The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1943-06-26
Beaumont CITY
Officials Say
Rape Story False
Axis Blamed
AS Investigation
Gets Underway

BEAUMONT Texas amp A
story ny white mother that she
had been raped by Negro 70
whom she had given work was
probably false. city officials opin-
cd Thursday following two DAYS
Of Wild race rIotinc and the loot
Ing and hnrnlnF ~ Negro stores
end homes hy white hoodlums
during which At least two persons
were killed and scores injured.
blame for the violence. part OF
wave of antl-mnori,v terror
resulting In the California zoot
suit riots against Negroes and
Mexicans and clashes between
white and colored in Mobile and
Detroit and lvnchlng In Florida.
VAS laid oponly AZ The door Of
axis activities.
City Attorney Albert Tatum
said physician's examination Of
The white rape "vicflm wife Of
q war plant worker, cast Tex
IRENE doubt on her story. She
had told police that her sssaiIant
came 70 her with a story OF how
he had heen rejected by the army
and was without money. During
lhe afternoon after she had Put
her three children 10 bed for
their maps he entered tho house
ard assaulted her. she said.
Police Chief Dickcv declared
there have heen ramors % fifth
column activity here and asserted
we have been checking up on
them"
Beaumont IS tho same city where
a week before a mob seeking 10
lynch diving Negro was dis
perscd because - lacked leader
shin Tho intended victim was a
youth Nho assaulted white girl
~ keep from going 10 the
army and who was shot hy no.
lice the ,iil led hack to the site
Of ne raninS
a closed cour' ~ inquiry was
called last wock 10 probe the
riots and weigh tho cases az Il
prisoners sixteen vcyc freed and
the other turned over to city au-
hofiiios nra'r offlciais a., vrh
the court 70 determine whether the
draft dcfcrmcnis ~ 500 mon re-
rortediy held should he cancelled
Col sidney c. Mason. IN COM
mand o. 400 state troops sent
here 70 enforce martial law. de-
clared the Negro section was
literally stomped into tho ground
and that from destructive
standpoint 4 equals the Mouse
Areonnc sector Of he first world
war"
BUS transportation WAS resumed
late last week in this CITY ~
100 ooo persons and most reisii
Establishments were reopened for
business after closing during hos
iiliiics hccalfc of lack of hela
when Ncsrocs vcre ordered IN
'he streets and 70 kern crowds
from corgrceatinc
Destruction Included the burn
Ing OF al least ooo Negro houses
and establishments the wrccknc
a. a hecr parlor and the turning
Of Negro automobiles.
This took place soon after word
eot around that tho white woman
had been attacked There seemed
70 he no organized mob, but M
stead many groups ~ rioters who
swarmed into the Negro section
Fires were set homes were
wrecked Many cars % white per-
sons we're seen going through he
streets with radios. clocks and
other articles that had an
rarentlv been stolen from these
stores and homes.
White men chased group Of
Negro youths from a hus station
who're they were awaiting trans
portation 10 An army Induction
center Tho white men were ar
rested and the Negroes escorted
safely from town.
Fearlcssncss % Sheriff Rln
Richardson broke ur ono crowd
Of 100 that appeared at The -
story courthouse 10 got the nv
thicrl assailant 81 The woman
Coming TO the door with sub
machine run in The crook Of his
arm. he told the mob he was
damned tired OF all ihis' and or
dered the men 10 go back 10
building ships as YOU should be
doing When somebody shouted
an insult, Richardson invited him
and all the others 20 step up and
he'd take them All on one AZ a
time.
Several hundred nnobsiers were
arrested and the cases Of most
are still awaiting action.
The two fatalities we're Ellis
Cleveland Brown. white. said 70
have been slueged hy three Ne
eroes who attacked him on ihe
street. and John Johnson. who
said n group OF white men fired
on him az he was entering a car
az the Ice plant where he was
employed.