Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-01
Negro Coed Is Expelled
By Alabama u. Board.

y. bOQfQ.
: solution to Grooms' ruling" the
lanti-integration leader said. But
Inc would not say what the solu-
Ition was. He added: 1--WE believe
lin fundamental correction" :
/ In Birmingham the Lucy de-
tcision was bigger news in the
Birmingham Post Herald than
President Eisenhower's an@
nouncement that he was avs'l-
able for denomination. :
i Predictions of Violence
Judge Grooms ordered the
university to re-admit Miss Lucy
despite predictions by defense
witnesses during yesterdays
hearing that her temperance
would be met with violence and
!. possibly by assassination.
Last July, the Kentucky born
Judge ordered the university to
accept Miss Lucy as a coed in
the wake of a Supreme Court
decision that she was entitled to
admission.
Miss Lucy actually enrolled IN
the school February 2, but when
Ishe attempted to attend classes,
four days of rioting broke out
among 5000 students and others
described by university officials
) and police as outsiders"
On February 6. the university's
Board of Trustees barred Miss
Lucy from the campus for "her
own safety" and for "the safety
of Others"
Motion Is Vacated
. With the legal assistance OF
, the NAACP, Miss Lucy asked
! Judge Grooms to cite Is univer-
sity trustees and officials for con-
T tempt of his July order.
In his decision, Judge Grooms
vacated the contempt motion.
He ruled that the university off,
Gals had "acted in good faith"
under the riotous circumstances.
The judge said, 1.-THE court
finds that the university officials
and trustees underestimate the
strength of the protest that
would be made and under
estimated the fury of the mob in
attempting to force her from the
campus and =. were unprepared
to cope with the situation"
! He said the action of the trus-
! tees in barring Miss Lucy was
ITO protect the plaintiff and 9TH
.Iers from bodily harm"
/ A companion plea by Miss Lucy
that she be granted dormitory
land dining room facilities on the
campus was taken under adj
visement by Judge Grooms until
tomorrow.
4 Won't Defy Court, Judge Says
/ Before he read his decision, the
tall, bespectacled Judge observed,
l"There are some people who be-
Ilieve this court should carve out
a province in North Alabama,
lfortify the borders, man the bat
Elements and defy the Supreme
Court" +
1 Judge Grooms then said: This
court always acts in accordance
with the United States Supreme
Court. He also told the 200
spectators and newsmen that
this court does not believe the
law enforcement agencies of this
State have broken down"
i The order from Judge Grooms
came on the heels of repeated
predictions by witnesses that they
felt the Negro goods return
would result in more violence.
/ One of those was Alabama
Circuit Court Judge Reuben
Wright of. Tuscaloosa. Judge
Wright said he was one of the
Tuscaloosa civic leaders called on
to advise DR.. Oliver c. Car
michael, university president.
after the riots began.
/ Judge Wright told the court
that in his opinion ''it will be
disastrous if this student is
returned to the university"
On the objection by Mr.. Mar
shall, the disastrous" obser-
walton was stricken from the
record. Even so, Judge Wright
predicted that if she returned
Miss Lucy would be killed.
Others Predict Violence
4 Predictions of additional vio-
Ilence also came from university
officials. One of these, Henry J.
ISikir, assistant dean Of men, said
on cross examination by Mr..
Marshall that he based his
opinion on my observations and
rumors
! Mr.. Sikir testified that Tusca-
loosa and campus police had
used no force, but only persua-
sion. in attempting to break up
the mobs. None of the students,
he added. had been disciplined
for participation in the riots.
Miss Lucy on the stand told of
hearing the mob shouting, Hey,
hey. no, no. where the hell did
the Negro go? Hey, hey. no. no.
A,ltherine must CO."