Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-12-25

Il colored attorney figured:
Empaneling of Il jury im tho case
OF w. III. Coleman colored. charged
with attempted criminal assault was
completed this morning In busting
court. Taking Of testimony was then
begun. w. Il. Denny colored attor
ney representing tho prisoner moved
yesterday before tho work of en-
panhiNling q jury Was started to have
tho Indictment quaShcd on the ground
that no one OF African descent served
on the grand jury. He also protested
against selecting II petty jury from a
list composed entirely Of white men.
Judge Richardson overruled his mo
tons
Not roNishing tho line OF objections
raised by Denny, Percy S. Smith white
attorney who had been appointed by
Judge Richardson to defend Coleman
before the colored attorney became as
sociated with him withdrew from the
case.
Attorney Benjamin Lovenstoin as
sisting the prosecution also withdrew
when 1T developed that he had de
Tended Coleman in a case which tho
Negro was charged with threat ening
n Witness I'm THE assault case. Mr.. Low
cEstein tallood the matter over with
Judge Richardson and the two agreed
that it would be best for him to with
draw. Coleman is alleged TO have at
tempted tho assault on q white wo-
man w'hilo pretending to be healing
her Of serious affliction after her
doctors had given up the case as a
hopeless ono. Trial of the case will
probably last Il day or two.
Tho interesting part Of the whole
affair is that the alKsged colored riot
crs, six in number condemned to death
in Arkansas Ind tho lower court ro.
versed, basing tho reversal upon tho
very points raised by Attorney w. r.
Denny. AS 1t wtNs his duty to do all
In his power for his client, it seems
TO us that the withdrawal Of his as.
sociatc counsel is III the nature OF
puZale. A oolorcd man, charged with
criminal assault Or attempted crimi-
Ind assault in this or any other State
of the Southland as 4 rule stands
about az much chance as "a bob.tail.
ed mule I'm fly time"
The case OF Henry Hart OF Staun-
ton is a case in point. The news col.
llmns report that no was charged
with attempted criminal ASSAULT. A
white jury could not sec it in that
light and disagreed, although a mob
on the outside Threatened TO lynch
tho prisoner. Another white jury was
empanoled and Hart was convicted
i'll twenty minutes and had to be re
moved from Staunton with troops
guarding him. He is now in the Hen
rico county Jail in this city, the vic.
tim Of moblaw, although he has not
been lynched. We have no sympathy
with any colored man, who rs init
mate with white woman and we ad
N'fc our men and boys to look in
another direction when they pass
them fo( some of these white men
have gohc stark crazy about white
women.
They are almost as bad as some of
these white men are about-our wo.
men. Still, when men are not guilty
OF improper conduct, they should not
DO convicted and to execute them up
on frivolous charges and upon tho
demands Of lawlcss mobs is neither
more nor less than murder. Colorcd
men, we have all colors amongst our
good-looking women. There is no
need Of going on the outside, where
you have but one selection. "Shin ON
your own side" and let the white men
do the same thing.