Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1942-04-04
Investigations
Extend THROUGH
Several States
Investigating
Slavery Case
In Georgia

WASHINGTON, D. G. -(SNS) -
The United States Government Is
moving on a wide front to protect
the civil rights of Negroes. A survey
of pending actions revealed today
that investigations and prosecutions
initiated by the Department of JUS
tice extend through Arkansas, Ken
lucky, Texas, Georgia. Missouri and
Illinois.
BY order of Attorney General
Francis Biddle, agents Of the JUS
tice Department are pressing an In
quiry into the Sikeston, Missouri.
lynching case. If the evidence war
rants, the Department intends to
seek a Federal grand fury indict-
ment. Should Federal indictment
in the Sikeston case be sought and
obtained, it will mark the first time
in the history of American juris-
prudence that a lynching case has
been brought into a Federal court.
The case grows out of the lynch
ing of Cleo Wright, who was accused
Of assault on a white woman, and
was tortured and killed by a mob
in Sikeston on January "A, 1912.
The assistance of the Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation was requested
by Governor Donnell. Evidence was
presented to a State grand jury,
which failed to return an irldict-
ment.
CIVIL RIGHTS
The FBI Is continuing its inveS-
tigation with a view to prosecuting
under civil rights statutes on the
theory that state authorities COM
spired to deny Wright the equal
protection of the law by releasing
him to the lynching mob.
In Kentucky an indictment has
been returned in the United States
Court for the States Western Dis
trict against Martin j. Corners and
others. Corners was jailer at the
jefferson County, Kentucky Jail,
and allegedly worked Negro prison.
ers in his privately owned tourist
camp. One of the counts in the
indictment is based upon the denial
to the victims of equal protection
of the law.
An investigation mas been autho-
rized by the Department into the
lynching of Mott Flournory in open
court at Lufkin, Texas, November
"a. 1941. Flournory, an aged Negro,
was in court as defendant in a rape
case. Complaints received by the
Department indicted that he was
denied equal protection of the law
through failure of the authorities to
protect him when they knew that an
attempt might be made on his life.
GEORGIA CASE
In Georgia, the Justice Depart
ment is investigating an alleged
conspiracy by William Cunningham
and Hamilton McWhorter of Ogle-
thorpe County to secure the return
OF certain Negroes who had fled
from Cunningham's farm, where
they were being worked under con-
ditionS described as amounting the
peonage. The Negroes escaped to
OAAANuSO. &1Al 14lA1CtAIiCl1t III Tile case
was obtained in the Northern Dis
trict of Illinois, but in August, l94I.
the defendants successfully insti-
tuted proceedings to have the case
removed to Georgia. It is expected
that evidence showing violation Of
the Negroes civil rights win be pre-
scented to Federal grand jury In
Georgia.
An indictment has been returned
IN the Southern District OF Georgia
against w. H. Callan, James ONeil
and Carlos Hardin, operators of tur-
pentine stills, for holding Negre
employees in q state of peonage
Trial has been set for June Is
1912.
The Federal Grand Jury In the
Northern District of Florida win
lcontinasd on Back Pase)