The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-24
Ben Davis Tells Story of
How Pressure Was
Used in Prison
LIES TOLD TO BOYS
Lawyers Aides Worked
With Attorney-Cen
of State
BY Harry Cannes

That terrific pressure and beat
ings we're used abainst the Scots
boro boys by the state authorities
Of Alabama. working with Samuel
S. Leibovitz, New York criminal
LAWYER, in an effort to get the boys
to dissvow the International Labor
Defense and put themselves at the
mercy of the lynch officials. was
revealed today by Ben Davis. Jr..
editor of the "Libsrator," and
prominent Negro attorne~ Tho his
Just visited the boys at KIlby and
Jefferson County prisons.
Facing death in the electric chair
on Dec. T. Haywood Patterson and
Clarence Norris were subjected to
the NEST f1endish assault of the
Alabama government oflcialr in
an effcrt to wrest the case from
the International Labor Defense,
which for over three and a half
years, by its mass activities and
legal defense, has been able to save
their lives.
In an interview with the Daily
Worker yesterday. Ben Davis, the
attorney who defended Angelo
Herndon, described his visit to the
nine Scottsboro boys in Alabama,
and to their mothers, and told Of
the gigantic efforts of the state
authorities. working with the New
York attorney Leibowitz. and
treachercus Negro ministers, to
cause a rift between the boys and
the International Labor Defense.
Release" Promised
Davis revealed that John Terry.
private secretary and bodyguard
Of Leibowitz, had held a confer
ence with Attorney General
Thomas Knight, of Alabama. and
Claude Patterson, father of Hay
wood Patterson, where promises of
immediate release were made to
the boys if they would rsoudiate
the International Labor Defense
and entrust their lives to the hands
Of the very lynch authorities who
were responsible for their frame
up indictment and sentence Of
death in the electric chair.
Ben Davis, Mrs. Wright and Mrs.
Ida Norris, mothers of Scottsboro
boys, and possibly Mrs. Montgonl-
cry and Mrs. Powell, who are leag-
ing Georgia today, will tell of the
strenuous efforts of all the forces
working against the I. L. D. TO
break the boys down and break
their connections with the I. L. d,
at a mass nesting at Rockland
Palace. 155th st. and Eighth Ave.
Friday night.
Warden Beats Patterson
i was present with Mrs. Norris
visiting Haywood Patterson and
Clarence Norris in Kilby prison."
said Ber Davis. HAYWOOD began
to tell me the story of how brutsIly
he is treated in Jail The warden
cursed him and told him: You are
the worst niger we ever had to
Zeal With in Kilby prison. You
are more trouble to us than all
the 1,500 prisoners we have here
Nevertheless, Patterson kept on
telling me the details of the
brutalities against him. and the
Werden Walls became furious and
told him, Niger shut your god
damn MOUTH
But Haywood bravely continued
his story OF his brutal treatment.
I'm net treated decently here at
all. They throw my food at me-
he said. and they call me all sorts
OF son of bitches, and talk about
my mother. cursing her and calling
her all sorts Of vile names because
she fought with the I. l.. D. to
save my life, and the life of the
ether boys
Il stood by there while the
warden visihly became more furi-
Gus said Davis. His face got red
srd tvitched He had loaded
stick in his hand. He thrust it
through the bars at Haywood,
striking him in the ribs. But Hay
weed kept on talking, telling his
complaints to me. Then the
warden became enragsd an violent.
DESPITE our presence, and struck
/ him On the head. At the same
time, he used the dirtiest language