Richmond planet. [volume], December 21, 1929, Image 1

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

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■_ PRICE FIVE OENTS
2 RICHMOND, VIRGINIA; SAiwimx,
WALLER WINS VERDICT
AGAINST PREACHER IN
HEART BALM SUIT
FOR $5,000. |
_ ( a \
May Sue His Wife's
Father for $15,000.
The $5,000 suit of AlonzO C. Wal
ler against Rev. Leroy Frayser for
* alleged alienation of the affections
of Waller’s wife was heard in Hust
ings Court. Part II, Tuesday, De
cember 17th, with Judge Ernest H.
Wells presiding. The case was oh
tie docket for . the second time, a
new hearing having been granted
Frayser by Judge Wells upon mo
tion of Frajfeer’s counsel that the
original verdict of $500 damages m
favor of Waller be set aside' because
of the admission of certain letters
alleged to have been passed between
Frayser and Mrs. W’aller, and also
the admission of an alleged confes
sion made by Waller’s wife to
Waller.
This is the first case here among
*ur race group aired in the courts
for alienation of affections in the
form of a suit for damages and has
caused much comment. The testi
mony offered at the trial was sen
sational, Waller charging that Rev.
Frayser had deliberately taken his
wife from him and Frayser as ve
hemently denying any wrongdoing
on the part of Waler’s wife or him
self. Rev. Frayesr was valiantly
supported by his wife, who testified
in his behalf, denying that there had
been any semblance of amorous re
lations between her husband and
Waller’s wife.
The legal tilts between Attorneys
T. Dix Sutton and and F. A. Ros
cher, representing Rev. Frayser and
Thomas I. Talley for the plaintiff,
were fierce and exhibited a wonder
ful knowledge of the law. The ef
fort of the defense was to exclude
certain damaging documents and ev
idence that was admitted in the first
trial, and the plaintiffs were equally
determined to have them admitted.
Authorities and precedents from
California, Nevada and other States
were adduced in this battle as to the
admissibility of certain evidence in
alienation causes before the courts.
The jury found for Alonzo C.
Waller and judgment was entered
afainst Rev. Leroy Frayser. The suit
was filed originally on April 17,
1919, and the first suit terminated
in a $500 judgment against Rev.
Frayser on Wednesday, June 12,
1929. Alonzo Waller operates the
Leigh Street Inn, on West Leigh
Street, and Rev. Leroy Frayser is a
postal employee here and is a well
known and respected citizen. He re
sides on Brook Road. The Rev.
Leroy Frayser is not Rev. Leroy E.
Frayser of 1521 Brook Road.
When seen at his place of busi
ness Waller said that he divorced
SPECIAL FEATURE
EACH WEEK ON
PAGE FOUR.
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v |f^ Parker
fi (C.^ , ■' » •> , ■;
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K. 5'&Y
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j '| A Column of thouui.
!' ful interpretation of c \ j
• 'vorkPs progress writ. :
j for people who think j
•f l T };?jy WES ..
) ♦ IN «..j
| ii. Z% l-UXT ?• |
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i
his wife in December of 1928 and;
waited for Richmond gossips to get,
their fill talking about him and then
he bejran, his suit. He said he had
spent thousands “of dollars to make
hisr wife and child happy. He pro
vided a nice home at 1200 Wallace
Street for them and ordered an au
tomobile delivered' to '.her on Janu
ary 3, 192$, arid a garage built. In
the face of all of tlnk his wife car
ried him befqr'e the Juvenile Court
for alleged nOfi-support.
“When l Went to. her father with
the incriminating letter from Fray
ser, he criticised me .'and said that
it must have!'been because of som^
'thing I had done to her, and further
that he did not like me anyway. He
called me a bootlegger and police
spotter, and I -aiu contemplating
bringing suit against him for $15,
000 for defamation of character..
“My wife alleged that I secured
the confession from her at the point
of a gun. It was proven to the jury
that there was no gun on the scene.
