The Houston Informer (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 20, Ed. 1 Saturday, October 2, 1926 Page: 1 of 8
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HOME
EDITION
VOL. VIU
THE HOUSTON INFORMER
South’s Greatest Weekly Newspeper
-, . HOUSTON, TEXAS. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1926
PRICE:
S CENTS
NO. 20
TEXAS NEGRO APPEARS IN GRAND OPERA TITLE ROI
****** ** 4 - # ***** ****** ***** ****** ax.
F
Ys
THE MIRROR
By C. F. RrCHARDSON.
DEEP RI VER’ PREMIERE
FLORIDA STORM
DODGING DEMSEY’S DEFEAT.
Paraphrasing Abraham Lincoln,
“You can dodge all the fists some of
the time, you can dodge some of the
fists all the time, but you can’t dodge
all the fists all the time,” was tho-
roughly demonstrated Thursday sight
of last week, when Dodging Dempsey'
went down in defeat before the on-
slaught of Gene Tunney, the new
‘ heavyweight champion of the boxing
world.
Heralded as a man killer and picked
by the wiseacres as the favorite to
win an easy victory over the fighting
marine, Dodging Dempsey was not
up to his usual dodging form and
joined the ranks of the “hasbeens.”
In a post-mortem statement, Dodg-
ing Dempsey gave as an alibi that a
message prior to the fight, stating
that his wife was ill, rather unnerved
him for the fray, and that he could
, not get going after he entered the
roped arena. On the other hand his
spouse contended that Jumping Jack
• was giving something before the fight
which totally incapacitated him phy-
sically and mentally; but it seems that
it was what the new champion gave the
ex-champion during the tilt that un-
nerved him—those uppercuts, rights
and left to the face, that closed eye,
bruised revamped nostrils, masterly 1
defense and tigerish offense of the
DREW CAPACITY HOUSE; SEENFROMMANY
JULIUS BLEDSOEISSTAR ANGLES BY RACE
fighting challenger from New York.
Dodging Dempsey, undoubtedly, had
never read in the Scriptures this ad-
- monition: "Let him that thinketh he
standeth take heed, lest he falleth;”
and then he never took into conslder-
___ation that nothing goes on forever, un-
less It is Tennyson’s celebrated brook.
Some of Dempsey’s staunch support-
ers are now charging that the fight
was crooked and we admit that it
was crooked—those crooked fists of
Gene Tunney and the spectre of Harry
Wills, like Banquo’s ghost, which
would not down.
Furthermore, Jack was not the
fighter he was touted to be, for most
of his fistic engagements were against
mediocre, second-rate or ebbing fight-
ers, not excluding Carpentier, Willard,
Firpo, et al.; while Gibbons, a scrappy
battler, made it very unpleasant for
Jack in their tilt at Shelby, Montana.
Against set-ups, Dodging Dempsey
was a devouring and devastating
demon!
Maybe Dodging Dempsey wishes
now that he had fought Harry Wills,
or some lesser light; for while he was
quite adept in dodging Wills, he was
not so successful in dodging Tunney’s
gloved fists. \
Dempsey’s dodging antics and his
JULIUS BLEDSOE
(By the Associated Negro Press.)
Philadelphia, Pa.—"Deep River,” the
so-called "native opera with jazz,” the
music of which was written by Frank
Harling, and the book by Laurence
Stallings, opened Tuesday night at the
Shubert Theatre, before packed house
which received the work enthusiastic-
ally. This opera had been looked for-
ward to for several months because of
the announced intention of the au-
thors to make of it an opera of a dif-
ferent sort, one with an American, fla-
vor.
This flavor was expected to have as
one of its Ingredients something of
what the Negro has contributed to the
spirit of America, and the early an-
nouncement was made that the serv-
ices of Julius Bledsoe, the celebrated
baritone of New York and Texas prod-
uct, had been secured for a stellar
role in the piece. Bledsoe appeared to
grand effect Tuesday night and the
standard of his singing was described
by one reviewer as being "far above
that of any operatic performer ex-
cept by the largest companies."
