The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1938-10-14

Advancement of Colored People,
arrived here Saturday, October 8. to
confer with officials of the local
branch in regard to further action
!. in the brutal jury-eviction case in
Y volving DR.. George F. Porter, 65,
president of Wiley Junior college.
Mr.. Marshall was sent here from
thleNew York Office of the associa--
ton at the request Of local branch
officials because of the wide impli-
cations involved in the denial of
fundamental citizenship rights, as
shown Nv the case.
DR.. Porter, the key figure in the
case, is keen-eyed educator, slight
in build, whose unflinching courage
in the face Of a.hrutal assault at the
hands of white hoodfums in the Dali
las courthouse, has aroused colored
people and liberal whites throughout
the state of Texas.
Because he insisted on exercising
his right of membership on petit
jury panel to which he had been
legally summoned, and refused to
have himself excused at the sug--
gestion of court officials, DR.. Porter
was dragged out from the central
jury roof Of the Dallas courthouse
September % by two white men, de-
spite his plea to court attaches for
protection, and thrown down the
front steps Of the building. Several
other prospective Negro jurors ac-
cepted dismissal at the hands of
court officials.
Determined to see the thing
through the college president picked
himself up and broke through line
of more than a dozen threatening
whites who sought to bar his enter
ing the building again, re-entered
the courthouse and regained his seat
in the jury room,
Shortly after the assault on him,
DR. Porter was sent to the four
teenth district court in the building
presided over by Judge Sarah
Hughes to join the jury panel as
sembled there Here, together with
sixteen white veniremen, he was dis
missed for the week. Judge Bush,
technically in charge of the jury
room, from which the college presi-
dent was first evicted, refused to
comment on the assault.
Porter's eviction from the jury
room came on the third day of his
daily attendance on the jury panel
following his acceptance OF jury
service. Well known throughout
the state, he has been dismissed
twice before from jury service over
his protest; once in 1921, when he
served one day after having been
threatened with lynching; and
again in 1886, when he served three
days before he was dismissed despite
his protest.
In tatement issued today. Walter
White, executive secretary Of the N.
A. A. C. P. said:
1--WE have already sent vigorous
protest to Governor Aided, OF
Texas, over the brutal treatment
meted out to Mr.. Porter and we in
tend to follow this case through, be-
cause it involves much more than
appears on the surface
Last July, Governor Alfred was
nominated by President Roosevelt
for the post of federal district judge,
receiving the nomination person
allv at the hands of the President
when the cheief executive visited
Texas on a speaking tour. The nomi--
nation comes up for confirmation
before the u. S. senate in January.
The N. A. A. G. P. secretary
pointed out that the whole question
Of rule bv mobs iiiiG-Jan effort to OBJ
struct justice was inS0lyyed IN TINS
case, as well as the question OF az
ton against police and court OF ha'c'als
who are negligent in protecting c~
zens from lawless mobs. :.
eThis is 4 striking revelation OF
whu we need an anti-lynching biii'
Nc said SIT is obvious in this case
that in this case that if no action =
taken to bring these mobDis.s -
;,st;ce even when they go in'o :
courthouse and drag out iegaiis
summoned prospective juror. shsn
an incentive is open to others ~ :,
4.ra tha law into their own nanas
- ;nflict their degenerate preJu-
a;oa mon other innocent VICTIMS
s.,v because those victims happen
= !. citizens with black SKINS. J, = =
os.,d % ~ mean further 1that all the
,,;ctories obtained in securing .he
right Of Negroes to s't On
would be nullified-" .,a
white said the Association Wou'a
avatch carefully" to see what acton
Governor Alfred would take N the
matter. ~ frst
.aar;vat;on in the country to give
nat;on-wide = prominence TO the
question involving the rights =
Megroes to sit on juries, althougf