The Detroit tribune., July 25, 1936, Page 1, Image 1

About The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
ON ALL
NEWS
STANDS
VOL XIV NO. 19
MURDER MYSTERY IS SOLVED
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MRS. EULA COLEMAN and 5-year-old Donald,
widow and son of Silas Coleman.
Meeting Called For
Applicants For
Firemen’s Jobs
All citizens who have lately tak
,y M the physical and written exam
inations for Jobs in the Detroit
Fire Department are requested by
the Detroit Civic Rights Commit
tee to meet at the St. Antoine Y.
M. C. A., Sunday, July 26, at 9 a.
m.
Business of importance will be
discussed, in which applicants who
desire to be placed, will participate.
Frank Lett, former U. of M. ath
letic star, will be in charge of the
meeting. Members of the Detroit
Civic Rights Committee will be pre
sent.
Harlem N. Y. Would
Oust White Cops
New York—(ANP)—Taking cog
nizance of the growing unrest of
the people of Harlem as expressed
in the series of riots that have
occurred here since the big out
break last March, the Citizens
Democratic club, through its exe
cutive member, Dr. L. B. Capehart,
has drawn up a lengthy resolu
tion on the matter which has been
sent to the mayor, the press, min
isters of the churches and the
executives officers of many Har
lem organizations.
The resolution calls for a fifty
percent reduction in the white po
lice force now patroling Harlem
and their replacement by fifty per
cent Negro police officers. It fur
ther calls for the formation of a
corp of Negro mounted police to
(Continued from Page 4)
Whites Would Ban Negroes
Living In D.C. Neighborhoods
Washington—(ANP)—Seeking to
place a residence ban on Negroes
in the 400 block of Columbia Road,
Northwest, two suits were filed in
District Supreme Court last week
by white citizens.
The colored residents named in
the suits are Mr. and Mrs. Augus
tus Hruce, 417 Columbia road, and
Harry J. Robinson, 411 Columbia,
who are both renting their houses.
Mrs. Bruce is a teacher in the Dis
CHICAGO LAWYER TO ADDRESS
B.T.W. LUNCHEON CLUB
The Booker T. Washington
Trade Association Noon-day
Luncheon Club will celebrnte it’s
fourth anniversary on Wednesday,
July 20th, at 8:00 p. m. at the Y.
W. C. A. The club will have ns its
principal speaker, Attorney Oscar
C. Brown of Chicago. Illinois.
Mr. Brown is a graduate of the
Commercial Department of How
ard University and also of the
Science nnd Law Department of
Howard University. Mr. Brown
served as an officer, doing over
1 »ne
LEADING NEG IkO WEEKLY OF MICHIGAN Jtm
CLIFFORD 2924
Detroit Artist To
Show Paintings At
Texas Fair
The Harmon Foundation, of New
York City, an organization whicl
promotes and encourages the Fin«
I
Arts among. Negroes, has acceptec
two paintings of Allison Oglesby
of 4534 Tireman avenue, Detroit, at
being worthy of being exhibited ir
the Hall of Negro Life at the Texai
Centennial.
Oglesby studied at the Massa
chusetts State Normal Art School
in Boston, and the Wicker School
of Fine Arts, Detroit. He has ex
hibited his work at the Museum ol
Fine Arts at the Michigan State
Fair, the John Reed Club, and else
where, under auspices of the Har
mon Foundation.
o
Artists Enroll In
Audition Contest
Tut National Musicians Associa
ticn of the Negro Musicians ■o''.
convening in Detroit August 23rd—
27th inclusive will award a scholar
ship in the National Audition Con
test.
Those having entered In Semi-
Finals to be held in Detroit August
14th are, Fannie Black, pinno:
Annie Belle, White piano; Pernilla
Rollins Flack, piano; Geraldine,
S h aw, violin; Kstella Andrews,
soprano; Ed Lockett, baritone
trict public school while her hus
band is a government worker.
Plaintiffs in the case are Mary
J. Parker, 407 Columbia road;
Mrs. Charles W. Fritter, 403 Col
umbia road, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
E. Currier, 3012 Park Place, North
west; Harriet Percilla Brady, 424
Irving street, and the Jerome S.
Murray Cos., which sold the pro
perty to Mr. Robinson on May 12.
The plaintiffs in the case con-
seas duty in the World War, and
upon his return to the United
States, entered in business in In
dianapolis, Indiana and Atlanta,
Georgia. he went to Chica
go and was manager of the Doug
las Memorial Bnnk, and at the
present time, is actively engaged
in the practice of Law in that city,
representing many business insti
tutions. Mr. Brown is a keen
thinker, nnd has hnd the privilege
of addressing many audiences. The
public is invited to henr him on this
occasion.
