The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-04-08
BY BILL LAWRENCE


THE blood-thirsty vampires Of the working-class
1 have triumphed! The hypocritical bourgeois
farce within the courtroom is over, The limo
cent Negro youth Willie Brown was pronounced
guilty Of first degree murder, which carries q
penalty of death The capitalist press is jubilant,
Big headlines announce that the murderer" will
pay the price The dirty, poisonous work was
not in vain. The Socialist" Forward falls in
line The Forward did its bit during the trial
to help the prosecution send Willie to the electric
chair. -
The pronouncement OF guilt upon Willie Brown
in first degree murder is another class act on
the part of the ruling class. Willie Brown is
framed-up and is sentenced to death a few days
after the decision of the Alabama Supreme Court
that the scottsboro boys must die Willie is
condemned to death on the same day that two
Young Communists are sent to jail for "sedition"
~ Media Pa. for calling upon the workers 10
cr7aniza and fight for better conditions. on the
fifteenth anniversary Of the United States en-
trance irto war when new preparations are
being made for another slaughter Of the working
masses Willie Brown is sentenced to die
The case Of Willie Brown completely destroys
the fable Of Democracy, fairness and justice"
existing in the United States courts. From the
very outset OF the trial the court was preiudiced
aqainst the Negro youth; it became evident that
the court had already made up its mind, and
was determined to send the innocent boy to the
chair Negro jurors were barred from the trial
The Judge allowed the district attorney to pro-
duce in court. pictures Of the body of the slain
child which aimed to create race prejudice and
antaoonize the white jury against the Negro
youth.
IN his charge to the juryrnen, which lasted
forty minutes, the bor-hating Judge McDevitt,
who is supposed to be impartial and look out for
justice, actually made plea to pronounce Willie
guilty. In his forty minute address, the judge
attacked every witness and argument Of the de-
tense and in his final words he stated, "YOu
gentlemen have all observed the safeguards taken
TO give the defendant fair and impartial trial.
Do not compromise yourselves. Do not bing in
comprised verdict Do not trifIe with justice.
If you find the defendant guilty say so. You
know your duty, and you should bring in a YER
dict consistent with the evidence You are IL
good red FLOODED American citizens. I lay this
case in your lap" To make it appear impartial,
the Judge after urging the jury not to be in
fluenced by terrible pictures OF death in the
electric chair or alleged police brutality" said
eff you find the defendant innocent, say So"
What mockeryg
On the other hand, the defense attorney Pace
Alexander followed the line against which all
workers, particularly the Negro workers who
looked up to Alexander to save Willie, must be
warned. Pace Alexander deliberately evaded the
class and national issue Of the Willie Brown case
He limited himself to legal technicailties,
and played into the hands Of the race hatred
Judge and district attorney when he stated:
There are NO issues in this case that are con-
sistent with problems underlying Communist
theories This case raises clear cot legal prob
lens as to whether the police were guilty
of using third degree methods in prOcur-
ing the alleged confession from an
ignorant boy. regret the injection of
racial feeling and shall do all In my
power to prevent the raising Of any race question
or any other question Of class oppression"
Following the logical line of such theories
the defense attorney, Alexander in his speech to
the jury not only failed to uncover the class and
national character Of the case not only did not
expose the race hatred and prejudice with which
the entire court room was filled, but practically
admitted willie Brown guilty by stating that