The Washington bee., 1911-02-25

ter.
The Bee, in pursuance Of its plan to
give honor and credit to white men re-
gardless of their party affiliations,
wherein 1t is shown and demonstrated
by such men that they are friendly to,
and demand equal justice at all times
for the Negro, prints IN this weeks is
sue a cut OF the Honorable Crandal
MaCkey commonwealth attorney for Al
exandria County, Va
Mr.. Mackcy has on more than one
occasion demonstrated to the entire
satisfaction of the Negro hereabouts
his sincerity in demanding equal JUS
tiCe for all men, regardless of the color
Of their skin or the texture of their
hair; and IN backing up this assertion,
The Bee has but to point to two recent
cases where the broad, fair-mlnded
spirit Of this well known prosecuting
officer was brought into play; in one
of which an entirely innocent man was
saved no doubt his life, and IN the other
three men were virtually snatched from
the gallOws and the Jaws of death by
his timely Intervention.
The first case referred to above was
man, having sauntered out into the
woods of Rosslyn, Va, with a male es-
Cort, saw fit to raise the cry that her
companion had been shot and an out
rage perpetrated upon her by some un-
known Negro, who came upon them in
some mysterious way while they were
in the woods. The case caused great
excitement in Virginia, and even reach
ed over into the District, so much so,
that it was clearly seen by reports of
the papers that any COlOTed man whom
the young woman chanCed to identify
would be dealt with summary. While
this feeling was most intense, Mr..
MaCkey issued a statement IN defense
of the Negroes Of his county, and as
sured the public that no more law-abid
ing Citizenry as a whole could be found
in any jurisdiction. A few days sub
sequent to the issuance of this state
ment by Mr.. Mackey, the police of
Washington arrested a COlOred man in
Georgetown on suspicion of having COM
mitted the crime The young woman
fully identified this man as her as
sailant, although the prisoner stOutly
maintained that he was innocent and
could prove an alibi Mr. Mackey had
the prisoner detained in the Seventh
Precinct, instead of taking him to the
county Jail, while he investigated fully
the mans story of his whereabouts on
the evening in question, and, as d re-
suit of this investigation, complete
alibi was established, whereupOn the man
was given his liberty, and no doubt AM
innocent life was saved. Upon the re-
lease Of the cOlOred man Mr.. MaCkey
issued a warrant for the arrest of the,
woman for making false statements, and
she was detained in jail for nearly ten
DAYS when She too, was finally released
and no other COlored man was put to
any Inconvenience whatever in COnnec-l
ton with tins case.
The four cOlorcd men arrested in Al
exandria, Va charged with the murder
of a white man near Mile-Run |
across the river, Is the other case that
we cite above. Here one of the men
arrested saw fit to turn States eyi-
deuCe" on the other three, and even
went so far as to give a confession
wherein he attempted to faSten the
crime on the three men, his only part
In ii being that he was forced at the
point Of a pistol held in the hand of
one of the three men whom he sought
to fasten the crime on, to accompany
them and look on while they murdered
their victim and robbed him PrinCi-
pally, upon this wretChS confession,
who himself had but recently been re-
leased from the peultenuary, the three
men, StOutly maintaining their inno-
cence, were convicted and sentenced to
be handged. In this, as in the other
case referred to above, feeling was in
tense against the three men, and they
were removed from the Jail at AleNan-
dria city to the Alexandria County jail.
Hero Mr.. MaCkey again proved his
friendship for the race, and after con
sluoIaule questioning on his part, the
States witness Caved in and told him
that all he had said in connecting the
three men with the crime was false, and
that he had made the Confession be-
ing .coerced into doing so by the police
of Alexandria city With this informa-
ton in hand. Mr.. Mackey proceeded at
once to impart the same to the officials
of Alexandria. and a further respite
was obtained for the three men, pending
which the informant was placed on
trial. convicted, and executed for his
mart i'm the crime. The three other
men. although a hard fight was made
bv their lawyers for their freedom,
were finally committed to the peniteu-
tiarv for life terms, and they certainly
owe their very beings to the efforts of
Commonwealth Attorney Mackey, who
so timely interposed his services IN their
behalf
Numerous other instances might bel
sLown where Nr MaCkev. thrO"gh his
Office, has rendered valuable assistance
TO une unfortunate colored man, and
his eminent fairness in his pros 1tons
is common talk among the colored at
tornevs of this city Not only along
this line, but along all lines tending
toward the uplift Of the condition of
the race in Alexandria County eSpe-
cially. Mr.. Mackey is always to be
sound ready to lend helping hand,
and The Bee happens to know that much
good has been done through his interest
and influence.
In stunning up this case The Bee