Murdered
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Jm Si
SILAS COLEMAN, World
War veteran, who was slain by
alleged members of the Black
Legion, May 2">, lfrti.V.
Pictures of white princi
pals in the Coleman case, as
portrayed on this page, read
ing from left to right, upper
row: Erwin Lee, John Ban
nerman, and Harvey Davis.
In group picture, below:
Dayton Dean, center, point
ing out to two investigators
of the Wayne County Prose
cutor’s office, place where
Coleman jumped into the
swamp, after running down
the road from the cars, and
bridge behind trees in back
ground.
Florence Shumake, contralto; Mae
Whitney , soprano; Marie Slade
Kynes, Contralto; William Johnson,
tenor; Rheoha Ross, tenor; Bernice
Griffin White, contralto; Lubertha
Woodford, soprano.
Any youth or adult endorsed hy
a branch organization of the N.
A. N. M. as it’s entrant will be
o c: mpete by complying
with the rules governing the con
test.
The local units. The Emperial
Choral Society, The Detroit Musi
cians Association and The Azalia
Hackley Music Club, will sponsor
their semi-Final Contest on the
night of Friday, August 14, The
winners will compete with national
winners Friday, August 21, The fin
als to be held in the auditorium' of
Bethel A. M. E. Church. St. Antoine
and Frederick Streets on Friday
Evening August 21st, which night
accordig to the calander of the N.
A. X. M. is designated as “National
Audition Night”. Dr. J o h n W.
Moore, is chairman o f National
Scholarship Fund.
Entrance in contest c an b e
made anytime until August Sth.
All persons interested in entering
contest are requested to c a 1 1 ji
wite Jererone G. Maeklin 548 East
Kirby Avenue, Detroit Michigan, or
call Trinity 2-4008.
tend that that white residents in
the block have a covenant on their
property which provides that it
will not be rented or sold to color
ed. Harry Smith, owner of the
house at 417 Columbia Road, turn
ed his house over to the Capital
View Realty Company, a colored
company, for rental. The realty
company in turn rented the house
to the Bruces, which apparently
satisfied Smith.
The neighbors complain that
Smith has broken his covenant and
have had papers served on him re
quiring him to appenr in court to
(Continued on page 2)
Father Divines’
Followers In
More Trouble
New York —(ANP) —There seems
to be no rest for Father Divine’s
followers, no matter where they
hail from. Take the case of Gordon
Bergeron, white, bus driver, who
brought n group of the Father’s
followers all the way from the
Pacific Const here to feat at the
Father’s feet last week.
Gordon paid a fine of $5 in
Traffic Court for not having a fire
(Continued on Page 9)
A Non-Partisan Newspaper
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, SATURDAY JULY 25, 1936
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DEAN, BLACK LEGION KILLER, TELLS HIS STORY
A transcirption of Dayton Dean’s
story of Coleman’s brutal murder,
aB related to Prosecutor McCrea
and members of the Police Depart
ment, reads in part as follows:
“I was working for the public
lighting Commission at the Mister
sky Power Station and Harvey Da
vis caine in one day and we were
talking and he wnated to know if
I’d get hold of a colored guy for
him. ,
"He said they were going to have
a party out to the lake and they
wanted ta have a little excitement.
They wanted to get hold of a col
ored fellow,, didn’t make any diffe* •
ence where he came from as long
as he was black. They wanted to
take him out and kill him.
"Col. Davis said he wanted to
known what it felt like to shoot a
“NACIREMA WEEK” TO BE
OBSERVED AUGUST SECOND
A souvenir booklet has just been
issued by the Nacirema Club, giv
ing the entire program for the an
nual "Nacirema Week” celebration.
A week of elaborate festivities has
been planned, which will begin
August 2nd. and continue until Au
gust 8.
The program will be as follows:
Sunday, August 2, annual plcinic
all day at Kerr’s Grove; Monday,
after 4 p. m., open house and cock
tail hour; Tuesday, after 10 p. m.,
sports dance at the club house
with the students as hosts; Wed
nesday, trip to Rotunda, leaving
club at 6:30 p. m.; Thursday,
brenkfast nt Relle Isle at 8 a. m ,
and midsummer sport dance at
Graystone Gardens from 9 p. m ,
to 2 a. m.; Friday, lawn card tea
at club house with ladies of Na
cirema as hostesses.
