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- *o ifcARS THE OUTSTANDING NEGRO WEEKLY OF THE CAROLINA3
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VOLUME 29—NUMBER 6
DURHAM, N. C., SATURDAY, FEB. 17th, 1951
PRICE: TEN CENTS
V
Sanford Citizens Ask For
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Dismissal Of Principal
Stray Bullet Kills School Girl
SCENES AT STRAY BULLET SLAYING
Shown above is Detective F.
A. Privette examining the bul
let hole in the window pane at
Lucille Hunter School through
which the death dealing slug
passed when it struck and
killed little Annie Delores
Martin while she sat at her
desk last Thursday. The bul
let is alleged to have been
fired a half a mile away dur
ing a gun battle between two
brothers. Inset is Annie De
lores, the slain child. The two
brothers are being held by
police pending an investiga
tion. — Courtesy, The News
and Observer, Raleigh.
Yale Dean Slaps [Race Discrimination
In Institute Of Reliaion Address
Raleigh — lu his address to
the fourth session of the 1951
Institute of Religion Dean Lis
ton Pope, North Carolina native
(Thomasville) and dean of the
Yale Divinity School, told lis
teners here Monday night that
‘ ‘ race tensions are mounting
rapidly in Africa and Asia as
well as in the United States, and
the future of our western civil
ization may depend to consider
able degree on our ability co
operatively to resolve these ten
sions.
Dr. Pope spoke on the subject,
Christianity on the other. A civil
Struggle.” Said he, ‘‘If Asia
and Africa are totally alienated
from the western nations, we
shall have lost a major part of
our struggle with Russia. And
Russia has already all but suc
ceeded in convincing non-white
peoples that she is their champ
ion against the imperalism and
chauvinism of the western pow
er*.
Against such weapons, atom
bombs are helpless,” he said,
‘ ‘ and we had better realize—and
quickly — that Russia’s pro
clamation of racial equality can
be combatted only by a better
demonstration of racial equal
ity than Russia can produce.”
“In a world struggle, what we
do to our neighbors at home has
become as important for the out
come as what we do to our en
emies abroad.”
Dr. Pope was introduced to
the session by Dr. Edwin M.
Poteat, pastor of Pullen Mem
orial Baptist Church. Dr. Pope
is a graduate of Duke Universi
ty and Yale University.
Enumerating the progress
made in race relations in Amer
ica during the past 10 years,
Dr. Pope pointed to the fact
that Negro baseball players have
been admitted into the big lea
gues and Jackie Robinson has
become a hero for the sand-loti
gangs.
“This,” he told his audience,
“is very important; we can re
member that prejudice against
immigrants was largely broken
down in this country when foot
ball players and baseball play
ers with unpronounceable names
became heroes to the kids.”
Cites Dr. Bunche.
A Negro, Dr. Raplh Bunche,
has achieved one of the highest
posts in international affairs,
and has recently been awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize; a fra
ternity at Amherst College de
fied its national organization by
admitting a Negro boy to mem
bership; the President of the
, United States has ordered the
elimination of segregation in
the Armed Services. Lynching
has nearly disappeared, and
anti-Semitism, while still in ex
istence, appears to be declining.
“The Supreme Court has
probably had more effect than
any other agency in the advance
ment of rights for minorities,”
Dean Pope said. “It has not yet
ruled on the legality of segre
gation as such—though it is
(Please turn to Page Eight)
$75,000 Raised
For Livingstone
On Founder's Day
Salisbury — Witn representa
tion from the 12 Episcopal Dis
tricts of the A. M. E. Zion
Church, the 97th Anniversary
of the founder of Livingstone
College, Joseph C. Price, was
held here today.
The service began at 10:30
A. M. when the student council
conducted a program in the hon
er of the founder in the audi
torium. Musical selections wero
made by the college Octette with
Helena Anderson, James Till
man, Zebric Coaston, L. Clifton
Dillingham, Guy Hawkins,
Charles Ward, and Doris Mas
sey. Reverend H. H. Little,
Professor Practical Theology of
Hood Theological Seminary,
represented the facility.
The highlight of the anniver
sary was the report of monies
collected throughout the church
and by, the faculty and student
body. Pounder’s Day is set a
part as the day on which all
monies for the Livingstone En
dowment Fund is reported and
turned over to President W. J.
Trent.
Faculty, $418.00.
Student Body, $218.75
1st Episcopal District, Bishop
B. G. Shaw, $9260.52.
2nd Episcopal District, Bi
shop William J. Walls, $1004.20.
3rd (Episcopal District, Bi
shop J. W. Martin, $8205.25.
4th Eipiscopal District, Bishop
Cameron C. Alleyne, $9207.40.
