Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1926-07-17

a SStlSe, Whlle she WlnkS at crimes
S.u!ab!es on innocence sometimes
Putler.
What kind of law is it tina
would countenance such Treatment
of an old colored woman of thu
"black nanny" type as was brough
to the attention of the Judge ant
Commemorative Attorney of tn,
Hastings Court of the City of Rich
mend, last Monday morning? Is il
possible that the Christian people o!
this community, the followers of the
good and lowly Jesus are aware thai
this is only one of thousands OF
cases, where the innocent are made
to suffer for the guilty?
We refer to the case of Aunt
Margaret, who by her open counte
nance and frank, polite manner ap
pealed to the better nature of At
torney Dave E. Satterfield anc
opened the well-springs of sym.
pathy in the heart of that august
jurist, His Honor w. Kirk Mathews
Judge OF the Hastings Court. We
want lie words uttered there to GO
broadcast not only in this city, but
into the Far North" in order that
all of US may realize that we are
coming unto our own" again down
here.
Truly it has been a long night.
But we do not wish to lose sight of
the issue. Here is coIored woman,
who had never been inside of a
courthouse either as the accused or
as witness. 1t was only through
the mercy of good God and a kind
nelghbor that she was saved the
humiliation of commitment to Jail.
We visited her humble home and she
told US the story. Some neighbor
had told her that they had heard
dogs barking during the night as
though some one was prowling
around.
She occupied a room OH the
ground floor. She was sitting on
her back porch, when the officers
came, evidently having been clipped
off" by some Of these disreputable
spoilers. The severity of the law
has led these dealers in ardent
spirits to seek temporary hiding
place anywhere for their supplies
and then they go and get them af-
forwards. With no evidence con-
Meeting her with this, she was ar
rested and carried to the station
house..
The old trunk, unlocked and with
a broken removal top was in the
back yard and simply because she
was sitting there and the old trunk
belonged to her she was arrested
The law requires that the Common
wealth prove guilt and not that the
prisoner at the bar shall establish
his innocence. This is funda-
mental principle of English law. 1t
was then that Commemorative At
torney Satterfield hesitated and halt
ed and proceeded to ask the court
to direct verdict of acquittal say
ing frankly, 81 don't believe she is
guilty"
The officers, who arrested her.
should have been equally frank in
their dealing with this remarkable
case, for they were personally
cognizant of the surrounding cir
cumstances. Colored folks, live up
right and desist from acquiring
money by questionable processes.
Make friends with these white folks
hereabouts, who will permit you so
to do and see what you can do
along the praying line. Ask the
Holy Master to open the eyes of
these prohibition bigots, who in max
ing unreasonable demands upon the
bootleg raiders of the police de-
partment are causing the commits
sion Of just such outrages as were
perpetrated upon this humble color.
ed woman of the Old School OF
servants.
The summary: Never before
charged with crime, never before ii
a police station or in a court room
as witness, never before had coun
sci to defend her, never before hat
a Commemorative Attorney to de
clare his belief in her innocence an,
never before made the subject of
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