St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-03-03
could rent boats.
Defense Case Weakened

1t seemed to me that the defense
weakened its case by denying that
woman ran up to the cabin and
told Mr.. Lehman about what was
taking place at the boat house.
In denying that there was woman
in the case the defense perjured it
self in the writer's opinion. The de-
tense claimed that there were signs
on the road which read "For Guests
Only" Mr.. Craven and his COM
panions said that they did not see
the signs. I am inclined to believe
that the signs were not there at
that time, for as Craven told me
I'VE would have seen the signs, be-
cause being Negroes we would have
been on the lookout for such signs"
What seems to me to be another bit
of perjured evidence" produced by
the defense, was the contention that
Lenihan was not and had not been
for several years in the business
of renting boats to the public, but
that the boats were for the sole use
of the "guests that rented cabins"
Scott Represented Plaintiff
The attorney for the plaintiff,
Harry S. Scott of Minneapolis, in
troduced into his evidence a pam
phlet of Lenihan's Squaw Point
Resort, which he had secured from
tourist bureau in Minneapolis.
In this folder the rates for boats
were listed separate from the rates
for cabins.
In his final plea to the jury of
nine men and three women, all
white, Scott in eloquent terms,
scored the undemocratic practice of
discrimination on account of race,
color, or religion.
imagine that some of the white
people sitting in the court room
considered much that Mr.. Scott
said, as irrelevant and immater-
ial." But, I and other Negroes
sitting in the court room understood
all too well what Mr.. Scott was try
ing to get over to the jury. The
mistreatment and continued dis
elimination against the Negro, even
in the North may be considered
irrelevant and immaterial" by
some people, but not by Negroes
and the increasing number of lib
eral whites, who are trying to
understand and help the Negro
in his fight for full freedom in
America.
Parks Charge To Jury Fair
After the lawyers had completed
their final arguments then came the
inspiring part of the trial to me.
It was the charge to the jury given
by Judge Parks. Judge Parks, a
youngish looking man with silvery
white hair, pointed out to the jury
very clearly the issues involved in
the case. He gave the charge with
out fear or favor for either side.
Now, that is just what a Judge
should do. But, I have sat in court
rooms (not in st. Paul) and heard
judges prejudice the jury against
the Negro in the case. So, I (and
I think Rev. Robert Kelley of the
Border Methodist Church who was
with me) were inspired and helped
to hear Judge Parks give the charge
in the excellent and clear cut man
ner he did. thought to myself that
American jury system and other
features Of the Constitution are
very good and one great hope of
my people and all minorities in this
nation of ours is in the fair admin
istration of the law as laid down by
the Constitution Of the nation.
have just been informed that
the jury found the defendant mot
guilty" in the case. I am glad that
I wrote all this story to this point
before I knew the verdict of the
jury, for in spite of the verdict