Volume IV, No. 14

VOL. IV. NO. 14 WEEKEND EDITION: APRIL 6-7, 1968 TEN CENTS More Than One Case Stalled 'Not Guilty' In Tuskegee In Greene BY MARY ELLEN GALE BY BOB LABAREE TUSKE GE E. Ala. EUTA W. Ala.--In 1962. Johnny Coleman, a Negro, "To tell you the truth, I don't know what to think," wa s convicted of murder said Ocie Devance Jr. as ing J. D. "Screwdriver" he left the Macon County Johnson, a white man, and courthouse last Monday was sentenced to death by morning. an all-white jury. In the six years since then, he has Devance, a YOllllg Negro man. had walted In jail whlle lawyers appealedhis come to court to testlty against two case to higher courts--twice to the Ala white law enforcement officers--Nota bama Supreme Court and twice to the sulga Police Chief Bobby Stngleton and U. S. Supreme Court. State Trooper James H. Bass. Ftnally, in October of last year, the According to warrants sworn out by U. S. Supreme Court ruled that Cole Devance, Singleton threatened him with man's trial had to be held over again, a gun while Bass beat and kicked him because Negroes had been "systemati on the ntght of March 16. cally excluded" from the jury that con OCIE DEVANCE JR. AT MACON COURTHOUSE FOLKS CONGRATULA TE COLEMAN (HALL IN FOREGROUND) victed him. The cases agatnst both officers were Negro sheriff. r-------------------------------------------------,So last Monday,Coleman went on trtal scheduled for trtal Monday In Macon And, he added, there is no guarantee for the second time beforea tense audi County Inferior Court. But Judge that justice will be done in any court. ence of Negroes In the Greene County Richard H. Powell suddenly announced "There are so many ways," he sald. courthouse. that he was sending the charges to the "The way they work around with that Us In some ways the trial was the same grand jury instead. 'They Look at Like jury box--it's a planned thing. as the 1962 trial. The same judge, Cir When the grand jury meets on AprU "That's why people are unhappy. cuit Judge Emmett Hildreth, held court 15, Powell said, there will be "further That's why people are dissatisfied, and in the same courtroom, and Dlstrlct At Investigation" of the tncldent. The 18 looking to change a few public officials. torney T. H. Boggsand County Solicitor jurors w1ll then decide whether the And I highly recommend it. There are Ralph Banks questioned most of the cases should be tried In Circuit Court. gonna be some changes--you walt and Some Kind of Nothing' same witnesses. Powell also disclosed that another see." BY BOB LABAREE One dltference, though, was the jury, charge agatnst Singleton has beendrop which this time--to everyone's sur But--although several black candi BffiMINGHAM, Ala.--From an em ped by the white man who rued It. prlse--was all-Negro. dates are runntng for public office tn ployer's point of view, a "catch-out" Peter Hall, one of Coleman's law The judge said Robert H. Bedford of Macon County this year--the county's is a place where you can always find a yers, said there should be nothtng ex CUrv1lle has decided not to prosecute Negro majority won't have a chance to man to do a job. It's a street-corner traordinary about an aU-black jury. Stngleton and a Notasulga patrolman, replace Powell. The judge is unopposed where men without steady jobs hang "In a county where a quarter or a half Joe W. Barnes, for assault and battery. tn his bid for re-election, around and walt for work to come to or more crt the population is Negro--as After Judge Powell said he was re them. it is here in Greene County--an all-Ne- Employers know that if they need ferring the Devance charges to the __ ...._ .. � .... -----""' •• _ ... 1,"', ........ "' _ ...- .... " ..... �-J - ______ �-- grand jury, a puzzled murmur ran somebody for a day, or even a few white one," he sa1d. through the halt-filled courtroom. And Rap Loses hours--to lift a crate, or dig a ditch, A bluer difference was the Jury's Macon CountyAttorney W1lliam C. Hare or trim a lawn--a catch-out is taster verdict. After about two hours Of de demanded, "Can the court do that?" and easier than an employment agency. liberation Wednesday afternoon, the ju But men l1ke Tommy Wrenn and Ben "Yes sir, I've researched the law," rors ruled that Coleman was not gullty. 40 "Sunshine" Owens look at catch-outs Powell replied. Pounds As the courtroom erupted with cries BY JOANNE GAVIN from another point ot view. But Hare said later, "I'm against it. 01 joy, Dlatrict Attorney Boggs an EDWARDS, Miss.