Evening star., 1961-05-31
Unlimited Jail Space Is Ready
For Freedom Riders in Jackson

JACKSON, Miss, May 81
(AP).-Police in this MiSsis-
sippi capital city of 10000
were ready today with unlim-
tied jail space throughout the
State for more Freedom Riders,
an official said.
Already So persons testing
segregation laws in bus and
train terminals have been ar
rested and convicted on breach
of peace charges. Eight have
posted appeal balls or paid
their 5000 fines.
There are no new announced
plans for Freedom Rides.
"They may as well quit"
said Police Capt. L. C. Ben
nett. They're not worrying us.
It's getting to be routine"
Yesterday, eight more Free
dom Riders joined earlier
groups in testing Jim Grow"
barriers. The newest arrivals
first to come by train-were
speedily arrested and got 5000
fines and 60-day suspended
sentences. The trials lasted five
minutes.
The "A earlier Freedom
Riders we're jailed when they
attempted to use white facili-
ties in a cross-country bus ter
minal.
a Riders IN Jail
Forty-four of the Riders, in
cluding yesterdays arrivals, re-
main in Jail. They apparently
will work out their fines at the
rate of So per day.
We're a long way from being
where we can't take care of
them," Sheriff j. R. Gilfoy said.
IF their idea is to saturate
the jails, it will take a lot of
people. The county Jail here
can hold 160 to ITO and the
city Jail between $50 and IT'S"
Eight whites are being held
in the city Jail and 26 Negroes
in the county Jail.
Sheriff Gilfoy said that if
necessary a circuit judge can
be petitioned for permission to
send prisoners anywhere in the
State.
81 feel any sheriff would CO.
operate with me 100 per cent
in keeping these prisoners" the
sheriff said.
Yesterdays arrivals came
from New Orleans aboard the
passenger train "City of New
Orleans" The group included
five whites-four students from
Cornell University-and three
Negroes.
Briefed at Workshop
Monday they had attended a
special workshop" in New
Orleans on Freedom Ride
tactics. The class was sponsored
by the Congress on Racial
Equality, one of the equal rights
groups sponsoring the segrega-
ton tests.
They were arrested when
they failed to obey police or
ders to move on after their ar
rival in Jackson No incidents
occurred.
Both defense and prosecu-
ton attorneys agreed to skip
a rerun of the two previous
Freedom Rider trials. and Mu-
nicipal Judge James L. Spencer
quickly convicted them.
CORE Field Secretary Rich
ard Haley of Chicago, who OBJ
served the arrest and trial, said
they were done in business
like manner"
None of the eight would say
if they planned to pay the fines
or post appeal bonds.
Three of four Cornell student
riders jailed in Jackson plan to
stay in jail two or three weeks
as part Of a general plan to
create more impact on society,
a student spokesman at Ithaca,
N. Y, said. A fourth Cornell
student-Peter Sterling of Rye,
N. will return to school for
final exams, the spokesman
said.
Students enlisting Freedom
Riders at Cornell are trying to
find people able to serve their
full jail sentence. The aim is
to fill the jails, they said.
Eric Craven. 10. of New
York, chairman of the Cornell l
Committee against Segrega-
ton. said his group planned to
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