The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1952-08-23
Notes
on
The
News
THE UNAMERICAN ANGLE OF THE
LYNCHBURC SKIPPER CASE
By r. J. Sellers

OF the Lynchburg Police Department wen,
into the home of Bernard Skipper and
hauled him off to the police station with
out telling him why they were doing so
He was questioned and then dismissed
without ever being told why he had beer
picked up.
Again, on the night of June 16, younG
Skipper was on his way home when po
lice car pulled up beside him and one o.
the officers cursed him. while severa
others jumped out to grab him. Skipper
who is just 10 years of age, became fright
ened and ran and the officers followed
shooting their pistols and cursing as they
came towards him.
The chase lasted for almost 80 minute.
and took in an area which included foul
city blocks. Car brakes screeched, mao
men cursed and pistol shots broke the still
ness of the early morning air.
Finally Skipper fell and two large pc
licemen fell on him and pinned his body
to the ground by placing their knees in
the back of his neck. He was dubbed with
the butt of pistol and beat about the head
with a blackjack. But the fun for the ar
resting officers had apparently just begun
After being jerked to his feet, officer,
caught him by either arm and he wa,
dragged for a half block down to the wait
ing police car. The commender of this
band of guardians of law and order they
walked over to the car and proceeded tc
show his manhood and authority by sock
ing the half-dazed boy in the jaw with
his fist
Skipper was carried to the police station
again. His second visit in less than three
weeks, and after being held for almost
three hours--without having any charges
placed against him, he was released. Thi:
time Skipper did not go directly home He
went to his doctor because he was in need
of medical attention.
heard this entire horrifying story, moi
from a displaced person who had escaped
the clutches of a war prison camp in Naz
Germany, or from refugee who had
worked his way from behind Stalin's Iron
Curtain, this story was told to me last Sun
day morning by Negro boy who ha.
lived all of his young life in the city OF
Lynchburg, Va.
Albert Skipper filed damage suit fol
of those police officers whom he accused
of violating his civil rights.
Reuben Lawson, Roanoke attorney, who
is handling the case for Skipper, asked
the City Council of Lynchburg to conduct
an investigation so as to determine whetn
er or not the police officers acted within
their official rights. The police chief Gin.
vestigated" the matter and said that the
charges were tunfounded" But the police
chief did not call in young Skipper, nor did
he bother to call in any of those citizens
who heard the policemen shooting and saw
them make the arrest.
MIR. Lawson next requested an FBI in.
vestigation and the Lynchburg authorities
promptly put out the cry of an Invasion
of States Rights" and refused to give the
Federal men any cooperation.
The Police Department won't talk" The
officers have been told not to do so. The
City Manager, Mr.. Robert D. Morrison
won't talk--except to say that he is "ag'in'
Federal interference. The police chief, Ma
jor j. Hillyer Boice won't talk except to
state that Shippers charges are unbound
ed"
"But Albert Skipper talked. He talked
to the Lynchburg Branch of the National
Association for the Advancement of Col
ored People. He talked to the agents from
the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He
talked to the doctors who dressed his cuts
and bruises and he talked TO his lawyer
MIR. Lawson, and he told all of them the
same sad and pitiful story. The graphic