The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-08
Virginia Judge Admits
He Exluded Negroes
From Grand Jury

LEESBURG, Va, Nov. IA SLAM
derous attack by the State on the
intelligence of the Negro People and
their capacity to serve on Virginia
juries featured the opening, yester-
day, of the trial of George Craw-
ford, Negro worker, charged with the
murder Of two white society women.
Following the historic example of
the International Labor Defense in
the Fuel Lee and Scottsboro cases,
DR.. Charles Houston, Crawford's at
torney, raised the question of the
exclusion of Negroes from the grand
jury which in February, 1888, re-
turned an indictment against Craw-
ford. Judge j. r.. H. Alexander, W.. o
selected the jurors, was forced to adj
nit on the witness stand that he
had deliberately excluded Negroes
from consideration. In answer to
question by DR.. Houston, Judge Al
exander stated he had mot consid-
cred placing Negroes on the list"
This admission proves the viola
ton of the constitutional rights of
Crawford and the Negro People by
the lynch courts of Virginia. 1t
clearly indicates the frame-up ma
ture of the case against the Negro
worker. 1t struck a damaging blow
to the prosecution. 1t was on the
grounds of the systematic exclusion
of Negroes from Virginia ju-ies that
Judge Lowell of Boston was forced
to render his decision denying APP
plication by the State Of Virginia for
the extradition of Crawford from
Massachusetts,. Judge Lowell's de-
cision was met by an angry outburst
in Congress and a move was begun
for his Impeachment. Taking its cue
from Congress the Second Circuit
Court of Boston reversed the decision
of Judge Lowell. The U. S. Supreme
Court, by its refusal to review the
case, sanctioned the action of the
Second Circuit Court and helped to
deliver Crawford to the lynch courts
Of Virginia.
The prosecuting attorney, John
Galleher, met the damaging admis-
sion Of Judge Alexander with the pre-
text that the exclusion of Negroes
from juries does not constitute dis
elimination against the Negro peo-
pie. It was at this point that he
launched into a vicious, slanderous
attack against the Negro People. He
brazenly denied that there were Ne
groeS in LoudoWn qualified to serve
on grand juries. This SANDER was
also raised by the State of Alabama
in the Decatur trial of Haywood Pat
terson, one Of the Scottsboro boys,
despite the fact that scores of Ne
groes came forward to testify that
they were qualified to serve on juries
but had never been called. And for
fear his nonsensical claim lacked
conviction, Galleher added that any
way the jury which indicted CraW-
ford was drawn before the murders
were committed.
Decision on motion made by DR..
Houston to quaSh the indictment
against Crawford on the ground of
exclusion of Negroes from the grand
jury, was deferred until today by
Judge James L. McLemore, who an
nounced he probably would hand
down a written decision on the mo-
ton. That decision will show
whether the ruling class of Virginia
intends to carry through, In It's
original form, the intended legal
lvnching OF Crawford or will bow to
the liberals" who are suggesting
that it be carried through in a new
form. with the drawing Of a new
Grand jury on which dependable
Negro reformists will be placed.
Negro workers turned out in large
numbers to the trial, constituting
FULLY half Of the crowd which packed
the old Colonial type court room.