Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1942-09-26
Motion Filed


(Continued from Pare u
made By the NAACr, Reed was
struck by the Mp while the suspect
was being held for Z patrol wagon
to arrive. Reed is said to have
thrown up his hands to protect his
head.
At this point, Policeman Favors
Is reported to have rushed up and
said: turn him over to me-"
A crowd Is reported to have
gathered and threatened the
colored soldier. Reed, according to
the NAACP report, was then struck
on the back of his head, causing a
deep cash. He then is said to have
grabbed the M. P.'s pistol, shoot
ing the civilian and military Off
GERS.
Reed then fled, to escape threats
of the crowd, it was reported.
The NAACP stated that there is
evidence that other Negro soldiers
had been beaten before the attack
on Reed.
BUS DRIVERS TESTIFY
Two bus drivers testifying for
the defense said Reed was still
resisting arrest at the time Favors
hit him with blackjack. Both
said they had Reed under control,
however, until Favors asked that
the soldier be released to him.
They said the struggle began anew
when they turned Reed over to the
civilian officer.
The defense is attempting to
show that Reed shot in self-defense
as he was being beaten into in
sensibility by Officer Favors and
that the gun was fired while the
soldier was not in possession of
his full mental faculties. The de-
Tense plans to show that Police
man Favors struck Private Reed
with blackjack two ar three times
while Reed was being held by the
bus drivers.
CLAIM SOLDIER SUBDUED
Bill Crusselle, former profess
sional wrestler and prize fighter
and now bus driver, and Horace
Foster, bus driver, both testified
for the defense that they had
Reed subdued before Officer Favors
reached the scene of the shooting
at the bus station on thu night of
August 20.
But both said, however, that
Reed was still struggling at the
time the city policeman entered the
affray.
CruSselle and Foster said they
rushed to Military Policeman Mar
vim Whitmire's aid when they saw
Reed try to escape and the MP and
Reed fall between two cabs. They
said they seized Reed and were
pulling him from the MP when
Officer Favors returned from the
bus station coffee shop, where he
had gone to call the police wagon.
They stated that Favors told them
to turn Reed loose and 'let me
have him."
Crusselle said he was turning
Reed loose when the officer seized
the struggling Reed and tapped
him two or three times with black
jack. Foster said he had turned
Reed loose, but that Crusselle still
had a hand on him when the
officer began hitting with the
blackjack. Both observed, how
ever, that the blackjack did not
stop the struggle and that Reed
was able to outrun them after
shooting the two officers.
The minute I turned him loose. "
CruSseile said on cross
ton, Reed went to fighting again.
Officer Favors tried to get a hand
on him, and tapped him-not hard
two or three times with black
jack. Military Policeman Whit
mire was still trying to get UP
at the time. Reed shot Whitmire
and Favors, and then ran at a
fast speed through a small door
OF the bus station. He outran
me, and can run fast.
HIT BEFORE SHOOTING
Foster declared that Officer Fa-
vors came from behind Reed and
hit the soldier twice before the
shot was fired. Favors had reach
ed for Reed and hit him with a
blackjack as he asked the two bus
drivers to release him.
1.-THE ticks on the head didn',
seem to faze Reed any, though be-
cause he kept right on fighting
Foster added.
The two defense witnesses, as
well as state witnesses, agreed that
the civilians had Reed overpower.
ed without the assistance of Off.
Ger Favors. None. of the witnesses
said they saw the gun, however.
w. T. Reynolds, of Rhine. Ga.
used as a state witness, said he
went with the two bus drivers te
assist the Military Policeman. He
iii MADEDN