Newspaper Page Text
Succumbs To Monoxide Gas
. 'S>^>
Ml** Rath Robert*, SI, of
300& Brush, who died from In.
haling carbon monoxide gas
In a parked car on Tlreman
Many Notables Are Present At
Funeral Os James W. Johnson
Now York—(ANP) —With tho
jallerl** of historic Salem M E
church packed hour* before the
funeral, and many notables tn at
tendance. James Weldon Johnson
us burled Thursday as he had re
quested. In his "working clothes”
of a lounging robe and formal
morning trousers with a copy of
his famous book of poems, “God's
Trombones,” In bis hsnds.
Fog Caused Crash
Tbe eminent author, diploma*,
professor snd lecturer was en
route to bis summer home st Great
Barrington. Man , last Sunday af
ter a visit in Pleasant Point. Me.,
nth Dean E George Payne o(
New York university, when his
car was struck by a passing train
near Wtacasset, Me. His wife,
Cface Nail Johnson, driver of the
car. was seriously Injured. Poor
visibility through fog snd a heavy
rain was blamed for the craah
which snuffed out Mr. Johnson’s
life almost instantly.
Although funeral services were
scheduled for 11:30 Thursd »
morning and the church was
crowded long before that time, th
family and funeral party did not
arrive until an hour later.
Notables Present
The Rev. Frederick Cullen, pas
tei of Salem and conductor of the
serviees. led the procession follow-
Secretary Cate Vi tits
Tribune Office
Honorable Leon Case, secretary
of state of Michigan, called at the
Tribune office Wednesday. June
In company with Senator Char
les C. Diggs, Maurice J. Hots, chief
Investigator for the department of
state; and Joseph Waaserman, su
pervisor of branch offices in the
Southeastern area.
Secretary Case and his nsso
oia'es expressed their pleasure at
the success bslng made by J. L-
Cowlmg. manager of the Vernor
Highway branch of the secretsrv
of s'ate s office, and complimented
the Tribune upon its popularity
and progressiva policy.
Mr. Cowling, of .he Vernor High
way Branch, was host at th*
monthly meeting of State Branch
managers of Secretary Case's de
partment, held at the Brown Bom
ber's Chicken Shack at noon Inst
Wednesday. About one hundred
*nd twenty managers were pre
sent, Including Secretary Case.
Church Groups Air Grievances
In Judge Brennans Court
A heated church controverey be
f*a«n two local rival church
rroupt cama to a climax Wednev
in Judge Vincent M. Brennan'*
Circuit Court. Tba Judge ruled
'hat both groups should hava »h*
to use tha sama church build*
n * at different times.
Tha controversy, it is said, began
10 December. 1937. when a group
headed by Bpaden Jones charged
”**• Clarence Minter. pastor of
'he Baptist church, 3004 Chens.
*i'b conduct unbecoming a min
l»ter, they attanrpted to oust
lav but Minter refused to quit.
la keeping with the rules of the
the first vice moderator
"** called t» and a decision eras
avenae. Sunday. Her compan
ion, Milton La nr hie. *as also
otercome by the fumes, bnt
may recover.
ed by Father Shelton Hale Bishop
Gene Buck, white, president of the
American Society of Composers.
Authors and Publishers, directors
of the funertl; NAACP Secretary
Walter White, Arthur Sptngam
Col. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Hub
ert. Delaney, Carl Van Vechten,
Elmer Carter. Fred E. Moore, Har
ry T. Burleigh. Judge Charles Ton
ey, W. C. Handy. Sanley Howe t
Mayor LaGuardia'a secretary, and
others.
Members of the family Included
Rosamond Johnson, brother and
noted composer! Mildred, the
daughter; Mr. and Mrs. John Nall,
slater and Mrs.
Beriha Randolph V»*d Mr. and Mrs
John Nail Jr. The wife is still con
fined in a Maine hospital.
