Twin-City herald., 1933-11-25
This World
By Cecil e. Newman
PROGRESS
SCOTTSBORO AGAIN

Progress: 1t is understood that
Boley, Oklahoma, all-Negro town of
1900 souls, founded in 1905, will re-
ceive a 100000 loan from govern
ment agencies to improve the city.
The money, if obtained, will be used
to install gas mains, sewer system and
make other improvements. The
trustees of important Tuskegee In
stitutes meeting at the Chase National
Bank in New York City this week,
made Robert Russa Motion, president
of Tuskegee. His former official title
was principal Cleveland, Ohio
voters irrespective of race, over
whelmingly reelected Mary 3. Martin,
a Negro woman, to the Board of Edu-
cation of the Ohio metropolis. She
received over 100000 votes. Magis-
trate Edward w. Henry of Phila-
delphia, was a lifelong Republican un-
til few months ago. When his party
leaders, led by VIM. S. Ware, seeking
to discipline him refused to give him
the G. o. P. endorsement for re-
election he went over to the Demo
cratic party and was reelected by the
Democratic landslide which swept that
city two weeks ago. Another ROOse-
welt plum went to brOnzed Americans
this week when William FL. Hastie
was appointed assistant solicitor in
the Department of the Interior. The
job pays $1,000 per year. HASTE is a
Washingtonian, Harvard graduate and
has taught in the Howard University
Law School. If Roosevelt continues to
appoint worthy and qualified Negroes
to governmental positions, soon the
group will have more positions of re-
sponsibility in governmental WASH
ington that it has had since the other
Roosevelt. 1t is not generally known,
but can be proven by records that
Negroes received more political pre-
ferment under Grover Cleveland, a
Democratic President, than any other.
*asa.ttf 1n-
The. now internationally discussed
Scottsboro case got under way again
Monday. Haywood Patterson, one of
the defendants will go on trial for his
life for the third time. He was con-
victed last April by jury in Decatur,
Alabama, a conviction which was set
aside later by Judge James E. Horton,
the trial jurist. Patterson and six
other young men ranging from 13
years old to 21 were accused by police
of attacking two White girl hoboes on
a freight train about three years ago.
One of the girls testified at the risk of
her life, at the last trial, that no such
attack ever occurred, and that it was
simply the invention of the other girl
who thought she could escape a
vagrancy charge by charging the
Negro boys with rape. Lester Carter
one of the White boys who was with
the girls on the train, also testified
at the last trial, that no attack oc-
Cured.
At previous trials the state pro.
vided National Guardsmen to- protect
the defendants and their counsel. The
present trial Judge has refused to ask
the governor of the state for troops;
contending that no troops are needed.
The present presiding Judge, w. w,
Callahan, an alleged member of the
Ku Klux Khan, refused the petition of
the defense counsel, led by Samuel S.
Leibowitz, noted New York attorney,
for a change of venue. Defense cOun-
sci sought to have the trial removed
to Morgan County, in which Birming-
ham is situated, because race feeling
is not so pronounced in that section
Impartial observers have asserted that
Judge CalIahan's refusal to request
troops for the protection of the boys
and their counsel is intended to in
timidate the entire defense. Despite
protests of certain Alabamans that
there is no lynch spirit, critical OBJ
servers point to the Tuscaloosa lynch
ing of four men two months ago a
few miles from Decatur, where the
Scottsboro trial is being held. Last
4.
Relations, southern body, composed
of leading Whites and Negroes, sent
out statement to the comtry's news
papers. which claims its private In
vestigation has proven three of the
lynched men innocent and the guilt
of the other in serious doubt. IN. the
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