The Colorado statesman., 1922-07-08
to Desert
His Race Wife
Wealthy White Physician Defies
His Neighbors-He Will
Not Move.

Detroit, Mich, June 30.-'It is SIM
ply the result of persecution on the
part of neighbOrs who think that a
white physician and his wife of an
other race have no right to live in an
exclusive neighborhood such rs this
declared Mrs. Walter A. Buchanan,
race wife of one of the leading white
physicians of this city, after their
home at 5091 South Martindale Ave
nue. had been fired into by white hood
lums of the Exclusive" district Friday
night.
DR.. and Mrs. buchanan have lived
in the district nearly month. In
that time they have been repeatedly
visited by committees of white citi-
zens begging them to leave on account
of Mrs. Buchanan's color. The physi-
clan has steadfastly refused to listen
to their pleadings and is now deter
mined to remain in the neighborhood
and mind his own business. Friday
nights shooting was the first affair
of its kind that has occurred.
Police Scour Section.
Police secured the section in an eff
fort to catch up with the persons who
fired the shots, but were unsuccessful.
H. L. Chavey (white), who lives
next door to Mrs. Buchanan, admitted
that he was a member of a committee
that had tried to get her and her hus-
band to move.
"We offered them a good profit for
their home, which is worth about
S1S,000," he declared, "but they would
not listen to the proposal that tney
move, saying they intended to live
here. They have been here since June
/, and in that time 1 estimate real
estate in the vicinity has deprecated
nearly 100000. Many of the neigh
bors contemplating moving because of
the presence of this white physician
and his Colored wife"
Claude A. Dock, building contractor
and neighbor, was another of the
white citizens who sought to get rid of
the couple. He intimated that the
white residents were jealous of the
luxury in which the physician and his
wife lived, saying:
"The couple have a Colored chauf-
feur and Colored servant, while most
of the women hereabouts are content
to do their own work. 1t is demoraliz-
ing to the white people of this high
class residence street to find such an
example as this couple constantly set
before their children"
Try to Poison Dog.
Mrs Buchanan mentions some of
the many little things that her eek
elusive white neighbors have done to
force her into worse locality.
"Our automobile driveway mas been
sprinkled with glass several times
since we moved here two months ago.
Tacks have been placed all over our
walk and an attempt was made to poi
son our watch dog with arsenic"
Mrs Buchanan is beautiful woman,
80 years of age, and a graduate of the
Nashville College of Pharmacy. she
met her husband two years ago when
she came here to take a position as n
pharmacist He is 80 years old
graduate of Edinburgh College OF
Medicine and has practice of fifteen
years standing in this city.
He has obtained special police pro
lection to prevent himself or his wrfe
from being the victims of any personal
attacks. He declares that his white
well-wishers have asked him to get
out of their midst, but they have never
suggested to him where he might go
and live in keeping with the desires of
himself and his wife. He will only
leave the district he is now in to go
to another better one.