The week of enjoyment will be
concluded Saturday with a visitors
party at the club house after 1<
BAPTIST TO HOLD CONVENTION HERE
The Wolverine Missionary Rap-
Hat convention will hold its
eighteenth annual session at Shiloh
Baptist Church, 553 Benton streets
of which Rev, S. D. Ross is pastor,
Wednesday, July 29 to August 2.
Officials predicts it will be one of
the largest gatherings of colorec
Negro. So he asked me if I knew
where I could get hold of one. I
told him I did not know, but I’d
Bee Charlie Rouse, he might know.
"So I got hold of Charlie Rouse
and Charlie said he had just the
right man, he had one working for
him, so we made arrangements
with Davis and with Charlie Rouse;
Charlie Rouse was to make ar
rangements with the Negro and I
was to make arrangements with
Davis where to meet him.
Tells of Plans
"So Charlie Rouse came over to
my house and picked me up in his
car and we went over to Harvey
Davis’ house, but he wasn’t home
so I knew he was out at the lake,
so Charlie made arrangements to
meet the colored fellow at 9:30 that
night.
"It was Meyers road or School
craft, and Grand River. I told
p. m., the bachelars of Nacireme
acting as hosts.
The Nacirema Club, of which Roy
Morton is president, is located at
6118 30th street. N
o
Cleavers and Knives
Play Havoc In Fight
In a free-for-all fight at 502 E.
Elizabeth street, last Friday, bet
ween Clarence Forest, and Willie
and Lenora Smart, the latter was
badly wounded. Butcher knives,
meat cleavers and pocket knoves
were used in the brawl.
Lenora was taken to the Receiv
ing Hospital where she is in a ser
ious condition.
Patrolman LeMaster and DeWitt
of the first precinct nrrested
Smart and Forest who are now in
custody awaiting the outcome of
Lonora’s wounds.
Baptist to meet in religious and
educational endeavors. In Michigan
for years. The women’s department
and young people’s department will
hold their session at L in c o 1 n
School on Brady and Livingstone.
The speaker nt the Sunday nfter
noon meeting w 1 1 1 be I>r. R. L
Courtesy Os Detroit News
Charlie that Davis had gone out to
the lake with the rest of gang and
that we would meet him out there,
so we went out to the corner and
he recognized his man out there.
He got in the car and we drove out
to Brighton and left to Rush Lake.
"We went to the cottage and I
went in the back door and there
(Continued on page 4)
“Never Sleeps”
JESr i v i x
fßgr jp ’jap
/l ■ '
DETECTIVE WILLIAM SIM
MONS, formerly of the Detroit
Homicide Squad, who was first
assigned to the Coleman mur
der case, hnt was later taken
off the ease and transferred.
He is known as a detective
who “never sleeps” nfter be
ing nsslgned to n case and
during recent years has track
ed down many criminals and
solved numerous pnzzllng
crimes.
Brndhy, pastor of Second Baptist
Church, Detroit, and president c
meritus of the convention. Many o
ther speakers of note will appear
on program during the session.
The public is invited to attend
j the convention. Rev. E. L, T<xld if
president,
2146 ST. ANTOINE ST
Five Black Legionaires Charged
With Thrill Murder Os War
Vet, Silas Coleman
TRIBUNE FIRST TO LOCATE
WIDOW OF SLAIN MAN
AND SECURE INSIDE STORY
Dean Reveals How Victim Was Decoyed To
Lonely Spot and Killed For Amusement
(By Staff Reporter)
In the courtroom of Judge Edward J. Jeffries, Wed
nesday morning, five members of the «Black Legion stood
mute, when arraigned on a charge of kidnaping and mur
dering Silas Coleman, a 42-year-old colored World War
veteran, who was decoyed to a lonely spot near Rush
Lake, in Livingstone County, on May 25, 1935, and shot
to death. Judge Jeffries entered a plea of not guilty
and held the prisoners for examination July 28.
The five men who were accused'
of the crime by Dayton Dean, con
fessed trigger-man of the Black
Legion, were: Colonel Harvey Dav
is, now awaiting trial for the mur
der of Charles Poole and for con
spiracy to slay Mayor William Voi
sine, of Ecorse, Mich.; Jack Ban
nerman and Ervin Lee, awaiting
trial in the same case; and Charles
Rouse, and James Roy Lorence.
Warrants for the five men were
issued Tuesday, by Prosecutor Dun
can McCrea, charging them with
kidnaping and murder.
Nhot Six Times
Coleman’s body was discovered
1 in the swamp by a fisherman, Sun
l day, May 26, 1935. According to
j Coronor Claude Roundsville, of
j Livingstone County, five bullets
were in the victim’s head and neck
1 and another in the body was not
located. Farmers in the vicinity of
the tragedy, about sixty-five miles
from Detroit, stated that they
heard shots on the night of the
murder, but the crime was not solv
ed by investigating officers of Liv
ingstone and Wayne County, until
Dean's amazing confession this
week.
