The Informer (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 44, No. 75, Ed. 1 Saturday, October 29, 1938 Page: 1 of 16
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PUBLISHED IN THE
DERSH
SOUTH FOR
AMERICA
VOL. 64, NO. 75
Colored Carnogte Library,
Frederick and Robin St.,
‘S ASSA UI
AUSTIN, TEXAS
SOLD OUT. SEND 300 MORE ON
OR BEFORE SATURDAY MORN-
ING.
ELGIN HYCHEW
ALIBERNTING LIGHT FOR THEY NEGROES OF OUR TREAT SOUTHWEST
~ “ HOUSTON, TEXAS, SATURDAY? OCTOBER 29, 1938
..That’s what TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND
TEXANS THINK OF THE INFORMER. The
paper reached Austin Thursday and in the
course of the day you couldn’t buy R SOPX
SERVICE, ACCURACY, FEARLESSNESS
and Relentlessness to the ANSWER THE
INFORMER has no master to serve and no
chestnuts in the fire for anyone.
PRICE 6 CENTS
ouston Forces
Mass
EGRO
T I
)TI
..........197
N..
Dismissal
bing
George Aller
ALLRED SETS
PRECEDENT IN
DOLD ACTION
AUSTIN.--George L. Allen, the
“first Negro” to enter the Univer-
sity of Texas, has been jockeyed out
of the school. On October 7, soon
after Mr. Allen entered school, he
received a letter from the Univer-
sity, returning the cashier’s check
which he had deposited as his fees,
and asking him to return the cre-
dentials given him. A little later
Prof. Brewer, instructor, of the
course, called Mr. Alien and asked
him to return the credentials. At a
conference in the Driskill Hotel, a
day or so later, he was again asked
to return his credentials but did not
return them. But Dean T. H. Kelby
informed him that he was no longer
a member of the class.
By the time the public became
aware that a Negro had entered the
* University of Texas, the Austin
Statesman and the Austin Ameri-
, can played the matter up in a man-
ner to arouse public sentiment a-
gainst Mr. Allen’s attending the
class. Mr. Allen was played up as
a Creole and as a man not repre-
sentative of the Negro race. As a
result of the newspaper articles,
sentiment in Austin arose to boilt
ing point and swept the town like
wild fire.
k The National" Association for the
Advancement of Colored People has
v taken up the suit. Ite attorneys are
now studying the possibility of filing
suit against the University on be-
half of Mr. Allen for dismissing him
from class, and possibly for breach
of promise. Mr. Alien had made ap-
plication on letterhead of his com-
pany, had filed his credentials, had
. received his admission card, and ful-
filled all of the requisites and act-
ually had become a part of the class
when he was barred.
The suit has received national
publicity and attention. It will take
ite place along with the suits that
have been brought in Maryland,
Missouri, and in Oklahoma for ad-
mission of Negroes to white schools
supported by state taxation. It dif-
fers from the others in one particu-
lar at least, and that is that in this
case the plaintiff had actually been
entered in the class and had quali-
- fled in every particular.
According to a statement from Mr.
Allen, he decided to make his ap-
plication when he saw circulars
placed in windows and in public
places notifying the general public
of the evening classes at the Uni-
versity of Texas in business psy-
chology and salesmanship, and in-
viting “all interested in self-im-
provement” to enroll.
.< . “Mr. Allen first made contact with
the University by telephone. Later,
he wrote his application on letter-
bead stationery of the insurance
company for which he worked, thus
giving the University a chance to
realize that he was a Negro. In
st. (See N. A. A. C. P., Page 2)
EQUATION TURNED,
WITNESSES JAILED
B-U-L-L-E-T-I-N
DALLAS. - Walter Miller, the
white juror, who threw G. F. Porter,
fellow Jurer, down the court house
steps and kicked him September 28,
has been positively identified. He
has been rounded up by the Special
Investigator sent in by Gov. Allred,
who set a precedent in handling the
matter. Another white man, con-
nected with the assault on Prof.
Porter, to being sought.
HOUSTON—“Dear mother, I’m in
jail" were the words that four state
witnesses sent home after they had
appeared in Judge Frank Win-
ford’s court with the intention of
sending the defendant to jail. The
equation reversed, they went to jail,
the defendant went home.
