The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-12
5 Negroes LynChed;
2 Missing; Homes
Burned in Georgia
Continued from Page u

and two days after being wounded
Walker was taken to Augusta, where
he died the following day.
When the body Of Walker was
brought back to Jefferson County,
Sheriff Smith placed it in the county
Jail for safekeeping, Members of the
Barlow mob came to Louisville and
demanded that they be allowed to
see the body. Sheriff Smith states
that when he was convinced that the
members of the mob merely wished
to identify it as being that Of VIII
Walker, he allowed them to view 1t.
The spokesman for the mob stated
that they made the trip to the jail
for the purpose of assuring them
selves that Walker was dead.
No Action Against Lynchers
According to Sheriff Smith no ae-
ton will be taken against members
OF the mob unless further lynehing
takes place, because no white man
can be found who will testify against
members of mob in case involving
Negroes. He points to the action of
the coroners jury which investigated
the cases Of the deaths Of three men,
and which returned the verdict usual
in such cases locally-'Death at the
hands of parties unknown" Sheriff
Smith has promised to appeal to the
Governor Of the state for militia to
protect the lives of those Negroes in
Barlow who are alive today, if he
thinks additional lynehing wall take
place. At the present time, however,
there can be found no evidence to
show that the mob intends to cease
activities.
Reign of Terror Spreading
The fact that no arrests have been
made has been explained here as be-
ing due to the conditions that make
it extremely difficult to convict a
white man in a local court on
Negroes word.
This reign Of terror which began
in Barlow during the early part of
December, and which reached its
present state during the first week
OF January, has spread over Jeffer-
son County. Negroes in ali sections
OF the county express fear for their
lives Feeling has grown intense.
Sheriff Smith states that he intends
to take Sam Outlaw to the South
Carolina state line and release him
to flee for his life.
Outlaw cannot at present stand on
his feet because of the injuries he
received at the hands Of the Barlow
mob. Local Negroes do not believe
that the removal of Outlaw will ap-
pease the mob, however, and they
feel certain that further lynehings
will take place.
Local Papers Cover Up Attacks
on Negroes
The weekly newspapers of this
county, in which are located the
towns Of Barlow, Louisville, Wadley,
and Wrens, have made no mention
OF the deaths of these men. The
daily papers Of the state have failed
to report the actions of the mob, and
the news-gathering agencies have
made no effort to report the situation
to their members in other states. No
local correspondents for the dailies |
can be found who have made rec ortS. |
perhaps because OF a rule in the book |
of instructions sent to local cores |
pondentS by the daily newspapers of |
Georgia: IF white man is muir
dered, telegraph it in; if a Negro is
mail it in"
Barlow is town of four hundred |
persons, about half of whom are
Negroes. It is located in a rich
farming and numbering district. Its
institutions for white people consist
of high school and four churches
two Baptist, two Methodist.
New Masses Editors Wire Protest
NEW YORK.-The New Masses has
sent the following protest telegram
to Gov. Eugene Talmadge at Atlanta,
Ga:
Our correspondent, Efskine Cald-
we'll, reports reign of terror against
Negroes in Jefferson and other coun-
ties OF Georgia by a gang of 20 white
men. Three killed, five beaten, others
IA houses burned. Local
authorities refuse to act. The New
Masses calls this situation, threaten
ing a Southern ST. bartholomew
massacre, to your attention, and ex-
poets you to take action to end the
lynch terror and punish the lynchers
and afford protection to Mr.. Caldwell.
now in Georgia as our correspondent.
We are publishing the facts and await
your reply.
(signed) Editors. New Masses.
Protest Actions Urged
The League of Struggle for Negro
sights, the Communist Party. The
international Labor Defense, and the
National Committee for the Defense
OF Political Prisoners, yesterday sent
out joint call for immediate pro-
test from every part of the country.
demanding an end to this reign of
terror, raising the following demands:
An end to the reisn of terrier.
Death penalty to the lynchers.
Disarmins of the Ku Klux Khan
ga1gsters,
Aiming of the Negroes Of Georgia
and their white synpathizsrs for
self defense.
Indemnity TO families and relatives
OF the Negroes lynehed,
Protests should be addressed to
President Roosevelt, Governor Eugene
falmadge, Atlanta, Ga, and Sheriff
j. ]. Smith, at Louisville, Ga.
These should be held responsible
in all wires and protests for the lives
and safety of all Negroes now held,
and for the lives of all those threat
ened by the raiding nightriders.
CLASSIFIED