as chairman of the financial
campaign of the Y.M.C.A. in 1935-36
and as member of the Board of Direc
tors of the New York Urban League.
nJ-’ Austin is an active member of the
I hi Beta Sigma Fraternity and has
served as its National secretary-treas
nier. In bringing Mr. Austin to you,
‘ igma is adhering to its policy of pre
sentmg an outstanding figure in the
held of business.
BAPT. INST. HAS
BIG ENROLLMENT
( HlCAGO—According to the an
nual report issued this week by the Chi
'•ngo Baptist Institute more than 3500
ministers and other religious leaders
have attended classes and training con
terences held by the Institute during
the last twelve months.
A total of 39 courses have been of
teied during the year. The teachers—
and there have been 46 during the year
—men and women of broad experience,
''ide contacts, and culture, include:
Bean Shailer Mathews, University of
Incago; W. Ellis Stewart, Victory
(Continued on Page 5)
PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY
Augustine A. Austin of N.Y.
Quest Speaker
BIGGER and BETTER
BUSINESS CELEBRATION
MASS MEETING
Sunday A£t. APRIL 23
3 o'clock
metropolitan baptist
CHURCH
Shawmut Ave., Boston, Mass.
saying slowly: “I am the Resurrection
and the Life: He that believeth in Me
shall have Everlasting Life.” He has
come out of the Tomb and stands in
the centre of the stage, giving his
message of “The Resurrection.”
It was a wonderful message and
wonderfully and dramatically de
livered. The big audience held their
breath and there was no sound, save
for the inspired words of the speaker.
Nor was the tension broken until,
two figures silently stole on the scene
—Death and Satan. It was a supreme
moment when Jesus turned, suddenly
wrested two big keys, one from Death
and one from Satan, and attached
them to his own garment, triumphant
lv declaring that He alone holds the
keys over Death and Satan. He bids
them begone and as he mounts the
foot of the cross he is joined by the
two angels, the lepers, the soldiers,
the High Priest and Levite, the Holy
Women and a multitude of faithful
followers, 100 of them, all singing with
organ and orchestral accompaniment,
‘Alleluia.” The curtain falls as,
uplifted hands, he gives the benedic
tion.
The organ played softly throughout
the acts and new and beautiful music
was set to words by Laymon T. Hun
ter, an organist of repute in this lo
cality. This was sponsored by the
Boosting Jesus Groups of Dr. Fisher’s
Church and a long list of patrons and
patronesses. Mrs. Fisher and three
children were among the audience.
PHI BETA KEY TO
JEANNE CURTIS
Miss Jeanne Curtis of Paterson,
New Jersey, the daughter of Dr. and
Mrs. A. M. Curtis, Jr., and the niece
of Mrs. John B. Hall of this city gradu
ates this year from Mount Holyoke
College at the age of nineteen years.
She was selected last year as one of
the fifty outstanding students in the
college and this year has been award
ed Phi Beta Kappa. She is greatly
interested in dramatics and dancing
and has been very active in both dur
ing her college life. She will possibly
attend Harvard University, Cam
bridge, Mass., for her graduate work.
She is well known in Boston and her
many friends will be pleased to hear
of this additional honor bestowed upon
her.
WOMAN DIES
IN ROX. FIRE
In a fire that gutted the hallway
and fourth floor suite at 114 Kendall
St. last Saturday afternoon, Mrs.
Irene Blunt who lived alone in the
apartment with only a dog for com
pany, died from suffocation after vain
attempts were made to rescue her.
Although there was ample time for
her to leave, she refused to come out
and was heard trying to extinguish
the fire with pails of water. The
entrance was finally effected and she
was found lying on the kitchen floor
and died after first aid treatment
failed to restore her her.
Dr. Joseph Lasserson of 37 Monroe
St., Roxbury, pronounced the woman
dead. Deputy Chief William F. Quig
ley and Patrolman Michael Clancy of
the Roxbury Crossing station attemp
ted to revive the woman before the
doctor arrived, but their efforts were
unavailing.
