The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1943-08-14

orts that white policemen joined
Negroes In the footing OF stores
on the East Side. In one instance
policeman carried two twenty
live pound cans OF lard from
store and locked " in the back
OF the police patrol car 10 be
transported apparently. to his
home. There also is evidence that
at least one Of the II persons held
for "looiing' was not looting. nor
was there any evidence TO sub
stantlate such a charge.
The wilful inenicIency OF the
Detroit police in IT'S handling Of
the riot is one OF the most dis
graceful episodes in American his
tory. When the riot broke out on
Sunday night June 90. following
a dispute between white and
Negro motorist on the Belle Isle
bridge, an efficient police force
armed with night sticks and fire
hoses could have broken mp the
rioiing on Woodward avenue and
broken the back OF the insnrrec-
ton had the police been deter
nined TO do so. Instead. the POI
lice did little or nothing. though
there were a few individual in
stances OF courage by policemen
which are commeadable.
More typical. however. was the
following episode An official OF
the Detroit educational system
was riding Monday afternoon.
June 81 on Woodward avenue
car According TO his statement,
an Inspector OF police boarded the
car with eight patrolmen. He an
nounced that mob WAS headed
in that direction and that he and
the pa,rolmen would take charge
of and protect any Negroes on
the car who wished such protec-
ton. Four OF the eight Negroes
nccepted the offer. The other four
chose 10 remain on the car They
crouched on the floor OF the car
and were concealed by the skills
OF sympathetic white women.
These four got to their destina-
tions safely. But the four who
entrusted themselves 10 the police
were either taken from the police
by the mob and beaten unmerci-
fully. or were turned over 10 the
mob by the police.
After Federal troops had re-
stored a semblance OF order 10
Detroit. Police Commissioner John
W. Witherspoon sought to shift
The blame for the total failure Of
The Detroit Police department 70
the Federal government for not
sending troops sooner to police
Detroit. Commissioner Wither-
spoon alleged that he had not
been given information by the
Federal authorities that Presi-
dental proclamation was neces-
gary before Federal troop could
be brought in He sought also to
prove that the police had been
h)ameless. But this assertion was
negated by photographs taken by
the Detroit Free Press and other
newspapers Most revelatory OF
these is one taken on Woodward
avenue during the day OF June
y, An elderly Negros arms are
pinioned BY two policemen while
two mounted police sit astride
their horses Immediately behind
In the meantime. a white rioter
strikes the helpless Negro full In
The face with no fndfcHtion on the
part Of any OF the four policemen
OF any effort 70 protect the Ne
gro.
The Detroit free Press also
took photographs OF me same
man In four separate acts OF mon
violence. AS this report Is writ
Ten. this easily identified rioter Is
nnarrested. Two other photographs
show another white man engayeo
in two separate acts OF violence
against Negroes. In one OF them
he Is about 10 strike fleeinf
Negro with an iron bar. u i
stated that this man was arrested
Continued on page l6)