The Houston Informer (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 2, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 28, 1921 Page: 1 of 9
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7c PER COPY
EVERYWHERE
THE HOUSTON INFORMER
7c PER COPY
EVERYWHERE
—r-
VOL. III.
HOUSTON, TEXAS, SATURDAY, MAY 2S, 1921.
NO. 2.
LOSED IN MISSOURI
WANT TO OUST GOVERNOR DORSEY
“Show Me” State
Rivals Georgia In
Peonage Cases
(Special Correspondent.)
Haiti, Mo.—There are some conditions in this section which
ought to be corrected. The system of working Negroes is in some
instances, no doubt, borrowed from states farther south, in a num-
ber of cases never get a just settlement for their labor, and it
will be remembered it was in Cape Girardeau County a number of
years ago where a number of peonage cases were uncovered. It
is believed that now there are some such cases in this section.
Near here there is a farm known as Taylor farm, comprising
something like 300 acres of land. If reports hereabouts are to be
believed, and they come from good sources, on this particular
farm, the work bell is rung at 4 a. m. and the wage paid for a
day’s work is $1.00, but the workers never get a settlement. A,t
11a.m. the women are called from the field to wont in the house,
and at 1 p. m. they return to the fields to finish the day with
their husbands. Workers are not permitted to have hogs, chick-
ens, etc., and the reason, presumably, is to force them to patronize
the store; the foreman gives as his reason for not allowing the
help to have chickens, cows and the like is that they will get mixed
up with his.
Ni Cause For Alarm, Yet
To the Public:—
Yellow journalistic reports
and street gossip concerning me
“fleeing the city for keeps,”
“forfeiting a $2,000 appearance
bond,” “receiving warning to
leave city,” etc., are akin to the
words of the lamented Mark
Twain, when his death was re-
ported and friends wired for
the truth, he replied: “Reports
of my death greatly exaggerat-
ed.”
So many lies and rumors have
been put in circulation concern-
ing me, most of them with ma-
licious intent, that I am taking
this method to inform the public
that I am still doing business at
the same old stand and believe
that I am fully able to handle my
torney, Lawyer L» V. Allen, a me and was not and is not nty
quiet investigation was conduct- ! attorney. My attorney is Law-
ed, which terminated in recalling!^en’ a race barrister
the subpoena on Tuesday after- no mean ability, with offices
at 411 Milam Street.
My people talk entirely too
much and I wish to inform all
these wind-jammers and gossip-
ers that nothing ruins a duck but
his bill; and then, too, give other
people credit for having enough
sense to look after their own af-
fairs and manage their own busi-
ness.. When one’s business gets
to be everybody’s business, then
it is nobody’s business.
I have received no order, to
leave Houston; no threat has
been made openly upon my life,
and so far as my past conduct
warrants, I have nothing to be
Joining this farm is one owned by
Dr. Ferris and rented to a man by
the name of W. H. Mulleniks. This
white man is said to also contract for
workers on the levee. These men are
said to be secured from Arkansas,
where they are gotten out of jail or
had some trouble for the most part
and given a promise of $2 a day for
their labor. However, they never get
a settlement. A colored man by the
name of McKnight, whose wife and
children are still near here, with the
aid of his children, picked 22 bales of
cotton. Mullenicks refused to make
a satisfactory settlement. McKnight
afterwards bought of him 3 small iron
beds, 3 small cane bottom chairs,
$1.50 rocking chair: 2 second-hand
mattresses, 2 comforts, 1 quilt, 1
pine table and paid $133.60 for them;
but Mullenicks refused to give him a
receipt. He later asked McKnight
to work on the levee; he refused, was
driven from the place, and the “junk"
for which he had paid $133.60 was
confiscated. It appears from reports
that McKnight was feared to some ex-
tent by Mullenicks who regarded him
as a smart “darkey.” McKnight when
last heard from was in Cape Girardeau.
Some Mayor at Commerce.
