Richmond planet. [volume], July 25, 1925, Image 1

About Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
This may be our last battle.
MAY 17.1923
We believe that it is the begmmn
tinai tnumpn.
JOHN MITCHELL. IB
RICHMOND VIRGINIA, SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1925
PRICE, FIVE CENTS
VOLUME XL!!, NO. 37
WILLIAM YATES KILLS SHEPHERD GRAY—NO
HELP FOR THE VICTIM—INHUMAN CUTTING.
Trivia! Excuse Given***Ex*iinnate of Lunatic 7isyriutn%
A gruesome tragedy took place in
Fulton lat© Saturday night, 18th
inst., when William Yates disem
bowelled and cut to death Shepherd
Gray, an employee at the Federal
Reserve Bank. John Mitchell, Jr.
called at the city jail Monday after
noon, where Deputy Ci/ty Sergeant
Saunders was in active charge. In
the grated enclosure stood a brown
skinned mun, tall and of medium
build. He wore a shirt, which was
bloodstained. He said that he was
born in Dcnwiddie County, Va. and
was 41 years of age.
OWED HIM SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
He stated that a man owed him
75 cents and there was some dispute
over it. The man finally paid him
the 75 cents. This took place in
Burnell Jteffress’ store after 11
o’clock Saturday night. He had a
dispute wilth Shepherd Gray. Gray
cut him %vith with a butcher knife
and he pointed to his bloody shirt.
He then cut Gray with the razor.
Being pressed to state what the dis
pute was about, he only responded
that they had a dispute. Yates sa»d
he had been married. He was hV ug
alone now. He res'ded at 910 State
Street, Fulton.
FUNERAL PREPARATIONS.
A visit to Robert C. Scott’s un
dertaking establishment revealed the
fact that Shepherd Gray, whose re
mains were there, had a wife, two
sons and three grandchildren and
also a sister. Mrs. Sarah Burley, who
resi des in Petersburg, Va. The widow
was making arrangements, then for
the funeral. She selected a fine
couch casket. In the morgue were
Shepherd (Grays' remains-. His face
did not disclose any evidence of the
terrible experience through which
he had passed. He was a large,
clean faced plethoric man of dark
complexion.
WITNESSES ABSENT.
He reminded one of the old
fashioned. well trained servant class
of other days. The coroner’s jury,
with Coroner Whitfield presi ding met
at the City HaW, coroner’s office.
Tuesday afternoon at 3:30. Owing to
some misunderstanding the witnesses
d'd not appear. After much deday.
Officer F. A. Campodonico testified:
“I arrested William Yates. Sundayj
morning about 1 o’clock. 19th inst.
at Fulton Cafeteria. 830 Denny St.
for cutting Shepherd Gray. He was
out at the door, coming in.
BOASTED HE CUT HIM.
“Gray at that time was in St.
Philips Hospital. Yates said I cut
the son of a b_as long as! I could
sep a piece of h<m. I cut him. Him
and Tom had some trouble, both be
ing bootleggers. Tom went home to
get his gun and he had gone homo
to get his razor. Shepherd took It
np and stuck him with a butcher
knife as he passed. Gray had one
of those little thin cuts on one side
ip front. He said he overtook Gray
and cut the son of a b.as long
as he could see a piece of him.
TOOK TOWS PART.
<
He said Shepherd <3ray didn-t have
anything ta do with it. He took
Tom’s part. Yates had been drink
ing. He was wild, when I arrested
him. He reminded me somewhat of
a crazy man. I notified Yates that
Gray was dead. He said, Is he
dead? I made a good job of it.
did’t I? He seemed to be very mad
when I arrested him. I arrested him
abont 30 or 40 minutes after the
cutting. I couldn’t find the razor.
lie had dropped it.
TRIED TO SAVE GRAY.
