Americus times-recorder., 1919-10-05


called down upon the department heads the wrath
of citizens and made enemies of former friends
Apartments, small hotels and even private resi-
dences invaded by this so-called moSals
squad, the places searched and respectable men
and women dragged off to the police station, in
many instances in their night garments And in
none of the cases of this kind which so aroused
public indignation, did the aresting officers obtain
a conviction Damage suits followed, some of
which settled out of court by city officers
About six weeks ago small hotel was raided,
ostensibly under the prohibitory act. Two patrol
men not in uniform accompanied by special Off
Ger who works for the Union Pacific railroad en-
tered the place and encountered in the hallway a
young negro boy employed as a combination
watchman and bellman The negro, becoming
frightened, He was shot dead
When the facts concerning the killing of the
negro became known. there was a general outcry,
the people, both white and black, loudly demand
ing thai the officers b. arrested end prosecuted for
murder. The county attorney acted. He filed in
tor'"dtion charging manslaughter. The men gave
t'ond and when popular clamor demanded that
they be removed from the force the city com
missioners voted to retain them. The vote was
tour to three, Mayor Smith casting the deciding
ballot
his marked the breaking up of the so-called
morals squad"
lhe records show that twenty-four cases of
attacks upon white women by negroes in the last
three months have resulted in few arrests and no
sentences in keeping with the gravity of the crimes
One negro was arrested charged with ATTEMPTED as
sault He was tried before police Judge. con-
Victed and sentenced to thirty days in jail He
! appealed under $500 bond and while the case
was pending was arrested for committing anothe,
and similar crime and what is said to have baer
Irretutabe evidence of his guilt brought sentence
from the same Judge of sixty days in Jail.
lhe Nebraska statutes, in defining murder
make 1t hrst degree if committed in pursuit Of an
other felony. About three weeks ago three vouno
negroes came out of picture show walked dow,
the street, and according to their confession. ..
trial. went after some easy money" Thew aoread
they would hold up the first person thew met
Meeting no one, they passed a grocery store enter
ed pointed pistol at the proprietor and de-
rlanded that he stand and deliver. The man GRAN.
pied with the negro who held the weapon and wa.
shot IN the stomach. They rolled onto the side
walk where the negro, wrenching himself free de-
.lberateIy shot his victim twice killing him, The
prosecutor allowed a plea of guilty. to murde~ n
he second degree They were sentenced - ta~
years
The storm of public Indignation over this nro.
@edure had not subsidized when other assaults upor
white women by negroes were committed, some oi
! hem in broad daylight In a more recent one the
negro who was lynched Sunday night was arrested
and identified by his victim. 1t looked as if il
would be another case of either turning the culprit
scotfree or letting him off with light sentence.
Men who in the past had been known to stand for
law and order joined in the mutterings which soon
grew to general hue and cry crystallizing in mob
spirit rampant.
The formerly beautiful and ornate court
house, the scene of Sunday nights riot, windows
broken and exterior smoke marked stands as a
grim testimonial of the procrastinaton of Omaha
better element which too long left municipal poll
tics to the politicians, then seeing the reefs ahead
e'e~4ed reform ticket z,hiah failed to bring abou-
reform