The mayors of our municipalities
are usually chosen to represent all the
people. This is not true at Commerce,
Missouri. Mayor Anderson does not
permit Negroes to board or alight from
Iron Mountain trains in his domain
ahead of white people. A story is told
of him that on one occasion, a colored
woman boarded a train ahead of
some white people. Mayor Anderson
promptly pulled her off, and told her
husband who was standing nearby that
if he did not teach his wife some man-
ners he would beat him-. Residents
of the town stated to your correspond-
ent, that if a Negro servant went home
from work before his or white em-
ployer wished, if the matter was only
called to the attention of his lordship
Mayor Anderson, the recreant servant
would immediately be returned to his
work to stay until given his liberty of
action by his white employer. This
state of affairs has become possible be-
cause the Negroes of this section, in
many places have become cowed. It
was from near here that a Von Mayes
came and Introduced his Infamous
“Jim-Crow" bill in the state legisla-
ture not so long ago. to the utter dis-
gust and shame of the other legislat-
ors.
Other Jim Crow Landmarks.
In this town of Hayti, the Negroes
are Jim-Crowed In buying railroad
tickets by the Frisco agent. They are
not permitted to purchase tickets at
the same window as whites and they
have access to one small bench four
feet long as a waiting room. At
Caruthersvllle about the same condi-
tion of affairs obtains for which the
Frisco agent is to blame as much and
more than anyone else. The defense
set up for this segregation is, that the
Negroes newly arrived from the South
started it; but here in Missouri there
are some white people, especially in
this section, who gladly keep it up.
In Charleston, the agent goes still
further for the Iron Mountain and
keeps up fhe sign designating the col-
ored w. room, notwithstanding
the senti. . at of the state on these
matters is strongly against segrega-
tion. It Is likejy the public service
commission under the Hyde's admin-
istration will seet to it that these long
abuses will cease for all time.
Can Neither Buy Nor Rent.
A peculiar condition exists in Sikes-
ton. which is settled by a class of
white people in fairly good circum-
stances. It is stated on authority
which can not be doubted, that Ne-
groes can neither buy nor rent prop-
erty and that only places available
for them to live in the town is in quar-
ters on premises back of the “white
falks."
At Diehlstaff and Blodgett, Negroes
are not permitted to stop.
Race Irferates.
For a long time practices have ex-
isted on the Frisco going out of Cape
Girardeau, which the porters on these
trains have within their power to do
much to remedy, of putting up “Jim
Crow” signs as soon as they leave
Cape, preparatory to entering Arkan-
sas. though they are at the time miles
away in supposedly good free Missou-
ri. It is difficult to believe that in-
telligent race-loving Negro men would
subscribe to such a condition, but they
not only do it, but abet it. On the
own, business. v *'
y
The statement that I fled from | trip with the grand jury having
jury call in Wharton County has adjourned on that cay, which
not the least semblance of truth was Tuesday, May 17. (Smiles!
in it and is simply in line with Looks funny, don’t it?)
noon, May 17, when the county
attorney of Wharton County, by
long distance telephone, inform-
ed me that the grand jury had
adjourned and that it would be
unnecessary for me to come
down there.
*
In addition to the message he
deputizeu a representative to
bring me the message in person
and in the late afternoon of
Tuesday he reached my office
and told me the same thing that
the county attorney had tele-
phoned me earlier in the day
and remarked that they didn’t
ZZrJBKSZ ff-MSKS
Georgia Mobocrats
Sore With Governor;
Demand His Scalp
Atlanta, Ga.—The publication
by Governor Hugh Dorsey of his
booklet on “The Negro in Geor-
gia,” in which he relates 135
cases of alleged peonage, lynch-
ings or organized or individual
cruelty to Negroes, and suggests
remedies, has stirred up a hor-
net's nest in Georgia.
The latest development came
with the announcement from
Macon of a call for a mass meet-
ing of citizens for ne^ Sunday
Judge William E. H. Searcy, of
the Flint Circuit, who was the
judge in one of the cases Dorsey
referred to, and the third by
Sam L. Oliver, president of the
senate. In all three statements
Dorsey was bitterly excoriated
and his charges declared false or
grossly exaggerated.
