The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-25
SHOOTING SPURS
VENUE PLEA IN
ALABAMA CASE
Defense Sure to Seize on
Attack as Reason for
Federal Trial.
Continued From Page One)

Protests poured in upon Gov.
Bibb Graves at Montgomery. The
International Labor Defense, long
active in behalf of the Negroes,
charged the incident was "a deliber-
ate frame-up to cause a lynching."
The Governor filed all protests
without comment.
, National Guard troops were held
in readiness. Powell, possibly ia
tally wounded with bullet hole in
his brain, lay under guard at a Biz
hospital. Deputy Blay-
lock was believed out of danger.
Powell was holding on" DR.. w
S. Littlejohn reported to Gov. Bib
Graves after examining the Negro
today. He said Powell was still
semi conscious, with a fairly strong
pulse, and still had 5000 chance
to live"
Recognizing the natural reaction
TO the frustrated escape attempt by
Powell and two fellow prisoners
Lieut.. Gov. Thomas E. Mcknight
Jr., special state prosecutor in the
cases, said at Montgomery:
II can not say what effect thu
incident will have on the trials o.
the other seven Negroes. I realize
the defense counsel will capitalize
on it to renew their efforts to seek
another change of venue from Nor
gan Circuit Court to Federal Dis
trict Court, contending racial feel.
ing will now run so high as to make
it impossible for them to have fail
trial in Circuit Court"
Several efforts of the defense tt
obtain such a change of venue have
thus far failed.
Peddler Suspect Held
Stabbing of Blaylock and shoot.
ing of Powell occurred while the
nine Scottsboro defendants were be.
ing returned here from Decatur
where jury this week found Hay
wood Patterson, key defendant
guilty for the fourth time and sen.
fenced him to IS years in prison.
How Powell obtained the knit,
with which he admitted slashinf
the deputy was a matter of investi
cation. Deputy Sheriff Jack Tay
lor said that Powell told him HI
bought two knives from a Negro
candy salesman for 80 cents ant
had been carrying them for twt
days." Powell identified the cand.
man only as Ernest"
The Morgan County sheriff's of
flee announced that Ernest Meri.
wether was being held at Decatur
for questioning in connection with
smuggling knives to Powell. Meri.
wether was said to have made a trir
to the Decatur Courthouse yester.
clay, fetching tobacco to juror or
the second Scottsboro case, that O.
Clarence Norris. He had beer
called by Sheriff Sandlin.
Lieut.. Gov. Mcknight discounted
a suggestion that radical elements
had struggled in the knives.
Believes Powelrs Story
IT am inclined to believe Powell.
story that he and Andy Wright Cone
of the defendants with Powell a
the time of the stabbing), plottee
the escape. The conduct of the Ne.
groes heretofore has been exemplary
and many privileges have been eX.
tended to them.
Il understand visitors were per.
mitted to see them frequently, tx
give them food, so it would have
been a simple matter to smuggle If
the knives. However, I can not ex.
plain the apparent carelessness or
the part of law officers in moi
searching them"
Sheriff Ssndlin, who fired thu
pistol shot which ended the at.
tempted escape, wounding Powell
was praised by the Lieutenant Gov.
ernor for handling the situation
with relatively little bloodshed."
Pals Knew of Plans
Deputy Sheriff Jack Taylor re.
ported that Powell told him, just
before he was taken to the operat.
ing table, that "all the boys"-his
companions accused of assaultins
two white girl "hoboes" on a freight
train five years ago-knew that he
had planned to escape.
He said he bough. two knives
from Negro candy salesman fol
30 cents each and had been carry
ing them three days." Taylor re-
ported.
The escape attempt was made
approximately 10 miles from Birm-
ingham, near Cullman, Ala, while
the nine Scottsboro youths were
being brought from Decatur, where
two of them had been on trial
Judge w. w. Callahan just hac
sentenced one of them, Haywood
Patterson, %, to rs years in prison
and adjourned the trials of the
others indefinitely because an i'm.
portanG witness was ill.
The nine prisoners were being
taken to Birmingham in three au.
tomobiles, with carloads of state
patrolmen before and behind the
cavalcade. Powell, Roy Wright ano
Clarence Norris were in the middle
car. handcuffed together in the real
seat. Sheriff Sandlin and Deputy
,Blaylock rode in the front, with
Sandlin driving.
Fires Point Flank Into Face
Sandlin said Powell, sitting on tn,
right side of the handcuffed trio
with his right hand free, precipitat.
ed the fight in the car by drawing
a knife and thrusting it at Blay.
locks throat.
Powell said later that he didn'
intend to cut Blaylock, that h,
meant only to hold the knife at hi
throat and seize his gun and ther
force the sheriff to drive the Cal
during a race for freedom. But HI
lunged too far with the knife, Of
Blaylock jerked, and the long blad,
slashed the deputy's throat. Sand.
lin whirled in his seat and free
into Powell's face.