1 admit that I promised to take her
back if she told the truth. I meant
to bear this burden. But the horri
fied and desperate father came upon
the scene and said she did not have
to take anything off me. I then
slipped $200 to my lawyer and told
him to fight for me. This was how
this jewel of a girl was brought
before the public. The gossips be
gan to say things about me, but I
let them rave until I saw fit to bring
things to a test. The only thing to
do was to let the courts settle it. If
the Richmond gossips do not feel
that I am justified in doing what
I have done, they can meet me back
of the Fair Grounds.”
Deacon Robert
Ghristlan Is
Killed Instantly.
\
i Richmond was shocked Wednes
, day evening of this week when it
was reported that Mr. Robert Chris
tian, of 614 North Eighth Street,
had been instantly killed by an au
tomobile at the corner of Eighth and
Leigh Streets, at 5:30 P. M., only
half a block from home, where he
was headed after a day of toil at
his post with the firm of Neal &
Binford, in South Richmond. Mr.
Christian was struck as ho was cross
ing on Leigh headed north by an
automobile dliven by Paul A. Condit,
white 2400 block Fourth Avenue.
Tiic driver is under arrest on a
charge of manslaughter. He was
the husband of Mrs. Lel'e Christian,
a well-known church- worker, af
filiated for many y?.?r-* with the
ptis 1 h • .
----—
ALABAMA CONGRESSMAN RE
FUSES TO SERVE CM COM
MI7TEE WITH DsPRIEST
Kepi sentatiye Allgood (Demo
err, ), from Alabama, resigned from
he Km* died Bills Committee when
.umeu that R jpi • ive Oscar
Oe Priest had also, beer assigned to
this committee. Allgood, who has
served on the committee several
years, said: “The Enrolled Bills
Committee is an honorary commit
tee, and as soon as he*, learned of
DePriest’s assignment he concluded
he did not desire the honor any
longer.”
'- The House readily * accepted the
resignation when it was presented
by Speaker Longworth.
DePriest is also a native of Ala
bama and has been assigned to the
Indian Affairs Committee.
BOY WINS VA. PRIZE |
FOR KILLIHG FLIES, j
—
Junior Burks, seven-year-old col- j
ored boy, grandson of Emily Burks,!
of East Radford* Va., wins an extra |
prize of, $5.00 and honorable men-1
tion in' the State flying killing con
test that ended on December 5,
1929. Three prizes were offered'by
Dr. Mary E. Brydon, Director .of the.
Bureau of Child Health, State De
partment of Health, to the individ
uals in three counties in the State
reporting the greatest number of
‘flies naught-in straps during 1929.
Howard Schaujb. aged, 1§, won the
first prize . of £25 and caygjht 22
quarts of flies. ’ ,
It was felt that Juriior Burks had
mado such a splendid stowing with
17 quarts of flies that he should re
ceive this extra prize of. $*>.•• • . •
' The prizes wer6 offered b‘y Dr.
Brydon because it. is believed that
the ‘ germs of infantile paralysis, -are
spread by flies. There • have been
308 cases of this disease in Virginia
this year. It is known that 'many
other diseases are fly-home, and filth
borne. There are typhoid, dysentery,
diarrhoea and summer complaint of
babies, and each year many^. people
I jl ■ ■ -—
I
die needlessly in Virginia from these
diseases. ,
Junior Burks not only killed 17
quarts of flies in accordance with
the rules of the contest, but the
county nurse, Miss Ella^Tf. Whitten,
and the county sanitation education
chairman, Mrs. C. W. Wiltsee, m
spected his home and reported r*ha^
it was a four point home. That
means that it had: (1) Safe sewage
disposal; (2) water safeguarded;
(3) house sci'eened; (4) adequate
fly control. Few people really un
derstand just what is meant by these
four points, and the Burks’ home is
one of a comparatively small num
ber that is properly safeguarded in
these four essential points.
Special recognition will be given
on Child Health Day to the four
noint. homes in every community,
the State Department of Health re
p0rt?. and Junior Burks will be able
io noint with pride to his four point
home.
CHRISTMAS CAROLS 'O BE
SUNG
Elaborate preparations are being
made by the B. Y. P. U. and the
,Tumor Missionary Circle of the
En'.i't1’ Bantist Church, corner
Twenty-eighth and P Streets, Dr. F.