The blaze, starting in the hallway
near the fourth-floor apartment of
the victim, spread to the kitchen. A
passing citizen sounder the alarm after
seeing smoke pouring from a window.
The firemen found the woman lying
face downward on the floor. Her face
and arms were badly burned. Death,
according to the doctor, was due to
smoke inhalation.
Deceased was buried Thursday from
Graham’s Undertaking establishment
on Washington St. A sister, Mrs.
Butler, of Cambridge survives.
The other occupants of the house
escaped injury and damage was con
fined to the fourth floor suite and
adjoining hall.
DePriest Garage
255 NORTHAMPTON ST.
Oil • Gas - Repairing • Storage
Now Maintaining the
Ford Service
Tel. KENmore 8358 H. Thompaoa. Prop.
GUARDIAN, BOSTON, MASS., APRIL 15, 1939
JUDGE MILES
HELPS AGAIN
■ 1 1
fl
JUDGE FRANKLAND JU. L. MILESII
Of the Roxbury Court who is known
always to give Colored youth a sec
ond chance.
Judge Frankland W. L. Miles the
presiding justice of the Roxbury
Court continues to temper justice with
mercy just the same as he did when he
was a special justice.
This fact was shown today when he
listened to the pleas of Clerk of Court
Theodore A. Glynn and First Assistant
(Continued on Page 5)
G
RED CAPS FIGHT
FOR THEIR TIPS
CHICAGO — Complete unity of
action was established by the General
Executive Board of the International
Brotherhood of Red Caps on the ques
tion of the future "ourse to be taken
by Red Caps in reg; d to the tip-wage
controversy before the Federal Wage
and Hour Administration.
Meeting this week in Chicago for
the first time since the Brotherhood
was formed here a year ago, the
Board voted to ‘direct its main ener
gies in the direction of bringing this
case to successful close.”
The legal nature of the case has
shifted due to a changed position of
the attorneys for the railroads. Pre
viously the railroads held that tips
could be legally counted as wages
within the meaning of the provisions
of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Today, the railroads maintain in sub
stance, that tips are the legal property
of the company. As a result the Bro
therhood is fighting for both the mini
mum wage and the tips.
It is estimated that approximately
800,000 service employees throughout
the country depend largely upon tips
as a form of income.
G
Dainihtrr of Martin
Utrharfcunt Dim
Members of the colored press
throughout the country will be shocked
to learn that on Friday evening, April
14, occurred the death of Frances Jose
Richardson, 5 year old daughter of the
well-known newspaper man Martin D.
Richardson. Frances Jose had been
confined in the Boston City Hospital
tor a short while pending observation
of physicians in a complexed organic
disorder. The passing came after a
staff of devoted nurses and doctors had
worked untiringly for days to bring
about a turn for the better in the child’s
condition. In consideration of the
strangeness of the malady, Mr. Rich
ardson and his wife have turned the
remains over to the hospital in hopes
that a complete autopsy will aid med
ical science in the future.
NURSING HOME NOTICE
THE CRAIG NURSING HOME
16 Wyoming Street, Roxbury
Continues in operation under the superintendence of Registered
Nurses. Your continued patronage is solicited. Tel. HIG. 8368
BOSTON TO MOVE
ON UTILITIES
The dramatic fight to eliminate dis
crimination in Boston’s Public Utilities
will move a step nearer toward suc
cess Tuesday night, April 18 at 8:00
p.m., when a city wide meeting of
representatives of all organizations,
including churches, fraternal organi
zations, clubs and heads of houses, will
be held at the Robert Gould Shaw
House, 11 Windsor Street, to elect a
committee of five persons to negotiate
with the presidents of the utility com
panies.
There has been much conscientious
work done in getting thousands of
names on petitions which the prospec
tive committee of five will have to
present to the companies and in addi
tion, to be given to the committee there
will be a list of persons who have ap
plied to the companies for jobs.