It all happened when William
Irving, age 69, Willie Brazile, age
about 30 and Dorothy Dedman, age
20, appeared in court to testify a-
gainst Earnest Dedman, husband of
Mrs. Dedman on a charge of aggra-
vated assault. After the charge a-
galnst Dedman was reduced to
“causing an affray” and he was fined
#1 and cost and allowed to go beak
to his job and pay the fine by No-
vember 12, the three witnesses were
called before the judge and each of
them were fined #10 and cost for wane, --------, —- —, .
failing to appear in court last Fri-, asked to step in on the ground that
day when the case was first set. The
three people were locked up in jail
when they were unable to pay their
SEEK TO PUNISH
ATTACKERS OF DALLAS
JUROR
NEW YORK.—The United States
Department of Justice has been
asked to investigate and prosecute
the persons responsible for the as-
asult on Dr. George F. Porter
president of Wiley Junoir college in
the Dallas, Texas, courthouse Sep-
tember 28, it was announced by of-
ficials of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored
People here this week. .
In a letter addressed to United
States Attorney General Homer S.
Cummings, and signed by Walter
White, secretary, the department is
lurdle Primary Bar
__ —.--■------------------
TEXAS UNIVERSITY
____=-----p
Case Booked For
Saturday, Race
Will Fight To End
= HOUSTON.—This week Negroes
of Houston are massing their forces
behind the local N. A. A. C. P. for
heir fight to break into the city
Democratic primary. Tuesday night
in the Y W C. A. cafeteria Attor-
ney Otto Mullinax, who had Dre-
pared the pleadings in the case from
the firm of Mandell and Combs, Wt-
plained the suit to a mass meeting •
of the leading citizens, who pledged
a 100 per cent support for the suit
and launched then and there a drive
to raise funds to carry it on locally
and to the Supreme Court, if neces-
Joe Louis
Loser In
Armhe woman, Mre"Dorothy Dea-
man, was just released from Jail
Tuesday on a charge of aggravated
assault in connection with the cut-
ting of Mrs. Martha Holton, 2611
Providence. The cutting occured
last Saturday nigh.t
Houston Matron
Granted Divorce
the “refusal of the officials to pro-
tect Dr. Porter seem clearly to be
* violation of Section 81 of Title 18
of the United States Code, providing
for the punishment of a conspiracy
to injure persons in the exercise of
civil rights.” The N. A. A. C. P.
atop sent a brief to Mr. Cummings
setting forth the violations of the
federal law.
Thurgood Marshall, N. A. A. C.
P. attorney, who spent a week in
Dallas investigating the circum-
stances surrounding Dr. Porter’s
assault, returned to New York, Oc-
HOUSTON.— On Saturday, Octo-
ber 22, 1938, Judge Allen B. Hannay
of the 113th District Court granted
the petition for divorce filed by Mrs.
Ellie Walls Montgomery against Rev.
L. J. Montgomery. Religious and
Educational circles were shocked
when on the 18th of September, last,
the daily newspapers carried notice
of the filing of the petition.
Intimate friends of the Montgom-
erys had known for sometime that
the pair were incompatible but had
tried hard to bridge their difficul-
ties. The bill of divorcement gives
the wife complete possession of the
property and restores her Maiden
name.
Rev. Montgomery, it was learned
has been called to the pastorate of
a large Baptist church on the west
coast and was eagerly awaiting the
issuance of the decree in order that
he might take unto himself a third
bride since it was necessary for him
to be married in order to take this
church.
Friends of the couple are saying,
“Who would have thought it?"
tober 19.
Dr. Porter, a prospective Juror,
was taken from the central panel
room of the Dallas courthouse Sep-
tember 28 by two white hoodlums,
and thrown head first down the
from steps of the building. The
college president had stood on his
citizenship right of serving on a
jury and refused to be “excused”
after he had been summoned, when
high court officials let him under-
stand that he could be exempted.
The state law of Texas prohibits
colored citizens sitting together in
(See ALLRED, Page 2)
——— e and Dr. R. R. Moton,
1 The Honorable Henry A. Wallace, Secre tary of Agricul DE the principal speakers at
Daing
17 Year Old Wife
Inflicts Fatal
Stabs To Rival
LONGSHOREMEN TO
CONDUCT PROGRAM
SUNDAY AT DETHEL
Her Problem
The second I. L. A. Day pro-
gram will be rendered at Bethel
Baptist church, Andrews and Cros-
by, Rev. J. 'R Burdette, pastor,
at 3:30 p. m. Sunday, October 30,
under auspices of the Houston
Branch NAACP, it was stated here
this week by Branch President C.
F. Richardson.
Preceding the program the mem-
bers of the four local units of the
International Longshoremen’s As-
sociation will form a line of march
at the Pilgrims Building, West Daly
las and Bagby, and led by their two
bands will march to the church. ILA
officers announced here Wednes-
day.
