St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-10-16
Supreme Court Has
II Cases Involving
RIGHTS Of NecToes
CONTINUED from Page L

The court has agreed to review
a Georgia Federal Judges decision
that the right-to-vote 1857 Civil
Rights act is unconstitutional. 1t
will also determine whether the
government can sue a state to
enforce voting rights.
Eleven Negro teachers in Mober-
ly. Mo, have asked the court to
rule on the constitutionality of
firing teachers in integrated set
ups solely on the basis of race.
These teachers who were let out
when the schools were desegregat-
ed claimed that Negro teachers in
several border state areas have
been casualties of the transition.
The Supreme Court was also
faced with II appeals from death
sentences, at least five of whom
were Negroes.
Each Of the five cases carrying
racial distinction involved rape,
while the remaining seven persons
were convicted Of murder.
Those carrying racial identity
involved Ralph Williams, Isaac
Bullock, Luther Bailey. Emile Wes-
ton, Jr., and Willard H. Philips.
Those convicted for murder or rob-
bery-slayings were Edward Leon
Williams, Ralph DawlIins, Marion
James Linden, David Cooper Mel
son, Robert Lee Lyons, Jr.. Edgar
Smith and George Robert Brown.
Claims woman Consented"
Williams was convicted at Clear
water. Fla. in July, 1858 for the
rape of a white woman. He did not
deny having sexual relations with
the woman but claimed that she
consented. He appealed to the Su-
preme Court on the claim that the
pattern of unequal prosecution is
so rife and widespread in Florida
that it violates the 18th amend
ment Of the Constitution"
Contending that the Florida jury
statutes is unconstitutional, he
pointed out that for a long period
of time it has operated to discrim-
mate against Negroes solely on
the basis of race"
Death Sentence In Gas Chamber
Bullock is awaiting death in the
gas chamber in Maryland for two
different rape charges. The first
involved a girl medical student at
John Hopkins hospital, who was
raped in the vestibule of her home
in Baltimore in July 1857 by
Negro. And the second was the
rape of a Negro housewife and
mother of five children, in the YES
tibule of her home in the same
general neighborhood
He contends that evidence Of
fered by the State IN his trial was
not sufficient to prove actual act of
rape. And that prejudical error
was committed in excluding wit
nesses from the courtroom.
Convicted In Little Rock
Bailey was given the death sent
ence for rape of a white woman in
Little Rock, Pulaski County, Ark
ansas in 1855. He is appealing on
the grounds that he was denied
due process by violation of the
14th Amendment because he was
denied compulsory process for the
attendance of witnesses"
Weston was sentenced to cleo
trocution in East Baton Rouge,
La, for aggravated rape" of Cath
crime Markin, a white woman in
May 1856. His appeals have been
made to the lower courts since his
conviction. Finally the high trib-
unal approved a petition in jan
uary to review the decision of the
Fifth Circuit court.
Denied Constitutional Rights
Western claimed that he was
denied his constitutional rights in
that he was not furnished a tran
script of the evidence on which he
was convicted for use in appeals
because he could not afford to pay
for them. And he also claimed that