The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1937-12-10
full DETAILS IN the xENA Discrimination CASE


WA, and had come to Springfield
where he opened a chain Of Cosmos
| ice Cream stores, employing ONE
hunaied people Ten off these, uv
stated, were coIored, tney being win
low cleaners and sWeepers. When
/ asked how much of his trade was
| colored, he stated in Xenia nearly
/ f1aif. But it Was a question Of eco
nomics now, and he had posted the
sign: We reserve the right to
change the prices Of our mercnan-
disc momentarily. This being il
legal. But the brilliant testIn ony OF
the witnesses, the truth Of the white
persons in the case, the shrewdness
Of the prosecutor and the assistance
of our race lawyer, chas. Points, the
utlfynching fasness Of tide Judge,
Frank l.. johnson, and the daring
truthfulness Of both young women
kept the defendants, r. %. Cosmos
and Miss Martha Barron and their
lawyers, Attorney Henrie and Bag
gott, on their feet during the whole
trial.
All through the case the NAACP
was attacked but not definitely by
name. But the attorneys for the de-
fense continued to ask each witness
and plaintiffs il they were members
of such an organization who urged
the passing Of the Civil Rights Bill
in April, 1897. Or did they at any
time during the trial attend mass
meeting. Or il they were agitators
or persons planning such cases. These
questions were resented and object
ed to throughout the trial and had
no bearing as to the iury's verdict.
After an all-day session Friday
and Saturday, and return to court
room Monday, the case was finished
on Monday evening, and the jury,
after hearing all the testimony,
brought in a verdict Of Guilty.
Taking poll it was found unani-
nous for guilty--three colored and
nine whites. When the verdict was
returned, there was no commotion or
demonstration of any kind. This Is
the first time ever In this county,
and the first time in the State Of
Ohio, that case has been won since
the bill passed the house in April,
1897.
The action of this court at this
time in Xenia will bring about
better feeling among the citizens,
since in the last few months dissen-
sion has been growing and discon--
tent due to the opening Of new
theatre that excludes all Negroes en-
tireIy. Never before has this hap
pened in this quiet and peaceful
neighborhood so near to the first
college of learning in these United
States for the Negro Youth this side
of the Mason Dixon Line. The seat
of education, where whites and col
ored attended school side by side,
situated three miles from Xenia, O.,
on Route az; not only is Aenla sur
rounded by colleges, wherein one
may become more tolerant and inn
bued with the spirit of democracy
but one from his environment should
gain that knowledge if he or she has
not already, that all men have the
same right, the same privileges. and
as long as we present ourselves as
respectful citizens, those privileges
must not and shall not be denied us.
Indeed, we had few honest and
truthful friends who were strangers
to us till that day. To those men
we are eternally thankful. The Mu-
nicipal Judge, the Prosecutor, the
Sheriff of the County, the witnesses,
and the many interested white and
colored citizens who each day left
their task to come To the trial. All
i