The Houston Informer (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 11, No. 29, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 14, 1929 Page: 1 of 8
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F PRICE
D CENTS
HE HOUSTON INFORMER
A XAWMJIVA1 AAA VAW
AMERICA’S GREATEST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
FINAL
VOL. XI
HOUSTON, TEXAS, SATURDAY, DEC. 14,1929
NUMBER
11
I
RS FACE SUIl
Houston Singers Capture Wace
RUE MIRROR Mrs. Bethune Issues CAN To Women POLICE SUED BY ‘
THE MIRROR Mrs. Bethune Issues Call To Women
Organizations For National Meet;
Hidden Strength To Be Vitalized
By C F. RICHARDSON
ses 9
WACO SONG PAGEANT
SUPERB ACCOMMODATIONS
RICE PICKLED PEACHES
TO PROTEST WILEY’S WIN?
Thousands Storm Coliseum
ATLOUISVILLE To Hear Negro Spirituals
RACE LABORE
This columnist is in receipt of a
letter from Mrs. N. A. Kirk of Waco,
grand secretary-treasurer of the en-
dowment department of the Court of
Calanthe of Texas, in which she
states:
“It is with very, very great pleas-
ure that I add another compliment
to the many who are singing the
praises of the Coleridge-Taylor Cho-
ral Club, for the wonderful part you
played in last Friday night’s pro-
gram. All Waco is talking of noth-
ing else today.
“We feel that we have indeed scor-
ed another notch ahead, with the oth-
er group, by showing them what har-
mony and real music is, and which
can only be portrayed by our group.”
“To Mrs. Middleton (my Myrtle),
say that I think she was at her best,
and did honor to her old teacher and
school, as well as to Houston.
“Waco says that C. F. Richardson
and the Coleridge-Taylor Club are
always welcome to Waco. At the re-
quest of Mr. Cain, I am sending clip-
pings.”
Speaking for the choral club and
citizens of Houston, we take this op-
portunity to express our deep sense
of appreciation to Mrs. Kirk and Wa-
coans for the kind words said about
the musical efforts of the Coleridge-
Taylor Choral Club at the Cotton
Palace Coliseum last Friday night,
the occasion being the colossal song
pageant promoted by the Waco News-
Tribune and Times-Herald.
We were delighted to contribute
our part to what we consider the
most epochal and stupendous event
of its kind ever undertaken and con-
summated in the entire South, if not
America: and the fine manner in
which the Wacoans. entertained us
during our short sojourn in their city
makes us greatly indebted to them.
Elsewhere in this issue appears
' a story of the song fete as it ap-
peared in the Waco News-Tribune the
following morning.
Accompanied by Dr. W. M. Drake,
I. M. Terrell, Haywood Smith, Mr.
and Mrs. James B. Grigsby and Mrs.
C. F. Richardson, the members of the
choral club (including Mrs. Blanche
George-Minter and son, C. L. Minter,
Jr.) left Houston last Friday morn-
ing at 9:20 o’clock via the Southern
Pacific Lines, in a special chair car
for Waco.
The party was met by large dele-
gations of friends at several of the
stations enroute, including Hearne,
Calvert and Marlin, arriving in Wa-
co at 3:35 p. m., where a large re-
ception committee met the train and
escorted the singers to the coliseum
and then to their stopping places.
We made our headquarters at our
usual place, the palatial home of At-
torney and Mrs. R. D. Evans, where
we were joined by Mr. and Mrs. J.
B. Grigsby. Other members were
taken care of by relatives and friends,
and most of the delegation departed
from Waco Friday night rather re-
luctantly.
By special arrangements made with
E. J. Peters, division passenger agent
for the Southern Pacific Lines at
Houston, a Pullman car was provid-
ed for our return, and the train was
held in Waco thirty minutes after
regular departing time so that the
singers could redress and have a few
moments to socialize before leaving
the city.