Members of the James We'.doo
Johnson Literary gutld served as
pall bearers. They Included Claude
McKay, Aaron Douglass. Counts
Cullen. Langston Hughes. Romare
Bearden, Harold Jackman and
Miss Jesse Fausett.
The body lay In state a day be
fore the funeral and among tho
heaps of flowers banked around
the casket was a wreath from Mrs.
Franklin D. Roosevelt. Complete’y
covering the casket was a large
(Continued on page 2)
Girl Managing
Editor Injured In
Automobile Crash
Kansas Hty. Mo.— (ANP)— Mias
Lucille Bluford, brilliant young
managing editor of the Kanaaa
City Call, was injured in an auto
mobile accident here Friday night,
sustaining a fractured jaw. Mrs.
Yates, a friend who was in the car
with her. suffered s broken arm
and a alight concussion of the
brain.
A heavy C.raham-Paige, driven
hy a white man who it said to have
been drinking crashed Into Mlrs
Bluford* car at 22nd atreet and
Campbell avenue. Hit car was
completely demolished and MU*
Bluford'* was wrecked probably
beyond repair. Both Mis* Bluford.
who Is a Kansas university gradu
ate In journalism, and Mrs. Yatss
are In Phyllis Wheatley hoaplta’,
but Miss Bluford hopes to be back
at work In a week.
-Made in favor of Re*. Minter.
definite split resulted, about
i.i.y of the membership lolatrig
the Jones group, and some twenty
five remaining with Rev. Minter.
The two contending church
groups took the dispute to court,
to determine which should remain
in charge of the church building.
In his decision. Judge Brennan
ruled that Rev. Minter s group
shall use the church on Sundays,
Tuesdays, and Fridays; while the
Jones group may use the same
building on the other four days of
the week, if they so desire.
The Judge’s decision met with
but little opposition, both groups
being apparently satisfied.
**|W*t v - —y . — 1 #
ocottsboro Y outh tscapiesfihair
I GAN fhsQ
VOL. XVI NO. 17
GIRL VICTIM OF DEATH
PACT: MAN STILL LIVES
W.P.A. Worker Kills Son Then Shoots Wife
CAR IS LOCKED
WHEN COUPLE
IS DISCOVERED
Empty Beer Bottles
Also Discovered In
Rear Os Car
Two young victims of what lo
local police believe was a lover.*’
suicide p were found slumped
in the tea parked automobile
on Tlreman avenue late Sunday
evening.
The girl, Ruth Roberts. 21, of
3008 Brush, was dead, and her
companion, Milton Lanchle, 28. of
5018 St. Antoine, was unconscious
from Inhaling carbon monoxide
gaa Th* motor of tho xmr wav
still running and a rubber hose
was connected from the exhaust
and Inserted through the rear win
dow.
The doors and windows of the
car were tightly closed and locked,
so that It was necessary for the
police to break the glass in one of
tbe doors In order to get to the
two victims.
There was no note found In the
car or on the persons of the couple
and the real motive for the act is
unknown.
A sister of the dead girl, Mrs.
Rote Weir, 500S Brush, told wie
Tribune that she knew of no rea
son for her sister wanting to die.
a* her health was good and she was
employed in a private family.
Miss Roberts was a native of Al
bany. Georgia, where her father
resides. In addition to her sister
in Detroit, she is survived by a
sister in Philadelphia, Pa., and
other relatlvea in Georgia.
The body Is In charge of the A
G. Wright Funeral Home and will
be shipped to Georgia for Inter
ment.
Milton Lanchie, the girl's lover.
1j in Receiving hospital and b»*
condition la reported serious.
o
Despondent Woman
Out Os Work
Drinks lodine
Ruby Swann. 33. of 4560 Harding
street, was rushed to Receiving
hospital Thursday afternoon, after
she had taken a drink of lodine <n
an attempt to end her life.
The patient's condition. accord-
Ing to hospital reporta. Is tempor
arily serious. She was taken lo
he hospital by Rev. R L* BraJ
hy.
