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Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at Durham, North Carolina, under Act of March 3, 1879
FOR 28 YEARS THE OUTSTANDING NEGRO WEEKLY OF THE CAROLINA »
VOLUME 29—NUMBER 15
DURHAM, N. C., SATURDAY, APRIL 14th, 1951
PRICE: TEN CENTS
Hit And Run Driver’s
It Couldn’t Happen Here
Mayor Marshall Kurfrees
paid tribute to Rev. Kenneth
R. Williams, Negro Chamber
of Commerce banquet given
in the school cafeteria at Win
ston-Salem Teachers’ College.
The Twin-City citizens heard
guest speaker, Oliver W. Hill,
well-known Richmond, Vir
ginia civil rights lawyer, urge
the extension of democracy in
America to all people or pre
pare to witness its collapse.
Following the speaking, The
Rev. Williams was presented
a scroll signed by all attend
ing guests.
Dignitaries at the speaker’s
table were left to right: Mrs.
Williams, Reverend Williams,
Mayor Kurfrees, Atty. Hill,
and Mr. and Mrs. Clark S.
Brown. Mr. Brown is presi
dent of the Negro Chamber of
Commerce.
The program was broadcast
over WSJS, a National Broad
casting Company affiliate,
and WAAA.
White House Arranges Two Conferences On'
Racial Matters With Acheson, Wilson
A. Philip Randolph has an
nounced that the White House
has arranged two conferences for
April 12th, one with the Secre
tary of State, Dean Acheson and
the other with the Director of
Defense Mobilization, Charles
E. Wilson for the twelve Negro
leaders who conferred with
President Truman on February
28.
At the February conference,
Mr. Truman expressed interest
in the following six issues pre
sented at that time to the na
tion’s chief executive.
1. To use your power and in
fluence to abolish, immedi
ately, racial segregation in
the nation’s capital. Wash
ington is the capital of the
greatest democratic coun
try in the world and yet we
are incessantly embarrass
ed by virtue of the fact that
it is the most segregated
national capital on the
earth.
2. To appoint qualified Ne
groes on the administrative
and policy making level of
of our government. We
have had consultants and
advisors, but we have had
hardly any Negroes in gov
evernment who actually
shared in making and de
terming policies in the
various branches of the
government.
3. To integrate Negroes in all
new agencies that are be
ing established and will be
established as a result of
this emergency. New agen
cies and new positions are
being created all the time
—Negroes are usually the
forgotten people. Especial
ly do we urge that Wash
ington tell regional and
state offices which the
Federal Government has
will set up with federal
money that Negroes are to
be utilized and integrated
on the same basis as other
peoples without regard to
color, race or national ori
gin.
4. To appoint Negroes more
widely in the foreign and
diplomatic service of our
country. The contribution
of Ralph Bunche to world
peace is one of the many
contributions that Negroes
would make if given a
a chance.
5. To issue an Executive Or
der guaranteeing the maxi
mum use of all manpower
in all production efforts ir
respective of color, race or
national origin in the de
fense emergency and pro
vide an adequate machin
ery for its enforcement.
6. To abolish once and for all
racial segregation of Negro
soldiers in the United
States Army.
The President appointed Mr.
David Niles, one of his admin
istrative assistants to work with
the group in attempting to de
velope a program consistent with
the""six points.
Trial Of Trenton Six Held Up On
Account Of Illness Of Defendant
Trenton — It was a hushed
and tense courtroom that heard
a court attendant announce at
1:50 on Thursday afternoon,
April 5, that the re-trial of the
“Trenton Six” on the charge of
murder would be temporarily
adjourned because of the illness
of Collis English, one of the de
fendants.
English had been visibly un
comfortable during the latter
part of the morning session of
the trial and had been under
surveillance by officers in at
tendance.
Noticing the defendant mop
ping his brow and perspiring
profusely, the sheriff and anoth
er officer moved swiftly to his
side to offer him a drink of wa
ter.
At this point Superior Court
Judge Ralph J. Smalley inter
rupted the cross-examination of
a witness by one of the defense
attorneys to inquire as to whe
ther a recess was needd, but up
ther a recess was needed, but up
on being assured that nothing
was amiss, he directed the law
yer to proceed.
