The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-06-17
Few More Lovett Liggins
Would End Murders
CONTINUED From Page One


But the man to whom we are
taking off our hat in this editorial.
is Lovett Higgins, former patrolman
of Coffeyville, now a merchant po-
liceman, that is, plain clothes
man, whom the white merchants
have hired to guard their business
section at night and prevent the
looting and raiding by DULLES and
bandits who come over the line
from Oklahoma. Since Liggtns has
been on the job, the raiders and
robbers have been on vacation.
Well. Lovett Liggins stayed on
the job, while 5000 wild mobbists,
many of them from "Oklihomy",
with nitroglycerine in their pockets
and moonshine in their CUTS, were
infesting the streets of Coffeyville.
And when he heard the shots OF
those Negro merchants. who had be-
gun to set up powder and-lead stop
signals to the mob which was push-
ing upon them in its endeavor to
break through to the cosred women
and children, Liggins went right on
down to the scene of action, facing
the mob in the open street,-while
the sheriff of the county was look
ing down from a second-story win
dow in the jail nearby. Sixty of
the mob rushed Liggins. He backed
up against the wall of one Of the
shops,-the sheriff still looking on
as a very interested spectator. The
black officer with his back against
t..lr 81 \ els
shooter right and left, said to the
hesitating members of the mob /:
"Of course, know I've got to go.
but will take along a few!"
He did not have to "go". because
nobody wanted to be taken along"
They left him as a bad proposition.
Somebody even remarked that he
should have attended to his own
business. instead of meddling this
mob and interfering with its "busi-
ness" And, believe 1t or not" all
the sheriff ever did about II was to
summon Liggins to appear before
the sheriff and the commander OF
the national guard, so that they
could examine Liggins' gun and see
II he had done any shooting,-in an
effort to find some ground for max.
ing a case against Liggins for i'm.
posing on this nice little mob!-A
few of the mob had actually got
hurt and 1t seemed to be the chief
duty of the authorities to punish
the colored people who hurt the
mob, even a black officer. IL pos
sible.
And Higgins is just an ordinary
everyday black man, but with a per.
sonality that inspires you with re
spect for him without his having t.
say anything to you about IT, Al
an officer. he is smiling and con
genial,-makes you feel so safe
He even goes to church and passe
the plate and takes up the collec
| tions for the preacher. He Is pas
middle-sge and of the build OF tn,
best Negro athletes: thin at tn,
hips and broad and heavy through
the shoulders, the lions architecture
the kind of black man who mad,
the Germans feel cold shivers dow
their spines whenever they locke,
up and saw him dropping down int,
their trench with bayonet on hi
gun.
Now. when some of the well
known DULLES and outlaws com
over the line from Oklahoma I,
have look around Coffeyville
Kan, finding that they have hap
pened in on the shift" of Office
Lovett. they assure him: "well
since you are on the job, Lovett, W
are not going to raise any disturb
ance today. They are so accom-
modating: to show that there is n,
hard feeling. they are going to be
have like good boys,-just to pleas
Lovett Higgins.
Another good suggestion for stop
ping some of this tearing down o
jails and lynching of prisoners
Just mix in a few more black off
GERS among the others. and som
OF those bad fellows will be able {
get into jail without having I
break In.