Ils Race
ide
Days Are
Nearing End
HOUSTON.—A gaping stab wound
in the heart, inflicted by an enraged
and jelaous wife, ended almost in-
stantly, the life of Mrs. Dora Prince,
age 22, of 814 Robin street as she
stood talking to the husband of the
young murderess, Mrs. Robbie Chat-
, € HOUSTON.—Bonnie Barrett, age
t 35, of 1212 Live Oak street was
1 shot and killed in an altercation
with F. M. Morris, 24 year old white
man of 3010 Crane street. The shoot-
ing occured on the Clinton road a-
bout three miles from the citv lim-
its. Morris surrendered to W. F.
Storey, deputy sheriff immediately
after the shootin#.
Barrett was accompanied by Miss
Thelma Crosby. She was the only
witness to the shooting..
heart and he died instantly.
Miss Crosby stated that she and
Barrett were on their way to Fi-
delity to get some friends and while
driving down Clinton road the .car
they were in had a collision with
another car. “When both cars
stopped,” Miss Crosby stated, the
white man asked Barrett if he was
going to have his car fixed and
Barrett told him that he did not
have no money as he had just paid
a note on his car and it broke him.
Without any further provocation,
Miu Crosby said, the white man
went to his car and got a gun out
and shot once in the air and when
she turned she heard another shot
and raw Barrett falling. After the
shooting, she said, Morris got in his
car and drove away.
HOUSTON. — Probation officer,
Frtddie Brooks, working with the
Delinquent Youth Council had to
solve a problem Tuesday that would
puzzle wise old King Solomon. Of-
ficer Brooks had a case where a
young girl was accused by her
mother and step-father of stealing
#2.29 and running away from home.
After several days the 'girl was
caught at an apartment in the 2400
block on Leeland avenue. Officer
Brooks took charge of her and ,
while questioning her she denied
taking the money and made a coun-
for accusation against her father of
making improper advances to her
and also of being intimate with her
on a number of occasions. During
his conversation with her It was
brought out that her father had
been charged once with rape against
her but when the case was brought
to trial she denied the whole af-
fair and as a result the charge a-
gainst him was dismissed. She then
stated that after the charge was
dismissed against her step-father,
he continued his improper advances
With C. W. Moore serving as
master of ceremonies, the follow-
ing persons have been booked for
parts on the program: Revs. E D.
Norris and R. MitcheU, invocation
and scripture reading: H. A. Breel-
er, Mrs. R. P. Randall, E. Greg-
ory, short talks; Freeman Everett,
who will introduce the guest speak-
man.
According to statements made by
witnesses Mrs. Chatman walked up
to Mrs. Prince and without a word
of warning, plunged the knife into
her heart. Mrs. Prince fell to the
ground and was assisted to her feet
by a bystander who assisted her in
walking a few feet toward a house.
As she made three or four steps she
fell to the ground. She was rushed
to the Jefferson Davis hospital in
an emergency ambulance but was
found dead on arrival. Justice of
the Peace Ragan held an inquest
and the body was turned over to
the Johns Funeral Home.
The. young' woman surrendered to
____the sheriff's office and made a state-
er, J. W. Constant. . ment to deputy sheriff George An-
Musical selections will be rur- drews. She was charged before Jus-
nished by Mrs. A. P. Green, vocal tice of the Pecae Ragan and lodged
solo; Mmes. Annie Bradley and in jail pending an toxamining trial.
Mary Mitchell, vocal duet; Fowlkes The young woman gave her age
(See LONGSHOREMEN, Page 2) I ,
WAGE, HOUR BILL '
DRAWS CHEERS AND
GLOOM IN HOUSTON
At the time of the arrest Morris
made a statement to deputy Storey,
saying that his car and Barrett’s had
a collision and that he asked Bar-
rett what he was going to do about
the accident and that Barrett re-
plied that he was not going to do
anything about it. “He started strik-
ing at me, stated Morris, "and I
backed away from him and went to
the pocket of my car and got a gun
and shot once, trying to score him.
When I saw that he was shot I got
in my car and drove away." Morris
also said that he was afraid that
Barrett would hit him on his jaw -------
which had been broken sometime grand jury on #2500 bond. He was
ngo. one shot struck Barrett in the lodged in jail in default of the bond.
In the examining trial held Mon-
day October 24 she testified to sub-
stantially the same thing. In her
testimony she stated that Barrett
was not drunk nor had he been
drinking.
Morris was
bound over to the
toward her.
The father and mother denied the
girl’s charges and insisted that she
be sent to a House of Correction.
There is no such place in Texas for
delinquent Negro girls and on be-
(See HE* PROBLEM, Page 2)
FLASH RELEASE!