Scott Injunction
Trial Set For
Oct. Seventeenth
Washington—(A N Pi—Dr. Em
mett J. Scott’s suit against Presi
dent Mordecal Johnson to prevent
his release as secretary of Howard
university has been set for trial
Oct. 17 In district court. The date
was set after Dr. Scott had neen
given permission Tuesday to alth
draw a plea for a preliminary in
junction to prevent his ouster
Thursday.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
Killer
- s&■. -'i fry \ I
William Mathis, Sr* of fili>7
Stanford, who shot his son to
death and critically wounded
Trts wife, daring a drunken
nrgle, Sunday afternoon. He
escaped affPr shooting, but wa*
raptured Thnrsdaj.
FUNERAL RITES
ARE HELD FOR
COP VICTIM
Youth Is Accused Os
“Snatching” Purse
On Boulevard
Funeral rite* for Casper Saund
ers. 23-year o'd youth, of 6377
Woodrow avenue, who waa fatal
ly shot by a Detroit policeman <t
9 p. m. June 29. were held at 2 p.
m. Wednesday of this week from
Dczon'a Funeral Home Rev. Jee.:c
L Moore officiated. Interment wn
In Memorial Park Cemetery.
Young Saunders was shot by
Patrolman Dewey Weldmann, of
Bethune atation, on West Grand
Boulevard. The young man wa«
alleged to have attempted to snatch
the purse of Mrs. Margaret Hoff
man. 47. of 196S Rlalne avenue
Saunders died In Receiving hospl
tal at,9:35 p. m June 30.
•According to Mrs. Hoffman, she
and her daughter, Elizabeth. w«re
walking along West Grand Boule
vard. when a man attempted to
snatch her purse Hearing ner
screams, the patrolman la said to
have rushed to the scene and fl -
ed a shot which struck youo<
Saunders.
The victim lost considers!/.*
blood, before he was removed to
Receiving hospital, and at 11:45
p. m. his family waa tnformed of
the shooting.
When they reached the bedside
of the young man. they found hint
In a critical condition. They re
qtested that their family physician
be called In, but the physicians
r.nd nurses in charge refused, stat
ing that the hospital had ample
facilities, and that private phy
sicians were not permitted to as
sist the hospital staff or to ex
amine the patients In any way.
The Saundera' family physician
aas permitted to examine the
youth, however, but not until
shortly before the young man <u
plred.
According to relatives of the
youth, he told them how every
thing happened, before he died.
He stated:
"I was walking along West
Grand Boulevard. I heard a shot,
felt dizzy. I walked a few steps
and fell In the alley. I did not hear
the policeman say 'Halt!' I didn’t
(Continued on page 4)
Wounded
' ; ***■
Mrs. Edna Mathis, mother of
eight children, who was shot
In the chest by her Intoxicated
husband Sonday, after he had
beaten her.
NAACP Told How
Race Must Resort
To Vote Pressure
Columbus, Ohio —Because the
politician is the most sensitive in
strumentality In a democratic
government through which *he
people can express their will, the
Negro will have to resort to pres
sure through the vote as a way out
of his economic plight, Dr. T. V
Smith said here this week.
Addressing the twenty-ninth an
nual conference of the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People held at the
Shiloh Baptist Church. Mt Vernon
and Hamilton avenues. Dr. Smith
a professor of philosophy at the
University of Chicago, and astute
senator In the Illinois legislature,
spoke on "The Negro and th*
Changing Political Scene."
"A good example of what 1
mean” he said, "is the Senate ftli
buster against the federal anti
lynching bill during the last ser
sion of Congress. I have always
known that the donkey ia the trade
mark of the Democratic parly, hut
I did not know that members of
this party could make such asses
of themselves as they did In the
antl-lynch filibuster.'’