Later, during the luncheon re
cess, Dr. Edgar J. Fiestal and
Dr. Frank A. Nonziato examined
English, prescribed sedatives,
and ordered twenty-four hours’
complete rest for him before the
trial could continue. His ail
ment was diagnosed by the phy
sicians as a leaky heart valve
caused by an attack of rheuma
tic fever suffered in 1940.
Mother Of Siamese Twins Screams
As Daughters Join Circus
Los Angeles, (CNS) —As her
two year old Siamese twins
were taken from County Gen
eral Hospital to join the Clyde
Beaty Circus, Mrs. Willie
Jones, divorced and jobless
mother of five other children,
broke down in sobs.
The thought of her babies be
ing stared at for the price of
25c filled her with grief. But
she promised it wouldn’t be
long before she’ll have them
back with her.
Mrs. Jones will receive $10,
000 a year according to the
terms of a contract she holds
with the circus as ruled by
Judge Frank G. Swain.
The twins, Yvonne and
Yvette, who are joined at the
head, are traveling in the side
show in a sterlized trailer nur
sery. Venetian blinds are rais
ed to view them. During their
their performance, the twins
laughed, kicked and played
normally.
JAMES E. SHEPARD SCHOOL
DEDICATED AT ZEBULON
ZEBULON — “This building
stands as a symbol of the hard
work, sacrifices, and selfish ser
vice of the school administrators,
the constructive leadership of
your principal and teachers, the
interest of the parents and peo
ple of this community in the de
velopment of the children. This
is the fruition of the efforts of
many individuals and a reflec
tion of the improving human re
lations existing in this commun
ity.”
Thus spoke John R. Larkins,
Consultant on Negro Affairs for
the State Board of Public Wel
fare, Sunday, April 8, as he de
livered the principal address at
the dedicatory exercises for the
new Shepherd High School here.
The topic of Mr. Larkins’ address
was “The Role of Education in
the Atomic Age.”
“There is a grave and pressing
need,” Mr. Larkins pointed out,
“to reappraise, evaluate and
analyze our educational prin
ciples and concepts. We need to
ascertain whether the things that
are being taught are in harmony
with current heeds. We need to
gear our educational programs
to meet the challenge of a high
ly urbanized competitive and
complicated social order.”
He stated that all education
should be directed toward build
ing a better world, and that on
ly to the extent that it did so
was it of valuable. “If this school
and its program are able to re
direct the thinking of the chil
dren that attend here—if this
building will serve as a beacon
or guiding light and help this
community to improve itself
through constructive use, it will
be worth the investment.”
Emphasizing that this need to
build a better world is more im
perative than ever in the atomic
age, when people stand at “the
crossroads,” Mr. Larkins con
cluded on a note of hope and
challenge:
“There is a new era and a new
day ahead. There is a surging
tide swelling from the grass
roots moving ahead to the shore
where all men will be judged by
ability to think and produce and
not be classified because of race
or socio-economic status. The
spirit and fire of Democracy and
Freedom have set aflame the
hearts and souls of men all over
the world . . . they are march
ing toward these goals.”
Supreme Court Blasts Groveland Trial
Reprisals Threatened
For Wheeler Supporters
Certain and definite reprisals
were promised for all members
of the City Council of Durham
who voted in favor of J. H.
Wheeler for membership on the
Board of Education, it was learn
ed here this week when word
leaked out that several meetings
have been held among the reac
tionary forces of the city with
the idea in mind of breaking up
the labor-Negro coalition that
has dominated the political pic
ture here for - the past two or
three years.
It is hoped through an organ
ized effort to work quietly up to
the Primary Day, April 24, and
then throw enough votes against
incumbent candidates who voted
for Wheeler to defeat them, it
was said.
Wheeler’s name was proposed
by the Negro citizens as the on
ly candidate they could recom
mend at this time. He had the
backing of organized labor, the
Vdters for Better Government,
the Committee on Negro Affairs
and several other organizations
of the city.
The Committee on Negro Af
fairs held that the recent Fed
eral Judgement of Judge John
son J. Hayes, the intracicies of
the educational machinery and
the difficult position in which
any Negro who is placed on the
Board will find himself, demand
ed that some person who had
made a study of the educational
machinery be named. As one of
the attorneys for the plaintiffs
the CONA felt that Wheeler at
present was in a better position
to fill the position than any other
member of the race in Durham.
