The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-28

Editor, Daily Worker,
so East 18th Street;
New York City.
Congratulations for your article
unmasking the leaders of the mob
which lynched George Armwood in
Princess Anne, Md, in one of the
most fiendish lynchings in the long
history of capitalist violence against
the Negro People and the American
workingclass. Your investigation pre-
sents irrefutable proof of the leading
role played by States Attorney Rob-
ms, Judge Duer and other officials
in organizing the lynching and in
instigating the vilest terror against
the oppressed Negro masses.
The League Of Struggle for Negro
Rights calls upon every Negro and
White worker, upon every Sympathizer
with the liberation struggles of the
Negro People, to support and back
the Daily Worker and the Interna-
tienal Labor Defense in this splendid
fight against lynching and all forms
Of ruling class terror against the
toiling masses, black and white. The
L.SN.R. calls upon its members and
all workers and synapathizerS to mo-
Billie in relentless fight against
lynch terror and growing starvation
and mass misery.
The Daily Workers investigation
affords irrefutable proof that Gov.
Albert c. Ritchie of Maryland had
| advance guilty knowledge of the plans
to lynch ArnaWood That is why
Armwood was returned from Balti-
more City iail to Princess Anne. That
is why Gov. Ritchie ignored the
warnings Of the Associated Press and
the Baltimore Sun that "t-l1-e might
be trouble in Princess An.-c that
night Gov. Ritchie, despite these
warnings, refused to order the re-
| moval OF Ar1nwood from Princess
Anne, refused to order out troops to
protect Armwood,-in sharp con-
trast to his policy Of ordering out
troops to shoot down workers strik-
ing against the MIRA. hunger codes.
The L.S.E.R. demands the i'm
parchment of Gov. Richie as an
accessory before the crime for the
murder Of Armwoo5. Ritchie's
hands are stained with the blood of
the murdered Negro worker.
States Attorney Robins, Judge
Duer and other Somerset County Of
ficials knew of the lynclling plan.
An eye witness to the lynching, in
a sworn affidavit, tells how he over
heard Robins endorsing the plans of
the mob leaders. Sheriff Daugherty,
Deputy Sheriff Dryden, State Police
Captain Edward M. Johnson, and the
local commander of the American
Legion, were in the mob that lynched
Armwood.
We demand the removal, arrest
and persecution for murder of these
officials and of other known lead
ers Of the mob. ..
| Fifty heavily armed State troopers
and deputy sheriffs looked on while
the mob took Armwood out OF the
! Jail, leisurely dragged him through
| the main streets of the town, tor
tured him, hsnged him in front OF
Judge Duers home, and later drag
ged his body to the town square
where it was thrown on flaming
pyre, while pieces of the rope with
which he was lynched were distri-
huted among the mob as souvenirs
1t is clear that the State of
Maryland affords no protection to
the Negro People. We demand the
disbanding and diaarning OF the
X. X. TX. and all terrorist groups.
We demand the rights of Negroes
and their white supporters to bear
arms In self -defense! We demand
the immediate and unconditional
release of George Robinson, white
worker. held in Baltimore City Jail
on the charge of aiding Armwood
to escape after his alleged crime
of alIegedly grabbing" the arm OF
white woman.
Il The State and County officials who
participated in the lynching of Arm
wood have carried through farci-
cal Coroner's jury inquiry into the
crime. Another such farcica1 inquiry
is being prepared by the grand jury
| We denounce these attempts of
the lynchers to whitewash them
selves! We demand the dissolution
of the present grand jury and the
calling Of a special grand jury, to
convene outside of Somerset Coun-
.ty, OF Negroes and unprejudiced
white workers, with the right of
attorneys selected by the Interna-
ticnal Labor Defense to participate
in the inquiry with the right Of
unlimited peremptory challenges of
all prospective jurors.
The highest officials Of Maryland
are directly implicated in the lynch
ing of Armwood.
We demand that President
Roosevelt instruct Attorney Gen
exal Cummings to set in motion
federal grand jury inquiry, with
the right Of LID. attorneys to par
ticipate in the selection Of the