Pointing out that the chaotic
(Continued on page 10)
Tenant Farmer* Win
Case Over Landlord
Jackson. Tenn.- <ANP)— Follow
ing the precedent recently estab
lished by the Mississippi supreme
court, the court of appeals Thurs
day reversed Chancellor Bejarh Sti
the suit of Will Shaw, tenant far
mer. against laiwrence P. Bowden,
white plantation owner of Joiner,
Ark . to recover about fl.so'> which
Shaw claimed was owed him or.
bis account, and awarded tne
judgement to the tenant farmer.
Shaw charged Bowden foiced
him from the plantation commis
sary at pistol point after attack
ing him with a blunt instrument
because he was unable from ill
ness to drlva hie team for hauling
cotton.
The appeal was made on Bejach s
ruling that ledger accounts of the.
defendant ware admissible evi
dence. according to Joe C- Tatn*er
attorney for the plaintiff.
SATURDAY, JULY 9, 1938
Killed
j — •* *
ttilliaift MalhU, Jr* l>.rf*r
old student of >orthern high
school who wa* fatally *ho<
by hi* father, Jnly 3. when he
attempted lo re*rue hi* moth
er from a beating.
JUDGE RAINEY
STILL HOLDS
COURT IN PENN
Bar Members Ponder
Over The Supposed
Judges' Suspension
PHILADELPHIA-t ANPt Lo
cal members of the bar and ordi
nary laymen last week pondered
the present "suspension” status of
Magistrate Joseph H Rainey. Dem
ocratic member of the minor Judi
ciary, who. reports indicate, was
suspended for the month of Julv
by Chief Magistrate John O Malley.
Despite the CiiUf Magistrate’s ru
mored ruling. Magistrate Ralrev
continues holding court.
From one source it was learned
the O'Mallev suspension order va*
stemmed in reports brought to biui
that Rainey was "too vigorous!;.”
espousing the cause of his peop'e
and that he has shown favoritism
tc- Negroes Involved In cases in
opposition to whites The ‘‘charge*"
reputedly were aired last wok
when Raney was "brought in rn
the carpet" by the chief m?*;s
trale.
What developed at the closed
(Continued on page 4)
Race Members Forced To Aid
In Lynching Os Colored Man
ROLLING FORK Miss. Tom
Green, s 48 year-old Negro black
smith. was lynched by an angry
mob near here Thursday, after
he had alaln a white planter in a
fight.
The planter. P. Purdy Flanagan,
operated a large plantation In tlie
locality and Green was employed
by him as farm blacksmith. The
two men engaged in an alterca
tion. in which Flanagan wounded
the blacksmith, who in turn shot
the white man to death. .
A mob waa immediately formed,
conalating of about three hundred
white farmers and citliena, and it
ia reported some of the Negro farm
band* on the Flanagan plantation
were forced to aid in the lynching,
being used to help storm the cabin
In which tha wounded blackemPh
PLEA OF MERCY
IS YIELDED TO
BY GOV GRAVES
Death Sentence Is
Commuted To Life
In The Penitentiary
Montgomery. Ala Governor
P'bb Graves, of Alabama, in re
srense to a pica for clemency.
Tuesday commuted to life impri
sonment the death sentence again t
Clarence Norris, one of the nine
Scottsboro boys who had been
condemned to die in 'he electric
chair, on conviction for allotted
criminal attarks upon two whi;*
girls in 1331.
Three of the Scottsboro defend
ants are already serving long pri
son terms and a fifth i* under
twenty years sentence for assault
ing an officer. Fou/’others o? the
Scottsboro defendants havi» hc*n
freed.
Clarence Norris and the four
other fellow prisoners in the cir.e
served notice last week that they
intended to plead for pardon
The two women alleged to have
bren attacked were Victoria Pric»
and Ruby Bates, were riding in a
frieght car with the Scottsboro
beys and a white youth, when the
alleged crime was committed M'.s-
Batcs later testified tn court tha*
she and Victoria Price had not
been assaulted, but that they bad
made tho charge in order to escape
arrested as hoboes.
