The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-21
Hit Secret Quiz
On Harlem Police

NEW YORK.-VigorouS mass pro-
test and delegation to Mayor La
Guardis yesterday forced the Mayor
TO allow the press to report the
hearing conducted by Chief In
spector of Police Valentine on po-
lice brutality at Saturdays Scots
boro demonstration in Harlem.
The hearing began yesterday
morning in a little room in the
police station on 123rd st. Workers
and reporters were excluded and
waited in an outside room. Only
witnesses were allowed, together
with Joseph Tauber and David
Freedman of the International La
Dor Defense, and A. L. Wirin, of
the Civil Liberties Union.
The hearing began at 10 am. At
1890, after three witnesses had
been heard, the reporters were al
lowed in. Tauber, protesting the
sscrecy of the investigation, de-
msnded that the hearing be con-
Quoted openly before the press and
public. Wirin and Henry Lee Moon
of the Amsterdam News" joined
in the protest. Valentine at first
refused, but later yielded to the
demands to postpone the proceed
ings until a delegation could see
Mayor La Guardia.
La Guardia Refuses Open Hearing
At City Hall the delegation, con-
sisting of Tauber, Freedman and
Wirin, demanded that the Mayor
appoint three impartial citizens to
conduct the investigation. La
Guardia refused. The delegation
then demanded that the hearing
conducted by Valentine be open to
the public. This La Guardia also
refused, He was finally forced,
however, to agree that reporters
would be allowed at the hearing,
which will be resumed at 10 am.
at 239 w. 123rd ST., Harlem.
According to the statements by
Tauber and Wirin the three wit
nesses heard yesterday, Sam Fitz-
gerald, Herman Mackawain and
the Scottsboro Mother, Mrs. Ada
Wright, were shouted at by Valen-
tine and asked to reply to irrele-
want questions such as political be-
liefs, membership in organizations,
etc.
Valentine showed open hostility
to the witnesses, trying to twist
their testimony of how the police
charged with tear gas bombs and
clubs into the 5000 workers who
had gathered to demand the re-
lease of the Scottsboro boys.
Il thought 1 was in New York"
Mother Wright said in her testi-
mony. But when 1 saw those
police charge with tear gas bombs
and clubs, / thought / was down
South again."
Tauber charged the police with
Jim Crowism, trying to Illustrate
by terroristic tactics the commend
able determination of Negro and
white workers who were meeting
peacefully and legally to demon
strate for improvement of their
conditions"
Mayor La Guardia, who is him
self a member of the Civil Lib
critics Union, turning down the
demand for an open hearing, said
he would make no personal in
vestigation as was falsely reported
in the capitalist press, and that
Valentine had full charge of the
whole matter.
A statement issued by the dele
cation consisting of Negro and
white workers from the LID, the
League of Struggle for Negro
Rights, Committee for Defense of
Political Prisoners and other organ
izations, called all workers to meet
in front Of the police station this
morning to protest their exclusion
from the secret hearing
Protest Meeting Tonight
Tonight at st. Luke's Hall, lbs
w. both ST., a protest meeting
will be held against the manner
in which the investigation into
police brutality is being con-
Quoted. There will be no police
at the meeting, nor any at Sat-
urday's demonstration, according
to Mayor La Guardia.