--SNCC Chairman Wrenn and Owens--veteran clvll "riley (the ca,ses)should be tried. We're nounced that othercharges still pending H. Rap Brown has lost 40 pounds frQm rights workers now organiztng for the ready to try 'em. There's no such law against Coleman wlll be dropped. that I know of." tasting and looks Hke he's 50 years old, SCLC Poor People's Campaign In The prosecution had rested Its case his lawyer told a Steertng Committee Washtngton--say It's only black men The judge's decision didn't displease on Tuesday afternoon, atter abouteight Against Repression (SCAR) meeting who stand at these corners, and many everyone. Half a dozen state troopers hours of testimony from 24 witnesses. last sunday at Mt. Beulah. of them have been standing there for --who accompanied Stngleton and Bass "This man personifies In one body The night before Johnson's death,the years. to court--smUed as they heard the an the spectacle of aU government being state charged, Coleman had broken into These men either can't get a regular nOllllcement. arrayed againstone man," said the law a dry store In Eutaw, and had job or think they can't, the SCLC work goods Asked if Bass w1l1 rematn on duty, yer, WilHam Kunstler. Brown is in ja11 stolen a shotgun, shells, and some ers say. Many of the men are old or OWENS AND WRENN (A T LEFT) SIGN UP CAMPAIGNERS Major John Cloud, chief ofthe Alabama on a number of federal charges. clothing. disabled, and most of them are un can I leave with my children," writing. "We know what you'retalking highway patrol, said, "Certatnly. Ev Lawrence Guyot, chairman of the A button found near a broken wtndow skilled. "Sign me up," said another man. "I about, brother," he sald. "We're say ery day." Mississippi Freedom Democratic tn the store was identifiedby State Toxi At a big "catch-out" corner on the can't get a Job and can't get Social Se- lng that these are the conditions that Party, said the federal government's cologist Nelson E. Grubbs as coming And Notasulga Mayor Ray Langford south side last week, a crowd of men curity." A line began to form tn tront breed riots." attitude towards the civll rights move from a shirt that the prosecution said said Stngleton "damn sure is" stUl in gathered as Wrenn and Owens passed Of Wrenn. There were other catCh-OUts, too. ment has changed from support to sus was Coleman's. charge of the City's law enforcement out literature. The SCLC workers were As people got to tallctng about their In a dirt alley in a different part of picion. The next ntght, the state claimed, operations. "They put It (the trial) off there to get names and addresses of problems, It wasn't long before their the south Side, halt a dozen men sat on And in MiSSissippi, he said, the Leg Coleman killed Johnson with the stolen 'cause he's not gunty," themayor com people who would go to waShington, anger began to show. crates around a fire as the two SCLC islature is conSidering a law that would shotgun, took the victim's money mented. "What you doing?" asked one man, "Yeah, I'll go," shouted one man, workers talked. require Independent candidates to get pouch, and escaped without betng seen, Macon County Sheriff Lucius D. a bit suspiciously. gesturing wildly. "Pm gonna tell 'em "Damn, I'm ready to go now," said more than 50% of the votes to win a gen Grubbs test1tied that particles on Amerson said he doesn't oppose Judge "We're going to the capital with Dr. what these son-of-a-bitches doing to us one man, eral election. some shells found near the scene of the (Martin Luther) to tell the Presi down here. People going by looktng at "What do you make?" Wrenn asked Powell's action: "My only jobis to ap KIng, shooting matched with some of the "You may have noticed that no one dent the way you're llvlng," Owensan us Uke we some kind 01 nothing. They him. "$3,000? $2,000? $1,000?" prehend 'om--I don't try to convict 'em. particles he discovered In the pocket of here Is asking you if you are betng op swered. "We're going to take care of pay us nothing, and they look at us like "Shoot, no," the man replied. "This In iaw enforcement, every officialhas to the shirt Identified as Coleman's. pressed," Guyot added. "If you are an you--give you a place to sleep and some ktnd of nothing. Theypay us noth past year I made about--let's see- do his part." But defense attorneys Hall and Orzell American citizen, you are being op something to eat while you're there." tng, and they lookat us like that.

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