Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-12-15
COIORED MAN is FOREMAN OVER
WHIT JURY.
Brockway Leader Of White Gets Five
Years in Penitentiary, A $1,000
Pine

Brockway Leader of White Gets Five
Years in Penitentiary, A $1,000
Fine.
Edward Simms, a we'll known co1or-
cd citizen Of Bclleville, where he has
lived nearly all his life, was chosen
as foreman OF tho jury Of white men
that tried and convicted Richard
Brockway, the leader of the white
mob that murdered 100 Negroes in
East st. Louis July Q, and sentenced
him to five years in the penitentiary
and fined him $1,000. ..r
Sfmms Is teamstcr by trade but
Is man OF character and intelligence
and was chosen rs their leader by
the white men who composed the Jury
on account of his superior qualities
lie has fair, almost white complex
Ion ana sandy hair, and although
we'll known In Belleville, as a Negro,
several of the lawyers and also several
members OF the jury were not aware
or that fact, as 1t was never mention
ed throughout the proceedings of the
trial, which lasted for 81 days dur.
Ing which tho jurors ate, drank and
slept together and delibaratcd for IL
hours before reaching q verdict
BROCKWAY WAS MOB LEADER
The trial of Richard Brockway was
one Of the most important Of all tho
riot cases. because he was the lead.
er OF the conspiracy which tho state
sought to prove existed among tho
whites OF East st. Louis to murder
tho Negroes. Brockway, who was a
former claim agent Of the East St.
Louis and Suburban Railway and O.
man OF some prominence In the com
munlty, was charged with conspiracy
to incite rioting at q public meeting
on the morning Of July Q, In the East
Louis Labor Temple, over which he
presided as chairman and at
which he made 81 & 50 apeech
es which inflamed the minds of the
white people with race hatred against
the Negroes and led the crowd in the
street to make attacks upon every Ne.
gro they met. Brockway went about
the town stirring up the whites until
the r1otlng became general and con-
t1nued all day and night until the
soldiers rounded up 200 Of the rioters
and broke the backbone Of the riot.
John fish, one Of Brockway's most
active lieutenants was also given n
term OF five years and Johnson, anoth
en- was given one year. Joseph Dick
erson, and John Andrews, who were
also tried with Brockway, were &C.
quilted.
FIFTEEN WHITE RIOTERS CON-
V1CTED, TWELVE MORE ARE
INDICTED.
Fifteen white rioters have b6en
convicted. thus far and twelve moro
are yet to be tried on indictments al
ready returned, charging them with
conspiracy and rtotine. Rockway
VINO has about a dozen more charges
OF conspiracy pending against him, is
at liberty on q 100000 bond, pending
the action Of Judge Crow on his mo.
tion for new trial.
The white mon convicted and sen-
fenced up to date are, Herbert Wood
and Leo Keane, Charles Hannah, and
John Grow, convicted Of murder and
given fifteen years each in tho peni
tertiary. S.. L. Schultz and Harry
Robinson, who are serving five year
sentences IN the Chester penitentiary
and Richard Brockway. John Tish.
and John Johnson, who were convict
ed last week. Six other white man
were permitted to plead guilty to
minor charges, are also serving sixty
day sentences in Jail lat BelleyilIe.
ELEVEN NEGROES SENTENCED.
Eleven Negroes in all have been
tried, convicted and sentenced. Ten
Of these to fourteen years each. on
blanket indictment charging them
with the murder Of Police Sergeant
Coppedge and Wodley and Calvin
Beener, another Negro who was con
Victed and sentenced to five years for
setting fire to his own house during
the riot, to collect insurance.
Est. Louis Clarion,