Evening star., 1936-03-23
BY JJJNIUS B, WOOD.

TAMPA, Fla, March % (N.AN.A)
Sheriff j. r. Mcleod. States At
torney J. Rex Farrior. County Solicitor
c. Ray Hardee and their assistants ex-
pect to prove that the f1ogging which
brought death to Joseph A. Shoe
maker was not in impromptu affair,
but was planned in advance.
1t followed methods of previous out
rages-an arrest by officers or men
1mpersonating officers, a search for
weapons and perfunctory questioning
by authorities, and then the release
of the intended victims or their &C
tual delivery to gang imported from
another town and unrecognized by
the victims.
In the Shoemaker-Pouln Rogers
fiogging case, Tampa policemen boldly
put three kidnapped victims into au-
tomobiles in front of police head
quarters, without waiting until the
early hours of morning when the
streets would be deserted, and are ac-
cused of taking part in the f1oggings.
The imported f1oggers are said to
have beguiled their hours of waiting
for their prey by liberal consumption
of whisky. Whether the policemen
feared the befuddled rustics might
let the victims escape or merely went
along for the sport may be explained
al the trial.
'Let Me Do Some"
1--WE never had a chance to beat
one OF those fellows, let me do some, -
was the deep-voiced plea that one of
the victims says he heard as he was
being f1ogged. 1t seemed safe sport
in Tampa, for no one had been pun
iShed for other foggingS Of this kind.
Sheriff Mcleod, who conducted the
investigation, has the names of men
who are said to have been at an after
noon meeting in police headquarters
when the final details of the nights
kidnapping and flogging were settled.
Police Sergt. H Carl Tompkins was
counted on by the prosecution to teS-
tify that such a meeting was held,
though he did not take part in it. He
is dead, reported suicide few weeks
ago.
Remarks dropped by certain police
men, now interpreted as significant,
indicated that something big and "off
the record" was on for that night.
Efforts we're made by unidentified per-
sons to get full attendance of the
Modern Democrats Committee which
was framing a constitution and by
laws, using those of the American Le-
gion as model. A note, which he
later learned was not sent by the
committee, urged Miller A. Stephens
TO be present. Stephens was the candi-
date opposing the present mayor,
Robert E Lee Chancey, at the polls.
Mrs. Josephine de la Grana, Tulane
graduate, artist, musician and local
secretary of the Socialist party, re-
ceived three telephone calls from an
unknown woman impressing her with
the importance of the meeting.
Fictitious Name Written In.
When the meeting started, E. F.
Pouinot was not present. One of the
members, city fireman and son Of
a policeman who is an alibi witness
for one of the indicted officers, went
out and brought Poulnot to the hail.
This Solicitous members name was
entered on the police arrest book with
the others, but was later erased and
fictitious name written in.
More direct warnings were received
by Shoemaker, the principal victim.
In the Democratic municipal prima-
ries, a policeman acquaintance got
him q $40 job as one of the present
city administrations l,l00 watchers
at the polls, 200 of them being local
klansmen and 300 rural klanSmen
brought in from outside. Later he was
watcher at an aldermanic run-off. He
protested when one man cast 104
votes, was spotted as a disturber and
warned then and there.
After Shoemaker had swung his
handful of Modern Democrats" back
Of Stephens candidacy, he was
warned to make himself scarce on
election day, so he kept off the
streets. He did not know the name of
the man who gave this warning.
Fariss Prophesied Trouble
About the middle of November an
acquaintance of Shoemaker met Rob-
ert P. FariSs on the street. He says
Fariss gave him an application blank
for membership in the Ku Klux Klan
and in the conversation said: "Shoe-
maker is going to get in trouble"
EariSS q ronrnSontafiua of 20
citrus growers, and he presumably
hoped Shoemaker would get out OF
town and avoid violence A paper sack,
which may have contained feathers,
with Fariss' name scribbled on it, was
found at the scene of the fiogging,
and his name on the Tampa post
otice application for the Klan locked
Ma 1nHE 4a<I 1 L.