“This demonstration here to-
day,” said Mr. Hardwick, “has
convinced me that these are not
a bad people nor Georgia a bar-
the average “rot” published in
white newspapers about mem-
bers of our race. It is the pol-
icy of the average Southern
white paper to always misrepre-
sent the colored race and those
who are conversant with this
journalistic custom in “Bam”
should not be surprised at any
wild-eyed news item in certain
“yellow” and sensational sheets.
On Saturday, May 14,1 receiv-
ed a subpoena to appear before
the grand jury of Wharton
County as a witness on Wednes-
day, May 18, and the following
Monday, May 16, I was placed
under a $2,000 appearance bond,
to assure my presence in Whar-
ton on the aforementioned date.
I had a reason to believe then
and am of the same opinion yet,
that the entire thing was a
“frame-up” originated in Harris
County by certain exponents of
Hunnish kultur who are opposed
to my editorial policy in denounc-
ing lawnessness and gang-rule.
I could not see where my life
would be safe in said county,
knowing the situation there as
I do and knowing what remarks
The Harris County officials
were also notified and my bonds-
men, through the activity of At-
torney Allen, were immediately
released. All of this could have
been easily ascertained, if cer-
tain yellow sheets and chaptered
me 'bers of the gossipers’ union
had desired to give circulation to
the truth, but no! lies always
out-travel and out-sell the truth,
and thus these journalistic scav-
engers and gossip-mongers avail-
ed themselves of the supposed
opportunity of trying to place a
law-abiding and peaceful citizen
in bad with the public; reciting
and giving circulation to reports
calculated to injure one’s busi-
ness standing and hurling the
community into a state of un-
called for and unnecessary ex-
citement.
My only reason for requesting
ex-Judge H. J. Dannenbaum to
look after the matter for me was
due to the fact that I knew a col-
ored lawyer would probably have
met death in going to Wharton
on such a mission and thus a
white lawyer was the proper per-
son to look after the matter
have often been made there con-1 from that and other angles. He
cerning me; so through my at-' had handled no legal matters for
I ligious standpoint.
I wish to thank the number-
less friends, well-wishers and
others for their interest in me in
the Wharton matter and espe-
cially those three citizens who
signed my bond. Many offers of
financial assistance were refus-
ed, as we did not need it, but I
appreciated the spirit and will-
ingness of my people to come to
my aid in what they considered a
time of trouble and a crucial sit-
uation.
As I see it, most of this er-
roneous dope was printed for its
news value and the wish was
father to the thought; for when
a request was made to correct
the report, these yellow and sen-
sational journals refused to do
so.
This is the kind of damnable
an^diabolical propaganda that
is being printed throughout the
South to misrepresent colored
people, and yet we have some in-
dividuals within our race who
boast that they do not read col-
ored newspapers, but in the same
breath tfell you that they sub-
scribe and pay for white news-
papers. Let us hope that these
racial impedimenta will stop fat-
tening frogs for snakes! Selah!
(Signed) C. F. RICHARDSON,
Editor Houston Informer.
Houston. Tex., May 23, 1921.
Gulf road, coming into the Cape "Jim
Crow” signs are frequently displayed,
seen in the cars of the Frisco when
they reach Cape when they should be
down as soon as the cars strike the
Missouri state line.
However, the people have r.ot lost
faith and believe Governor Hyde will
give every possible relief In such
cases as are brought to his attention.
He is a large man now and growing.
CHICAGO BOMBING ORGANIZATION
TO FEEL STRONG ARM OF LAW;
ONE RING-LEADER UNDER ARREST
governor will be discussed. The
call is issued by the local hranch
of the Guardians of Liberty and
reads as follows:
“Unless Mr. Dorsey is im-
peached every Georgian will be
particeps criminis in his crime
of blackening, while history
lasts, the character of the fairest
mother we ever had—Georgia.
No living man will stand by
while a villain defiles his moth-
er. Georgia—our mother—is
being defiled before the world.
And, by the help of the eternal
God, he shall answer for it.”
From many sections of the
state are coming demands that
Governor Dorsey give the
names of his investigators and
information.