Attorney Irwin T. Dorch will be the
chairman of the meeting. If your club
has not received a notice to send a
representative will you kindly get in
touch with Mrs. Thomasina Johnson,
secretary of the movement, by calling
HIG. 3444.
This is the first time a movement
has been started which has attempted
to utilize the existing organizations
without starting a new organization in
Boston, the committee for the meeting
states. It is also the first time a move
ment has started as a group effort
rather than as an effort of one organi
zation.
The movement has been divided into
five stages: getting applicants to apply
at the Companies; negotiating with
the Labor Unions in order that they
would not fight the movement; doing
everything possible to get the bill
passed in the legislature against dis
(Continued on Page 5)
' TALENTED OPERA SINGER
* > >
aWHfiL
6 WmK
fyly-
9
> ■, -
SARAH McKENZIE, Contralto
Who is perhaps the most talented
opera singer and actress of Greater
Boston and who has been recognized
by authorities on opera and of drama
as having a natural gift for the opera
tic stage. On Thursday evening, June
1, at 8:15 o’clock in Brown Hall, New
England Conservatory of Music, she
will be heard with William Rhodes
Opera Society in their four Opera Con
cert, for which Mildred Jenkins has
been chosen as guest artist. The pro
gramme will also include Opera Acts
from “Das Rheingold,” Wagner, “Der
Freisehutz,” Weber. Principal singers
are: William Richardson, International
known baritone, E. Greene, Eman
uel Mansfield, Ora Wake, Bessie Mayle,
Pattie Yates, John Powell, Matilda
Charleston, Lillian Harrison, Ann
Walke, Ida Wren, Una Bell, Ellastine
Broadnax, Vera Hodge, and Jesse Red
dick. Persons singing in a special
trained chorus are: Elizabeth Wheat
ley, Esther Greene, Huth Moms, Anna
Cooper, Florence Murry, Valeria How
ard, George Soso, Mack Boatwright,
Jesse Owens, David Owens and H. T.
Johnson. Supported by a 12-piece
concert orchestra. William A. Rhodes,
composer and music critic will conduct
the performance. John Powell, Busi
ness Supervisor, and James W. Hen
derson, Stage Director. Admission, 85
cents, reserved seats sl.lO and $1.65
including tax.
FAMOUS CONTRALTO
THRILLS BIG THRONG
AT LINCOLN SHRINE
By R. S. GADSDEN
WASHINGTON, 1). C., April 9—
Leading character in a stupendous
drama of democracy, Marian Ander
son. world-famous contralto, sang to
an enthralled gathering of 75,000
today and was acclaimed in one of the
greatest tributes ever paid to any
singer here, or abroad.
The settings were ideal. Miss An
derson stood on the steps of the Lin
coln Memorial directly in front of the
19 foot statue of the Great Emanci
pator. Although the day had been
cloudy, the sun came out just before
five o’clock and shed its radiance over
the vast gaily-dressed multitude that
stretched on both sides of the reflect
ing pool from the Lincoln Memorial
to the Washington Monument Hill and
spread out on the north to Constitution
Avenue.
The program included “America,”
“La Favorita,” “Ave Maria,” by Schu
bert, and a group of spirituals. Her
voice was as clear as a bell. The
scientifically prepared amplification
threw it a mile away, where none of
its vocal power and melody was lost.
When she had finished, there was a
tumultuous outburst of applause, Sec
retary Ickes, who had presented her
to the gathering, congratulated her
END BASEBALL JW CROW
As a means for ending the discrimination against Colored players
in professional baseball, Lester Rodney, in his Daily Worker column
"On the Scoreboard" suggests to organizations the following, which
THE GUARDIAN believes is sensible and should be adopted:
Form a committee with that express purpose. Send a letter to
every single sports editor and baseball writer in the big league cities.
Most of them by now have come out individually against Jim Crow,
and the response will be found overwhelmingly in favor of the pur
pose of the organization.
