The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1928-10-11
De Priest Indicted;
Says He'll Fight
(Continued from Page -

FH OOnllnueu 1TOtti NSN --t1
Bill Mcdonald in Texas, Simuel. Nc
Gill in Florida, Ben Davis in Geor,,
gia. Walter Cohen in Louisiana, and
Bob Church in Tennessee.
$50 far as this local fight is con-
cerned," he vouchsafed, 81 believe
that it is engineered by the same
reform groups which have continu-
ally fought William Hale Thompson
and that they have chosen the black
belt as good place to work out their
spite. AS God is my Maker, | know
nothing Of the things they have
charged against me. i haven't been
inside a gambling house in twenty
five years. / don't pley cards of any
kind myself, don't know any gam
glers by name. This Lieut.. Brady
whom they have indicted with me l
never knew until after the news of
this indictment was published.
A"But, although these people may
think they are hurting me, ! believe
that have been helped politically.
Since yesterday, have had nothing
but the warmest expressions OF
friendship from my political and 9th
err friends. Jesse Binga, the banker,
called me to advance twenty thous-
and dollars to fight this case. l
thanked him, am going to spare
neither time nor money in the bat
tie. The only thing hate about the
entire affair is the possible embar-
rassment it will give, my family. |
shall win in my battle to be elected
to Congress, shall beat this indict-
ment, and shall not be denied a seat
! in Congress. Somewhere along the
line. Justice will get a hearing"
Edward H. Morris, lawyer and ma
tional grand master of the Odd Fel-
lows, has been retained by Mr.. De-
Priest to represent him. A motion
to squash the indictment may soon
be made.
DePriest is 81 years old and rich
man. He was born in Florence, Ala
bama, educated in the public schools
and business college. He began -
a journeyman painter in 1887 and
was contractor in Chicago until
1912 when he became the member
of real estate firm and began to
make real money.
He has long been advised by
friends that he was wealthy enough
to retire from the political game with
| it's entanglements with the money
he has already made.
Nothing is said in the indictment
about the feminine side of the vice
! industry.
Mayor (Big Bill Thompson is re
ported as declaring that, he knew
nothing of DePriest,s alleged under.
world activities and is not to be
blamed for the present situation,
His friends are quoted as saying
"Big Bill' is friend of the race
and feels shocked and hurt to find
men in whom he believed, hooked
up in the wrong sort of harness."
The, foreman of the Grand Jury
is Republican and the majority
of the iurymen are also Republicans.
However, the Chicago underworld is
becoming so ruthless and so bold
that the powers that be realize there
must be a check sometime and SO
have decided that the indictment
route is the best way out. W
Local politicians are condemning
DePriest. They deny that the in
dictment Is made for the purpose
of embarrassing his congressional as
] pirations or the Republican party.
With any likelihood of such an in
dictment at all, politicians say he
should have never aspired for such
an honor, knowing that an expose
would react not only upon him, but
upon the party end the Negroes con-
gressional aspirations.
With DePriest under fire, It is ex-
pected that the Republican machine
will get behind w. H. Harrison, a
lawyer, for congress instead.