Arizona sun., 1962-09-13
Offers $4,000
For Evidence

Downes, Jr. a former resident Of
this city has offered rewards
totaling $4,000 for evidence lead
ing to the conviction of persons
responsible for series of bomb
ingS in this area.
Six recent bOmbings have
caused a total of 100000 damage
to the homes of white and Negro
integratiOniSts and to facilities
used by Negroes or groups favor
ing integration. A church was fire
bombed while meeting was lr
progress inside.
In the last two ye ars, 2S
crosses have been burned on front
lawns land a man who entertained
Negroes in his home was taken
to a deserted area and severely
beaten.
The most recent bombing was
at the home of Jacob Heller, a
white man who has openly op-
posed segregation for many years.
He has long been supporter OF
the Southern Conference Educa-
tional Fund (SCEF an integ-
rationist organization based in
New Orleans.
An explosive set off under Hei-
ler's automobile caused $4,000 to
$4,000 damage to the car and to
the Heller residence. The home
was declared to be an almost total
loss.
The bombing followed publica-
ton of letters Heller had written
to newspapers on the subject OF
integration. He had also attended
the hearing of a suit by the Rev.
Ashton Jones, white integration-
list who had been jailed and beaten
for his activities.
The reward offer was made by
Downes in a letter to local news
papers and other interested per-
sons. Downes himself left Shreve-
port over a year ago after he
was fired from his job for attend
ing a meeting of integration lead
ers here. He had also befriended
the Rev. Mr.. Jones. Downes now
Lives in Austin, Texas.
Among the bombings in which
|Downes offers rewards are those
at two homes of DR.. and Mrs. c.
o. Simpkins last spring. A total
of $4,000 damage was done to
the Simpkinses' summer home and
to a new residence they were
building in Shreveport.
DIR. Simpkins is member OF
the board of SCEF;; a leader in
the Southern Christian Leadership
conference, based in Atlanta;
president of the United Christian
Movement, and a state NfAAs4AstGGP off
ficial. These groups and many
others protested to the U. S. De
partment of Justice about the
bombings, but nobody has beer
arrested. a.
Downes offers $1,000 reward for
evidence in each of the bombings
and beatings, up to maximum
of $1,000. He asks that evidence
be presented in proper form to
the Shreveport offices of either
the U. S. Attorney or the Federal
Bureau of Investigation"
In addition, Downes offers 81 ,0OQ
reward to the first person pfovid.
| ing material evidence of similar
crimes committed after the offer.
ing of the rewards, which was on
August Is, 1862.
"Such acts have no place in
Shreveport, nor anywhere else, in
America" Downes said in his re-
ward offer. They are to be de-
plored, not only for the injury
done the victim, but for the seri-
GUS injury done this community
and each of its members.
Most important, the communi-
| ty suffers from an suppression
of free speech and dissenting 0pin-
ion, and thereby loses the creative
value inherent in a freely express
ed variety of ideas, representing
all sides of any question. Freedom
cannot exist in a climate of vio-
lence and fear; it never has; it
never will"