The Negro ingredients of the opera
are discovered chiefly in the second
act, the best of the three, which is
grand opera in atmosphere and to a
large extent In construction, consist-
ing of a very long ensemble with solos,
duets and trios, and built chiefly on
three motifs, a spiritual-like melody, a
frankly jazz theme and a fine and
vigorous minor tune recalling the
spirit of Negro music.
(By The Associated Negro Press.)
Washington, D. C.—Florida keeps
In the limelight, one way and another.
Her ocean washed shores and ever-
glades, her sunshine and flowers, com-
bined with, the handicraft of man,
have served to make it a place of
magic, a Utopia, where life in its ful-
ness has seemed ever present
The recent disaster of storm, that
had its/center In Miami, and other
communities of the southern part of
Florida, hae had the effect of making
many people reflect on the folly of
hate against an act of God, accord-
ing to information that reaches here
from many aouroea.
It so happens that Miami la one of
the most praised and condemned cities
in America, ao far as colored people
are .concerned. It has been said that
there is more prejudice and discrimi-
nation to the square Inch there than
in any other city in Florida. It has
also been said that Negroes are mak-
ing remarkable progress there, “across
the railroad tracks."
Both may be true, but it la likewise
true, that Miami, and all the other
cities where there has been disaster,
now reflect as never before. “An act of
God can lay to waste In the twinkling
of an eye, all the vaunted places of
our boaeting, wherein we have gloried
in outcast and human hate," said one
white man to a press representative.
“And, just to think," he oentinued,
“when we were plunged Into disaster,
no group of people anywhere were
quicker to respond In personal service
and financial aid, than the Negroee
of Miami and other sections of Florida.
It ought to be an everlasting lesson
to ua on the folly of hate.”
Reports have been received from
every section of Florida that all peo-
ple joined heartily in rescue work and
restoration. It is known that this
Colored Americans
Accorded Raw Deal;
Coolidge Petitioned
White Floridans Subject Blacks To Virtual Peonage, Forcing Latter To Work In Devas-
tated Communities—Charge Sailors and Soldiers Invade Negro Districts, Armed With
Rifles, and Force Blacks Into Trucks—Wave of Indignation Sweeping Country—Presi-
dent Coolidge Flooded With Protests—Ed H. Wright, Chicago’s Political Leader, Enters
Vigorous Protest—Hurricane Failed to Affect Huns and Barbarians of Everglade State,
According To Reports.
(By the Associated Negro Press.)
Chicago, III.—The conscription of Negroes to labor in the recon-
struction of storm-wrecked Florida, as is being carried on by
whites at the present time and which resulted in the wounding of
several Negroes by sailors Friday, has brought forth hundreds
of protests to President Calvin Coolidge and a wave of indignation
that has swept the entire Negro population of this country.
In the effort to restore Miami and other cities in the path of the
recent hurricant which wrought havoc in Florida, the reports
declare that sajlors and soldiers, armed with rifles, have invaded
Negro sections of the towns and forced them into trucks in which
they were carried to the storm-torn sections and compelled to work.
In many instances, those conscripted
in this fashion were en route to regu-
lar jobs but this made no difference to
the armed whites. No excuses what-
ever were accepted but simply "get in
that truck,” and a later command,
"get down and get to work.”
Negroes Resent Treatment
After several days of this sort of
infringement on their rights, Negroes
in Miami refused to be further sub-
jected to the treatment and as a re-
spirit of unity of action has made a sult a miniature race war was staged
profound impression on many leading $ Friday in which three Negroes includ-
whites of rorida, including Governor
failure and refusal to defend his crown
against all corners and challengers, as
well as his war record, contrived to
make him a very unpopular champion,
and now that the dodger has about
dodged bis last, there will be very
little weeping and gnashing of teeth
over the defeat of Jack the Jumper
. and Dempsey the Dodger!
FLORIDA’S SAD FLIGHT. .
