St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-02-15

victims OF bombings and parents
Of school children were arrested
Thursday Feb. 7 in connection
with violence over an attempt to
register colored pupils in previous
ly all-white schools here.
Eight Negroes and one white
person were arrested on charges
Of conspiring to endanger the
lives of the children.
On complaint of a local white
restaurant owner and father of
school children, Cairo police pick
ed up without prior notice DIR. W.
A. Fingal, president of the
branch; Mrs. Rosetta Walker,
mother of two children who have
been transferred to a white
school; DIR. J. C. Wallace. a leader
of the branch, whose home was
the target of a shotgun blast on
the night Of January %; Rev. Ar
thur Jelks; C. p. williams; David
v. Lansden, white attorney for
the local group: DR., w. s. Madi.
son; and Lester Bailey and June
Shagaloff. NAACP field secre-
taries.
All were released within fouI
hours after posting bail bond OF
81 900 each. Hearings on the
charges were set for Thursday
February II. Warrants were is,
sued for the arrests on the charge
of conspiring TO "endanger the
life and health Of certain children
OF Cairo for insisting upon theil
transfer from outmoded Jim Grow
schools to the schools nearest Il
their homes.
A warrant was also issued FOL
the arrest OF Mrs. Carrie Watkins
mother Of child who had beer
transferred. She was not held, be,
cause of pregnancy.
All were charged with two sep
arate misdemeanor citations, and
released on 81 900 bond pending q
hearing Thursday, Feb. II. Tho
warrants were signed by 10 com.
plaintants who described them
selves as white parents or their
agents.
The first citation charged the
accused specifically with:
"Endangering the lives and
health of children by forcing them
by threats and Inducements Il
enter Cairo schools previously at
tended only by white pupils"
The second citation charged the
eight conspired:
TO unlawfully cause or permit
children 10 be placed in such a
situation that their lives were en-.
dangered."
Despite the outbreak of vio-
lence, Negro parents continued to
try to register their children. Sc
far only seven pupils have been
accepted in formerly white
schools. Four are in grade school;
two in junior high school, and one
in high school.
A series Of violence in Cairo, a
southern Illinois town which
borders on the Mason-Dixon line
was touched off Jan. ~. when
three fiery crosses were burned in
and around Negro districts.
Parents Of 81 Negro pupils were
scheduled TO attempt to register
their children in formerly all
white schools, Monday, Jan. %.
During the three days that fol-
lowed a shot was fired into the
home Of DR.. Wallace, a bomb des-
troyed an unoccupied room in the
home OF DR.. Urbane Bass, and
dynamite was found near a bust
ness place Of Henry Dyson, vice
president of the Cairo NAACP.
DR.. Wallace also received letter
warning him to leave the city or
suffer the consequences.
Four white men have been ar
rested in connection with the
bombing Of DR.. Bass home. They
were Robert Hogan, 20, salesman;
Charles II. Miller Jr., 81, Jerry
Dean Ellis, "a, and Roy Downs.
81.
Upon being informed Of the ar
rest Of the NAACP people. Thur
good Marshall, NAACP special
counsel, left New York Immediate
Iy to consult with Illinois lawyers
on preparation Of the defense.
Meanwhile Walter White, Ma
ACP executive secretary, gave as
surances that "this attempt to in
tImIdate the leaders Of our Cairo
branch for demanding their con-
stitutionai rights win not deter
the NAACP from continuing It's
fight against all forms Of racial
discrimination and Segregation"
Before leaving New York. Mr.,