Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1945-08-17

hEN, MCIohMlIh kWHlleJ
and sleeps beneath a white cross
today, She is twenty-four years
old and her baby is twenty
months old. On July 80, 1915, at
about 8 p m, she was going from
a visit with her sister-in-laW back
to the home of her own mother,
According to her testimony she
was riding Street Car No. 6. She
got on and carried the baby to
the rear of the street car and was
sitting the second seat from the
rear. The car gradually filled
up until a white lady and man
stood before them, she does not
know who they were, The lady
demanded in a rather rough man.
ner that she get up. She replied
| that if she were asked in a decent
way she might. The man asked
her to get up and she did. Her
feelings had been overWorked
ever since she received the tele-
gram from the Government tell
ing her that in May, l945, her
husband was killed, in the line of
duty; killed, according to the
Government, for Freedom. He
was tWenty-siX years old. Her
thoughts had been continuously
in France since she received that
/ telegram But now she is faced
with new problem. This man
who stood before her as far as we
know, had not slept in mud red
dened with human blood, and
fought in the tox-nole. He had
not died for freedom, She strug-
/ gled to her feet with her father
less baby in her arms and believ-
ing still her husband died for
/ freedom, even the freedom of
| speech, attempted to use it. 1t
was her only weapon. She was
4 slapped in the face. Not salts
fled to slap her once, she who
stood there with a heavy baby in
her arms, he slapped her twice
and hard. She represented the
minority group in America. He
had remained at home and likely
fattened his bank account and
lived in safety from bombs and
the hell of being in an area blast
ed and blstered, burned and bat
tered by the hell of war, You see
this woman was defenselesS, as
much so as the poor American
prisoners in Germany and Japan,
she held a heavy baby and her
husband wasn't there to protect
her-he had died for freedom!
! According to her testimony a
kind lady helped her with the
baby, because her nerve shattered
body could hardly stand. The
street car bumped on until she
got off and went to the home of
her mother, as she has no home
of her own.
She Wept and carried her bur
den to herself until a few days
back. She said she never had
had any trouble before. She
didn't tell me. A lady called me
who is white and a Christian. |
then made contact with this
family. She did not ask that |
give it publicity-yea she was
afraid for me to use her name and
give her address. | understand
that the Jews and other minority
groups were also afraid in Ger
many. Good Neighborliness will
! wipe out fear!
| asked her about her plans for
the future. She said she had de-
cided TO leave Little Rock and go
to another section of the country.
| asked if she had received help
from the Government since the
death of her husband. The reply
was that it took time, and she
kindly said she would get it soon.
Which of course she will. | ask
ed if we might not buy her ticket
to her destination and to my
great surprise, the reply that she
could get by alright. That made
me more determined to help
some than ever, to show her
that there are those of us who
do care and are touched by her
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