Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-12

ours. He told the court no
schools have been closed so far.
The Attorney General. one
Of the battery Of I'VE State and
county defense attorneys,
begged OF from appearing in
court for summation Of argu-
ments today. He said a previous
engagement made it Sim
possible" for him to be there.
II have commitments / can't
lget out Of" the snowy-maned
Attorney General said.
Brief Summation
He did make a brief sum-
mation yesterday, stressing
that none Of the seven Negroes.
land specifically the Nelson boy.
had applied for admittance
to specific white schools.
After string of witnesses.
mostly parents Of the seven
children, had testified. Judge
Bryan asked the defense If 1t
wanted to present a case.
Mr.. Simonds replied:
In view Of the fact that
the Arlington School Board
has no authority to make as
signments of pupils under the
State law, we will offer no
testimony"
On July 81, Judge Bryan
enjoined School Supt. T.
Edward Rutter and members
Of the school board from con-
ltinuing racial segregation.
Mr.. Rutter. although a
defendant, was summoned to
the stand as an adverse"
witness for the Negroes. He
said county officials have not
assigned any children to
classes this year. Under the
State law. all children were to
return to the same schools they
previously attended. and any
who might be graduated from
one school to another or come
into the county for the first
time were assigned by the
States Placement Board in
Richmond.
1892 Negro Pupils
4 Under questioning by Mr..
Robinson, Mr.. Rutter said there
are four schools for Negroes
and about 40 for whites in
Arlington. But, he said, there
are only 1882 Negro students,
compared with 2i.245 white. as
lof Tuesday.
| In reply to a question from
Judge Bryan, Mr.. Rutter said
he did not know whether any
.Iof the seven Negro children
was disqualified from entering
white schools for scholastic
reasons. The State Placement
Board handles those cases. he
reiterated.
The Arlington case attracted
Statewide interest because il
is the first one involving a child
who has filled out a placement
J form.
! The Placement Acts validity
now is being tested before the
Supreme Court and also the
State Supreme Court. In none
of the cases involved there
however. has any Of the chill
dren signed the new placement
form.
Several witnesses were called
to testify concerning efforts
to enter the children in white
schools.
DR.. Harold johnson, father
Of two Of them, testified 9
course in Latin was not pro-
vided in the Negro school avail.
able to them. He added Latin
lis an important subject for his
children to take in preparation
for college and for journalism
Ia preference one Of them has
expressed.
Not Queried on Race
Under cross examination, DR.
johnson said nothing wal
asked about the race to which
his children belonged when hi
tried to have them admitted
to a white school.
+ Several other witnesses alsC
testified no questions about
their race were asked at the
time they applied.
Robert A. Eldridge, father o.
another Of those refused ad.
mission, testified he was in.
. formed by school officials h,
! would have to have a pupi
. placement form.
i Mr.. Eldridge said he did no
. sign such form because h,
considered the State law un'
constitutional.
Mrs. Geraldine Davis, a whit,
woman. testified she had es'
, corted three Of the Negro chill.
dren who unsuccessfully trieC
, TO enter a white high school
, She said the white school ap.
parently was much closer thar
, the Negro school the children