Thus at 11:30 p. m., we left Waco
in our Pullman and arrived home
Saturday morning at 6:15 o’clock,
thereby closing one of the most en-
joyable and epochal chapters in the
history of the organization.
The conductor of this column wish-
es to commend the officials of the
Southern Pacific Lines for the fine
and superb accommodations provided
for the Houston party on this trip.
1 —o—
Santa Claus put in his or her ap-
pearance rather early at our sane-
tum last week and left us a jar of
finer pickled peaches during this writ-
er’s absence from his office.
Upon inquiry we were informed
that Mrs. John W. Rice, charming
spouse of the endowment-burial sec-
retary of the Odd Fellows, had serv-
ed in this role of bringing and leav-
ing good cheer in our office; and
when we began to devour the peaches
we immediately recognized them as
being part of a crop grown in the
backyard of the Rices at Dallas.
Mrs. Rice, who is a graduate in
home economics and expert seam-
stress, certainly is no novice when ft
comes to preserving pickled peaches,
and we wish to thank ‘her and the
“House of Rice" for the jar she pre-
sented this columnist.
These peaches were good both to
the “last drop" and last seed!
During our brief visit to Prairie
View State College It Saturday af
Chicago. Ill.—(ANP)—An in-]be a sign of the impressing initiative
of women lenders and their disposi-
tons to seek remedies for racial ills
through the power of their own force
and intelligence wilthoutt regard to the
dication that there is a deep-
rooted disposition among Negro
leaders to unite their forces of
all kinds in such consolidated
conferences as Kelly Miller's
significant Sanhedrin and James
Shepard’s auspicious Fact-Find-
ing Conference, is revealed in a
remarkable call which has just
been issued to the colored wom-
en of America by Mrs. Mary Mc-
Leod Bethune of Daytona, Flo-
rida.
Mrs. Bethune is the founder
and principal of Bethune-Cook-
man College at Daytona and was
for four years president of the
National Association of Colored
Women’s Clubs.
Her call is for a conference of the
heads of all national organizations of
colored women to meet for an inter-
change of knowledge and to unite for
a common cause through a national
council bound by a platform or pro-
gram of principles which shall be
flexible enough to meet changing con-
ditions and broad enough to permit
the cooperation of all progressive bod-
ies. .
The tentative period of the confer-
ence is late February or early March.
It would meet at Bethune-Cookman
College.
Mrs. Bethune’s call, if its language
is correctly understood, would seem to
gro men. H.
“The American Negro as a group
apparently holds a very small place
in the economic life of the American
nation today,'” acknowledges Mrs.
Bethune, whs then continues: "Yet,
,. (Continued am Page Five)
TUSKEGEE DRAWS BAPTISTS PLAN
NEGRO FARMERS
TO ANNUAL MEET
Tuskegee, Institute, Ala.—(Sp.)—
Faced with agricultural marketing
conditions which stand sorely in need
of revision, 1200 members of Negro
farm families from nine Southern
states turned to Tuskegee Institute
to learn from James C. Stone, vice-
chairman of the Federal Farm Board,
by what means and in what meas-
ure they may expect federal aid in
meeting these conditions under the
agricultural marketing act recently
passed by congress which created a
loan fund administered by the Farm
Board. Speaking to this group at the
Wednesday afternoon session of the
39th annual Tuskegee Negro Confer-
ence, which met here Wednesday and
Thursday, Mr. Stone declares that the
Farm Board is as interested in ad-
vancing the cause of the Negro fann-
er as that of any other agricultural
group in the country and urged color-
ed farmers to organize local country
cooperative units of the State Fam
Bureau as the first step toward se-
curing federal aid.
Mr. Stone advised against the es-
tablishment of separate marketing or-
ganizations, stating that all farmers
in the same community should sell
through a common marketing agency
to the services of which all affiliated
units would have access.