Everett “Xavier" Marcell, Wheat-
ley Wildcat end, has been “retired”
by Coach John Codwell, according
to confirmed reports. .-----
The spectacular flanksman was per hour or #11 per week -
one of Wheatley’s several spear- A truck driver reported that prior
standheads and will be missed but
Coach Codwell is adamant in his
stand. Read “THE LOWDOWN" for
full details next week.
Suit Here
HOUSTON.--J. B. Grigsby, 1713
Hadley street, was awarded #1000
damage in a suit against Champion
Joe Louis and his managers. The
suit was based upon a breach of
contract committed by Louis and
his managers. According to Grigsby’s
petition he negotiated with Rox-
borough and Black, co-managers of
Louis to bring the champion to
Houston for an exhibition bout and
that he went to a great deal of ex-
pense to arrange for the bout. Later,
the petition stated, another contract
was made with other people to
bring the champion to Houston and
disregarded his (Grigsby’s) agree-
ment. As a result, Grigsby stated
that he had suffered a financial loss
Julius White, one of the plaintiffs
and chairman of the finance com-
mittee, opened the books and re-
ceived probably twelve donations of
#5.00 each from the members pres-
ent and many other donations of less
than that and pledges from prac-
tically everybody present Also, on ”
organization was announced to con-
tact citizens throughout the city and
the state for additional funds.
The suit is brought in the name
of C. F. Richardson, William Greene.
Dr. W. M. Draks, and Julius White
as plaintiffs against the city authori-
ties and the election judges to pse-
vent their interfering with Negroes’
voting in the primary which comes
off next month. In all probability
Attorney W. A Combs of the firm
of Mandell and Combs will try the
to the amoutn of $4000.00.
The court submitted the case to
the jury on 11 special issues, they
answered each of the issues in the re -3
affirmative-awarding him #1000.00 case Saturday, when Judge Kennee-
damage in the nse..__---------------------------
INFORMER'S JUBILEE
EDITION OUT NOV. 12
as 17 and ordinarily would be
charged in juvenile court. In spite
of her age she was charged in the
Justice court and unless changed,
her case will be referred to the Har-
ris County grand jury.
17 YEAR OLD YOUTH
CHARGED WITH RAPE
HOUSTON. — Robert Harris, 17
year old youth of 4408 Sharon street
was arrested and charged before
Justice of the Peace Ragan with
Harris was arrested by Officer
Jessie Williams Sunday night in the
Crawford school yard where he was
attempting to assault a 5th ward
girl. The screams of the girl at-
tracted the officer who arrested him
immediately. The girl made a state-
ment to probation officers and Har-
ris was lodged in jail on the charge.
HOUSTON. — Recounting seventy-
five years of progress made by the
Negro race, The INFORMER will
publish a gigantic “Golden Jubilee
Edition” November 12. All of the
14 papers comprising the huge
newspaper empire developed by
Carter W. Wesley in the Lone Star
State will be merged for the special
edition. *
An interesting feature of the edi-
tion will be the dramatizing of the
publishing of a weekly newspaper.
Readers will be given a graphic
bird’s eye view of steps involved in
getting The INFORMER out from
arrival of the news into the office
to the actual distribution of
Southwest’s largest race paper
To suppliment this novel feature,
historical sketches from all centers
of Texas will be presented in read-
able and compact form. This prom-
ises to be the greatest journalistic 1
feat ever performed by a race pa-
per south of Baltimore.
Readers will want copies of this
huge edition for future references
and as gifts to friends. The regular
price will prevail. Meet The IN-
FORMER’S staff, which to the
youngest in America, but rated by
broad-minded critics as the most
. ,v. alert and colorful pen pushers west
the of Atlanta, in this special edition.
MAYORALTY CANDIDATES
CONSERVATIVE IN TALK ON
POSSIBILITY. OF RACE VOTE
The young woman gave her age
HOUSTON.—The federal Wage and Hour bill which
went into effect at 12:01 a. m. Monday morning is causing
joy and disappointment among Houston’s laboring group
Same employees reported receiving raises in salary and
shorter hours, while others reported that instead of receive
ing increases in salary they actually
received a cut in their wages.
In one instance a rice mill work-
er reported that he was receiving
30 cents per hour and working from
10 to 12 hours a day and could real-
ize a fair salary for a week’s work.
When the wage and hour bill went
into effect the company reduced his
salary to 25 cents per hour, with a
maximum of 44 hours per week.
