Evening star., 1960-10-20
King and IS
Refuse Bail in
Trespass

Following a pledged "jaill
instead Of bail" policy. integra-
ton leader Martin Luther King,
jr., and IS other demonstrators
against segregated eating facil-
tiles were behind bars today
awaiting trail on charges of
violating the State antitres-
passing law.
They were among 81 Negroes
and one white person arrested
yesterday after a well-organ-
lied mass invasion of down.
town Atlanta by Negroes
picketing and staging sit-in
demonstrations at stores with
segregated lunch counters.
MIR. King. a Baptist Minister, |
who said he was an invited
participant and not a leader
Of the demonstrations, vowed |
to remain in jail a year if |
necessary rather than make
bond. He said the demonstra-
tionS will continue until some
thing is done" /"
Also arrested was Lonnie C. !
King, head of the Committee |
on Appeal for Human Rights, |
which one of the demonstrators |
said sponsored the demonstra-
tions. The two Kings are not
related.
Enacted This Year
ALI the arrests were made at
Rich'S Department Store on
charges of violating a 1860 act
making it a misdemeanor to
refuse to leave private property
when requested to do so.
Demonstrations also were
staged at Davison's. S. H. Kress,
F. w, Woolworth, H. L. Green,
Newberry's. Grants and Nc
Crory's. White lunch-counter
faculties at some of the stores
were closed when the demon
Strations began shortly before
noon.
There were a few tense situa-
lions during the demonstra-
tions and picketing, but no
violence.
All the dependents pleaded
pot guilty before Municipal
Judge James Wenb. Charges
against 16 were dismissed when
a policeman testified they had
been requested to leave the
dining room but not the store.
The other SO were bound
over to Fulton County Criminal
Court under bonds of $500 each.
Judge Webb also delivered a
strong tongue-laShing to sew
eral Negro students who began
picketing police headquarters
with hastily drawn posters
curing the trial. He warned
against any further such dem
onstrations.
Cameramen Excluded
The judge also first invited
photographers into his court
room, but then reversed that
decision, saying the demon
StrationS were organized for
publicity and my courtroom
Is not going to be used for
that purpose"
The largest demonstration to
date in Atlanta obviously was
veil organized. It occurred
three days after a South-wide
meeting of the Student Nom
Violent Co-ordinating Commit
tee at which new sit-in tactics
we're discussed.
At hs hearing, the Rev. Mr..
King, who led the Montgom-
cry (Ala9 bus boycott, said his
family spent $4,000 at Rich's
during 1859 and that I'VE are
welcome at all counters but the
lunch counter"
In a statement, he also said
that if convicted under the
anti-trespass law. he may serve
his sentence rather than ap-
peal. That, he declared, would
bring the issue under the
scrutiny of the conscience of
the community"
Neither Atlanta nor any other
Georgia municipalities were in
cluded in the 112 Southern and
border State cities where four
major chains - WoolWorth.
Grant, Kress and McCrory-
have integrated lunch counters,
according to an announcement
Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in Nashville,
Tenn, conspiracy charges were
dismissed against 81 Sit-in DEM
onstratorS arrested during
lunch-counter disorders earlier
this year. Following the Incl
dents, counters were integrated
In a number of stores.