Not even Mayor Dan K. Ed
wards who voted for Wheeler
is exected to escape the wrath
of the reactionaries and feverish
efforts are being put forth to
get some person who has the
pos_sibility of defeating him to
enter the race for mayor. Among
those who are reported as being
asked to seek the position as
mayor is former Judge James R,
Patton.
Some evidence that the CONA
was right was revealed here
Monday when the Board of Edu
cation announced only a few
hours after the oath of office
had been given two new mem
bers of plans to construct four
major projects—three for Ne
groes and one for whites. Just
how such plans will comply or
not comply with the judgement j
dangling over the head of the
Durham City Schools was not
explained.
From all evidences the plans
were already in the making be
fore the two new members were
sworn in and had one of them
been a Negro he would have
been absolutely unfamiliar with
them even though three-fourths
of the projects are said to be for
Negroes.
Dedication
Speaker
John R. Larkins, Consultant
on Negro Affairs for the State
Board of Public Welfare, who
delivered the principal ad
dress at the dedication exer
cise of the new James E. Shep
ard High School at Zebulon.
Mr. Larkin’s spoke on “The
Role of Education in the
Atomic Age.”
Fayetteville
State To Hold
Founder's Day
Lilling’ton — Mrs. Eunice Fer
guson, chairman of Founder’s
Day Committee, Fayetteville
State Teachers’ College Alumni
Association announced Saturday
that plans are complete for the
observing of the first Founder’s
Day program for the college.
The program will begin at 11
A. M. in the college auditorium
when faculty and students will
render a program. Dr. J. W. Sea
brook, president of the college,
Alexander Barnes, national
president and Dr. T. W. Thur
ston, presiding elder of the New
Bern District, A. M. E. Zion
Church will be among1 the speak
ers.
The business session of the as
sociation will be held in the aft
ernoon at the Person Street Ser
vice Club. The alumni, faculty
and students will make a pil
grimage to the grave of Dr. E.
(Please turn to Page Eight)
To Speak Here
John Wesley Dobbs of At
lanta, Georgia, Grand Master
of Prince Hall Masons of
Georgia, who will deliver the
main adddress at the Men’s
Day Celebration, Sunday,
April 15th at First Calvary
Baptist Church,
Mr. Dobbs is an active mem
ber of the Supreme Council
Scottish Rite Masons of the
Thirty-Third Degree, South
ern Jurisdiction. He is found
er and Co-Chairman of the
Atlanta Negro Voters League,
a member of Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity; a Pythian and an
Elk.
Window Cleaner Wins
$56,000 In Sweepstakes
Jamaica, N. Y. — Leopold A.
Mendis, who operates a window
cleaning business here, can now
take his “long rest.”
The 54-year-old World War
I veteran won a fortune Sun
day when an English filly
named “Nickel Coin” waded
through the mud to win the
Grand National Steeplechase
in Aintree, Ireland.
Holder of a second-place Irish
Sweepstakes ticket, Mendis will
receive 20,000 British pounds,
or $56,000, in American money.
Said Mendis, who lives at
14541 South road: “I’m going to
use the $56,000 to buy a new
auto and take a long rest.”
But he’ll have to cough up
approximately $20,000 in
taxes to Uncle Sam and vary
ing state taxes will take from
15 to 20 per cent of the federal
levy.
Other American Sweetpstake
winners were:
First prize, $140,000: Jennie
Rubloss of 1488 Eighth Street,
Brooklyn, New York, and Mrs.
(Continued from Page Five)
RHO ALPHA CHAPTER OF
OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY
TO HOLD CONFAB IN MOBILE
Mobile, Ala — Rho Alpha
Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fra
ternity will be host to the Seven
th District which will convene
April 19-21. Andrew Brown,
Basileus of Rho Chapter and Dr.
W. L. Russell, District Marshall
are making ready plans for this
event.
Registration will begin at 11
a. m. Thursday morning at the
convention headquarters, Cen
tral High School, corner Saint
Anthony and Lawrence Streets,
of which Dr. B. F. Baker is
Principal.
A special seminar for under
graduates will be a feature of
the meeting and highlighting the
business sessions will be the
conducted by the National Ex
ecutive Secretary, H. Carl Moul
trie.
