The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1934-07-26
Battering Barriers Of Prejudice
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derlng a white woman in Houston,
Texas Brutality beaten, williams
offered to plead guilty in exchange
for a life sentence. The District
Attorney spurned the compromise
whereupon Williams confessed"
The Houston Branch doubted his
guilt. It's investigation disclosed
that he hsd been confined in the
Nebraska State Insane Asylum
from whence he had been released
II days after the murder date. A
Mr.. sidwell the asylum superin-
tendent, sped to Houston at Ma.
A.c.P. expense and testified for
Williams who was defended by
two white Southern lawyers. He
was freed. The Branch paid his
fair out Of the state.
IN May, 1919, Payne Boyd was
arrested, charged with numbering
an elderly white man Of Gary, ".
Va. He was twice tried, twice
convicted and twice condemned to
die. For six years N.A.A.C.P. at
torneys battled for his life. West
Virginia Branches raised 81, 600
for his defense. Finger print evil
dence secured by the defense fin
ally proved his innocence. In 1925
be was freed.
Lee Sullivan, q construction
worker in Detroit. had an argu-
ment in 1925 with hfs white boss,
who threatened him with a revolv-
er. Sullivan grabbed the gun.
wounding his boss and another
white man. Attorneys Mckinney,
Perry and Rowlette of the Detroit
Branch handled his defense. He
YVES freed.
The Fairchild, S. c.. County
Court sentenced Jim Davis to life
Imprisonment in 1926 for killing
Austin Scott, white. Scott, gun
In hand, came to Davis cabin de-
handing that his two young
daughters be turned over to two
Negro round camp workers who
claimed to have married them two
weeks before. Having seen no mar
rage license, Davis refused. The
ensuing quarrel ended in SCOTS
death.
The Association hired Attorney
L. G. Southland, white, Of Spartan
burg, N. C. to defend Davis. Mr..
Southland secured from the state
Supreme Court a reversal of SEN
tence, a new trial and a change of
venue. At second trial in Septem-
Der 1927, at York, s. c., Davis was
convicted Of manslaughter and
sentenced to six years in prison.
An appeal to the Supreme Court
was lost. The defense cost $3.50.
Early in 1928. Robert Bell and
Grady Swain. Ia and is years old
respectively, were accused of
drowning a white playmate in an
Arkansas bayou. They were beat
en- and tortured until they CON
fessed." They were tried and SEN
fenced to die In st. Francis Coun-
ty, Ark. w. J. Lanier, white, the
N.A.A.C.P. lawyer, carried the cas-
es to the state Supreme Court, Sc
curing reversal of verdicts, new
trials and changes of venue.
At the second trial at Cotton
Plant, Ark. where Attorney Lam
Ter was aided by Attorney Roy D.
Campbell, white, of that town, Bell
was sentenced on Mar. 4, 1929, to
life imprisonment. Again the law
yers appealed, again the sentence
was set aside and again a new
trial ordered. On March 8, 1880 the
two boys were tried and sentenced
to only ten years imprisonment.
The N.A.A.C.P. engaged Booker
and Booker of Little Rock, Ark,
to fight for a pardon, but the mac
ton of the Parole Board and the
opposition of the st. Francis Coun-
ty whites have held it up. Efforts
for a pardon are being continued.
The case has cost $1,815.
In 1929 a Dayton, o., jury SEN
fenced Roy Freeman to die for
numbering a white policeman. The
National Office aided the local
branch in his defense. The APP
pellate Court ordered retrial. At