5th Episcopal District, Bi
shop William C. Brown, $3669.24
6th Episcopal District, Bishop
W. W. Slade, $8141.12.
7th Episcopal District, Bishop
B. F. Gordan, $6496.00.
8th Episcopal District, Bishop
Frank W. Alstork (Deceased),
$7083.50.
9th Episcopal District, Bishop
Edgar Watson (Deceased),
$7429.10.
10th Episcopal District, Bi
shop James Claire Taylor,
$1034.34
11th Episcopal District, Bi
shop Raymond L. Jones, $1830.
20.
Bishop W. J. Walls, whose
district comprises New York,
New England, Western New'
York and the Allegheny Confer
ences, lead the Episcopal Dis
tricts and president Trent not
only praised his report, but paid
a glowing tribute to all of the
bishops, general officers, pastors
and the entire membership of
the church for this fine expres
sion of faith in the institution
and the respect that it showed
for a man who looked beyond
the American horizon, who built
a college on the ideals of Chris
tianity and dedicated to serve
Negro Boys and Girls.
The reports were made at the
afternoon session when more
than $75,000.00 was turned in.
To Preach Here
Reverend F. 0. Bass, pas
tor the Mt. Vernon Church of
High Point, who will preach
at the Ebenezer Baptist
Church here Sunday, Feb
ruary 18th. Reverend Bass is
a former Durham citizen and
pastored in Reidsville before
being called to High Point.
8,000 Raised For St.
Joseph Building Fund
In the first report to be re
ceived in a campaign to raise
$20,000 for its new educational
building program, Reverend D.
A. Johnston, pastor of Saint
Joseph A. M. E. Church, an
nounced here Sunday night that
a total of $8,708.43 had been
raised.
Reverend Johnston said that
the campaign would be con
tinued until every member had
an opportunity to contribute to
the building fund.
Conctruction of the education
al building and renovation of
the main auditorium of the
church at a cost of over $90,000
is fast reaching completion.
Contractors are expected to
turn over key to the new addi
tion about the latter part of
March.
Rev. Johnston stated this
week that efforts will be made
to complete the drive in March
at which time an additional
$12,000 must be raised.
Following the completion of
the reports Sunday night, a
Founder’s Day program was
rendered by the women of the
church who presented Dr. Helen
G. Edmonds, as the principal
speaker.
In her address, which was one
of the best heard here recently
on the founder of the A. M. E.
Church, Richard Allen, and its
history. Dr. Edmonds paid high
tribute to Allen as a man of
courage and foresight.
She called attention to the
challenge and example of racial
self-respect which the founding
fathers of the A. M. E. Church
left to those of us who now live,
by refusing to be relegated to
(Please turn to Page Eight)
13 SENTENCED IN S. C.
FOR ATTACKING NEGRO
Group Of Lee County
Citizens Ask Removal
Of Prof. W. B. Wicker
A committee of Negro citizens
appeared before County Super
intendent of School here Wed
nesday morning and requested
the removal of Professor W. B.
Wicker as principal.
The request which was in the
form of a letter charged that
the principal has “failed mis
erably in supervising the agri
culture program” and that his
nephew J. B. Brown who is in
charge of the work has failed to
cooperate with the Vocational
Agriculture program and the
Veteran’s Administration pro
gram.
Prof. Wicker is. also charged
in the letter of using his position
“to hand out jobs to individual
friends, relatives and those who
fit into his bias objectives.”
Representatives of the Caro
lina Times were also told that
behind the unrest in the Negro
school situation in Sanford and
dissatisfaction with the admin
istration of Prof. AVicker is the
fact that he has by maneuvers
and other tactics prevented the
Negroes of Sanford from obtain
ing a city school.
White citizens of Sanford
have five city school buildings
while the Negro citizens have
none. The only school available
to their children is the Lee
County Training School which
is not financed from city tax
funds.
The representative indicated
that behind the request for re
moval of Prof. AVicker is an ef
fort to avoid an equalization
school suit similar to those
brought in Durham, Wilson,
Plymouth and Chapel Hill.
He stated that Negro citizens
of Sanford do not feel that they
can secure the cooperation of lo
cal school authorities without
the removal of Wicker.
Lee County Co-ordinating
Committee
Sanford, North Carolina
February 12, 1951
Mr. J. J. Lentz, Superintendent
Lee County Schools
Dr. Waylon Blue, Chairman
Lee County Board of Education
Re: Mr. W. B. Wicker, Prin
cipal Lee County; Training
School.
Gentlemen:
We the undersigned citizens,
parents and patrons of Sanford
and Lee County do hereby re
quest that you relieve Mr. AV. B.
Wicker of his duties as prin
cipal of the Lee County Train
ing School at the end of the
present school term 1950-51.