Three attacks on the gpvernor
for his peonage booklet were
published today—one in a
speech made by Governor-elect
Thomas Hardwick, at the cen-
tennial anniversary celebration
in Henry County, a second by
of-the fharaus «&. has. been 4bar** „
ed. I deny these charges. I
brand as an infamous slander on
the state these statements that
have been sent broadcast over
the country.”
Judge Searcy has been de-
manding the names of the in-
vestigators and informants in
the case of Ed. White, a Negro
under arrest in Upson. This
case is referred to at length in
the booklet, the governor charg-
ing that only his removal from
Upson County prevented lynch-
ing. The judge asserts, “The
conduct of your investigator and
you as governor of the state beg-
gars my contempt.”
Mr. Oliver says in his state-
ment that the governor has made
“an awful mistake” and should
remedy it as far as he is able.
He charges misrepresentation of
the facts, and winds up with the
assertion that the only way to
bring about a cessation of lynch-
ing is by and through a cessation
of assault.
PROF. STAMPS JOINS STANDARD.
Prof. J. E. Stamps, for several years
a member of the faculty of Prairie
View State College, has tendered his
resignation and accepted a position as
agency director for the Standard Life
Insurance Company, with headquarters
In Waco. Prof. Stamps is one of the
race’s most accomplished young men
and the Standard was indeed fortun-
ate to secure his services, while P. V.
suffers a great loss.
(By the Assocated Negro Press.)
Chicago. III.—The perpetrators of
bomb outrages on the homes of Ne-
gro citizens are in the clutches of the
law. At least this is the opinion of
number* of colored and whit# peo-
ple who have been watching the
velopments of the campaign
launched to capture the
reoon
their backer* who
persons an
have exerciaed a
reign of terror for the past several
years throughout the city.
Andrew Kerr, a member of a local
union labor organization, was arrested
in the early part of the week as a
bomb suspect. Mr. Kerr, feeling that
the jqpllre had the goods on him,
re-
a few hour* follow-
the police had I*
thel?*fWI in who bombed
' ogan to talk with the
home of ex-Alderman DePriest as well
as another member who Is alleged
to have been the principal in a large
number of instances of labor disputes
in which the bomb used as an instru-
ment of quite ungentile persuasion.
It was not long after the arrests
that rumors began to fly around that
the Hyde Park Improvement Associa-
tion, the organization which has been
accused of being behind the numerous
bombing of colored people’s homes,
would be hopelessly involved In the
matter. Kerr admits that he. with
i others under arrest, was hired to do
bombing. Negroes' homes were
among the places bombed by this ne-
farious gang. It follows, many people
declare, that the gang was hired to
bomb the homes of colored people by
parties who had the money to pay for
the work. It is definitely known that
the Hyde Park Anti-Negro Association
possessed a fund acknowledged by Its
members of more than $200,000 with
which to prosecute a campaign to
1 crowd out and prevent the occupation
of certain territory by colored fami-
lies.
In the DePriest bombing. Kerr flatly
declares that he and his companion
were hired to do the job because of
their expert knowledge of the game
of bombing. Up to the present he has
declined to tell who were the parties
behind him in this particular Instance.
The police express the opinion that he
is not through talking, that when he
becomes hard pressed he will then
open his mouth very wide and tell all
he knows about all the recent bomb-
ings. Then the fur is expected to fly
with a vengeance. If the opinions of
the people who have been alert to fol-
low all the clues that have been un-
earthed within the past year are worth
anything, the group of association*
who have been busy pushing a vigor-
ous anti-Negro propaganda In our
city have good reason to quake with
fear.
Two gangs of expert bombers are
under arrest. It is now confidently
expected that within a few days that
the backers of these toughs and crim-
inals will also be in the toils. In the
meantime a group of colored men are
adding to defense fund for the pur-
pose of bringing the backers to Jus-
tice and thereby end the reing of
bombing terror which ha* caused so
much unrest among tha respsotabl*
colored people In the great City at
Chicage. ^ .....
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Richardson, Clifton F. The Houston Informer (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 2, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 28, 1921, newspaper, May 28, 1921; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth523809/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .