The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1931-11-26
By William Pickens

We cannot undo the brutal deed
which was done just few days ago
in Florida, and we doubt whether
anybody ever will be punished for it,
but we can tell a million readers
about it. And we hope they will tell
ten million others.
You have heard of Daytona Beach
In the city of Daytona, not far from
the famous Negro school sdwelt lit
tie family of four: father, mother
who is helpless consumptive, and
two little boys. There was more
harmless little family in Florida; they
lived in the direst poverty but were
by no means lazy and uninteresting.
Having no lob for wages, the man
made bare living by repairing stoves
which he called for and brought back
in little homemade box wagon. He
and his two little boys were eternally
busy. and aroused a sort of amused
admiration in the community by their
unique resourcefulness in making a
living. One day the neighbors no.
ticed that to the assortment of junk
which steadily grew in their back
ward, this little family added huge
"old 'bus' of an automobile. The
ingenius iunkman put this in running
order. and some wit among the neigh
bors christened it 'the struggle bug
gy." Approaching a bit nearer in
acquaintance the neighbors learned
that the man was the proud "inven-
tor of some sort of contrivanee,
which he boosted that several "white
folks" had conceded to have some
merit and with which he hoped some
day to startle both fame and money
out of believing world.
On October 2, 1881, this prize in
vention, whatever it was was con-
sidered ready to be sprung upon the
waiting public. The black inventor
loaded it beside "the struggle bug
gv," and Hooking for all the world
like Amos in the famous "Fresh-Air
Taxicab,' he rolled away in search
of fame and fortune, while the wife
and two little sons waited for him to
return with the elad tidings.
He travelled about 20 miles from
home. dreaming great dreams, when
the old ear, true to its species, be
gan to get very unruly, and collid-
ed with a car driven by a white wo-
man. The woman was not injured.
neither was her car damaged. and
taking the road again she drove on
her wav. The circumstances and lit
tie excitement would have furnished
only amusement to anyone with a
sense of humor, but not to the inn
nroentu mob of white men who had
gathered at the spot. None Of them
knew who this old Negro was or what
he was about. None of them inquir-
ed. None of them cared. They took
him in hand: and as he offered no
resistance and they could find no eX-
cuse to shoot him, they beat him into
insensibility with the butts of their
revolvers and threw him into prison.
As DAYS passed his condition grew
steadily worse; his mind had been up-
set and thev had knocked his memory
into blank. At last they decided,
with brutal leisureliness, to make
some inquiries and find ont where he
belonged nyway,-esDeciallv to get
rid of the nuisance of a sick Mig
per" on their hands and to avoid
the threatening expense of a dead
one. The authorities succeeded in 10
eating his wife and told he~ that he
was in their Jail "sick. They did
not tell her what had made him sick.
She was told that if she would call for
him at night. that they would permit
him to leave the prison and would