“If you are interested in getting
better returns for your produce and
in realizing a more satisfying rural
life," he stated, “you will organize
these units to affiliate with the State
Farm Bureau and cooperate with
similar units of white farmers in your
respective counties. When you will
have established such units you win
be eligible for federal aid.
“No permanent aid can be guaran-
teed the farmer unless he himself is
interested in his condition. If he is
dissatisfied with conditions, he should
organize his own cooperative asso-
ciation and qualify for aid. Uader
the provisions of the law the Federal
Farm Board is directed to work
through cooperative marketing asso-
ciations and other farmer-owned and
farmer-controlled organizations. This
makes it impossible to deal with in-
dividual farmers.
Lacking In Trading Power
“It is my opinion that the farmer's
principal trouble is lack of trading
power. The buyers of farm products
are so organized that the buying pow-
er is concentrated in the hands of a
relatively few dealers. And the
farmers will never get what they are
entitled to until they concentrate their
selling power to meet the methods al-
ready adopted by the buying group.
This can be done if the farmers decide
JUBILEE EVENT
ATNEXTPARLEY
Chicago, IIL—(ANP)—Bap-
tists from all sections of the
country gathered here Tuesday
to lay plans and complete the
program for the forthcoming
celebration of the founding of
the National Baptist Conven-
tion, which will be held here in
August, 1930.
Special emphasis was placed
upon the program for the gold-
en jubilee celebration at the
meeting which was held at the
Olivet Baptist Church and over
which Dr. L K. Williams, pres-
ident of the organization, pre-
sided. According to the pro-
gram outlined this celebration
bids fair to be not only epochal
in the history of the National
Baptist Convention, but also in
the annals of the Negro group
in America.
While the progress of the denomi-
nation itself willil be stressed and a
program outlined for the future, the
advancement of the Negro im general
will to emphasised and ways and
means discussed to acrelente the
progress of the group im education,
business amd wellignom. These phases
will be discussed by leaders im the
particular Time and round-table con-
ferences will be held to formulate a
working program fior the future ac-
tivities.
Expect 75/000 Te Attend
Dr. Williams mH the group Tues-
day afternoon that some 15,4000 mem-
bers of the ongunimaltiam would attend
the convention and that adequate pre-
visions were being made to see that
they were comfortably accommodated.
The sessions willl be held im the coli-
seum, which seats snore than 20,000
and which is ame of the most famous
Business men and professional men
of the city base joined hands with the
local committee the puit the celebration
over in a big way and plans are be-
ing made at the present time. Ac-
cording to Dr. Williams, never ******
been such cooperation am the part of
Chicagoans as in being manifested in
the coming convention. Prominent
leaders have offered their services
and have pulled up their sleeves, to
use a common expression, to help to
which it pteadd be.
Louisville, Ky.—(ANP)—Lawrence
Day, laborer, whose testimony before
the grand jury after he was exonerat-
ed of the murder of Patrolman Rob-
ert E. McGalin led to the punishment
of four members of the police depart-
ment for subjecting him to the “third
degree,” filed suit Wednesday against
nine policemen for $15,157.40 for
damages growing out of injuries re-
ceived while in custody.
The defendants are Capt. George
M. Ratcliffe, Lieut. Oscar Doerting,
Patrolmen Luther Lile and Emmett
Jeffries each fined five days’ pay by
the hoard of safety, and Lieut. El-
mer C. Kellar, Sergts. Roger Whit-
low, Ested Hack and Patrolman Hoff-
man and George M. Daley and their
surety, the Union Indemnity Com-
pany. Whitlow, Hack and Hoffman
I were exonerated by the board.
Day alleged that he was arrested
on August 25 by Hoffman and Daley
at his home on Ninth, between Chest-
nut and Madison streets. The arrest,
ing officers, he charged, assaulted him
with black jacks and clubs and kept
him in a small room at the City Hall
from 3 o’clock in the morning until
late in the afternoon. He alleged that
in an effort to force him to confess
to McFahn’s murder, they repeatedly
slapped him with their hands and
struck him with the butt ends of pis-
tols, kicked him in the stomach, drag-
ged him over the floor, twisted his
left arm, hit him with a rubber hose
and placed a rope around his neck.
