The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1931-10-22
Convicted Man
Tells Experience

Continued from page one.O
asked who lived here. | told tban,
my name, and they told me the chief
of detectives wanted to talk with mo
went to the station with them.
Mr.. Thurman, chief of detectives
was apparently busy for was locked
IN a cell for short time. Later !
went to Mr.. Thurman's office and
he proceeded to tell the story of how
a white woman was found dead and
explained that | might as well con
Tess as he had the goods on me. I
told him | knew nothing about the
murder. He called me several names
unprintable, and the detectives re.
minded me that 'niggers were not
treated nice down here
Begin Third Degree"
"All the morning they used differ
ent methods to make me confess kill
ing the white woman. WHY should I
say | killed woman if | didn't?' |
told Thurman. He replied. nov
niger, | know you killed this wo-
man and come clean and tell me
all about it, He continued TALKING
this way until about midnight when
| was again locked up.
The next morning | went to
Thurman's office. When | entered
a red-headed young woman was talk
ing to several men. She glanced at
me several times. Chief Thurman
told me this was the woman | had
attacked. replied that | had never
seen her before. She spoke right up
and said that maybe | had not seen
her Tor there was no light in the
room that night.
Knocks Gibson Down
again Thurman told me TO come
clean and confess. | replied that |
knew nothing about the crime. Thur
man became very angry and some
one hit me near the left ear and
Knocked me to the floor. As | at.
tempted to rise | was struck again.
knocked down and kicked. This per-
torrance was repeated over and over
again many times until was SO sore
and numb couldn't feel the pain as
their fists and shoes struck my BODY.
Two of the detectives assisted me |
to a chair near Thurman. and once |
again he asked me to confess to the
attack of the white woman. I told
him at least one hundred times that
knew nothing about the woman:
didn't commit the crime, and didn't
know anything about it. The de-
tectives began to beat and kick me
again. They punched, beat and
kicked me until they were tired, and
once again placed me in the chair.
Thurman told me he would kick me
IN the mouth if l repeated again
hat | didn't commit the crime.
Chief Orders Beating
Chief Thurman was now yery
angry and gave orders to his men to
larry me to the basement and beat
ne until | confessed. | can't describe
ny condition, but anything but. an
'ther beating at that time would
lave been welcomed. Finally, / told
thurman l would confess if the men
would not beat me any more. He
eadlly promised and Ellison and Hix
lctated the statement to the steno-
'rapher word for word.
Il read the final paragraph of the
tatement and l refused to sign it $
yhen | read that it contained the 1
lea that | had signed the paper of {
~ own free will and had not been
bused. At my refusal | was again T
nocked down and kicked and the y
ain was so intense that | told them
would sign the paper. l signed, !
ut the signature could hardly be !
cad, for / was nervous.
Cigars Passed Around p
Chief Thurman seemed very .
Apply and passed cigars around to
yeryone except myself. | remained
Thurman's office until midnight. S
nd among other things he told me n
lat | didn't have a chance and
ould be surely hanged if | didn't "
cad guilty when went before the .
'urt the next morning. He told me t,
knew what he had done was not Il
stice but that this was the only b
ay things were done in Missouri. r,
"The following morning | talked n
it'll Judge Latshaw. | didn't know Of
hat told him until read the eve in
ng paper. Everything seemed to W
going wrong. Even a lawyer as 81