Now—put that imposing list of names atop petitions and have
them filled in by fans right at the ball parks. Such direct action con
veying to the magnets on paper the vote of those who pay the freight
and those who write about the game couldn't miss effecting speedy
action. And any poll of American sports fans, who comprise nothing
more or less than the common people, would be 9-1 or more for end
ing the unsportsmanlike and un-American ban on talented performers
for the reason of the color of the skin.
This is the time to swing into action. Jim Crow in baseball can
be ended this year.
RE-ELECT REV.
BIDDLE CHAP.
Rev. E. Geo. Biddle, 94, was re
elected chaplain of the Mass. G.A.R.
at the 73rd annual encampment held
in Boston this week. Only 14 of the
81 Mass, survivors were able to
attend all being over 90. Rev. Biddle
is one of the most active veterans still
surviving.
G
ATTY. WOLFF ON
S. OF V. STAFF
Attorney Albert G. Wolff was re
elected to the Department Council of
the Sons of Union Veterans of the
Civil War at their convention at the
Hotel Bradford this week. On Tues
day evening he was in the receiving
line at the grand reception and ball.
Judge Frankland W. L. Miles of the
of the Roxbury Court delivered an
eloquent patriotic address. Col. Fred
eric Gilbert Bauer, a Boston attorney
and now national president of the
Society of the War of 1812, was
elected Department Commander.
G
L. J. Holmes Speaks
At Taxpayers’ Meet
At a meeting of the Taxpayers
Association at Cambridge City Hall,
Tuesday, Apr. 11, L. J, Holmes was
invited as one of the speakers. He
feels that the outcome of that meeting
will benefit many colored Cambridge
taxpayers in the near future.
PRICE FIVE CENTS
and so did Mrs. Ickes. Senators Bar
kley and Guffey among others surged
forward to express their congratula
tions. The applause continuing, Miss
Anderson returned to the microphones
and said “I am so overcome I can
hardly express myself. I thank you
from the depths of my heart again
and again.”
The park police estimated the
throng at more than 75,000 people. It
was the general impression that the
great majority of the gathering were
white.
The most distinguished officials of
the government, such as Justices of
the Supreme Court, Cabinet members,
representatives from the Senate and
House were present either as spon
sors or appreciative listeners to what
Arturo Toscanini pronounced the
“greatest living voice—one that only
comes once in a hundred years.”
The order of the great crowd was
remarkable—no pushing, shoving or
elbowing. The culture of Washington
dominated it and everyone was in good
humour.
The introduction of Miss Anderson
by Mr. Ickes, Secretary of the Interior
(Continued on Page 5)
BILL ROBINSON
AT ROX. THEATRE
Featuring stars of the famous Cot
ton Club Revue in New York and
Eubie Blake’s world renowned orches
tra, the popular Roxbury Theatre -will
present “Harlem is Heaven “starring
Bill Robinson, the nation’s leading tap
dancing artist. This all-colored pic
ture with beautiful girls thrilled New
Yorkers and was acclaimed the best
showing of Hot Harlem on any screen
in the country. For your convenience
the management of the Roxbury
Theatre has arranged for mid-night
showings next week, Tuesday and
Wednesday, April 18 and 19, with a
special selection of movie shorts
picked for your enjoyment which will
complete a swell three hour show. The
manager, Leo Leiberman, and his
assistant, Louis Ransom, will be on
hand to greet you and they suggest
that you come early to avoid the
crowd. “Harlem Is Heaven” is tops.
G
25 Yrs. for Mass. State Union
Appropriate exercises will mark the
25th anniversary of Massachusetts
State Union at its annual convention
which will be held Wednesday, April
19 at the Twelfth Baptist Church.
The convention will open at 10 in the
morning and will continue all day with
a special public program to be pre
sented at the evening session. Miss
Gladys Holmes is president and Miss
Susie F. Jones, chairman of the execu
tive board.
RANDOLPH PLAYERS in
“SPATS and SPURS”
by Anna Bobitt, Mus. B.S.
ADD I 0 PEABODY PLAYHOUSE
|\ *| Q Charles St., Boston
Tickets 50c