The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-16

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Nov. Is
They'll have to kill us first!"
We're not going to get lynched in
Decatur. We refuse to move a peg
without we have the military to pro-
tect us at that there trial"
Flom behind the bars Of jefferson
County Jail In Birmingham, the nine
young Scottsboro boys spoke to Ben
Davis, Jr., International Labor De-
Tense attorney, and through him ITO
all our people and their friends"
With simple bravery and outstanding
determination, these boys, who have
become symbols of the most deter
mined struggle Of workers through
out the world for Negro rights, await
this new threat after two years and
seven months behind prison bars.
Can't Tell Whole Truth
We've been through hell" one of
the boys said. They told Of the tight
ening up" by the authorities ever
since the new trial date was set. Mall
is consistently withheld from them.
They are given bad food. At times
they are even made to sleep on the
concrete floor Of their cell. They are
constantly threatened by guards and
| visitors" in an attempt to break
their spirit. 1t is impossible to learn
| the full extent Of this brutal terror
ization, for the boys cannot speak
even to their attorneys without fear
Of worse torture in the long days and
longer nights when they are entirely
at the mercy of their enemies within
the thick walls of the prison.
I'VE cain't ten the whole truth
now" one Of the boys explained, and
went on, I'VE don't never want to
live in the South no more when once
I we go free. Don't want to even think
what would a been of us if hadn't
been for the LID"
Ruby Bates heroic stand in their
last trial was discussed admiringly by
the imprisoned boys. We're SO glad
Miss Ruby Bates toll the truth then. .
THAT was a brave thing for o
southern white girl to do for us boys u
I'VE sure hope Miss Victoria Price
tells the truth this tinle," they said.
New Trial Very Soon
This time" is only q bit more than
two weeks, away. Ben j. Davis, Jr.,
tall, husky, trim Negro attorney from
Atlanta, Ca, the man who braved
the wrath Of Georgia'S white masters
to defend Angelo Herndon and to
take active part in many fights for
freedom, enters Jefferson County's
imposing new courthouse with D. r.
1 Schriftman.
From the barred windows Of the
seventh and eighth floors, can be
i heard the cries Of prisoners. Inside
an elevator whisks them up past the
offices Of the petty officials, past the
gossiping "co,onels" and the venom
Gus deputies who stand about the
halls, the clerks, who sit on the desks
filled with hatred for the Scots
boro boys and all they have come to
stand for.
They go up past meeting rooms
also, the rooms used by the local So
, cialist Party and other groups sir
favor" at this castle of reaction. From
these rooms there has certainly never
come even a whisper of protest al
the misery held behind bars and con-
crete but a few floors above.
! Finally, the boys. They are eager
Roy Wright flashes into tremend-
t Gus te-toothed smile as he grasps
the visitors by the hand. Haywood
Patterson, with his fiery, alive, franz
eyes meeting theirs as he grips theil
hands strongly. Olen Montgomery
peers uncertainty through the bar.
: lin his almost blindness.
! Each of them, all of them, SO tire.
mendously glad to see these friends
to be able to talk to these men, whitt
and black, who come with good news
! not threats, to be able to send
! through them, messages to their mil
lions of friends throughout the world
Keep Up Mass STRUGGLED"
"Teil all the LID. to keep on u
struggle to get us free, one OF th'
boys said.
Then another: mfr. Leibowitz anS
the other LID. lawyers sure bea
them all last time, but we know w
can't never go free without all thu
mass of people protesting"
Soviet Recognition brings nope
"Can you get news from the out
; side?" asked Attorney d. r.. Schrift
man, who accompanied Ben Dayi
into the Jail. The boys immediatel.
referred to the impending recognition
Iof the Soviet Union.
We're real glad they're going b
recognize Russia" one Of the boy
+, said enthusiastically. They recalled
the demonstrations of the Sovie
J workers in their behalf, and the en-
thusiastic reception given Mrs. Adj
.. Wright, mother of two of the boys
by the Soviet masses on her Euro
pean tour with the late j. Louis Eng
dahl.
Davis brought, greetings from An
gelo Herndon, still held without bal
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