When it comes to staying in the
spotlight, Florida seems to have 'a
monoply on the calcium light. Last
• year the Everglade State attracted
national and international attention
by its unusual and unprecedented real-
ty activity, and during said activity
much duress, violence and force was
employed to orowbeat, intimidate and
drive Negroes from their holdings of
years. •
Homes owned by colored citizens
were burned; numerous members of
the colored race were inhumanly and
barbarously treated; floggings and
lynchings increased at an alarming
rate, and the state won, almost over-
night, a crime record as unenviable
in its proportions as the enviableness
of the state’s realty record and build-
ing boom.
During the first six months of 1926,
Florida led all states in America in
the Lynching League, and floggings,
abductions and other depredations be-
came so prevalent in said state that
the governor was implored to place
certain communities in the state under
martial law.
On the heels of this black spot upon
her escutcheon came the tropical hur-
ricane, which wrought untold havoc
and destruction upon some of the
• coastal centers, claiming hundreds of
lives any exacting heavy physical dam-
ages. "
We (not contend that the hurri-
cane is necessarily the price that
Florida must pay for her folly and
waywardness, but (and we are not
bragging neither are we shouting be-
cause of this horrible catastrophe) it
may be that this latest disaster will
bring the Huns and barbarians of
Florida to their senses, and have them
to at last realise that there is some
WORLD SERIES RETURNS
AT CITY AUDITORIUM
Local baseball bugs and partisans of
the St. Louis Cardinals and New York
Yankees, contenders for baseball su-
premacy of the world, can witness the
electric reproduction of the game at
the City Auditorium, beginning Sat-
urday, October 2, 12:30 p. m. (Houston
time). All games played in New York
City will begin at 1:30 p. m. (12:30
Houston time), while all games played
in St. Louis will begin both in- St.
Louis and Houston at 1:30 p. m. Ned
L. Jacobs, well-known baseball booster,
will again operate the marvel score
board at the Auditorium and special
seats will be reserved for colored
rooters.
are as helpless and impotent as the
many innocent and defenseless Ne-
groes they have outraged and lynched
in that state.
God teaches men, occasionally, in
times of disaster and sorrow what
they will not learn in times of peace,
plenty and prosperity; and if it re-
quires * hurricane to lay low her
cities and exact a heavy toll in human
lives to bring Florida to her senses,
then the loss will not have been in
vain. '
Despite the many atrocities and
depredations heaped upon our peo-
ple in Florida, when humanity under-
goes such an appalling disaster, it is
our duty to contribute our part for the
relief of the suffering; and, as Ameri-
can citizens and professed Christians,
the duty is incumbent upon us to an-
swer the clarion calk for aid and as-
sistance, and give what we can to the
needy and suffering of Florida, with-
out regard to color, creed or class.
READ
NEW ORLEANS NEWS
ONPAGES
SPICY-RACY-NEWSY
WE
IN
CHURCH
HEARD AUSTIN
(By The Associated Negro Press.)
Ft. Worth, Tex.—Junius C. Austin,
pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church of
Chicago, filled the pulpit of Rev. 3.
Frank Norris, pastor of the First Bap-
tist Church of Ft. Worth Sunday night
and before a congregation of 8,000
white people, proclaimed “that slavery
of the American Negro, was divinely
inspired.” "You American whites,”
he declared, "played a noble part
in response to the demands of the
Divine program." The audience was
deeply moved and voiced Ite approval
of the black minister’s stand. Com-
ment has been rife all over Texas as
the speech was widely broadcasted,
the Sunday evening services of Rev.
Norris’ church being a regular part
of the radio program here. Rev. Nor-
ris, who is widely known throughout
the country, as' an evangelist, gained
widespread notoriety recently when he
shot and killed a man in his study.
ANTIOCH CHURCH TO
HONOR DEAD PASTOR
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3
At 11 o’clock, Sunday morning, Oc-
tober 3, at Antioch Baptist Church,
memorial services for the late Rev.
F. L. Lights, who served as pastor of
this church for nearly thirty years,
will be observed. An appropriate pro-
gram has been arranged, including mu-
sic and addresses by members of An-
tioch and friends of the deceased pas-
tor.
SERMON FOR WOMEN.
