The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-26
COPS MURDER
NEGRO WOMEN
Kill Mrs. Edna Davis
Without Cause; Freed

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Jan. 25.-De-
tails of the murder Of Mrs. Edna
Davis, Negro worker by Birmingham
police officers on New Years Eve
have been obtained by the Interna-
tional Labor Defense in an affidavit
by the husband and sister of the MUIR
dered woman. The affidavit exposes
in simple, dramatic language, the
reign of terror against the Negroes
of Birmingham, which is being inten-
sified now in preparation by the lynch
bosses for the Scottsboro trial which
will come up in March and to break
the unity of the white and Negro
workers in the Scottsboro defense.
The statement also exposes the role
of the courts and county authorities
in Whitewasfing all investigations of
murder of Negroes. In spite of the
fact that these same facts were re-
lated to the coroner's jury which "in-
vestigated" the murder of Mrs. Davis,
the three policemen, well known here
as red baiters," were exonerated.
The statement follows in part:
Addison Rawls stated that he is
the husband of Edna Davis, and Noby
Robinson, that she is her sister.
Break Into House
"At about 1880 p. m. of Dec. 81,
1892, Edna Davis, Addison Rawls,
Noby Robinson, Viola Smith, Hubert
Belson and William Emery were to-
gether in the front room where Ad-
Olson RaWls, Edna Davis and Noby
Robinson live together at 913 10th
St., North, Birmingham, Ala. At that
time Edna Davis was sitting on a
chair putting on her shoes getting
ready to go to the Watch meeting
with the others. Suddenly the rear
and front doors were forced open and
three police officers entered-two
through the front door and one from
the rear. The names of those who
entered were Officer Norrel, Mozer
and John Allen. Officers Norrel and
Mozer had guns in their hands and
we did not notice whether Allen had
his gun drawn but later on he did
IldNE IL Out.
"All of us we're sitting in various
places in the room when the officers
came in, Mozer kicked the door open
and yelled Gimme that pistol you
got and get your damn hands up"
All of us put up our hands and stood
up as ordered-except Edna Davis
who was putting her shoe on and
could not get up so fast. Officer
Allen grabbed Edna Davis by the
nape of her neck and as she was
pulled to her feet the officer hit her
over the head with a pistol and kick
ed her at the same time. AS she
was falling towards the bed, Officer
Norrel hit her over the head with his
pistol-and she fell between the bed
and trunk. Officer Allen then shot
her and the bullet struck her on the
left side. She was sinking to the
floor when Officer Mozer shot her
for the second time. He shot her in
the left arm.
1.-THE officers forced us to kneel on
the floor for thirty minutes and they
would not let anyone go to Edna
Davis while she was dying. She died
while we were kneeling.
Try Frame-Up
"On Tuesday, Jan. q, two officers,
those names Addison Rawl Gid not
know came and said did Edna Davis
move for the shot gun?' Addison
Rawl replied that she did not.
zone OF the officers said: If Mr..
Mozer ever finds that out, there will
be another dead niger in this town.
"The police claimed that Edna
Davis reached for shot gun. This
IS absolutely untrue. The only shot
gun in the house was lying down all
taken apart. The gun belongs to Ad-
Olson Rawls who had been hunting
the day before. The gun had snapped
and he had taken it apart to fix it,"
I'VE were called as witnesses be-
fore the coroner and we all testified
to the same statement as the facts
are stated here. We were not per-
mitted in the room when the officers
testified. We were never told what
decision the coroner made"