St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-10-28
Mississippi
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Mississippi :.
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During the last few weeks.
there hasn't been day that has
passed that many Of you have not
thought about little Emmett Till.
Emmett Till was Just an aver
age American boy.
On Aug. 20. after his great
uncle had paid him a visit in Chi
cago, 1t was decided that Emmett
and his cousin would return home
with his great-uncle for a two
week vacation on the farm.
All Of you know now a BOY loves
to romp and play on the farm.
Around Money, Miss, there
are a number of our best lakes,
where a little boy IA years Of
age can enjoy fishing.
The boy went down 10 Money,
Miss. The nearest store was two
and eight-tenths miles from his
great-uncle's home.
The boys went to the little store
In the afternoon to buy bubble
gum and chewing gum and candy.
I talked with a 16-year-old cousin
who was right there with Emmett
and was on the porch Of the store
watching other colored people play
checkers while Emmett was on the
inside Of the store.
He told me that Emmett went
in the store to buy bubble gum.
The little fellow had once had
infantile paralysis and there
was a stammer In his voice. As
ne came out OF the store, he
said 10 the storeI<eeper, "Good-
bye"
The boys who were on the porch
OF the store. teasing like boys do,
said, you said goodbye to that
lady"
They said. Don't you know
colored people don't say goodbye
to white women in the South
They Just don't do that"
One OF the boys said, "What
did you think about the iadys"
And not being able to express
himself very well, he whistled,
whew-whew, like that. In reply
10 what they said, meaning that
she was good looking.
Now I want to say to you peo-
pie, have talked with five Of the
eight or nine persons who were
present and. incidentally, Mrs,
Bryant admitted on the stand in
Sumner the other day that there
were eight or nine colored people
on the outside.
But she got on that stand and
tried to play act.
When she asked the boy for the
money she said. the little boy
caught her hand and tried to put
his arms around her.
l wish that the reporters who
are here this afternoon would
please tell the entire South that
that old lie they've been telling
all these countries Is getting sc
old that 1t ought to stink, even tc
them! (Applause)
Every time they get ready &c
lynch colored person in the
South. it's got to be about some
white woman.
I wish you'd also tell them
that the colored man II salts
fled with his women. and my
great desire this afternoon IL
that the Mississippi white man
would be rs satisfied with his
own women ms l am with mine.
(Applause)
However, the colored people or
that porch have told me that they
don't believe Mrs. Bryant even
heard the boy say goodbye OF
heard his whistle.
There was some two-bit person
sitting there who wanted so cents
worth of credit that individual
told Mr.. Bryant that boy from
Chicago. a Northern boy, whistled
at his wife.
II she had heard that whistle
what was the excuse for waiting
four days before he went down
thereT
The incident happened on Wed
nesday and IL was 2 o'clock sun
day morning, Aug. %, when they
went TO the great-uncle's home
and took the little boy out,
There was plenty OF evidence ir
this case that the State of Mis-
sissippi didn't make any effort &c
get.
II was last Sunday night that
was passing group of eyewit'
nesses.
They got word to me that
they had evidence that they
wanted TO give me,
They wanted me 10 get the evi'
dence to the proper authorities,
They didn't want the people
where they lived. on those plan
tations 10 know anything about
this evidence.
I wondered for r while about
meeting those eyewituesses be
cause you know I live dangerous
" in Mississippi.