After the story of the confession
broke, the Detroit Tribune was the
first newspaper in the city to lo
cate the widow of the murdered
man, and secure a statement from
her and her sister, who went to
Livingstone County a year ago to
identify the body.
Following a feverish, house-to
-house search. In which investiga
tors of the Prosecutor’s office and
star reporters of local dailies
participated Tribune representa
tives finally located Mrs. Eula Cole
man. the dead man’s widow, in an
humble apartment in a dilapidated
building on the East Side. Her
little five-year-old son was also
present. Pictures and an exclu
sive story were secured and as the
Tribune representatives were leav
ing, a reporter and photographer
from one of the leading dailies
came to the apartment, and ex
pressed astonishment at the clev
erness with which the Tribune had
located Mrs. Coleman in the short
space of two hours, as her
whereabouts was not even known
to the Prosecutor’s office.
Mrs. Coleman's Story
When asked by the Tribune, if
she had seen the story of Dean’s
confession in the daily paper, Mrs.
Coleman replied in the negative.
Then she told of the report that
her husband had been murdered by
4TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER TO
BE GIVEN BY LUNCHEON CLUB
Attorney Percival R. Piper,
chairman of the committee on ar
rangements for the 4th anniver
sary dinner of the Booker T. Wash
ington Trade Association Noon
day Luncheon Club, states that
the stage is all set for a real gala
night. The dinner will be held at
the Y. W\ C. A..Wednesday, July
29th. at 8:00 p. m. The doors will
he open at 7:45 and the invocation
will he said promptly nt 8:00. At
torney A. C. Brown of Chicago
will be the guest speaker and in
addition to the dinner and program
there will he plenty of fun and
entertainment features. Oloster
Current’s Nightingales will furnish
music for the occasion. There will
be no regular meeting of the Lun
cheon Club on that day. It is an
ALL
NEWS
STANDS
5 CENTS A COPY
the Black Legion.
“I knew it some weeks ago,” she
replied. “I heard that farmers
near the place where my husband
was killed, knew something about
who killed him and I was advised
to go to the police department and
ask them to get the farmers to sign
an affidavit that the men they
heard talking on the night of the
murder, were not Negroes but
white. The next day I saw one of
the local newspapers and read a
bout some of the Detroit police be
ing under suspicion of being mem
bers of the Black Legion,
and I was afraid to tell them. One
of the names in the paper looked
(like the name of the officer I was
told to see.”
When questioned again on this
point Wednesday night, Mrs. Cole
man recanted her previous state
ment, apparently being afraid, and
said she had not been told that
the Black Legion members had
killed her husband.
“My husband and I had been liv
ing apart for some time prior to
his death, and he was living with
a former schoolmate of mine. 1
did not know it was she, until af
ter his death, when I went with
detectives to the woman’s house,
to search for army papers belong
ing to Silas. We did not find the
papers, but we did find some of my
husband’s clothes in the house.
“I had been ill for a year at
Herman Kiefer Hospital, and had
not been released long before Sil
as was murdered. I saw him two
days before his death, but my sis
ter Mrs. Gallie Hines saw him the
day of the tragedy.
“Detective William Simmons, of
the Homicide Squad, who had solv
ed so many Important crimes, was
at first assigned to the case and
worked on a number of clues; but
soon he stopped working on the
case, and later I learned he had
neen tranferred from the Homicide
Squad for some reason which I
don’t know.
“Early this year, I was sent word
by the woman who took my hus
band that an important letter had
come for him to her address and
she wanted me to come and get
it, hut I was advised by a police
man not to go. I never received
the letter and don’t know what It
contained.
“I was also told that a colored
man who worked on the same job
with my husband, informed the wo
man that Silas hnd $lB coming to
him and he offered to take me to
(Continued from Rage 4)
ticipated that . this dinner will
bring together one of the largest
number of business and profession
al people ever assembled in De
troit as the request for reserva
tions has already exceeded the
supply.
Geo. W. Cox, agency director of
the North Carolina Mutual Insur
ance Company of Durham. N. C.,
delivered a stirring address at the
weekly meeting Wednesday, July
15th. on the "Durham Corporations""
which resulted in the immediate ap
pointment of a committee to set
in motion some of the things out
lined in Mr. Cox’s address.
A Glee Club representing the
Bethune-Cookman College of Day
tona Beach, Fla., lead by Miss
Josie Roberts, rendered several
selections that were highly enjoy
ed.