The following are our rea
sons for making this request:
1. He has failed miserably in
supervising the agriculture pro
gram, in which his nephew Mr.
J. B. Brown is in charge. Mr.
Brown has failed to .cooperate
with the Vocational Agriculture
program as outlined by the
state, further Mr. Brown has
failed to cooperate with Vet
eran’s Administration program
as outlined for veterans taking
classes in agriculture. Further,
there is no program in Lee
County for Negro boys and girls
in conjunction with the New
Farmers of America. A survey
was made in Lee County during
the month of January 1951, and
it was found that out of twenty
students taking agriculture not
a one has a home project, nor
had they heard of one. This sur
vey also revealed that out of
ninety Negro farmers contacted
Mr. Byown had visited and
woi'ked with one in the past sev
en years. We believe that the
state of North Carolina pays a
Vocational Agriculture Teach
er twelve months to the year to
aid farmers, both students and
adults. Mr. W. B. Wicker is
directly responsible for the work
of each teacher of his admin
istration, but we feel that he has
failed miserably in supervising
this department.
2. He used his position as the
“Spoil System” mentioned in
early American History, to hand
out jobs to individual friends,
relatives and those who fit into
his bias and petty objectives. At
present four of his relatives are
employed in the Lee County
School System.
3. He insists in employing a
large majority of out of county
teachers, while there are many
persons in this county, who are
qualified and tax paying cit
izens. Out of thirty teachers em
ployed in the Lee County Train
ing School less than twenty per
cent are cittizens of Lee Coun
ty. Yet we have many qualified
persons, who are citizens of the
county forced to teach in other
places as far as Georgia, or do
domestic work etc.
4. He uses his position as
principal as a system of collect
ing funds at the sacrifice of the
the children should have in class
and other activities and objec
tives. Our children are often
seen uptown during school hours
begging or soliciting funds,
5. His personal disposition is
unpleasant to patrons and often
to those under his administra
tion. The Parent-Teachers Asso
ciation has become a farce. Many
patrons refuse to attend because
they have lost confidence in the
programs (which he calls his).
6. He uses fear in exerting
his authority instead of demon
strating the spirit and prin
ciples of democracy.
7. He fails to cooperate with
the churches and ministers in
the community.
8. He is not in sympathy with
the Boy Scouts of America, the
greatest youth movement in the
world.
9. He is opposed to any or
ganzation in the community
that is for uplift purposes among
the adults, except something he
can dominate.
10. The public opinion in the
community is against him.
We, the citizens, parents and
patrons of Sanford and Lee
County sincerely beg of you to
make the change as requested by
us.
e Respectfully submitted,
Lee County Co-Ordinating
Committee
D. H. Gilmore, Chairman
Mrs. Mildred McCoy
Smith, Secretary
Lonnie Alston, Treasurer
N. J. Stewart
Mrs. Viola Hadley
,T. L. Thompson
Robert Byrd
.Tames Jackson
To Sing Here
■" SHi
Wallace Thompson, of New
York City, will be presented
by the church Community
Center at White Rock Baptist
Church. Sunday, February
18, at 7 :30 P. M.
Mr. Thompson is steadily be
ing recognized as one of the
great singers of this genera
tion. In all parts of the coun
try audiences and critics are
nanimous agreement that as
the Boston Globe says he is
“gifted with a voice of rare
quality and he uses it knowT
ingly.
Wife Pres. Trent
Much Impoved
Salisbury—Dr. W. J. Trent,
President, Livingstone Col
lege, announced that his wife,
Mrs. Hattie Covington Trent,
who has been confined to her
home since the night of Feb
ruary 2, is much improved.
There was much concern
over her illness for quite some
time and her physicians were
uncertain about the outcome.
She begun to show signs of
improvement during the lat
ter part of the week.
Mrs. Trent is well-known
throughout church circles. She
has written several books. Her
preparing of a pageant that
depicted the life of the A. M.
E. Zion Church was the out
standing feat of the sesqui
centennial celebration of the
church.
Sentenced To Prison
For Wife’s Death
Forty-three year old Walter
Evans, a truck driver, was
sentenced to 18 to 25 years at
hard labor in the state prison
this week for the fatal beat
ing of his wife, Mrs. Naomi
Evans, last month. He plead
ed guilty to the charge of sec
ond degree murder.
Evans told Judge Dan K.
Moore that he kicked and
choked his wife while he was
in a jealous anger. She died
shortly afterward. Jirdge
Moore commented, after hear
ing several character witnesses
who appeared in Evans’ be
half, that “he must have left
his character at work the night
he beat his wife.”
The truck driver has a leng
thy court record which in
cludes six offenses charging
assault on a female, three of
them with a deadly weapon,
and a seventh charge of as
sault with a deadly weapon.
