The Omaha guide., 1938-05-07
Last Houston Martyr
Freed From Prison


Kansas City, No, May Ste
ward ". Phillips, the last of the
Houston Martyrs the eolored
soldiers who were imprisoned be-
cause of their reseu ment gaainst
the treatment accorded them by
Houston, Texas, citizens during
the war, was freed from Leaven-
worth ~penitentiary April 10.
Philips, overjoyed at his release,
cent the folloWin gtelegram to
Walter White, NAACP secretary,
in New York City:
"Just freed this morning.
Am oyerjoyed and my appre-
citation knows no bonn
write later. Thanks a million"
1t is a COINCIDENCE that Philips
should be sending his good news
from Kansas City, for the cam
paign to release these men was the
high point Of the annual conference
of the NAACP held here in 1928
A feature of the c inference was a
pilgrimage of all the delegates to
Le~avervorth prison, near here, to
visit the men md pledge them
support until everyone was out
from behind the bars. This week
that pledge was redeemed.
The NAACP thus ends its long
continued ard steady campa On for
the pardon or parole of the men
whom all colored people regard as
martyrs. but whom the law brand
ed as rioters. The Association
never cea.eed activity with each
new President ard Secretary OF
War. Philips would have been par
I oled years ago except that he es-
cqped and was a free, but hunted,
man. for five years. He finally
gave himself up and was returned
~ prison so he could win a parole
md enjoy his freedom in peace.
His esesne counted against his re-
cord ar therefore he was the last
to he released.
The Hsu-+~7 rsot resulted il 1917
hen - of'h ~Tneantrv was trans
ferred f.-r7 California to Houston
hiring tho Would War The Texas.
aud narticularlv tho Houston po-
lice force. reeerted the presence of
Neora sol liere. In ults and per
l~cution wee haepe1 uDon tn men
whenever they came to town from
camp and the police force disre
garded the military police and hea
up soldiers on the slightest provo.
cation. Finally, the anger Of the
army men reached tn eb7iline
point and some of them went int
Houston uri1er arms and a minia-
ture pitch battle ensued.
There are still many disputes to-
day over what took place and who
was to blame. The records anC
newspaper accounts indicate that
marry of the white officers over the
colored soldiers svmpathized deenly
with them and did everything nos
sible within the army code to heir
them. But the higher command was
hostile.
In 1917, Immediately following
the Houston Roit, the NAACP sent
p.l Investigator to the scene whr
reported to the Board of Directors
and whose findings were publishe'
in 1.-THE Crisis" for November. 1917
The NAACP also emNlovcd a loo
white attorney to defend the men
On December Il, 1917, thi ter
members of the oath Infantry wer.
eummarily executed. Later sixteel
others were condemned to di,
Therefore upon, the Association
gathered 10000 Signatures to a pet
ition which was presented to Pre-
scented to President Wilson OF
February 10, 1918, protesting aga
inst further executions without re
view by the President. Following
the presentation of this petition
| on September 3. President Wlsor
: after review, committed ten deaf
sentences, and affirmed six, I'll
six men being subsequently, execut
3 ed. In 1921, the Association gath
cred $4,000 signatures to a peti
ton which was presented to Pre-
sident Harding, asking for the par
= don for the colored soldiers still i
= prison. AS a consequence, severn
I life sentences were reduced t.
, terms of fifteen years making fivi
of the men eligible for release
; Now, twenty-one years after tn
I lot the list soldier has been re
leased.