The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1937-08-21
WEST TENNESSEE TENANT TRIAL

vened, according TO witnesses.
stating that he would handle the
matter himself He told Bledsoe
10 get such tools and other belong
lngs as he had left on the Denny /
farm off by the first OF the follow
ing week. or there would be seri-
Gus trouble.
On the following Tuesday. Bled-
soc having obtained two wagons
and teams. and accompanied by
his uncle. Curtis Bledsoe. and his
cousins. Otha and Jim Bledsoe,
started to the Denny plantation.
Just as they approached a creek
running through the farm, Stan
ford was standing on the opposite
bank. The first wagon passed
stanford. and as the wagon in
which B. ]. and Curtis were rid
ing drew abreast OF him, Stanford
fired TWO shots without warning.
B. J. returned the fire, and Stan
ford fell MORALLY wounded.
Eleven shots Fired
Bledsoe fired seven shots, Stan
ford fired four Witnesses to the
shooting all agreed that Stanford
vas the aggressor and shot first
Immediately after the shooting
Bledsoe left the scene and wander
ed about The vicinity OF Hunting
don. avoiding the hastily formed
mob OF whites. which he heard
was hunting him He surrender
ed 10 Sheriff McLemore OF Hun
tingdon. who hid him from the mob
until the tension eased. and then
placed him in Jail to await trial.
A remarkable angle was given
10 the case when Bledsoe sought
"a obtain counsel He was APP
preached first by Dwynne Maddox.
prominent white lawyer Of Hun
tincdon. Put according to Curtis
Bledsoe. Maddox soon los inter-
est In The case.
BIedsoe Gets Counsel
The case of the Bledsoes was
later accepted by group OF law
vers. the chief counsel being gra-
duate OF The University Of Tenne-
see and CUMBERLAND Law School.
The remarkable thing about the
decision OF The men TO enter the
case Is that they defied tradition
of Southern lawyers TO take
case OF a Negro involved In a
criminal case concerning white
man. These attorneys have ex-
PRESSED willingness to stake
their standing among their fellow
whites on the basis that they be-
lieve Bledsoe should be given fair
trial. They believe that the case
has more than an even chance TOT
reversal when taken 10 the SUI
preme Court Of Tennessee
During he trial Mckinney was
told by Prosecuting Attorney har-
rell. traditional southern Demo-
crat who attempted 70 play on the
emotions az the people. that ne
should blackcn his face and be-
come Negro. If he believed So
, much in equal rights and freedom
; OF speech. Hardin. the colored
LAWYER. was threatened with VOL
4 ence II he made an appearance u
: court However. nothing happen
4
Significance OF Case
The Importance Of the Bledso'
case rests in the implications
contains relative to colored-whit'
and landlord-tenant relationship
in the South. The Bledsoes arr
members of one OF the oldest an'
Largest colored families in this sec
ion Of West Tennessee They arr
respected by all classes OF citi
zens They have resided on tn
Denny plantation for three gene
h rations as tenant farmers. Som
! Of them own their own land. Nom
e Of the family has ever been involv
e ed in any trouble before.
e The Denny farm Is the larges
: nlantation in Carroll County, an
u is regarded as the richest fror
5. the standpoint OF cotton produc
s ton. George stanford had bee
n overseer and riding boss for onl
ie three years, but had gained a
overwhelming ascendency over tn
y owner r Denny. old and in dc
lg clining health Stanford Is repu'
r ed to have been involved in troubl
h with colored sharccroppers 0
c. other farms in nearby county be
n fore coming to Carroll county. Bt
d. his fatal encounter with Bledso
was his first trouble with any
L the Denny tenants. Stanford wa
: known to carry gun on his round
he among the tenants.
De The Memphis n A. A. c. p.
he raising funds for the Bledsoe d.
to tense.
n -o--
Pythians To Meet Il