' . '* idioms, pastor, for a. greai
community singing of the Christmas
(•• ro',;. Every boy and' girl on
Church Hill is asked to sing on the
church steps around the lighted tree
at (»:30 P. M. Christmas Eve. The
Mosby Memorial Orchestra is play
ing on this occasion, and Mr.' I. H.
Carter, president of the B. ^. P. L\,
is leading in the singing.
Sunday night, December 22nd, at
8 P. M., the young people of the
Sunday School and B. P. D. are
presenting the “Birth of Christ.
Special music. i
Junior League pageant Sunday,
December 29, 1929, 4 P. M., Leigh
Street M. E. Church, entitled “The
King’s Birthday.” All are invited.
Mrs. E. C. Eldridge, Supt.
PRESIDENT JOHN EDMUND
WOOD OF NATIONAL BAPTIST
CONVENTION OF AMERICA
DEAD , I
Danville, Ky.— (Special.) —Rev.
John Edmund Wood, D. D., presi
dent of the National Baptist Con-.
vention of America, passed away at
his home in Danville, Ky., at 1:30
Sunday afternoon. No .funeral ar
rangements'announced. Was pastor
of First Baptist Church in his home;
member of tb§ .city council; had
served eleven years as moderator of
Kentucky ' Gene'fhT ' Association of
Baptists.’ Was elected president of
the National Baptist Cotiyention of:.
Araeripa at .Fort Worth, Tex., 192fr#
succeeding Edward’ P. Jones. Wa?
re-elected.Septeir.bsr 1st'at Norfolk..
Deceased was educated in tie..
schools 6f Kentucky:* had ‘successful:
denominational • and * educati onal ca
reer; was, prominent in ^political af
fairs of "the Republican party. -
WHITE AND BLACK WORKERS
TIANS.
I "
(Crusader News Service)
New York, Dec.-—A mighty wave
of working class protest is sweeping
the country against the murders by
United .States imperialists of the he
roic Haitian workers and peasants
who have once again taken up arms
against American domination and
' exploitation of their country.
.Thousands of .Negro and white
workers attended the two mass meet
ings. called in this city by the Ameri
can Negro Labor Congress to mob
ilize working class protest against
the machine gun rule of the United
States and its puppet President Bor
no in Haiti. The first meeting was
held Thursday evening, December
12, at Tivoli Hall, Williamsburg,
Brooklyn, and had an attendance of
nearly fifty per cent white workex*s
out of an audience of more than six
hundred. The second, held at St.
Luke’s Hall, 125 West One Hundred
and Thirtieth Street, brought out
fully 200 whites out of a total cf
over one thousand workers.
At both meetings the response of
the workers to the remarks of th?
speakers showed how deeply moved
is the entire American working class
over the outrages against the Hai
tian masses. A resolution, drawn up
by the national office of the Ameri
can Negro Labor Congress, and
sharply denouncing the American oc
cupation and its crimes against the
Haitian people ami demanding the
immediate independence of Haiti,
was enthusiastically adopted at both
meetings. The reading of the man
ifesto issued by Ameiivan Negro
Labor Congress, and appearing this
week in its official organ, “The Lib
erator,” was also received with
thunderous applause.
Delegates lrom various working
class organizations took the floor af
ter the regular speakers to express
complete solidarity with the Ameri
can Negro Labor Congress in its ef
forts to mobilize the entire working
class, wihte and Negro, against the
oppression of the Haitian masses
and the attempts of the Hoover ad
ministration to suppress in blood the
present revolt.
The speakers at both meetings
represented a wide range of work
ing class activities, and included the
following: Albert Moreau, of the All
American Anti-Imperialist League;
; John Schmeiss, of the Trade Union
Unity League: Richard 3. Moore, of
the Harlem Tenants League; Otto
Huiswoud, Otto Hall, J. W. Ford and
iVilliana Burroughs, of the Ameri
can Negro Labor Congress; George
Mink, of the Marine Workers’
League; Roger Baldwin, of the Civil
Liberties Bureau; Robert Dunn, of
the Labor Research Association;
Jeane Lamonthe, of the Haitian Pa
triotic Union; Louis Engdahl, of the
International Labor Defense, and
Scott Nearing.
The meetings are under the aus
pices of the Brooklyn and Harlem
branches of the American Negro
Labor Congress.
