The Omaha guide., 1935-04-27

groes except in positions of port
ers and scrubwoman. This partl
cular store has within the las
lew months been the scene O.
militant picketing by Negro ane
white workers, demanding tina
Negroes be among those hired al
salesgiris and floorwalkers, ane
in all he better paying jobs.
At about 4:3c on The Afternoon
of March 10, a young boy entered
the store. He was accused by
salespeople Of attempting % stea
some small article from one OF the
counters. Because the boy was
Negro, it was almost a routine
ma ter to seize him, and drag hin
to the basement to beat him un
mercifulIy.
Negro and white shoppers saw
the incident. A committee of meI
and women, cOn aiming a number
OF whites, sprang up spontaneous
~, went to the rear OIL the store
demanded to see the manager
ilIey asked tina. the boy be SCI
Lee The manager refused salts
faction. The crowd inside the
Sore waived, tense and angry. A
rumOr that the boy had beer
aiken to the 121st Street Police
Station sent the delegation flying
here. The police rusned them out
or the station, aid would give nc
answer % their inquiries about
tie boys life and safety.
The Police Arrive
Then the cry: Bring that boy
upstairs. Turn him loose. Quit
beating him" was taken up out
sue he store. A crowd gathered
swiftly. Almost a, once the po-
lice arrived. There was no doubt
III the minds OF the police as to
the proper course or action. These
people were "niggers"-ti. only
to be showed about, beaten, kick
ed, mauled and arrested. Clubs
descended on shoulders and heads.
Mounted police clattered up, their
horses charging from sidewalk to
sidewalk, ruthlessly trampling the
people. Policemen fired their
guns into the air.
These are all the customary
police methods of terrorlzing
Harlem's population-and now
they were applied again, once too
often. From mouth to mouth flew
TIE word: eve got the right to
our own sidewalks: We got the
right to protect our kids. Don't
let them shove US around" The
word was taken up by the crowds
pouring out of the neighborhood
theaters and subway entrances.
There was still no news of the
boy who had vanished into the
depths of the store.
1t was now, according to the
testimony of dozens of eye wit
nesses, but the police proceeded
to define, open provocation. Miss
Louise Thompson, well-known Ne
gro intellectual, who was on the
scene from the beginning ,describ-
es the attitude Of the police at this
point as deliberately egging on to
attack them
Police Provocation
"Come on hit US, we dare
you" the police yelled. They col
Jared Harry Gordon, a white
youth, punched him, and shrieked
in his face: "Hit a cop, will you,
you bastard" From one cynical,
brutal policeman to the other
were branded the words: "God-
damn niggers, ought to be strung
up like they do 'em in the South"
"Few feet of ropes good enough
for 'em. Glitter has the right
idea-he'd know how to deal
with these niggers." The sentenc-
es were punctuated by blows,
kicks, and cuffs, aimed at all Ne
groes and white workers within
reach.
The fury Of the crowd toook
form. Someone threw a brick
through the window of the Kress
store-this store that had so long
taken thei pennies, that had so
long spit in thei faces when they
asked TO wok. Aound the front
o fdozens o white owned business
hOuSnc from which NoOro work