The Omaha guide., 1946-03-23
Will Defend Columbia Riot Victims To
Utmost Limits; 10 Organization Pleages to NAACP.

-A~
tional organizations today pledg-
ed their total cooperation to de
fend all of the Negroes charged
with various offenses in connect
ion with the Columbia, Tennessee
riot" started February 25th at
a conference in the Wendell Will
kie Memorial Building by the MA
ACP. Those pledging their aid IN
clude the Americans Committee;
the Council for Democracy; the
March on Washington Movement;
the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
Porters; Independent Citizens
Committee of the Arts, Sciences
and professions: New York Coun-
Gil for Permanent FEPC; the Ma
tional Lawyers Guild; The Go
PAC; the American Civil Liber-
ties Union; the American Jewish
Congress; the National Urban
League, the Federal Council OF
Churches of Christ in America;
the Methodist Federation for So
cial Service; Imperial Lodge of
Elks; the National Federation for
Constitutional Liberties; the Anti
Defamation League Of B'nai Birth
the Southern Conference for HUI
man Welfare; Friends of Demo-
cracy; Freedom House and the
YMCA. 1t is expected that other
organizations who were unable to
send representatives to the con-
ference held today will also par
ticipate in the vigorous and IN
compromising fight which will De
made in the courts Of law and Of
public opinion.
The steps decided upon include
the supplying of all Necessary le-
gal defense. The NAACP has al
ready retained Maurice Weaver,
young southern white lawyer of
Chattanooga and Wordld War II
veteran and z. Alexander LOBBY,
well-known Negro lawyer Of Ma
shville. Thurgood Marshall. MA
CP Special Counsel, is leaving for
Tennessee shortly to perfect, in
cooperation with Messrs. Weaver
and LOBBY, plans for defense on
the basis of the Maury County
Grand Jury Action.
Other steps decided upon at the
conference today included an ap-
pointment Of a delegation to CON
fer with President Harry S. Tru-
man and Atty. General Tom Clark
to insist upon more vigorous fe-
deral action aginst the mob who
attempted to lynch Mrs. Gladys
Stephenson and her son, James
Stephenson because the young
Negro war veteran defended his
mother when she was kicked and
struck by William Fleming, white
radio repair man.
Because the newspaper stories
written by Columbia and Nash
vile newspapermen consciously
failed to mention that the initial
assault had been made by Fleming
and not by the Stephensons, and
gave only the mob's side of the
story, a nationwide campaign Of
publicity through paid advertise
ments, radio ~broadcasts, and the
publication of literature, the hol-
ding of mass meetings and other
means of informing the country
Of the truth Of the Columbia riot
was voted. Plans were also made
to raise as speedily as possible
the Necessary funds for defense.
All the defendents excpet one have
requested in writing that the NAA
CP defend them.
Particular emphasis was put by
the conference on the necessity Of
bringing the real culprits in the
Tennessee tradgedy to justice.
particularly the state militia, state
highway patrolmen and other
agents of the state of Tennessee
who were responsible for pillaging
sarch ad seizure without warrant
beating and otherwise mainland
ling the helpless Negro defendants
destroying Negro business esta-
blishments and homes, the hold
ing of Negro defendants incom-
municado and the tapping of tel
ephone wires.
1t was pointed out that punish
ment of the real culprits uncom-
promising defenced of the Negro
victims would deter other mobs
both in the South and North from
attempting similar violence and
frame-up.
z. Alexander LOBBY, telephoned
the National Headquarters today
that John McKizen, 20, married
and father of two children 4 and
6 and Robert Gentry, "a, who were
arrested subsequent to the riot
have been freed or bail of $4,000
each The charge against them
is attempted murder. Mr.. LOBBY
reports that all of the Negro de-
fendents have now been freed of