Cyril Briggs, national secretary of
the American Negro Labor Con
gress, gave out a statement today
that similar protest meetings were
.« • . ; ■ : J
Those appearing in photo-of popu
lar local- chib knoyn as the P. A.
L" S'/ are - P. Misses Mary Branche;
Rosa B_ Redd: V3ola L. Martin;
Oomela Ward; Bertha L. Lockett;
Florence Smith; L. Gertrude Cham
bers; president. 'A:Misses Antoinette
Bowler; Elmer Jiickison' Lr'Mtfbees
•Alto L. Johnsonf’indla P_ Frye.
9: Mrs. -Gladys B. Giles/; MlsSer
M Thefend Ward; BveGyrf W Stall
ings; Ott&da Mofris; Martfia Geet
Ida J_ Bdoker; 'Naofiii R. Thorn
ton; Ruth O ' ’ Deane'arid Rnth R
Evans (Story in society columns;
page two.)
being held throughout' the country
hv A. N.'L. C branches: In Buffalo
the* statement says a peeking wiJi be
figld oirDemtifcer Tfrtfi at M l Wil
liam* Street. . Advices had not been
received yet from the other h-mbehes
as to the date and place of the meet
forty odd hranrhps of the omynize
ings,- hut it was certain that the
tfon throughout the country would
respond to the instructions sent them
to hold meetings in connection with
the Haitian uprising. In some ntie°,
the statement said, the A. N. L. C.
was having the co-operation of th°
local branches of the International
Labor Defense and the All-American
Anti-Imperialist League.
FULTON NOTES
During the anniversary services at
the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Rev.
0. B. Simms, pastor of Mt. Zion
Baptist Church, delivered an excel
lent message on the 11th instant.
Devotionals by Rev. A. D. Clark, as
sistant pastor of Fairfield Baptist
Church. The 12th instar*, 'frmo’1
by Rev. A. W. Erown, pastor of
Sixth Mt. Zion Baptist Church. De
votionals by Rev. Robinson, of the
same church. Rev. F. W. Black,
pascor of Mt. Carmel Baptist
Church, preached on the 13th in
stant. Devotionals by Revs. J. W.
Kemp and Funn. Dr. W. 7 John
son. vice-president of the Ministers’
Conference, delivered a very timely
address. Others who spoke: Revs.
M. A. Jackson, Turner. Goodgame
and McCargo. Sunper was seryod
after the services, and se,,”,ol gifts
presented to the raster and his wife.
Rev. Joseph Brown, one of Fulton’s
own sons, preached at Calvary in the
morning.
V^rsh '10‘tAr ^), r,. iA.—
Commending the witnesses for their
unusual vr:ri " Jud"'* P~’.rh Giv
ens this morning in Police Court dis
missed the case against two Howard
University students charged with
disorderly conduct and assault in an
altercation ■with two officei’5 last
Monday morning at Sixth Street and
Howai*d Place.
Judge Givens stated that he had
never tried a case in which he was
more convinced of the truthfulness
of witnesses than of the seven stu
dents and one instructor who testi
fied for the defense in this case. He
said their testimony reflected the
highest credit unon the character
training given at Howard University.
The two students, Leroy A. Clay,
age 19, of Baltimore, Md.. and Jas.
P. Ramsey, age 19, of Philadelphia,
Pa., were driving in a Ford road
ster to the university campus #on
Monday morning when '.T''r',c yore
exchanged with the occmants o; an
other car, who later pre ed to s of
ficers of the law. A fight exsued,
attracting’ a' large number ^ or stu
dents, witq the possibility of serious
consequences.
Clay and Ramsey were arrested
and charred with disorderly eon duct
and assault. Both charges were dis
missed against Clay and Ramsey was.
released on his personal bond.
The two students were defended
bv Attorney George F. C. Hayes,
with Assistant District Attorney
Fitzpatrick representing the govern
ment.
WOMAN ON FOURTH STREET
HELD UP AND ROBBED
. Held..up ai-the point df a gun by
an unidelltifielrNegro lna|i early last
night, Mrs. Yetta Swatz'\>f the 800
block North Fourth'Street, was rol>
bed of $37 in currency. Detective
Sergeant Fox is expecting to make
an arrest in the case today.
