Smyrna times., 1932-01-06
TRIAL REMOVAL FOR GUEL
LEE URGED BY SHORE PAPER
SALISBURY TIMES DENIES
RACIAL FEELING EXISTS
For Eighy-Three Days Case Has
Been Jostled Back and Forth in /,
Maze of an Intricate System

Inc SALISBURY Times, which ha
been one of the staunchest support
ers of a trial on the Eastern Shor,
for Yuel Lee, confessd negro STAY
er of a Berlin farm family Thurs
ray printed the following editor
: ial: THE history of the Yuel Let
case is now known to every man
woman and child on the lower
Eastern Shore. It is the future OF
the case with which we are now
concerned. For eighty-three days
this case has been jostled back and
forth in the maze of an intricate
legal system and, with the excep-
ton of the speedy indictments of
the grand jury, the confessed
slayer of a Worcester county fam
lily of four is no nearer trial than
he was eighty-three days ago, de-
spite all the efforts of the prose
cution. Meanwhile other murders
have been committed in the same
judicial circuit and by regular pro
cess of law the accused have been
convicted and sentenced by the
courts. But the Yuel Lee case
bids fair to be repetition of the
Sacco-Vanzetti or the Scottsboro
outrages against the American
legal system. In all three cases
the same communistic influences
were injected. The Maryland
Court Of Appeals on Tuesday held
the Circuit Court of Worcester
county exercised proper constitu-
tional discretion when it refused to
permit the eLe case to leave the
First Judicial Circuit. The APP
pellate Court, however, goes furth-
er and comments that subsequent
clients indicate the obtaining of
fair and unprecedented jury in the
county to which the case has been
assigned is unlikely While, in
effect, is declaration the higher
court will entertain an appeal on
conviction of the defendant. Ger
tain it is, if armed forces are
deemed necessary to stand guard
during the trial to prevent any
sort of demonstration, the Apple
late Court will declare mistriaI.
Under such conditions the case will, |
in time, be taken outside the cir
cult. The aim of all Of US who |
have followed the retarded pro-
gress of this case is to see it I
brought to speedy conclusion. In
view of the Appellate Courts COM
ment Tuesday, it is our sincere be |
lief that removal Of the case from
the First Judicial Circuit is the /
best means of bringing it to an
early end. We have had implicit /
faith in the fairness and integrity |
of our courts and juries. In sug-
costing removal outside of the cir
cult we make no concessions to
our pride in those tribunals Hav-
ing the advantage of following
every angle of the case step by
step and after talking with hun
dreds of people in all walks of life
On the Eastern Shore, our conclu-
Sions are these: That the defend
ant, Lee, could even now obtain a
fair and impartial jury and trial
in this circuit, if he had as counsel
any reputable members of the bar
IN any of the four counties of the
circuit. That the resentment of
he people on the Eastern Shore is
1ot against the defendant to the
extent of denying him his consti-
.utional rights of a fair trial
There exists no racial feeling in
my of the shore counties. Report
I'd demonstration against Lee have
been grossly exaggerated. That
resentment does exist against the
defendants attorney and the COM
nunistic organization which he
'epresents. The Eastern Shore
nan is proud of his birthright. He
,herishes his traditional Anglo
Saxon ancestry and he is unwilling
or communism to get a foothold
n this section of the State. The
'utburst of feeling manifested
'ince the quadruple murder on
October 10, can be considered in
10 other light than resentment
against communistic agitation.
With such situation existing, we
suggest to the Circuit Court that
he case be removed to the West
I'm Shore or Southern Maryland,
With the exception that it not be
ried in Baltimore city. Since it
appears to be unfair to the defend
int to hold the trial on the East
I'm Shore because of anti-Com-
nunistic feeling, it is by the same
premise unfair to the States At $
orney prosecuting the case to as
ign the trial to Baltimore, the {
headquarters of Communistic or
5anization conducting the defense.
n Baltimore the handicap to the
would be fully as great