The blows, be charged, broke a bone
in the left side of his face, three ribs,
inflicted innumerable cuts and bruis-
es and forced him to undergo an ope-
ration on Nov. 27, for an injury to
glands in his thigh. He asked $15,-
000 damages, $122.40 for lost wages,
$25 for medical treatment. Robert C.
Logan is his attorney.
YOUTHFUL PASTOR
DECRIES PRESENT
RELIGIOUS TRENDS
Nashville, Tenn.—“Intellectualism
must be enthroned in our churches if
the new day is to dawn in the Negro
church,” said the Rev. Russell C. Bar-
bour, youthful pastor of First Baptist
Church, addressing the students of
Fisk University in Fisk Memorial
Chapel Friday morning.
“We have shouted away nearly ev-
ery school we have had under our su-
pervision,” he continued, “while we
boast of our monoply of the Holy
Spirit Intelligent laymen and edu-
cated Indies of our group are respon-
sible for this sad plight of the Negro
church. I know congregations com-
posed of large numbers of educated
folk, with leading business and pro-
fessional men of the community rep-
resented on the various boards of con-
trol, and yet they refuse to give the
people intelligent leadership,” he add-
ed. “Thus we are fighting, splitting,
abusing and doing everything to bring
the church and its inspiring traditions
to shame and dishonor. You future
leaders, in the name of high heaven,
go forth and redeem the situation,”
the speaker concluded.
Husband Kidnaps
Estranged Wife;
Charges Are Filed
Virginia Primary
Case To Go Before
U.S. Appeals Court
New York City.—The United States
Circuit Court of Appeals will pass on
the Virginia election law, which
makes it possible for state party
committees to bar Negroes from state
primary elections. This information
is contained in a letter sent to the
National Association for the Advance-
ment of Colored People by Alfred E.
Cohen, attorney of Richmond, Virgi-
nia, who, with Joseph R. Pollard, has
been in charge of the case through
the lower courts.
A decision by Judge D. Lawrence
Groner has held that the Virginia
law is unconstitutional in that pro-
vision, but arrangement has been per-
fected to obtain a ruling on it by a
higher court.
Should this case come before the
United States Supreme Court, as is
planned, and a favorable decision be
obtained, it will complete the circle
begun in the Texas white primary
case, in which it was held that no
state could enact a law specifically
barring Negroes from primary elec-
tions. The present case concerns the
attempt to accomplish the same end,
not by state law, but through voters’
qualifications set up by party com-
mittees.
FLORIDA DOCTOR
TENDERED HIGH
COUNCIL BERTH
New Orleans, La.—(ANP)—Charg-
es of kidnapping were filed in Crimi-
nal District Court Tuesday against D.
BL Mayberry of Detroit, by his fath-
er-in-law, H. E. Braden, wealthy pro-
prietor of the Asteria Hotel, who
charged Mayberry with abducting Ve-
ra Mayberry, N, his wife, from whom
he has been separated for two years.
The woman was dragged into an
automobile in front of the Astoria
hotel Monday, and Olga Long, cashier
of the hotel, told Braden that it was
Mayberry who did the kidnapping.
Braden believing that Mayberry was
taking his daughter back to Detroit
forcibly, wired Jackson, Miss., autho-
rities to arrest hiss, bat Jackson’s
police refused to act without criminal
barges, and the affidavit was filed
- Brinden told the district attorney
that Ma daughter had married May-
berry several years ago, bat left him
about two years ago sad returned
here to live with her parents. Last
E.=2 E
St. Petersburg, Fla.—(ANP)—Dr.
