The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-02-06
In AIaban1a'S
Black Belt
BY M. L.

GaAns wv AClb
Montgomery over a narrow road
that winds among the hills that
dot the center Of the Black Belt
in Alabama. We we're enroute TO
Dadeville, Opelaki and Tuskegee to
carry a message Of cheer and en-
Cowagement to our Negro COM
rades, those brave share-croppers
who so coursEeously defended
themselves against the vicious at
tack of the deputies and lynchers
of T'allapoosa County.
Here and there we passed
cabin standing in a field of dried
cotton stalks, thin curl of smoke
from the chimney telling US 1t was
occupied. Very few have windows
with glass paneS, simply square
opening with a wooden shutter.
Old, rotten, implanted, many of
them entirely deserted, their shut
tiers closed, picture Of desola-
ton. .t
At the new white marble court
house in Weturnka we stopped to
investigate runors that another
Negro had been captured and was
perhaps being tortured by the po-
lice in their efforts to learn more
about the Share Choppers Union.
This organization Of white and Ne
gro tenant farmers and share
choppers had been formed for the
protection OF their mutual inter
ests and TO combat the lying,
cheating system in operation for
so many years by the big land
owners and bankers.
DADEfnLE, ALA.
We learned at Wetuulka that the
only Negro arrested had been sent
to Dadeville, so we continued our
journey over an almost impossible
road and reached Dadeville at
noon. Dadeville is a small town
built in the form Of square; the
court house in the center. Shabby
wooden buildings and a few two
story bricks lined the four streets
Of the town.
Utter quiet pervaded the place;
the few who stood in doorwayS or
leaned against posts stared at us
curiously. We found Sheriff Young,
tall heavily-built man of middle
age in the Court House. He was
gruff, surly and openly hostile
when he learned we had come TO
see the Negro share croppers. He
refused to allow us to see them I'M
til he consulted the solicitor and
then tried to discourage and
frighten us by saying that if we
insisted on visiting the prisoners
we would be in great danger Of
not getting out of the county alive!
Our answer was, Eve are here to
see them"
CURROUNDED by police and
y deputy-sheriffs each Negro farm
er was brought in. gave his name
and answered q few, brief ques-
tons.
One was wounded among these
at Dadeville. Another had been
badly beaten about the head. When
told that the international Labor
Defense had come to their defense
a new look of hope and cheer APP
peared in their faces. Some greeted
us with smiles. They were very
brave, showing no fear while In
the hands of these lynchers and
murderers Of their comrades, Cliff
ford James, Milo Bentley and
James McAfuilin.
We forced Young TO give US let
tiers to the sheriffs at Opelika and
Tuskegee granting permission to
see the imprisoned choppers
at those places. At Opelika, after
much delay, we were led into the
Jail and made to wait in the din
ing hall while four deputies, we'll
armed, brought in the one man
they were holding under arrest. A
young fellow, calm and serious as
he replied to a few questions while
the cowardly deputies stood by
with hands tense on their guns.
Soon he was angrily ordered back
to his cell.
The sheriff was asked why this
one was not held In Dadeville with
the others, and his reply, was "he
wouldn't be alive if he was in
Dadeville" Chained in the jail
yard were the blood-hounds used
to hunt down the Negroes.
WE REACH TUSKEGEE
After many weary miles over
rough roads, 1t was night when We
reached Tuskegee. A larger town
than Dadeville, there was more
activity about the streets. Told
that we would probably find Sheriff
Riley In the poolroon, we finally
located him When shown the
letter from Sheriff Young, he said,
81 don't believe Young wrote it!''
Hatred and anger showed plainly
/ in his face as he fatty refused to
allow us to visit the men. At that
moment Clifford James and Milo
Bentley were lying on the floors
OF their cells not a block away,
dying Of their infected wounds.
When we protested that he was
denying them their constitutional
right to legal defense. his reply
Was "r don't care a dam about