The case during the past seven
rears, has attracted internatonal
attention The Nine Negro boys
were defended by the | L P.;
Scottsboro Defense Committee.
The N. A A C, p. and other mili
tant organizations and soni ■ of
the best lawyers in the United
State* were employed as defense
attorneys.
Conviction of the accused boy*
it ttie *’.gbi'uia courts were re
peatedly appealed to the t S Su
preme court and the decision? re
versed. until four of the prisoner:
were finally released
—a tot.oßK.n .him.k—
Minister Plans
House Warming
Rev. Edward Simmons, assist
ant pastor of Second Baptist
church plan? to have a house
warming at his new residence. 57t»
King street, in the near future
Rev. Simmons is one of Detroit *
leading young ministers. He anJ
his family formerly r*«ided at 2,141
Real street.
bad barricaded himself.
For fifteen minutes. Green he!]
the mob at bay. firing at them with
a rifle, shotgun, and revolver, bn'
finally the cabin door was craVu»d
open and a white planter, armed
with a riot gun. shot the victim's
head from the body.
Negroes who were at hand pull
ed the man's body out of the cabin,
tied it to the rear of rn autom ulle
and the lynchers dragged It to tr*«
scene of the Flanagan slaying, a
quarter mile away. There, the
blacksmith's headless body was
drenched with gasoline and set a
fire.
Later, the charred body was
dragged fifteen miles farther, to
the county seat at Rolling Fork,
snd set afire again, after having
been soaked in gasoline
S CENTS A COPY
IRATE FATHER
ELUDES POLICE
AFTER KILLING
Had Threatened Lives
Os Other Children
Neighbors State
While under the Influence of
liquor. William Mathia. 38. of
6107 Stanford avenue, ahot to
death hi? eighteen-year-old J on,
William. Jr. and critically wound
ed his wife Edna, early Sunday
afternoon, because the youth inter
vened to prevent the father from
beating the mother.
Young Math Ml d*e<! sHortly afta#
admittance to Receiving hospital.
Mrs. Mathis ia also hovering be
tween life and death, with a bul
let in her chest, and she is iio
weak to be operated on
WPA Worker
Mathis escaped immediately af
ter the double shooting bur *is
not been apprehended by police,
captured Thursday He was em
ployed a* a WPA worker and it
the father of eight children
According to reporta. Ma'his
came home intoxicated Saturday
night and began beating hia wife.
He al«o inflicted a wound on her
arm with a pair of shears. Tb* po
lice were called in. but did not
make an arreat, They persuaded
the man »o go to bed and Jae sl*-pt
for several hours
Buy« Reeolrer
On waking Sunday, it is alleg'd
he again began beating hia wife,
because the officers had been ca 11-
C'l in His son. William intervened,
and *his added to *he father a an
£tr
Leaving the house in a rage, Ma
this it is said went to a neighbor's
borne and purchased a revolve’' fo
' o dollars. Armed w ith the wea
pon. he went home and walked tn
t<> the dining room, facing the bed
room where young William w»i
sleeping The lad often worked it
right and slept during the day.
neighbors stated
Approaching th« sleeping bow.
Mathis shouted. "Ive been watting
for this chance a long time, and
now I've got it."
William sat up in bed at thesa
remarks, and hi* father fired at
(Continued <Jn Page 4)
Jobless Man
Attempts Suicide
John Thompson. 00. of 1459 Theo
dore street, was found lying In
the bark yard of his home Thursdar
morning, by Jack Penny, a roomer
at the same address.
Thompson was taken to Receiv
ing Hospital and an examination
reveaed that he bad taken aome
kind of poison in as attempt to
commit suicide, because he wan
cut of work. His condition in cri
tics!.
Detective Frits, who lntarvtewed
Thompson's mother, was informed
that the young man had been In a
despondent mood for soma time,
while seeking in vain to find work.
