The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
Gov R
THE

by
RUSS COWANS


ehuca. Arii.. came hack home last
week to return a CT Joe who had
everstzyed his time In the town -.
And Sgt. Guthrie. while awaiting
eieAranse Of papers for his prisoner,
recalled his last visit 10 the old
home town He arrived here on
Che morning of June %. ls43. some
hours after troops had been called
and a shart time after martial law
had been declared in the riot-swept
city Bouncing of the train in the
Michigan Central station with high
hopes OF soon seeing his pretty
young wife. Guthrie was stopped
by n MP who told him that he
would have TO remain In the station,
pointing To the screaming headlines
on o paper 10 indicate the reason q.
But Guthrie wanted To see his wife,
- q small thing like n riot was not
going 70 stand in his way Exert
ting every ounce Of persuasion Ia
convince a taxicab driver to haul
him TO Watson and Woodward ave
nue. during the early hours of Tues
day morning was soon on his way
Guthrie. however. could not prevail
on the cab driver to cross Wood
ward avenue so there was moth
Ing else to do hut unload and begin
the safari across the battle field at
Watson and John r.. part Of the
terrain which had been blazing with
fighting n few hour earlier Al
though he expected TO have club
or rock bounced OF his head as he
made his wav through the rubble
ne finally made his way home I'M
Scared.
The regretable part OF the whole
thing" said SGT. Guthrie was HAT
we soldiers are out there fighting
@ common enemy, and the boys and
girls back home are divided, stab
bing, Us in the back Dorothy
Derrick, whose songs have won her
plsudi,s from patrons OF Detroit
night clubs over a long number Of
wears. was slated 20 open an en-
rarement a. Club Congo in May Of
1913 but the famed ritery. opened
bv the late Ben F. Slim Jones in
1910. closed the same week So
Dorothy had 10 postpone her return
home until some weeks ago when
che opened an engagement at Club
Three 666
Lucille Wood the Sweet Of
tie dance team OF Slim and Sweets
=. has sent out invitations 10 her
graduation from a beauty school in
Chicago Trinity hospital has been
made a depot for the distribution
~ ,,,nItntna i~slltp
an Fouche writes from Reno. New.
tNo, Sam is not out there 10 divorce
himself from an incompatible
Spouse) that the country is beaut-
ful. and he's emceeing on the
premises of one OF the bright night
spots in the town. Sam. as you'll
recall, was a noted night club figure
n the Motor City before going West
some months back. . Edna Rucker
has been selected as Miss Negro
Victory Worker" and the award
will be made al the Negro Freedom
Rally in Madison Square Garden,
Friday, June %. All of which does
not mean so much 10 large seq
Snent Of the populace But IL the
announcement had said Chocolate"
Rucker. then plenty Of ears would
have perked up and eyes would
have begun to bulge. Well. Edna
and Chocolate are one and the same
person. only Chocolate is well
known because of her entertaining
ct the old Chocolate Bar, Club
Congo. and other places here. f..
But Chocolate dropped her enter
tanning last year. and now she's
cutting defense shift in the new
steel foundry at the Ford Diver
Rouge plant. "A core checker,
Frances Leonard down In Chat
fznooga, Tenn, on her first trip
below the Mason and Dixon line,
writes that 1T would be q two-life
3cb trying TO teach these folks any
thing. Dear me. the job In really
crying 10 be done. Benny Orms-
BY is doing such a hefty business In
his new eatery down on St. An
toine street that he has been COM
PEELED TO enlarge his quarters
and the place has been open only
q few weeks.
Being a producer Of shows In
these times is no easy job The
wonder is that more OF the boys
who rack their brains thinking up
new shows. and then finding enter
tanners to carry oui their ideas, are
not in straight jackets For in
stsnce. take the little incident which
had Joe Little Ziggy" Johnson
hanging on tenterhooks just before
the opening Of his first show at Club
Zombie. Johnson had engaged
Marian Alternately, blues singer Of
note, as one of his featured stars %.
but Miss Alternately decided TO ac-
eept an engagement In California
q few hours before Johnson was
ready to leave Chicago for Detroit.
Alber; Burnell. the taxicab opera
60 and owner who died last week,
was one o. the drivers when the
old Wolverine Cab company was IN
full bloom. back in early l920s. 81.
when Reddy Lane. Ernie Jones
Booker Dues ard others were OPP
Grating the old open cabs with
coal heaters in the rear during
winter m onths Burnell had jus,
recently purchased a new home
and was preparing 10 retire 10 an
easier life.
When Tho Detroit branch OF the
National Urban League roves into
its new home a. MACK and John r
etreets. II Will bc housed in one
of the fires. dwellings IN nc city
the or e.nal residence - the late
Albert KAN world famous archi'
tect who dcs. zre1 MANY 90 ne large
Office bul.dlss ir Deiro.f. IN addition
60 many If tho plants IN Russia.
One % the most prominent
figures 70 ever roam the corridors
of Recorders Court has made hei
iast trip up and down the stair!
Of the building where the seamN
vide OF life is unfolded 10 those WHIT
IKE 10 hear il and Mrs Myrtl,
Mole was a listener ~ trials IN IN,
courts over a period Of 30 years
She started back in the days whei
~ trials were heard in the ole
Municipal Court building jus
eeross the street from the presen