Evening star., 1936-03-26
BY JUNIUS B. WOOD.

BY JUNlUS b. WOOD.
TAMPA, Fla, March "A (N.A.N.A).
when the fiogging Of Joseph Shoe
maker. and his subsequent death,
aroused the citizens of Tampa and
the indignation echoed through the
Omitted States, the country was shocked
by the charge that policemen and
members Of the Klu Klux Khan. Q
secret order with avowedly high ideals,
had participated in such q brutal de-
nance Of law and decency.
However. Tampa had another case
the previous year, which parallels the
Shoemaker case. In that outrage, the
victim was q Negro. There we're de-
mands for arrests, investigations and
resolutions, but nobody was punished.
Other cases, with less serious results,
can be cited.
Robert johnson, an apparently
friendless colored man, was arrested
on January %, 1884, by T. M. Graves
and 3 Tempa policeman as suspect
in an attack on white woman. The
police held him two days, investigated
and were satisfied he was not wanted.
Graves was told that the man was
to be released. At 2:35 am. January
30, he appeared at police headquar-
Johnson's arrest for chicken stealing
and wanted to take him to the county
jail. Half an hour later, Johnson
was dead, with five bullets through
him, on a road miles away.
Didn't Ask for Warrant.
Though Graves did have warrant,
the police did not bother to ask for
1t or to find out whether the man
who came at that unusual hour Of
the night, to take a man on such
petty charge, was an officer. Graves
brother was q constable. Graves had
sworn out the warrant himself.
Graves said two cars forced him to
the curb and a dozen more followed.
Though none Of the men was masked,
he did not recognize any. He said three
Of them threw him on the floor of his
own car, where they kicked and beat
him. while a fourth drove the car
ahead Of the procession into the
country. They then took his revolver
and shot the prisoner. He was left
with his car and reported the incident
to the Judge who had issued the
warrant.
Gov. Sholtz ordered an investigation
on the demand Of the association of
Southern women for preventing lynch
ings, of which Mrs. Jessie Daniel Ames
Of Atlanta was executive director. A
grand jury, which was in session, ex-
amined Graves the day after the crime,
but could not ind any bruises on him.
On February 81 it reported on what
it called an alleged lynching." as
follows:
No Evidence Of Mob.
I'VE we're unable to find the slightest
evidence that a mob. as such. COM
mitted this violence. As Graves was
not An authorized or commissioned
ofacer at the time, we are unable to
indict him for malfeasance or mis-
feasance In oflce and there was in
sufncient evidence to indict him as an
accessory before the fact, though the
grand Jury was divided on the latter"
The Tampa Tribune suggested that
Graves might have been indicted for
impersonating an ofiicer, and editorial
tied: Just another unsolved mystery
and another black mark on the record
Of Tampa and Florida. The familiar
verdict Of persons unknown doubtless
will stand in this case and it will take
Its place in the long list Of unpunished
crimes in this county and State"
This correspondent called on Mayor
Chancey q few days ago to obtain his
views on the Shoemaker and johnson
cases.
I've expressed myself on the Shoe
maker case" he said. II disapprove
Of the hogging. I want it cleared up
and those responsible punished if
found guilty" As for the johnson
case, he remarked, II don't remember
any such case, If 1t had been called
to my attention, I'd have taken action"
Labor Organizer Beaten.
In 1898, Homer Barton, a labor or
eanizer, was arrested. The police held
him for the statutory limit for a pris-
oAeL "ltAlout CiidiscS a2lo tiieu tuIAeu
him over to county authorities. After
the process had been repeated several
times, an oficer took him out one
night. stopped the car along lone
some road and blew his whistle. Two
men appeared and took the prisoner.
He was fogged, tarred and feathered
and his teeth knocked out.
Late one night, about the same sea-
con, seven men called at the home Of
Fred Crawford. They said they were
deputy sheriffs and held a supposed
warrant against the glass panel Of the
door. When 1t was unlocked, they
cracked Crawford over the head and
threw him into q car. His wife ran