J. M. Ponder, colored veteran of the
World War, with more than 2 years
of front line service to his credit and
prominent in state affairs in Florida,
at present assistant city physician of
St. Pettersburg, has been named pro-
visional department commander of
the National Council,*World War Vet-
erans.
Dr. Ponder has the love and confi-
dence of the people of the Sunshine
State and and has surrounded him-
self with a staff of active ex-service
men who are vigorously aiding in the
formation of posts of veterans who
will compose the state department. It
would seem that, for several years
past, colored veterans of several
Southern states have asked recogni-
tion of a certain prominent white vet-
erans organization, but have been
side-tracked from time to time and
the chartering of posts under such,
has been denied them.
Inquiry was made of the National
Council World War Veterans and the
colored veteran was welcomed by the
first veterans association of the great
war. Under the plan adopted by the
N. C. W. W. V. early in 1919, post,
department or division organizations
may call their organizations by what-
ever name they desire, however, all
charters will be issued by the nation-
al council and every organisation so
chartered, no matter of what race or
creed, will have equal rights. The
movement is said to be meeting with
much success.
Talladega Professor,
Former Houstonian,
Is Visiting Father
Robert A. Thornton, head of the
department of mathematics and phy-
sics at Talladega College, Talladega,
Ala., is here at the bedside of his
father, Frank Thornton, who is ill at
Genoa.
Mr. Thornton is a Houston product
and graduate of Washington High
School. He is one of the six Negroes
listed in the American Men of Science,
a high honor conferred for scientific
achievement. He has been working
on his doctorate degree at Chicago
University through a fellowship
awarded him while a member of the
faculty at Johnson C. Smith College
of North Carolina.
Aside from his educational attain-
ments, Mr. Thornton possesses a rich
baritone voice. While here he is the
house-guest of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy
Johnson, 1705 Genesee.
At the Monday noonday luncheon
of the Houston Business Men’s Club,
Mr. Thornton was the principal
Pastor Quits When
Church Bars Blacks
From Membership
Detroit, Mich —(ANP)—Be-
cause the church council refused
to admit Negroes to the member-
ship, Rev. A. J. Helm resigned as
pastor of the Bethel Evangelical
Church of Detroit, according to an
announcement made here Sunday.
A Negro man and woman had
attended the church for several
years and recently applied for
membership. The pastor recom-
mended that they be accepted but
the church council steadfastly re-
fused on the grounds that they
were Negroes.
Discussing the affair Dr. Helm
declared: “To refuse church mem-
bership to anyone not of the same
race is to deny the most obvious
teaching of Jesus and to give the
ethical sanctions of Christianity to
race prejudice.”
NEGRO SOLDIER
GETS CITATION
FOR HEROIC Ad
Columbus, Ga.—(ANP)—For the
"OLD BLACK JOE"
NUMBER ON CREST
OF CROWD FAVOR
Over 5000 People Turned Away
at 7 o’Clock After Capacity
of Great Building Is Taxed
Spiritual Numbers’ 1
Get Great Ovation
Governor, “Spotlighted” aa Hon-
or Guest, Declares It Most
Unusual Thing He Ever Wit-
nessed .-
Waco News-Tribune: -
. While 10,000 people packed the Cot-
ton Palace Coliseum Friday night to
hear 700 Negroes sing, at least 5000
more literally hammered at the gates
and almost broke down one of the
doors. In addition to the crowd
hung around and tried vainly to get
in, more - —‘ “iscouraged
early at rough the
rain. *
Those as strays
went out
ing for
who got
not quite
second time within the space of a . ,
few days, official commendation from hours li
high authority has been given to an
enlisted man of Fort Benning. Last
week a Fort Benning soldier was cit-
aching
The
and Ti
ent to 1
ed in War Department orders for
meritorious services in assisting to
rescue an endangered horse belonging
to this battery. This week comes the
news from Washington of the award
to another man of the soldier’s medal,
a decoration which is given in recog-
nition of conspicuous acts of bravery
performed in time of peace.
