Investigative Case Summary Pertains to the Bombing of the Harry T
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
PRELIMINARY STATEMENT The following investigative Case Summary pertains to the bombing of the Harry T. Moore1 residence in Mims, Brevard County, Florida, by person or persons unknown who caused the deaths of Harry Tyson Moore and Harriette Vyda Moore2 on December 25, 1951, at approximately 10:20 P. M.. This case has been previously investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (Case #44-4036), the Brevard County State Attorney’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) under FDLE Case Number EI-91-26-016. Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist reopened this case in December 2004, and assigned the case to the Division of Civil Rights at Fort Lauderdale. The Division of Civil Rights initiated an official investigation of this case on December 21, 2004, under case number LO - 4 -1358. Attorney General Charlie Crist requested assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Allison K. Bethel, Esq., Director of Civil Rights for the Attorney General’s (AG) Office, was assigned to direct the general course of the investigation. Frank M. Beisler, Senior Investigator at the Attorney General’s Office (AG) of Civil Rights and Special Agent (SA) C. Dennis Norred, of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) were assigned as primary Investigators. AG staff in Tallahassee was assigned to review information, conduct research, and to make recommendations regarding this investigation. SA Norred opened a criminal investigation under FDLE case number PE-01-0048. To clearly understand the current FDLE and Florida Attorney General’s Office Investigation and its results, it is important to fully understand the depth of the investigations conducted by the previously mentioned agencies. These investigations form the basis upon which the current investigation is predicated. Summaries of those investigations are described in this report. This Case Summary is not in any way meant to answer all of the questions concerning the events surrounding the December 25, 1951 bombing of the Moore family home and the subsequent homicides of Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore. Further, the Case Summary is not intended to purport or to indicate that the suspects developed during this investigation are the only persons involved. This investigation and Case Summary, along with supporting documentation and testimony, clearly indicates that there are other individuals who were involved in the planning, intelligence gathering, conspiring and perpetration of the act and who were responsible for and/or played a significant role in the despicable act upon the Moore family. 1 DOB 11/18/1905, died 12/25/51 - Born in Houston, Florida. Parents S. Johnny and Rosalea Alberta Tyson Moore. Graduated from Florida Memorial High School, Live Oak, 1925. Graduated from Bethune- Cookman College with a Normal Degree in 1936 and a BA degree in 1951. 2 Born June 19, 1902 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Died January 3, 1951, Sisters - Valerie Simms, Mae Mebane; brothers - George Simms, Arnold Simms, Rupert Simms, David Simms 1 INTRODUCTION The FBI conducted a comprehensive four-year investigation into the bombing incidents in Florida. In the Moore bombing, there were more than 78 Special Agents assigned to the investigation3 and they interviewed more than 1,500 people in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and North and South Carolina. Special Agents were directed to report daily by teletype to Director J. Edgar Hoover at the Bureau’s Headquarters in Washington. FBI records reflect that Hoover actively participated in the investigation, including commenting on its progress, directing and issuing specific assignments. Investigative strategies included physical and telephone surveillance, confidential informants - many of whom were members of the Ku Klux Klan – interviewing witnesses and suspects, and laboratory testing of physical evidence gathered from the crime scene. The FBI Special Agents were divided into teams of two and each team focused on developing information in several key areas (1) background information on the Moores, particularly Harry Moore’s activities leading up to his (Moore’s) death (2) motive(s) for the murders (3) who had the opportunity to commit the crimes, (4) suspects, and (5) general intelligence information. Throughout the four-year investigation, the FBI and Department of Justice officials were concerned about whether there was a sufficient basis for federal jurisdiction. Normally, the FBI did not have jurisdiction to investigate a local murder. The local police, sheriff and state attorney would investigate such crimes and prosecute as appropriate. However, by the time of his (Moore’s) death, Harry Moore had become an almost larger than life hero in the black community and a thorn in the side of local and national politicians, labor leaders, school officials, and Klansmen. The Moores’ murders made national headlines and it was feared that