The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-18

we are IC-pihbuiS AhUh viz
birmingham World,'' a Negro
weekly, the following article in
connection with the TallapOosa,
Ala. atrocities because of the
facts set forth as revealed by the
widows of the two victims of the
murderous assault by the authOri-
ties upon the share choppers in
that vicinity. The publication OF
this article in no way implies any
endorsement of the policy of this
paper-EDITOR'S NOTE.
BY GORDON DE LEIGHBOR.
tsIUHAT will happen next we just
w don't know. But whatever
does happen, we want to get out
of that place. We don't want our
children to have to keep on living
there and working on farms"
That is what the widows OF Cliff
James and Milo Bentley say as
they tell the story of the Tallapoosa
County massacre. Beaten and shot
at and widowed, the destitute
women face the future with nine
fatherleSs children, one Shoat, one
COW, little corn, some fat meat,
the clothes they are wearing and
a load of debt. They have one
other thing. That is courage.
The landlords and the white mob
that called itself the law took
everything else away from the wo-
men when bullets in the back
snuffed out the lives of their hus-
bands.
For IL years, MIR. and Mrs. Bent
ley and their two children had
been with the same white man.
Now the children, boy and a girl,
are II and 10. Back when they were
born, even before they were born,
their father and mother were in
debt. Today Mrs. Bentley has a
Shoat and a cow and nothing to
feed them with. She is still stiff
and sore from the merciless beat
ing given her by mob of white
men. She is worried about her
children and the future is nothing
but blank wall.
SEVEN IN JAMES FAMILY
There are seven children in the
James family. The youngest is a
tot of seven while the oldest is 10.
All have worked since they were old
enough to toddle into the field or
to care for younger members Of the
family. Three Of these children
were treated by DR.. Dibble of
Tuskegee Institute, last year. Yet
DR.. Dibblc called the law when
their father reached the school to
ask for medical treatment. He had
walked II miles with two quilts
wrapped about him in order to
obtain help. Instead he was bund
led off into the Jail where he died
from his wounds.
THIS is the brief story that the
1 widows tell. Behind that story
is a perpetual struggle with debt
and fear. once Cliff James owned
an automobile. The landlord told
him that he could get no advance
for the tag So the car was sold
That happened few years ago.
Today conditions are worse.
Now even the white choppers are
not allowed to sell their own cotton.
OF course the colored people are
treated even worse. While all the
share troopers are going hungry
the landlords have come to point
where they curse the colored ten
ant who dares to leave his blowing
on Monday to drive into town
for food. All through the week
the farm work must be carried on.
Only on Saturday afternoon may
the farmer go to get his supplies
from the store which the boss owns.
Sometimes they gave us re-,
ceipt for what we bought; some
times they didn't" said one of the
widows. "They always kept the
books and we were always in debt
anyhow. Day after day we all
worked until late at night and still
there was almost nothing to eat"
SCHOOL--TWO MONTHS A YEAE
Two or three months of school
year is all the orphan children
have hadTo secure even this scan
! ty education they have been forced
TO walk from two to three miles
twice day. OF course their par
ents bought their books. Meanwhile
the children of the landlords rode
in comfortable buses to schools
where they st5 led in small class