Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1947-05-10

Craft Freed in Case Which Attracted
National Attention; Court Hit
Attempt Arrest Without Warrant

Jackson, Miss, (DSN) The Miss
issippi State Supreme Court in a
decision handed down here Mon
day May 5 reversed the decision OIL
the lower court, in the Smith
County case and ordered the an
pellant, w. o. Craft discharged.
In rendering the decision the courl
in upholding the contention of the
defense condemn the effort of Ia
enforcement officers and posse fol
attempt to make arrest without
warrant.
The Smith County case arose
early last summer when the Sheriff
and a possee went to the home of
the Crafts Negro farm family to
investigate the alleged shooting
into a truck load of white people
by group of Negroes. When the
Sheriff and possee reached the
Craft home and begin firing upon
the house. The fire was returned
by members Of the Craft family.
Johnnie Craft, Honorably discharg-
ed member of the Marine Corn
with long service in the South
Pacific VISA named leader of the
Crafts. During the shooting at the
Crafts home two of the members
of the possee were wounded. john
ME Craft, his brother o. w. Craft,
also an honorably discharged sol
der, and several other members
OF the family and relatives escaped
in the woods near bp and were
the object of search by a posse
of more than three hundred (3OO)
armed men and officers, which
lasted for two days and nights and
extended over most of the South
eastern section of the State. The
search ended when Johnnie Craft
in the early hours of the morning
walked in to the Jail and surrend-
cred to Jackson police.
The case Immediately attracted
nation wide attention. The Depart
ment of Justice in Washington cal
led upon the United States Dist
r1ct Attorney at Jackson to use
his office to see that the Crafts
were protected from mob violence.
Gov. Fielding l. Wright visited the
scene and made coustic comment
regarding Walter White, of the
NAACP and other calling for pro-
lection of the Crawts. Editor Fred
erick Sullens of the Jackson Daily
News added further tot he Nation
al concern oft he case in his pub
llshed reply to Robert, II. Durr,
Negro editor of the Birmingham
Weekly Review who wrote asking
him to see the truth and Justice
prevailed int he case.
When all the Craft brothers and
relatives had been arrested Ne
groes in Mississippi and Birming-
ham raised money for investigation
to secure the facts in the case
which to every one appeared very
dubious. National interest and at
tention given the case brought in
the Civil Rights Congress, South
ern Negro Youth Congress, and
NAACP, to aid in the Defense.
Attorney Dixon Pyles of the firm
of Pyles and Calhoun of Jackson
became Chief attorney for the de-
tense. Mr.. Pyles here Tuesday fol-
lowing the action oft he high
court pointed out that each of the
defendants had been indicted. tried
and convicted separately, and that
would be acted on by the Supreme
Court separately. He said that the
indential question raised in the ap-
peal on which w. o. Craft was
discharged would be raised in the
case of Johnnie Craft and other
of the defendants.
Justice Virgil A. Griffith, preside
ing justice of Division B of the
court who wrote the controllinc
opinion, pointed out that the sheriff
had not warrant for the arrest
OF any person or persons, and no
such warrant had been issued"
He observed that under the sta
tute IAN arrest may be made With
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