racial tensions throughout the country would mount if the case was not thoroughly and properly investigated. Local officials were ill equipped to handle the case given their small staff and other responsibilities. Thus, a civil rights investigation was opened by the FBI even though the real issue was murder. Numerous relatives, friends, neighbors and colleagues of the Moores were interviewed to gain background information about the Moores. It was learned that Harry Moore and his (Moore’s) wife were school teachers by profession and taught in “colored “ schools in and around Brevard County from 1925 - 1946. Harry Moore became the principal of the Titusville Colored School in 1927. The Moores were well respected by students, parents and the black and white community in general. Harry Moore was deeply interested in politics and dreamed that one day, black people in Florida and around the country would be able to vote freely in local and national elections. In 1933, Moore began teaching school children how to read and cast a ballot so they would be prepared to vote 3 See Exhibit #1 - FBI Special Agents assigned to the Moore case 2 one day. This was over a decade before the United States Supreme Court declared all white primaries and other voting obstacles illegal. The Moores lived in Mims, Florida, a small citrus town near Orlando. Harry Moore worked and tended his (Moore’s) modest orange groves in addition to teaching. As educated professionals, Harry Moore and his (Moore’s) wife, Harriette, were considered middle class, particularly compared to other black families. They were a quiet family and spent their leisure time with family, particularly their two daughters, Annie Rosalea (“Peaches”) and Juanita Evangeline. Moore was devoted to his (Moore’s) family and the FBI found no evidence of marital or family troubles. The Moores enjoyed reading, playing cards, particularly Bid Whist, and occasionally went to movies in Orlando. Harry Moore’s passion for politics found a home in 1933 when he (Moore) learned about the NAACP. In 1934, Moore organized the Brevard County Chapter and his (Moore’s) political activism reached new heights. Shortly after the Brevard Chapter of the NAACP was organized, Edward Reeves, one of the charter members of the Brevard Chapter, was killed in an altercation with a white man named George Holden. Reeves had gone to Holden’s place of employment at a saw mill to collect a debt owed to him Reeves) by Holden. While talking with Holden about the debt, Reeves was struck from behind with a piece of lumber by John L. Conrad, a bystander. Conrad was charged with murder and Holden was charged with being an accomplice. Harry Moore contacted the National NAACP who advised Moore to retain the services of attorney M. C. McGregor, a white man. The case was never prosecuted. In 1937, Moore corresponded with Charles Houston, who was the NAACP special counsel, regarding the issue of raising black teachers’ salaries to the level of white teachers. Moore enlisted the assistance of Noah W. Griffin who was the President of the Florida State Teachers Association and who was also the President of the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP. Moore also contacted Jacksonville attorney S. D. McGill whom Moore retained to fight the case in court. On May 24, 1938, a petition was filed by McGill and NAACP lawyers on behalf of John Gilbert, who was a member of the executive committee of the Brevard Chapter of the NAACP and a teacher and principal at the Cocoa Junior High School of Brevard County. This was the first such case in the South and it was watched with keen interest by other states throughout the United States. Florida school boards sought to intimidate black teachers by dismissing principals and teachers. Gilbert was dismissed by the county shortly after the suit was filed. Noah W. Griffin, then the principal of Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, was also dismissed in June 1938. The Brevard County Court ruled against Gilbert and the NAACP appealed. The Supreme Court of Florida affirmed the decision of the lower court of Brevard 3 County based upon the grounds that there was no statutory provision requiring teacher salary schedules. For the next several years, and up until his (Moore’s) death, Moore devoted much of his (Moore’s) time to protesting the many racial injustices of the South. He (Moore) waged letter writing campaigns, rallies, fund raising drives and initiated law suits to protest police brutality, lynchings, racist judicial polices and unfair labor practices against black people. Moore’s involvement in the NAACP deepened as the years passed and in 1946, five years before his (Moore’s) death, he (Moore) was elected as the first, full time, paid Executive Secretary of the Florida state conference. Ten years after forming the Brevard County NAACP, Moore and some of his (Moore’s) colleagues formed the Progressive Voters League (PVL) on August 31, 1944. The NAACP’s constitution prohibited it (NAACP from engaging in partisan politics, so the PVL was formed as a political voice for the organization.