Hear the special sermon to women
at Ebenezer M. E. Church, Independ-
ence Heights, Sunday night, October
10, by Pastor J., Mercer Johnson. All
Martin, who on many occasions has
demonstrated rare judgment and pa-
triotic courage in advocating educa-
tion and fair dealing for Negroes,
along with others.
President J. R. E. Lee of the State
College, Tallahassee, while deploring
the unfortunate disaster that came to
Florida, haa stated that he believes
there will be better days for all the
people of the peninsula state, in un-
derstanding and co-operation. Plans
will continue for the tour of the “Sun-
kissed Special,” a special train of good
will and observation, scheduled to
leave Cincinnati, February 1st, and
make a twenty-five-day tour of sev-
eral Southern states, Including Florida
and Havana, Cuba, ending In Washing-
ton, D. C. President Lee has had
charge of many of these tours, and
anticipates 100 or more going from
many Northern cities.
Ing one woman and two sailors were
wounded. To curb further outbreaks
the state militia was called out and
sent to THE BLACK BELT, evidently
to safe guard those forcing the con-
scription.
Ed Wright Sends Protests.
Individuals, including some of the
most prominent Negroes In America,
and organizations, such as the Nation-
al Association for the Advancement
of Colored People and the Associated
Negro Press, have sent protests to
the president of the United States urg-
ing him to put forth every effort to
protect the interests of Negroes in
**++++4eeeeee+-44e4444ee
Florida and to put a stop to the armed
conscription.
The following telegram, sent to
President Coolidge by Hon. Edward H.
Wright, political leader of Chicago and
a member of the Illinois Commerce
Commission, is typical of the deluge of
messages:
Hon. Calvin Coolidge, President of
the United States,
Washington, D. C.
In the name of fifteen million
Negroes in America, I protect
against the conscription of Negro
labor in Florida.
Involuntary service has been
abolished and Is prohibited by"
the Thirteenth Amendment to the
Constitution.
There Is no more justification
for the conscription of labor than
there is for the conscription of
wealth against the owner’s con-
sent even though a great catas-
trophe may have visited a com-
munity.
I respectfully ask that our na-
tional government see to it that
the constitution is upheld and re-
spected in this matter.”
(Signed)
EDWARD H. WRIGHT.
4
BEING
AT PRAIRIE VII
Prairie View, Texas, Sept. 30,1926.—
Students from every section of Texas
and from many other states, made ap-
plication to enter Prairie View State
Normal and Industrial College at the
beginning of the present session. For
lack of dormitory accommodations, no
doubt, 200 or 300 students were denied
admittance. A new brick dormitory
is rapidly going up on west campus
and it is thought that this structure,
when completed, will greatly alleviate
the crowded condition. Schedules for
all divisions and departments of the
college are in operation, and all auxil-
iaries of the college -religious, literary
and athletic—have been organized and
are actively engaged in developing con-
structive plans for the year's work.
Coach James H. Law, Lincoln Uni-
versity, learned and courageous ath-
lete, is here putting the boys in shape
to contend for the conference shield.
Coach Law has more than fifty young
grid stars to pick from and it is pre-
dicted that he will be able to handle
any grid machine that can be put up
this season.
Principal W. R. Banks is lending
every possible assistance to every legi-
timate enterprise looking forward to
the development of the. institution, and
his reception has been genuine and
SUNSET GRAND LODGE
HELD SESSION IN CITY;
ILL. JOHN BELL HERE
The 300 or more delegates, who at-
tended the 17th annual grand session
of the Sunset Grand Lodge, Ancient
Free and Accepted Scottish Rite Ma-
sons of the United States of America,
held here last week, left Houston pro-
claiming it the most constructive and
harmonious gathering in the history
of the order. The sessions were held
at the Masonic Temple, Dowling and
Jefferson.
The annual reports of the grand
lodge officers showed that there are
84 lodges in the Texas jurisdiction of
this branch of. Freemasonry, while the
Order of Eastern Star has 35 chap-
ters. The grand lodge officers are:
Dr. D. W. Shields, Dallas, most wor-
shipful grand master; T. S. Verette,
Houston, grand secretary; W, F.