14-Year-Old Son Freed
For Slaying To Protect
Father From Mobbists
Greenwood, IS. 0.—History of
a new sort was written in bunco
Carolina court annals Here Mon
day wnen IS wnite men pleaded,
guilty to ciiarges ot crnninai
conspiracy in an attack on a
iNegro and were sentenced by
Circuit Judge T. B. Greneker oi
Gdgei'ieid. TJie men received
sentences of one year in jail or
a fine of $6OU, the balance to
be suspended upon the serving
of two months or payment oi
$200.
Not only did the Court pro
nounce sentence on the 13 men,
blit it freed Clayton Moore, Jr.,
14-year-old son of the victim of
the attack, when Solicitor Hugh
Beasley requested a directed
verdict of Judge Greneker of
not. guilty.
The boy was being tried for
the first degree murder of
George. S. Ferguson, Abbeville
white man, one of the members
of the mob.
Fei-guson was slain by the
boy when he, with 14 other white
men, went to the home of Clay
ton Moore, Sr. and attacked
him.
Sheriff J. Cal White testified
that the men told him they at
tacked Moore because he had
been showing a photograph of a
nude white woman.
Deputy Sheriff P. R. Under
wood stated that Moore was a
highly-respected citizen of the
community and that he knew
nothing of the photograph.
All of the 13 men were placed
under probation for two years,
and were given 30 days in which
to raise the fine.
One of the original 14, Adrin
Davis of Abbeville, had his sen
tence suspended but was placed
on probation. The Sheriff testi
fied that Davis had cooperated
with the officers in giving them
a full account of the attack.
Sheriff White said that Fer
guson was killed when Clayton’s
son answered his father’s call
for help. The boy grabbed a
shotgun and fired at the men,
killing Ferguson instantly.
Solicitor bc-asley said the boy
had a prefect right to go to the
defense of his father and his
home against a band of men who
(Please turn to Page Eight)
Nine-Year-Old Raleigh Child
Dies At Her School Desk
Raleigh — A little nine-year
old school girl paid with her life
here last Thursday for a gun
battle waged between two bro
thers a half mile away.
The child, Annie Delores Mar
tin, was shot through the head
by a stray bullet while she sat
at her desk. She was the daugh
ter of Mrs. Lydia Martin, 825
East Hargett Street.
Police are making a careful
examination of the bullet taken
from the head of the child to
determine if it was fired from
a pistol owned by Joe Giles
who has admitted that he fired
at his brother, Norman Giles.
The latter is reported to have
been running toward the school
on State Street at the time.
According to police the full
story of the tragedy has been
pieced together as follows: An
argument between the two bro
thers took place Thursday morn
ing over a loan of $200 which
Norman made his brother, when
it finally developed into a gun
battle.
The brothers were in cars and
as the two raced through the
streets in east Raleigh, Norman
said he shot at Joe several times.
The former stated he finally
went home and called his bro
ther at 1118 S. State Street and
told him that he was coming
over there.
Joe stated that when he saw
his bother park his car near his
Joe’s home, that he went out on
the front porch. As soon as Nor
man saw him and he opened fire
and Joe returned it with his
pistol which was a German-made
P-38. Police are of the opinion
that one of the bullets killed lit
tle Annie Delores.
According to Joe the shots
were fired in the direction of
the Lucille Hunter School, and
W. P. Whitely, identification
expert, who is making a com
parson of a bullet fired from the
gun with the one taken from the
little girl’s head, statedJ;hat the
school was well within the lethal
range of the weapon.
Although the little girl as the
innocent victim of the indis
criminate firing of the two men
within the city limits there is
little chance that even a charge
of manslaughter can be brought
against Joe if it is proved that
he was shooting in self defense,
according to Solicitor W. Y.
Bickett.
However ,said Bickett, if it
can be proved that Joe was not
shooting in self defense, he can
be charged with first degree
murder, second degree murder
or manslaughter.
The fact that the bullet hit an
innocent bystander a half a mile
away does not rule out the
possibility of a murder charge
if it is proved that Joe was not
shooting in self defense.
Solicitor Bickett stated fur
ther that the intent to kill is
the governing factor in such
cases. “If I intend to kill you,
but missed and killed someone
else, I. could still be guilty of
first degree murder because 1
intended to take a human life,’’
he said.
At the time the little girl met
her death she was in a classroom
surrounded by 42 other pupils
and her teacher, Mrs. Gila Har
ris. Mrs. Harris stated that she
heard glass tinkle and noticed
the little girl had slumped at,
her desk and that blood was
pouring out of the back of her
head.
Funeral services for the child
were held last Sunday at the
Grace A. M. E. Zion Church. In
terment was at Hillcrest. Cem
etery.