Burrell Jeffress said, “I saw WJ
liam Yates cut Shepherd Gray Sat- '
urdav night. The cutting was done j
on Gilliam Street near Denny Street, j
I was in the store and saw the man !
cutting so much, I ran out and tried
to stop him. I run the Fulton Cafe
teria, 830 Denny Street. About
12:35 A. M., 19th, Ofjites came in,
and ran Shepherd Gray out of the J
place, with a razor. William Yates]
cut himself in lunging at Shepherd
with the razor over an oval table.
He leaned over the table, while
Shepherd yas trying to avoid him.
PREPARING SANDWICHES.
“Gray was oack in the kitchen
and Yates ran Gray out, cutting at
Gray. Yates sa'd. ‘He has cut me*.
I said. No, he didn’t, you cut your
self. Gray ran out to the street with
Yates following him. He caught up
wirth him after crossing the street
and cut him itn the back. Gray fell
In the car track. Then he cut him
again. After he sot up at the s’de
of a house, Yates held him up,
against the s’de of the house and
cut him in front. He gets away
from the side of the house. I shoved (
him from Gray, when Gray started,
again across the track, holding him'i
self up in front.
FELL IN CAR TRACK.
• “He fell in the car track again and
Yates cut him in the back again.
Yates’ brother was there and he was
afraiid to go to him. He said, ‘Don’t
cut that man’. Shepherd got up and
tried to get into my store. I shoved
Yates away and he started to cut
me. He tried to get into the door
to cut him again’*.
“Why was, it that some one didn t
1 shoot him?” enquired the coroner.
I “No one seemed willing to do it.
! Jeffress had no gun. Gray came in
and asked me for a drink of water.
He fell over on the floor. Then the
ambulance came. Two or three fel
lows were talk;"R to Yates and he
went home, where he got rid of the
razor.
DETERMINED TO KILL HIM
“Gray ran out of the Kitchen with |
a butcher Knife in his hand. He had
been preparing sandwiches w.th it.
He lost the Knife in the street. Hf
mad© no attempt to use it. He said
Willie, what’s the matter, are you.'
crazv. Yates said. Yes. I’m crazy
until I km you. 'Gray never struck
at Yates with the Knife. I did not
see Gray drink .Yates was a quarrel
some man. Gray was not quarrel
some and he would not hurt anybody, j
Yates has been to the lunatic asylum i
at Petersburg. He broke out from
there and wailktd uU the way to
Richmond.
! The jury found that Gray came to
ihis death at the hands of William
lYates.
WTE START YOU IN A GOOD PRO
FITABLE BUSINESS of your own
selling goods on trust. Write for our
great offer at once. SANO MFG.
CO., 4508 Central Avenue, Cleve
land, Ohio.
Sacred to the memory of our de
voted mother, Mrs. Olive Williams,
who fell aBleep nine years ago, July
19, 1916:
“Steep on, dear Mother and take
thy rest”.
Her daughter and children,
By ALICE BOYKIN.
, Hampton, Va.
MRS. A. G. THOMPSON, '
Founder and Grand Worthy Ruler.
Imperial Order of King' David,
ABOLITION OP CIVIL SERVICE
PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFI
CATION URGED.
(Preston News Service)
WASHINGTON, D. C., July 2 4
Guests ot' the local Postoffice Mutual
Welfare Association, delegates to the
convention of the National Alliance
of Postail Employes saMed down the
Potomac l^st Tuesday night ,on a
moonlight trip. They combined busi
ness with pleasure, making a drive
for membership in the alliance amonj
workers, in the local postoffice. Esti
mating 22,000! as its total potential
membership, the Alliance launched a
drive lor 100' per cent, enrollment.
Matters of litigation and equitable
adjustment, attracted considerable
atten'o’i. The legal adviser’s report,
submitted by R. L. Batiley, of In
dianapolis, was adopted in an exec
utive session of several hour’s dura
tion. The report of the committee
on redistrictling was referred to the
committee on constitution, and that
of the committee on official organ
adopted.
SEEK REMOVAL OF THE
PHOTOGRAPH STIGMA.
