Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-08-30
Declares No Negro
Gangs In Chicago

Washington. Aug. 18.-(By The AS
sociated Negro Press)- Delegates to
the annual convention Of the National
Bar Association which was held in this
city last week who might have thought
that every time Chicagoan reaches
for his handkerchief. he may pull ur
with a gun. were told by Assistant
States Attorney Euclid Taylor that
they were many per cent wrong in fNr
notions about Chicago and its crime
Mr.. Taylor represented his sumo
rior, Judge John A. Swanson. states
attorney of Cook County. who had be
asked to address the lawyers on crii~c
conditions in Chicago and the Ner-c'
relation thereto.
"Crime conditions in Chicago. WI
serious, are greatly exaggerated" en-
phasizedTaylor.
In support of that demurrer. he
from statistics compiled by the
Dental Life Insurance Company. -"
sued in report Of the Chicago As
sociation of Commerce, which showed
that Chicago, instead of leading the
country in homicides, was seth. Chi
ago's homicide rate is 1877 per cen
per 100000. But Memphis, Tennessee,
shows rate Of 66.S per cent; Augusta.
Ca, 54.7 per cent; Birmingham, Ala
bama, 51.3 per cent, and Jacksonville,
Fla, 1853 per cent.
Chicago's homicide rate was reduced
three per cent from 1928 to 1929, and
the 1929 rate was only slightly higher
than the average for the country as
whole.
According to Mr.. Taylor, who has
made special study of the Negroes
connection with crime, there is no such
thing known to the law-enforcing agen-
ies of Chicago as a Negro gangste..
SIN the field of deliberate mass muir
der for profit" asserted the prosecutor,
''the Negro is unknown"
An exact relationship between eco
nomic status and crime, so far as the
Negro is concerned, has been discov-
cred by the states attorneys office
Investigation has served to show that
the Negro who was born in Chicago or
who has lived there sufficient length
of time to adjust himself economically
displays minimum of criminal ten
denotes, and that the problem with the
criminal Negro is almost entirely with
the group which has migrated from
the south, which is unable sometimes,
either because of lack of opportunity
or lack of training, to adjust itself to
the new and strange economic condi-
tions.i
An analysis of the statistics for
or lack of training, to adjust itself to
crime during the past twelve years."
indicated Mr.. Taylor, shows that when
the labor market is brisk, crimes COM
mitted by Negroes diminish, and that
they increase when that market tight
ems"
Mr.. Taylor also implied that the Ne
gro finds himself. important in the
city's crime statistics because of diff
culties usually present in giving him
fair trial.
"The Negro criminal faces the rap
idly moving courts of Chicago with
out friends, or funds, and with rec
ord of unemployment upon which are
cast no friendly glances," Mr.. Taylor
Explained. "The dread of facing the
court, the crowded room packed with
WndI lie lLudSlHCo oiC ohhAAShaAy sF~~
tators, and a jury Of whites, cause his
friends to be reluctant to appear to
testify in his behalf"
One hundred fifty delegates attended
the convention.
The constitution of the Association
was amended so that Atty. Raymond
Pace Alexander, of Philadelphia might
be reelected president. His election,
made on the nomination of Former
Francis Stradford, Chicago, was unan-
imous.
Other officers are: Atty. Georgia
Jones-Ellis, Chicago, reelected vice.
president; Atty. Perry W. Howard,
Jackson, Miss, vice president; Atty. W.
T. Andrews, New York. vice. president;
Atty. Piper, re elected treasurer; Any,
George W. Lawrence, Chicago, secreta-
~: Atty. Eunice Pridgeon, Cleveland,
assistant secretary.
The Association will meet In Cleve.
land, Ohio, next year.