Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-08-30
N. A. A. c. P. Obtains
Names OF LyncherS

New York, Aug. 22.-That the two
solid steel doors of the Grant County
Jail, which would have prevented en-
trance of the mob which lynched Tom
Ship and Abe Smith at Marion, Ind,
on August 7th, were not locked on
the night Of the lynching was revealed
here today on the return to New York
of Walter White, Acting Secretary of
the National Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People. This is
but one of the instances of gross fail
ure to protect the prisoners, charged
by Mr.. White in letter to James NJ.
Ogden, Attotney-Gener of Indiana.
In his communication to the Attorney
General, Mr.. White gave the names of
alleged ring-leaders and members of
the mob which Snuffed out the lives
of the two Negro youths at Marion.
In a statement made epublic today
Mr.. White declared:
Seldom has there been an instance
of more fragrant careleSsness in pre-
venting a lynching than was the case
at Marion. Sheriff Jacob Campbell
claims that he had no intimation that
the lynchings were being planned until
August 7th when Mr.. w. T. Bailey, wife
of prominent physician of Marion.
telephoned the sheriff to that effect.
Mrs. Bailey is resident OF the Marion
branch of the N. A. A. c. P, and Of
the State Conference Of Branches OF
thee N. A. A. C. P. 1t is difficult to
understand how Sheriff Campbell could
not have known of the plans to lynch
the two Negro boys APPARENTLY every
one else in Marion knew early in the
afternoon that the elynchingS were to
be staged. Claude Deeter, the white
man killed by the colored boys, died
about 1880 in the afternoon. lmmedl-
ately crowds began to gather IN the
streets and threats were openly made
that Smith and Ship would be lynch
ed that evening. Deeter'S blood-staln-
ed shirt was hung out of the front
window of the Marion City Building,
this being done, according TO state
ments made to me by Chief of Po-
lice Lindemuth and others, in order
that the shirt might dry" so that 1t
could be used as evidence in the trials
of Smith and Ship. When asked why
the shirt had been allowed to stay
there so long, was told that they
had forgotten about 1t" All AFTER
noon people passed by the lace and
saw the shirt, which circumstances un-
uestionably helped to infame the MOB
to action.
Sheriff Campbell stated to me that
when Mrs. Bailey warned him of these
lynchings that hewent to tie jail ga
rage and there found someone had
removed the gasoline from tn two cars
thre and had let the air out OF the
tires. This was around seven O'Clock
and the lynchings did not occur until
nearly three hoSrs afterwards. lie ap-
parently made no effort to get announcer
car to rmove the boys to place OF
safe-keeping.
Furthermore, the two steel doors
which would effectively have blocked
attmpts of the mob to seize the prs
onrs were not locked. Each OF THESE
doors is about seven-eights OF an men
thick, made eoef solid steel and eacn
is set in solid steel frames. They couio
have been opened only by the use Oh a
hlow-torch and it would have taken an
honr or more to open each door. Ihls
would havegiven ample time for ar
rival of police reinforcements from
naarbv towns; which could have pre-
vented the lynehings. The first OF
tbeSe doors, as one enters the JAIL
Soes not close by two inches or more
a. found by testing itmyself' 10
na;tber this door nor the second SOHO
steel door were there any keys, stated
ts.t he had been sheriff for four years
and ad never seenany keys TO tnese ,
doors He did not seem at all 10 rec .st
that this made any difference snerin
Camnbell is undoubtedly guilty OF gross