The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-20
VictOryFaces
Murder Trial
In Detroit
Trial Tomorrow; Mass
Conference Speeds
Defense Action

DETROIT, Mich, June 10. - Tbs
trial Of James Victory, Negro worker
and World War veteran framed on
a charge Of numbering a white
woman, comes up here Thursday
morning 9 O'Clock, at Recorder
Court, Clinton and Beaubien BIS,
before Judge Jeffries.
Victory is being defended by the
International Labor Defense. He is
held in $4,000 bail.
A conference called by the James
Victory Defense Committee at the
Metropolitan Baptist Church was
attended by fifty delegates from Is
organizations representing thou
sands of Negro and white workers,
who are Yoicing their determine
ton to free Victory.
Tony Gerlach, district secretary,
International Labor Defense, in dis
cussing the frame-up at the con-
ference stated, THE Victory frame
up is a direct outgrowth of an at
tack against the Negro people led
by fascist Hearts paper, the Detroit
Times. The newspapers of Detroit
have sought to create the impress
sion that all Negroes are 'Voodoo-
lists 'slashers' and rapers. Acting
for the auto-bosses, they hope to
destroy the growing Negro and
white working class unity in order
to put over their wage-cuts, lay-ofs
and denials of relief to the unem-
ployed."
In addition to the organization Of
a Tag Day for the weekend to
raise funds for the issuance of over
10000 leaflets calling on workers
to attend the trial and for legal ex-
penses, the conference elected a
delegation to visit Mayor Couzens
to demand the removal of Heinrich
Pickert, police commissioner, -wf1o
has ordered the recent attack on
the Negro people, by instTucting his
police to arrest Negroes found in
white neighborhoodS.
The delegation is composed OF
members from the following organ
lzations: Metropolitan Baptist
Church, Nat Turner Club, League
Of Struggle for Negro Rights. In
ternational Workers Order, Polish
Chamber Of Labor and the Inter-
national Labor Defense. This same
delegation will also see Judge, JEFF
fries who claims to be a friend OF
the Negro people," demanding that
he hear Victory's case and free this
innocent Negro.
A Workers Jury Of six Negro and
six white workers was also elected
by the conference. This Workers
Jury is to sit in the courtroom,
hear the case, and will bring back a
working class verdict to a mass
meeting to be held after the trial.
Rev. White, pastor of the Metro
politan Baptist Church took the
floor and stated that it would be
impossible to exaggerate the police
persecution Of the Negro people of
Detroit. He said only by the Me-
groes and whites putting their
shoulders together in a common
struggle would it be possible to, de-
feat this terror"
Max Salzman, representing the
Communist Party at the confer
ence, proposed that the leafet to
be issued be entitled, I'VE Accuse"
=. the city officials, the capitalist
press and the police department.
who have worked hand in glove to
create race hatred in the ranks of
the Detroit workers. He stated that
Police Commissioner Pickert had
asked him not 10 condemn the
Hearst Times" at open-air mass
meetings.
Another conference of all workers
and workers organizations inter-
eSted in the fight for the freedom
OF James Victory is to be held .at
the International Labor Defense sos.
fees at 1858 Woodward Ave, t. )
night. Further plans will be taken
up at this meeting and the leaf
let's will be ready for distribution
at that time. ."'