Evening star., 1934-03-17
kNT|-LYNCH BILL
HIT BY SUMMERS
Representative Says 1t
Would Hinder Suppression
of Violence.
ny the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
Chairman Summers OF the House
Judiciary Committee yesterday at
hacked the Costigan-La Toilette anti
aynching bill, declaring it would be
drawback rather than an aid to sup
preston of mob violence.
Summers criticized the measure in
y hearing by the Senate Judiciary
Subcommittee after William H.
Thompson, Princess Anne, Nd. drug
eist, had appeared before the group
and denied having participated in
lynching on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland.
Thompson was named at a previous
hearing by William Preston Lane, jr.,
Maryland attorney general, as one of
eight men who Lane said had been
identified as part of the mob which
took George Armwood, colored, from
Jail in Princess Anne last October and
1ynched him.
Il am innocent of any charge per-
tanning to the lynching of George
Armwood," Thompson said. Il was
not in town that night can prove
with witnesses that 1 was in Salisbury
at moving picture
Supported by Witnesses.
Thompson's wife, two Princess Anne
women, Mrs. Lee Hayman and Mrs.
Earl Morris, and George w. Cclburn,
a Salisbury druggist, said Thompson
did not return to Princess Anne until
about As minutes after Armwood had
been hanged
Colburn, characterized by Senator
Van Nuys, Democrat of Indiana as
"a representative citizen of a COM
munlty which has been diSgraced by
lynching,' was questioned at length
on the subject. He said the over
Whelming majority of the people of
Maryland's Eastern Shore do not con-
done lynchings, but expressed doubt
that the measure would remedy the
situation.
Summers said the proposed Federal
law, which provides penalties up to
five years imprisonment and $4,000
for local officials convicted of neg
ugence in apprehending and prosecut-
ing lynchers, would operate directly
against the interest of those it seeks
to protect"
There has been a tremendous de-
among people against the custom of
lynch1ng," he said. They feel it's
their job to stop this thing, which is
a disgrace to their section.
with the Federal Government
stepping in, there will be a tendency
OF these people to shirk the response
bility and let Uncle Sam do it. And
a United States marshal going into
a community to arrest officials would.
In my opinion, stir a resentment
which would be reflected in the Jury
box, when these people we're tried"
Declared Serious.
ut is very serious thing to lessen
the spirit of responsibility of the peo-
pie OF section where that spirit is
the only protection man has against
a mob" Summers said The Federal
marshal is too far away TO prevent
the lynching."
The Thompsons, Mrs. Hayman and
Mrs. Lee were questioned closely by
committee members as to whether they
had recognized any of the partici-
pants in the mob they saw milling
through the streets Of Princess Anne.
All four said they had not recognized
anyone they knew.
Thompson said he left the theater
at Salisbury at 9-the hour of the
lynching-snd arrived in Princess
Anne at GAS. The streets were still
thick with people, and he was unable
to drive his car nearer than block
from his drug store, he said.
He said he was asked to serve on
the coroner's jury the next morning,
and then visited the scene of the
hanging. A photograph of the jury
was taken. and it was from this photo
graph, published in newspaper. that
two State policemen identified him
as one of the participants of the lynch
ing. he said.
What was the name Of the show
you saw at Salisbury that night?"
Senator McCarran. Democrat. of Ne
vada, asked Mrs. Thompson. She said
she couldn't remember.
Young Men Leave.
Colburn. who said he saw Thomp-
son in Salisbury between 9:20 and
Gas o'clock on the night Armwood
was hanged. said he noticed that Sal
isbury was "depopulated" Of young
sters from IL to 25 years" He said
he had later heard some of them say
they were in Princess Anne and had
seen the lynching.
Naturally, the better-thinking peo-
pie deplore anything outside the law"
Colburn said during a discussion of
the lynching Of Matthew Williams in
Salisbury previous to the Armwood
affair.
But to me the veneer OF civiliza-
ton is so thin that all the anti-lynch
laws in the world won't stop lynch
ing. You can't legislate morals into
any one"
He said he attributed the failure of
authorities to apprehend the Williams
lynchers to both the feeling of the
community and the laxity of officials,
but added that he believed a jury in
Somerset County would convict lynch
ers 'if the evidence was irrefutable."
Circuit Judge Robert F. Duer,
States Attorney John F. Robbins of
Princess Anne and States Attorney
Levin c. Bailey of Salisbury. who we're
invited to appear at the hearing. were
not present. Chairman Van Nuys said
the invitation might be renewed. pro-
vided it was decided to hold another
session.