. An employee of a grain company
states that he was receiving a
straight salary of #17.50 a week
and when the new bill went into
effect he was placed on an hourly
basis and is now receiving 25 cents
to the enactment of the bill he was
receiving a salary of $18 per week
and working from nine to eleven
hours a day. Since the bill went
into effect he is working 8 hours
a day and a half day on Saturday
to make 44 hours per week with a
salary of 30 cents per hour.
A truck driver works for a lum-
ber company who worked its driv-
ers from 10 to 20 hours per day
with a weekly salary of $9 and #12
per week. This company is curtail-
ing its delivery service. Formerly
the men made from 60 to 80 hours
per week, delivering lumber all
over the state and now they only
make enough deliveries to con-
sume 8 hours’ time daily. However,
they will receive a slight increase
in pay. Some companies actually
employ more men, yet they reduced
the basic pay of their old laborers.
w. P. A. Workers will not be
(See WAGE, Page 2)
Duke Urged To
Drop Color Bar
For Syracuse
New York, Oct 21 - Duke Uni-
versity of Durham, N. C., has beer
urged to continue the precedent es-
tablished by the University of North
Carolina three years ago, of refus-
ing to draw the color line in foot-
ball, when southern schools come
North to play and meet up with a
colored player in the lineup.
The problem of the color line in
football will be faced by Syracuse
university on November 12, when
Duke plays Syracuse on the latter’: 4
F-L-A-S-H
DUKE TO LET SYRACUSE
USE SIDAT-SINGH
DURHAM, N. C.—(ANP)—Unlike
the University of Maryland, which
barred him last year, Duke has de-
cided to let Syracuse use its ace
passer, Wilmeth Sidat-Singh, when
the teams meet Nov. 12 at Syracuse.
The contract, signed three years ago,
contained a clause prohibiting the
use of a colored player against the
Southern school.
“We don’t want to penalise Syra-
case by forbidding them to use
Sidat-Singh," said Wallace Wade,
Duke’s head coach.
home grounds. Wilmeth Sidat-
Singh. Negro half-back, is a star on
(See DUKE, Page 2)
HOUSTON.—With the potential I
voting strength of Houston in doubt I
the incumbents who are up for re-
clection, the candidates and the
members of the City Executive
Primary committee are committing
themselves on the primary suit
with conservative words.
M L. O. Andrews, chairman of
the Executive committee in a state-
ment to an Informer reporter said
that "We will obey the edict of
the court and as far as we are con-
cerned it is not a personal matter.
We consider it a matter that we
should have jurisdiction over and
of course if the courts think other
wise we will certainly obey the
verdict." On being asked whether
he would appeal if the verdict fa-
vored the Negro voters he stated
that he did not think that the com-
mittee would appeal. ___.
Oscar Holcombe, former mayor of Harris county against the Mett
if Houston and a candidate in the tropolitan Life Insurance compare
present primary, stated emphatical- for $2,292. The suit is band 97
ly that he had no comment to make.
When asked What his attitude tow-
ard the Negro vote was, he reiter-
ated that he had no comment to
make. No questioning could bring
former Mayor Holcombe out of Mt
"hide and seek” method of answer-
ing the reporter’s questions.
Henry M. Dudley, County clerk,
stated that he had nothing to
with the rules laid down by the
Democratic committte, and so far as
he was corncerned whatever the
court decree was, he would abide
by it, "I have always been a law
abiding citizen," stated Mr. Dud-
ley. “As it is now I am obeying the
laws of the legislature and if the
(See MAYORALTY, Page 2) a
0
MATRON f
SUIT AGAI
METROPOLITI
HOUSTON .—Mrs. Maggie
ton filed suit in the district
Commissioner Waters talked free-
ly and stated that so far as he was
concerned he would be glad to obey
the mandate of the court and add-
ed that as an official he had noth-
ing to do with the arrangement
made by the primary committee and
it was only his duty to obey their
laws as a democrat. Whatever the
court decided would be all right
with him.
n-
policy that her deceased husband,
James Buntin carried with the Met-
ropolitan Insurance company. Bun-
tin was an employee of the South-
ern Pacific Lines and carried a
group policy in the amount of
$1600
The petition states that he died
on September 17 of this year, and
that the company ref 1 s to pay the
policy. She is asking for $1600. the
amount of the policy, $500 attorney,
fees; $192 penalty for refusal to pay
the policy on scheduled time. Mrs.
Buntin stated in her petition that
the had made ever effort- W
her power to collect the policy
that the company had refuse
(See MATRON, Pare 21
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The Informer (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 44, No. 75, Ed. 1 Saturday, October 29, 1938, newspaper, October 29, 1938; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1644559/m1/1/: accessed May 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.