Thomas, Houston, grand treasurer.
Mrs. M. M. McVeay, Flatonia, is
worthy grand matron of the sister-
hood, with Mrs. Ophelia Scrutchin as
grand secretary.
Bell Central Figure.
The outstanding figure at the re-
cent grand session was Illustrious
John A. Bell, 33rd degree, Grand Rap-
ids, Michigan, sovereign grand com-
mander of the Ancient Free and Ac-
cepted Scottish Rite Masons of the
United States of America, whose ad-
drees tracing Freemasonry from its
early inception down to the present
day, was a masterly effort and electri-
fied the grand body.
In his address, Mr. Bell, who has
been mentioned as being dead, proved
to be very much alive and recited the
steady growth of his order during its
existence in this country. Denying that
the Masons of his branch are clandes-
tine, Mr. Bell showed that,he secur-
ed his Masonic authority from the An-
cient Free and Accepted Scottish Rite
Masons of Haiti, this Masonic authori-
ty having been sent into Haiti, Cuba
and San Domingo by the white Ma-
sons of Pennsylvania and Massachu-
setts (latter being considered the
mother Masonic lodge of America) be-
Going further, Mr. Bell declared that
he received his authority at the Ma-
sonic installation held in Richmond,
Va., in 1915, from the hands of Pien-
nau Curria of Cuba and Fount Stirling
of San Domingo, 33rd degree Masons
and grand commanders of their respec-
tive Masonic jurisdictions. This vet-
eran Mesonic leader exhibited facsim-
ile or photostatic copies of the pass-
ports, identification blanks, etc.,
which he used in going to Haiti for his
Masonic commission and authority,
and produced a court decision to show
that the report current that he was
expelled from the Masonic order was
highly colored and doctored, the court
holding with Bell in all his original
contentions, as well as the amended
Authority from Haiti.
Mr. Bell, amid much applause from
his Masonic auditors, emphatically as-
serted that he is the only colored man
in America who has his patents, war-
rants, authority, et cetera, from the
white Masons, "even if I did have
to leave America, visit a foreign coun-
try and secure same,” he shouted. "If
the white Masons of America,” he
continued, admit over their own sig-
natures that they authorized the Ma-
sonic lodges in Cuba, Haiti and San
Domingo, and if I go over there, get
my authority from the Masons In
those three countries and bring same
back to America, isn't it true that said
authority is of American origin and
descent? Then, if that be true, am
1 not a regular Mason—belonging to
the same branch of Masons who origi-
nally established and authorized the
organization of Masonic lodges and
jurisdictions in Cuba, Haiti and San
Domingo?” (Shouta of “That’s right!”
"Pour it on ’em!” "You tell ’em!” etc.,
came from all sections of the house at
the conclusion of the above remarks
from this veteran Mason, who is now
71 years of age.)
While in Houston, Mr. Bell, accom-
panied by T. S. Verette and W. F.
ILLUSTRIOUS JOHN A. BELL,
33rd degree, Grand Rapids, Mich.,
sovereign grand commander of the
Ancient Free and Accepted Scottish
Rite Masons of the United States of -
America, who attended the 17th an-
nual convocation of the Sunset Grand
Lodge, A. F. and A. M. here last week,
is a very interesting character and an
internationally recognized Masonic au-
thority. Accompanied by T. S. Ver-
ette, Mr. Bell left last Sunday night -
for Austin, where he held an import-
ant conference with the insurance: i
commissioner of Texas Monday.
Though in his seventy-first year, the
veteran fraternalist is alert, both
mentally and physically. .
When reminded by an Informer rep-
resentative that a fraternal publica-
tion of Texas printed an article some d
bit ago that he was dead, Mr. Bell, in a
facetious vein, employed Mark Twain’s |
witty retort when the report was cir-’h
culated that the famous American all
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Richardson, Clifton F. The Houston Informer (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 20, Ed. 1 Saturday, October 2, 1926, newspaper, October 2, 1926; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1637521/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.