The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-07-25
School Case
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lection, but observed that he
would be surprised if the dicision
wasn't discussed.
Gravatt, in his argument over
legislative privilege and i'm
unity, cited the Supreme Court
decision involving the California
legislature, and contended that
the same principle applies to the
Prince Edward board Of super
! ViSOrS.
Carter, in reply said that the
decision applied only to state
bodies and not to county bodies.
The situation appeared re-
solved, at least temporarily. after
a brief recess when copies of II
sets of minutes from the super
viSors and the school board were
admitted in evidence. The min
uteS cover official actions by the
two boards over the last three
/ years.
Steck, Dahl Testify
| BY early afternoon, only two
other witnesses had taken the
stand. John c. Steck. managing
editor of The Herald and a mem
Der of the board. testified briefly
concerning the location of pri-
vate schools set up for whites
since public schools closed.
Steck said also, "As far as
know no application for a tuition
grant had been received from
Negro students attending informal
educational classes being run by
the Prince Edward County Chris
/ tan Association.
The third witness for the day
was E. Louis Dahl, treasurer of
the Prince Edward School
Foundation. Dahl explained the
financial system under which the
schools operate.
The court resumed at 2 pm,
but recessed almost immediate
ly because Gravatt was not pre-
sent. Gravatt appeared at 2:O8,
/ and explained that he had been
delayed because of phone calls he
had ben makineg in compliance
with requests by Carter.
Charles B. Pickett, another
member of the board Of super
visors to testify, said that each
tuition application was not pro
cessed individually, but that the
supervisors from each magisteri-
al district concerned knew the
applicants. Others members OF
the board testified there had been
no rejection of any tuition ap-
! plication which came before the
supervisors.
Woodrow w. Wilkerson, state
superintendent of public instruc-
ton, was called to the stand to
explain the operations of his Of
flee, particularly in relationship
to Prince Edward county.
Wilkerson testified some $50, 00O
to $40 900 was sent to Prince Ed
ward under the constitutional
fund provision during the school
year, l960-6l even though public
school were closed. He said fur
Their that about 1882 pupil scho-
larships were provided for Prince
Edward children during the same
| period.
/ Barrett Present
Among the spectators in the
court was St. John Barrett, 8
member of Attorney General
Robert Kennedy's Civil rights
staff. Barrett last appeared in the
Richmond court to argue the
government motion to intervene
in the Prince Edward case.
Barrett, who sat with plain
tiffs' attorneys. said he was il
Richmond, strictly as an OBJ
server" He declined to speculate
when new action by the federal
government might be filed seek
ing to force reopening of the
public shoots.
A capacity crowd was on hand
for the hearing for the case, re,
garded by the NAACP as a
"pcivotal one, in its desegrega-
ton efforts. About a dozen per
sons were ordered from the court
room before the trial started be.
cause all available seats had been
taken. Included in the crowd
were many newsmen, some from
washington, u. Z. ana new YORK
City.
Two additional subpoenas were
delivered in Farmville Sunday
The Rev. L. F.. Griffin served
subpoenas on Miss Lucy Adams,
headmistress Of the Prince Ed
Ward Acadooov Iovuor Ccbool
and R. E. Gilmer. headmaster
of the Prince Edward Academy
Upper School.
Also sIbpoenaed for the hear.
ing in Richmond in addition to
members of both the county
school board Of supervisors were