Evening star., 1946-07-28
Head ofGeorgiaPoIiee
Says People Hamper
Probe Of Lynchings
BY the Associated Press

bOlu HeWSmen To-Day tnat ne mao
been hampered in his investiga-
ton OF the lynching of four
Negroes near here Thursday be-
cause "the best people in town
won't talk about this
They have an idea who it is
the police head. Mai. William E.
Spence said. We've been out on
things like this before, but never
anything like this"
When I get back to town at
lanta I'm going to ask the Gov
ernor to appeal to every Congress
man to help pass Federal legisla-
ton against mob violence"
Fails to Identify Men.
Maj. Spence met newsmen shortly
after the release of q man who he
said fitted the description of the
leader OF the armed band which
waylaid J. 10y Harrison, a prosper
Gus farmer, and the Negroes on the
banks OF the Appalachee River.
Maj. Spence said Mr.. Harrison
failed to identify the man and said
the leader of the MOB was 30
pounds heavier"
Maj. Spence said he had several
other leads. but added that he was
getting no cooperation from local
authorities.
In Atlanta, Gov. Ellis Arnall an
nounced he was Offering rewards
totaling more than $4,000 for solu-
ton of the mob killing of the two
Negro farm hands and their wives
Will Continue Inquiry.
Grimly, he said Il am directing the
Georgia Bureau OF Investigation to
keep its investigators in Walton
County until the guilty parties have
been identified and turned over to
law enforcement officers"
Gov. Arnall then discussed the
case of the record.
At Cheyenne, Wyo.. where he is
vacationing. Eugene Talmadge, who
will take office as governor next
January. said last night that he had
barely had time to read accounts of
the shooting. Il think" he said
such incidents are to be regretted -
Beyond that he had no further COM
ment.
Meanwhile. preparations for the
burial Of Roger Malcolm. his wife.
George Dorsey and his wife, victims
Of the lynching were attracting
scores of visitors to the funeral
parlor in which their bodies lie.
Klan Leader Disclaims Role.
Shortly after the shooting was
made public yesterday. agents of
the Georgia Bureau of Investiga-
tion and the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation sWarmed into the county.
In the course Of routine work. bullets
were taken from the bodies for
checking by balllStic experts.
There were expressions of public
concern over the lynching.
Grand Dragon Samuel Green of
the Ku KluX Klan said his Or
ganization had nothing to do with
the mob action, but that he ex-
pected Gov. Arnall will try to pin it
on us" @ -
Mr. Green also declared we have
no Klan chapter in Monroe. I know
the Klan had nothing to do with
the killings"
The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People.
through Secretary Walter White in
New York, charged in a telegram
to Attorney General Clark that re-
ports of actions of officials in Wal
ton County indicated they had
knowledge lynchings were to take
place.
To this charge. Sheriff E. S Cor
don Of Walton County replied ::
you Just tell EN- it's damn lie
don't care who said it"
House to House Searched Asked.
In Birmingham. Ala. the South
ern Negro Youth Congress wrote
Attorney General Clark asking that
martial law be declared and a house
to house search conducted for the
slayers.
Representative Marcantonio. Amer
lean Labor Party, of New York
asked President Truman for
prompt" Federal intervention. In
telegram, the New York Con-
gress member said unless immedi-
ate Government action is taken,
there will be repetition of lynch
ings as result of recent Indictment
to violence made by Bilbos and Tai
madges"
The Maryland conference of the
National Association for the Ad-
Vancement of Colored People also
asked Mr. Truman to intervene.
The Civil Rights Congress in New
York was reported to have offered
9 81 900 reward for the arrest and
conviction of the guilty.
Mai, Spence after day and night
OF intense work, suggested that the
murders were rehearsed affair. >
He said. 1T looks like it was re-
hearsed affair. 1t looks like it might