Evening star., 1934-02-22
SENATE MAY CALL
LYNCH SUSPECTS
Eight Named in Armwood
Case Expected to Appear
at Hearing.
Nv the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee,
which is conducting hearings on the
CoStigan- Wagner anti-lynching bill,
is considering calling as witnesses the
eight men named as participants in
the lynching of George Armwood in
Princess Anne. Md.
At the conclusion of two days Of
testimony by proponents of the anti
lynching measure Senator Van Nuys,
Democrat, Of Indiana. chairman, said
last night he would consult with the
other members of the committee on
the desirability Of summoning the
eight alleged lynchers and officials Of
the Eastern Shore of Maryland who
we're charged with neglect of duty.
Names Supplied.
The names of the eight men we're
given the committee by w. Preston
Lane, attorney general of Maryland,
who said their identities were vouched
for in affidavits by police and others
who saw Armwood taken by force
from the Princess Anne jail and
hanged.
Those named by Lane were:
Shelburn Lester, meter reader;
big Boy" Smith, pugilist, and Will
liam P. Hearn, truckman. all of Sails
bury; Irving Adkins Of Loretta, truck
foreman on the Pennsylvania Rail
road: William H. Thompson of Prin-
cess Anne; Jack Walloper of Crisfield.
reported to be known also as Jack
Sterling. jackson Sterling and RAN
dolph Sterling: Martin Duer of POGO
moke or Snow Hill, and Rusty
Heath. q former jailer of Salisbury,
reported TO be known also as Morby
l. Heath.
Three of those named, Thompson,
Adkins and Hearn, were arrested and
brought TO Baltimore after State au-
thorities stepped in, but were released
when the grand jury failed to indict.
Ordered OFF Stand.
AS yesterdays session neared its
close. two witnesses we're ordered OIL
the witness stand by Van Nuys en-
the ground they were taking advan-
tage of the hearing to disseminate
Communist propaganda
They were Bernard L. AIDES, Balti-
more attorney engaged by the Inter-
national Labor Defense to defend Fuel
Lee, Maryland Negro charged with
numbering an Eastern Shore family,
and James w. Ford. New York Negro
and one-tin1e Communist candidate
for Vice President, who appeared as
a representative OF the League oil
Struggle for Negro Rights.
Ford, who said he favored Federal
anti-lynching legislation, but opposed
the Costigan- Wagner bill because it
was so worded as to legalize murder
of Negroes by landlords" and con-
tanned no provision against legal or
court room lynching such as the
Scottsboro case" was discharged as
a witness after a sharp debate with
committee members during which
Senator Deiterich, Democrat. Of Illi-
nois. said his appearance was "a re-
fiection on the law-abiding colored
people.
Ritchie Denounced.
AIDES began a denunciation Of Gov.
Ritchie and other Maryland officials
and of race segregation in Maryland
when Dieterich by questioning brought
out that he was Communist When
Dieterich remarked that most Negroes
were not Communists, AIDES replied:
Il consider that to be unfortunate"
Van NuyS said, You crashed the
gate to disseminate Communist propa-
ganda under the guise of supporting
this BILL
Simon E. Sobeloff. outgoing United
States district attorney for Maryland.
spoke in behalf of Federal legislation
against lynching, saying an examina-
ton of statutes and court decisions
had convinced him the Federal court
was without jurisdiction TO deal with
those who might be implicated in the
Armwood case
He expressed the opinion that a
Federal snti-lynching law would BE-
constitutional. but stressed the point
that it would have to be directed ct
States failing to accord citizens equal
protection of law and constitutional
guarantees rather than at individuals
Among others who urged enactment
of the bill were Rev. Samuel H. Cavert.
secretary of the Federal Council OF
Churches of Christ; Elmer A, Carter
of the National Urban League: Miss
Juanita z. Jackson of the Young
Peoples Forum of Baltimore; John
Knox, chaplain of Fisk University, and
Rev. Asbury Smith of the Maryland
Anti-Lynching Federation.