Union Baptist Church, Beaver
Dam, Va., had a great day last Sun
day. Our pastor preached a splen
did sermon to a packed house. We
are prospering under the leadership
of our pastor, T. W. Smith. The
Eveready Club is preparing to in
stall a new baptizing pool.
Mr. George Burrell and Mr. Todd
were happy visitors to Richmond re
cently. They came from New York
to visit their mothers, Mrs. Burrell,
of North Fourth Street, and Mrs.
Todd, of Petersburg, Va.
■ .
Man Rescues
White Woman
(By The Associated Negro Press)
Nashville, Tenn., Dec.—Risking
his own life, Dorsey Davis, employ
ed as a cook at a roadside inn, res
cued Mrs. Irene Wilkes, a white wo
man, from a burning automobile in
(which she and her husband were
trapped when the car overturned and
caught fire.
The accident occurred on a high
' way near here and Davis saw it from
Lis kitchen window. Rushing to the
! burning automobile while more than
a score of spectators looked on,
Davis wrenched the door of the car
open and pulled the woman from it,
but not before her clothing had
caught fire. He extinguished the
flames and went back to rescue
Wilkes. The second rescue could
not be effected due to the flames,
and the heat therefrom, and the man
was burned to a crisp.
PEW RALLY AND MUS1CALE;
The Key Women of Virginia
Union University and the City Club
cordially invite the publ: to the
MV. •vc reet Churc'- Sun ,y. lanu
nv; 12,. 1930, at 3:( 1’. rare
mv icr’ progra: ar pew a!" • will
fer.ure the exercise', for her fit of
the he: ing; plant of the girls’ dor
mitory of Virginia Union University.
T et love, hope and charity be our
motives in contributing libei’ally to
this rally.
JOHNSON-CRUTCHFIELD
Mrs. Anna Crutchfield and Mr.
Silas B. Johnson were married De
cember 8th, at 3:30 o’clock, at the
residence of Rev. Lewis Terrell.
axe Wie lde d
r r~c
Daniel Booker..murdered his wife,
Mrs. Virginia JBooker, was an . axe
in their apartment,, at220 West Six
ty-fourth Street, New York City, and
is being held thereon without bail
on a charge of murder. The Book
ers are from Richmond and resided
on Church Hill prior to their going
to New York to live. Mrs. Booker
.was only 21 years of age and is
survived by many relatives here. Her
parents operate a store at 1200
North Thirty-first Street. Randolph
Bros, were in charge of the reniains
and superintended the. interment.
It is charged that the infuriated
husband wielded his weapon against
Mrs. Virginia Booker, 21 years old,
about midnight while startled 'ten
ants outside in the hall were unable
to come to her assistance.
According to neighbors, the pair
began the fatal argument early in
the evening over a rug which the
wife had bought on the installment
plan. The quarrel continued until
nearly midnight, when the woman
was heard by neighbors to cry out
in fear, “He’s got an axel”
Before anyone could go to her aid
the now excited listeners outside the
door of the Booker apartment heard
the dull thud of a body striking the
j floor. Someone ran to the street and
summoned Patrolman Cassidy of the
West Sixty-eighth Street police sta
tion. When the officer broke into
the apartment a few minutes later
he found Booker standing trembling
near his wife’s body. He made no
attempt to resist arrest.
EDITORIAL
Much favorable comment has been
heard this week about the great
merger effected here last week, when
the St. Luke Bank and Trust Com
pany and the Second Street Savings
Bank were united in one big bank
ing institution, to he known as the
Consolidated Bank and Tiustf Com
pany. The r.ew institution will open
its doors January t«t in the quarters
now occupied by the St. Luke Bank,
at First and Marshall Streets. Em
mett C. Burke is president and Wal
ter. S. Banks, secretary-treasurer.
This will give an impetus to Rich
mond’- business life rnd increase the
economic standing of the colored
people of this community. Business
men generally express the thought
that the move was a healthy one,
j and the 'man on the street is pleased
I at the prospect of our folks learn
! ing to get together. With Mrs. Mag
! gie L. Walker, chairman of the
board, and John T. Taylor, assistant
chairman, the institution has at its
disposal the best business sagacity
and experience extant in Richmond.