Abolition of the photograph as a
means of identification in civil serv
ice examrinatfcons was strongly recoin
mended ‘by the 'dommittee on thfs
address of the president. The 'com
mittee on resolutions was directed
to prepare a digest on this subject.
By reason of present uncertainty of
legal status surrounding operation
here, the matter of headquarters In
thfe, city was deferred to a future
session.
An amendment was ordered drawn
up providing that funds of the al
liance he deposited in National banks
only.
ASSOCIATION ENLISTS AID OF
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS; WILL
j PICKET AT TERM OPENING.
■ WASHINGTON, D. C., July 23—
. Howard University general alumni
asroc'ation announced last Monday
night ccnipletion of a program aim
1 >ng to effect removal of Dr. J./
Stanley Durkee from the pres dency
| or Howard University. Loj-.I alumni
, arc meet.jig regularly in the summer
months in preparation for a picketing
campagn, it was stated, to begi 1 at
I the opening of the un iversity in Sep
[tember. It is considered likely that
the entire matter wMl be thrashed
out in congressional investigation.
Rev. George Frazier Miller, of
Brooklyn, president of the general
association of alumni, together with
the executive committee, has formu
lated a bill of complaint against the
university administration, attacking
principally Dr’ Durkee’s methods.
The association has sent several mem j
hers into Northern and Western i
States to flnterview and secure sup- ]
port of senators and congressmen for
their cause it is said.
After several pubkc meetings. Dr.
William A. Sinclair, of Philadelphia, (
on itinerary, has succeeded in seour
ing indorsement of the alumni pro
gram fro<m alumni bodies in New
York and other Eastern cities which
formerly supported the university
administration. In the West he has
received pledges of cooperation from
alumni bodies In Milwaukee and
Chicago according to offcfals of the
association.
The Public Library wfill be open
ed at Phyllis Wheatley Branch Y. W.
G. A. Monday, July 27, at 8 P. M
There are 1100 books fully cataloged
and a capacity at 40 readers and
j 4.000 volumes! John Stewart Bryan |
| and Mayor J Fulmer Bright wiil
j make the presentation addresses •
ANSWERS THE WILBERFORCE
ALUMNI CHARGES.
(Preston News Service.)
WILBERFORCE, O., July 24—In a
statement issued Saturday by Dr.
Gilbert Haven Jones, president of1
Wilberforce University, lie answered
charges made in a published article
recently published by an official of
Alumni Association of the school.
Among the points stressed in Pres
ident Jones’ statement are:
Aiugmfajn. jtep&tpLaiJ,, cW- Doine i
well by school and helping it in its
efforts to grow and expand. School
not ineffic'ently run, nor is it the
victim of church politics. Institution
has just come through a wonderful
year carrying successfully unprece
dented financial responsibilities, clos
fng with a splendid commencement.
Everybody at the institution happy
and looking forward to a sti/ll great
er year. Charge that school is de
fining in scholarship False. Meets
every requirement of the North Cen
tral Association of Colleges and Se
condary Schools—a standardizing as
sociation—except the requirement
for an endowment.
Exchanges students an par with most
of leading white institutions of the
country. Put "in class “A” by State
Department of Public Instruction in
1917—which gives it similar rating
in J4 other States. Only this year
such States as North Carolina. Vir
ginia, Illinois, etc. etc. have given it
the much coveted “A” rating. Has
secured a place on nearly all t"he ac
credited school Ifets since it was put
I in Class “D” in 1914. Rated “A"
! by all colleges in Ohio except Ober
lin. Schools such as Harvard, Yale,
Columbia. Ohio State, Pennsylvania,
Northwestern, Temple, Cornell, Uni‘
versity of Pittsburgh, etc., etc., al,l
give it “A” rating.
...O’ . <
i
WANTED—ONE THOUSAND COL
l ored People to Start to Singi(ng
New Song of Power. Words an/d
mus-ic. Send 93 cenW. Get two'
piano copies. By mail only.