Private first class Lawrence A. Til-
lis of the Twenty-fourth Infantry, cuss, IT
is the recipient of the medal, which is Worth, a
awarded to him for an act of courage
which he performed at the risk of his
own life. Several months ago Tillis
and a number of his comrades were
The 70
fectly.
ment of
"Never
sing so 1
What
ine mel
emotions
clubs, *
dious
a
and those
hours but
repaid for
aud
pe
torus
Crowd Went Out Ear
returning from Alabama in an army
bus which plunged through a broken
bridge and into a swollen stream.
Several of the soldiers were unable
to swim and Tillis, an athlete of local
note, rescued four of them at immi-
nent peril of his own life. The inci-
dent was reported to the War Depart-
ment and the award of the decoration,
accompanied by a warm letter of con-
gratulations from the chief of infan-
try followed.
LOVE FORDAME
CAUSES RIVALS
TO STAGE FIGHT
New York City.—(ANP)—Ben Ed-
wards, 28, is dead as a result of a
love duel over the affections of Miss
Ethel Williams. Edwards’ rival for
the woman’s affection was Doc Hor-
ton, 27. The two met for the last
time Tuesday night about 11:30 in
the hallway of Miss William’s home
and a fight ensued when Edwards is
alleged to have made an attempt to
prevent Horton from seeing Miss Wil-
liams.
Patrolman Allen J. Benton of the
32d precinct was off duty in civilian
clothes and walking along Seventh
Avenue when he heard the cry for
help. He rushed to the entrance of
the apartment building, where the
two men were engaged in a scuffle
near the door. Just as the policeman
entered the building he saw Horton
stab Edwards in the left side of the
neck and then dash toward the door.
Horton ran into the arms of the po-
liceman, who showed his badge and
placed Horton under arrest. As he
did so, Horton struck the officer and
attempted to get away, but was soon
overpowered.
Patrolman Brisbane on duty near-
by was summoned and be rushed the
wounded man to Harlem Hospital in a
taxicab. There ft was found that Ed-
wards’ jugular vein had been severed.
He died witkin an hour.
Horton was taken to the police sta-
tion in West 135th Street and on
But to get beck to the crowd that‘I
accepted so freely the Christmas
present. Street cars were jamed at
6 p. m Automobiles were parking
fast along the curb around the Cot.
ton Palace and in the exposition park,
ing spaces which were reopened for
the occasion. A sudden rain fell i
torrents, but still the crowd poured in
Not until 6:45 were the doors of the
coliseum opened; and then as fast an
the people could jam themselves N
through the gateways, the house fill- 1
ed up. Before 7 o’clock ft was neces- 2
sary to bar the gates, from then oa
disappointed thousands w o ndered
what was the matter. Thousands”
hammered at the gates. Thousands %
walked away in the min.
Everybody was there. The rich, the
poor; the aristocrat, the most humble;
the young, the old. Aged folk who
remembered how the ex-slaves used to
sing these same songs sat side by side 1
with goggle-eyed youngsters who had
never known that Negroes could sing?
at an. They learned something. Peo-E
ple who cannot afford ao much as a
picture show brought their whole,
families to hear a concert the like off,
which is few and far between. 20
Remarkable Exhibition 1
Those hundreds of Negro wom
who formed the main port of the cl
ras had, many of them, discard
frying pan and apron not an hoar I
fore they stood on the coliseum star
Many of those men who formed
sombre background high up on t
tiers of seats that filled the stage, h
put off their overalls just a
time before. And there they ste
and sang together as if they * 24
other business in the world 1
rerfectii of Mmtig en
beneorr the neero mopiet.es.
ing. It was also a remarkal
—0— m
(Continued on Editorial Page)
STORK VISITS PAR
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Richardson, Clifton F. The Houston Informer (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 11, No. 29, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 14, 1929, newspaper, December 14, 1929; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1637690/m1/1/?q=denton+history: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.