(Pleas* turn to Page Eight)
River Yields Bodies Of Youths
Who Disappeared After Hit-Run
Mrs. Alice P. Allen, Assistant
to the President and Chair
man of the Department of
Business Administration at
Miles Memorial College, Bir
mingham, Alabama will speak
in B. N. Duke Auditorium,
North Carolina College, Sun
day, April 15 at 3:30 P. M. The
local Rho Chapter of Iota Phi
Lambda Sorority is sponsoring
the appearance of Mrs. Allen.
The program is a part of the
national observance of Busi
ness Education Week which is
observed at this time by all
chapters of the Sorority. Mrs.
Allen is past National Presi
dent of the Sorority.
Mrs. Ethel S. Berry, Presi
dent of Rho Chapter, will pre
side at the meeting.
Lumberton — The bodies of
David Carmichael, 17, and
Ernest Scott, 17, both of Max
ton, were discovered last
week- in the Lumber River
about a mile north of Maxton
on the old Red Springs Road.
Scott’s body was seen float
ing on the water by some
fishermen who reported it im
mediately. This led to a three
hour search for the body of
Carmichael which was found
in a sitting position under the
wheel of a 1936 Chevrolet
coupe in 12 feet of water.
The two youths had been
missing since March 25 and
had been sought by authorities
in connection with a hit-and
run accident on that date. Wit
nesses had reported the car to
have been a 1936 Chevrolet
coupe, and police went on a
search for it. Patrolman Enoch
A. Chester found the car in
Maxton. As he started to open
the door, the auto speed
away with its lights off. Ches
ter reported that he gave
chase out on the old Red
Springy road, but lost it near
the Lumberton River. That
was the last time the car was
seen until it was discovered
last week-end.
Investigation of the case by
the Highway Deartment,
showed that the car had left
the road and plunged into the
river.
Sets Aside
Conviction In
Florida Case
Washington, D. C.—The Unit
ed States Supreme Court set a
side here Monday the conyiction
of two Florida Negroes who had
been sentenced to death for rap
ing a 17-year-old white girl.
Not only did the court set
aside the conviction but two of
the justices lashed out at anta
gonism created by the newspa
pers in and near Groveland,
Florida, the scene of the trial.
They said that the trial was “but
a legal gesture to register a ver
dict already dictated by the press
and the public opinion which it
generated.”
The judgement was reversed,
however, on the grounds that
Neg’roes were excluded from the
jury.
At the time the girl was raped
mob violence broke out in
Groveland in all its fury. A mob
attempted a lynching, Negro
homes were burned with many
of the occupants fleeing the
community. One Negro suspect
who was arrested and another
was killed when he resisted. Or
der was finally restored when
troops were called to the scene.
Justice Jackson with Justice
Frankfurter agreeing wrote that
the trial of the two Negroes,
Walter Irvin and Samuel Shep
herd was an example of “one of
the worst menaces to American
justice.” Justice Jackson stated
later from the bench “it is be
coming a question whether un
der modern methods of publicity
a fair trial can be granted any
man.”
The written opinion charged
that newspaper accounts of al
leged confessions by the Negroes
were read by members of the
jury, but the confessions were
never produced in court. “It is
hard to imagine a more pre
judicial influence,” Justice Jack
son wrote.
He said further that the crime
stirred deep feelings which the
newspapers exploited to the lim
it.
“If freedoms of the press are
so abused as to make fair trial
in the locality impossible,” he
wi'ote, justice should be protect
ed by removal to another area.
A removal of the trial to an
other county was sought at the
time by defense attorneys but
this was refused.
In commenting further Justice
Jackson wrote that it would
have made no difference if Ne
groes had been included because
I he could not see “how any Negro
I would have dared to cause a dis
1 agreement or acquittal.”
“The only chance these Ne
groes had of acquittal would
have been in the courage and de
cency of some sturdy and forth
right white person of sufficient
standing to face and live down
the odium among' his white
neighbors that such a vote, if
required, would have brought.”
Setting aside the conviction
threw the case right back into
the laps of the State Court. Just
what steps, if any, local prosecu
tors will take had not yet been
determined.
Miss Celia Elizabeth David
son, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
J. W. Davidson of Durham,
who was heard in her Senior
Piano Recital last week at
Howard University in Wash
ington, D. C. Miss Davidson
began her music studies at the
Chamberlin Studio under Mrs.
Margaret S. Sheafin, at the
age of five.