ARTHUR McNAIR, 627 N. Fifth St.
Richmond, Va.
AN ANNOUNCEMENT. ,
The Good Will Baptist Church
announces a change in the hour of
Sunday School and Holy Communion
service beginning Sunday, July 26;
Sunday School at 10 A. M.; Com
munion first Sundays 3:30 P. M.
REV. W. B. BALL, Pastor.
NOTICE.
The Good Will Baptist Church
presents Rev. William H. Skipwith,
the national and much loved evan
gelist, under tent on Brook Avenue,
beginning Monday, July 27 at 8 P.
M. The pubMc Is cordially invited.
REV. W. B. BALL, Pastor.
DO YOU KNOW HIM?
I desire to know the whereabouts
of Fred Johnson, a resident of Rich
mond. Vj*. In 1897 he lived on one
of the Florida Keys and was burned
while working in one of the coal
lrtlns. Valuable {Information for him,
if living, or his heirs, if dead, is now
Write at once to The Planet Office,!
311 N. Fourth St., Richmond,. Va.
/
Hold a Great Session
Mrs. Adelaide G. Thomp
son and Officers Re
elected.
Gar for the G. W. Ruler, — heavy
Increase in Membership.
Richmond Division, U. N. I. A.
will run a Trolley Party to Peters
burg, Monday, July 27, 1925. Special ,
cars leave 7th and Perry Sts. TSiOj
P4 M, Fare Round Trip 55 cents. I
Let everybody go
Rev. C. P. Disxon, the Colored
Billy Sunday is reaching many un
saved backsliders and hypocrites at
the tent on Brook Road. The last
and special services will be Sunday,
the 26bh, 4 P. M. Subject, “The
Negro. ot’Today”. 8:00, P. M. “A
Dead Dog Ceasing a Flea.”
_—1
i
The Grand Lodge. Imperial Order
of King David staged a most suc
cessful 17th annual session Tuesday
and Wednesday at the Sliaron Bap
tist Church with Mrs. Adelaide G.
Thompson, G. W. Ruler, presiding.
There was a large attendance from
Virginia and elsewhere. The reports
showed an increase of 900 in mem
bership apd $15,000 in the treasury
with fell death claims, paid.
In recognition of her great work,
the Order presented Mrs. Thompson
with a handsome automobile to en
able her to more readily reach the
various subordinate lodges.
L.'.~
MISS MARY M. SCOTT, Grand Worthy .Scribe.
Imperial Order of King' David.
We are surprised to learn from the
widow that Prof. J. F* Fowlkes died
June 3, 1924. He and his family
resided at Evington, Va. and are
among the staunchest supporters of
The Planet. u
CERTOXE -will make you yourself
again. A pleasant, invigorating
body and nerve restoring tonic.
Liquid. U. S. Government Permit
H-21833. Send $1.00 for trial bot
tle. Delivered prepaid. CERTONE
SALES CO., 93 Nassau St., New
York City.
REV. DR. /STEWART DEAD.
Rev. Charles Stewart, D. D. one
of the ablest correspondents, journ
alists and lectures in this country
died suddenly July 13, 1925 at Guth
rie, >Oklajhoma as, the was (leaving
Park Sanitarium in that cilty. <
DR. HOLMES LOSES SON.
John H. Holmes, M. D. of Win
chester, Ky. sent us the following
telegram, which explains itself:
“Winchester, Ky., July 18, 1925.
Hon. John Mitchell, Jr..
Care The Planet, Fourth St.,
Richmond, Va,
John Jr. died this morning. BurlaJ
Tuesday.
JOHN H. HOLMES, M. D.“
Young Holmes graduated recently
from the Medical Department ot
Howard University and had won dis
tinction there. Dr' Holmes, Sr. is
tihe son of the late Rev. James H.
Holmes, D. D. of til's city.
Rev. J. H. B,inford is not much
improved. ,