The Daily News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 130, Ed. 1 Tuesday, June 1, 1937 Page: 4 of 4
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Hopkins County Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Hopkins County Genealogical Society.
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THE DAILY NEWS-TELEGRAM
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IVVIOIt
PERSOnflL
ROPERTY
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—Also—
News and Sport
' Adult* 15c
TODAY
“Charlie Chan at
The Olympics”
"
Wednesday and
Thursday
Tip, Mfait'i
her all light!']'
FREEDOM FIGHT
KEEPS UP FIGHT FOR
50 YEAR CONVICT
(From 8tar-Telegram.)
The Wall), Huntsville.—" I don't
believe I’d ever made it this long
Th* hilarious story o< • tout-
ing movis slat who toll) loi
a ihr oountrf lad.
AM)) h*W )WM
*Go West ^Hing Man'
wIlliam • SCOT
AUCt 8IADY • Moiearat <
>tl i.L.lh IdMaiuta . 1 la
iiilBOeTn *■*••• ——
tyt) Totbot. Dfal«)v« W M.. W..I
— IMAHUEl COMIN C*)4«MM
ftllMtt) )» MIN)T HATHAWAV
—Also Comedy-H
“Dizzy Doctors”
10c To All
the right hour. That was about the
time that they said the bank was rob-
bed. I told them I couldn't have been
in Atlanta, that I never was there
except when passing through."
Mathto Arm.ted.
Nevertheless Mathis was arrested
at his Little Rock home on Aug. 18,
and he and Southerland were taken
to Linden. At a justice of the peace
hearing in September the two were
if I hadn’t had somebody trying for identified by two witnesses, but a
third witness identified only South-
erland,
■
mi1
i#
Is
t-
I
(VIE FEATURES
SCHEDULED FOR
COMING DAYS
Jean Harlow and Robert Taylor
come to the Mlatlon Wednesday and
Thursday in ’’Personal Property," a
delightful romantic comedy. Taylor
appears in the amusing role of a
family black aheap who is reduced to
service as a deputy bailiff, assigned
to guard the chattel of a charming
woman whose debts have gotten be-
yond her.
Go West Young Man.
How to get a young rural inven-
tor's mind off his invention—and on
to romance—is the problem of Mad
West In "Go West Young Man,"
whleh shows at the Broadway Wed-
nesday and Thursday. Randolph
S«6tt to the young man more inter-
ested in the potential fame and for-
tune that his Invention may bring,
but when Mae displays some of those
famous westian wilaa—well, the most
avid scientist might be expected to
forget bis work.
Hotel Haywire.
A hilarious story of a wife who
believes in astrology and whose be-
lief it so consilient that she Hgrees
to diVoree even though she does not
want It, serves us the plot for “Ho-
tel Haywire," coming to the Mission
Friday only. Th-, wife role Is ban
died by Spftng Byinton, who allows
astrologer Leo Carrillo to tell her
what to do. Chester Conklin, Benny
Bakdr, Mary Carlisle and a host of
others are in the cast.
Dodge CUy Trail.
Tha story of the Texas Plainsmen
biasing a cattle trail across the old
Southwest is the adventurous theme
of "Dodge City Trail," coming to
the Mtsaion Saturday only. Charles
8Urrett has the role of the "he-l
man” ainging cowboy.
Old Louisiana.
The growth and expansion of the
United States is the underlying
them* at “Old Louisiana," which
•hows at the Broadway Friday ahd
Saturday. The film stars Tom Keene
and is a dramatisation of historical
faets woven into a charming ro-
mance with a background of nation-J
building episodes.
Swing High, Low.
Carole Lombard and Fred Mac-
Murray are starred in "Swing High,
Swing Low,” a romance with music
which shows at the Mission Saturday
night and Sunday. The film is the
story of a night club life in Panama
and New York. Miss Lombard plays
the role of an entertainer in a Pan-
ama cabaret who makes a famous
musician out of MacMurray, who
has t*en very much on the looee in
the canal port. The cast also Includes
glamorous Dorothy Lamour, Charles
Butterworth, Jean Dixon, Harvey
Stephens and other well-known play-
ers.
Exiled Racketeers.
“Racketeers in Exile," dramatic
story of a public enemy .who makes
religion a racket and then Talks prey
to his own false, eloquent preach-
ings, climaxing his career with a
ruthless attack on crime, comes to
the Broadway Saturday night and
Sunday.
Internes Can’t.
"America's minute rnep In white,"
the hosiptal internes, itae the heroes
of ‘internes Can’t Take Money,"
the drama with JJgrbara Stanwyck
and Joef MfCTea, whioh comes to
the Mission Monday and Tuesday.
The story -tells of a young doctor,
McCrea, who is forced to return a
gift from a patient which would
make it possible for him to wed Miss
Stanwyck and return her child to
her. Stanley Ridges and Lloyd Nolan
are also in the cast.
Tenderfoot Goes W«t.
From Eastern author to Western
cowboy! That's the transformation
Russell Gleason undergoes in the
new film, "A Tenderfoot Goes
West," which kt scheduled for the
Broadway Monday and Tuesday.
W. B. ONLEY FINDS
LOST BRIEF CASE,
YANTIS HIGHWAY
W. B. Onley picked up a brief
case on the Yantis highway Tuesday
morning containing letters addressed
ot Dan Browning of Center Point
School, also other papers.
The owner may have same by call-
ing at Echo office.
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
The Commissioners Court of Hop-
kins County, Texas, will receive com-
petitive bids until ten o'clock a. m.
on the 28th day of June, 1937, at
the court house in Sulphur Springs,
Texas, on the following described
road machinery: One or more 60-
horse power Crawler Type Tractor,
and at said time and place said court
will proceed to let a contract If any
bid be accepted. A certified check
for flvt per cent of amount of bid
ia required, and the court reserves
■the right to reject any and all bids*
If any contract is made the Court
intends to trade in a second-hand
Caterpillar "60" Tractor and to
issue interest bearing time warrant*
for all or part payment thereof, in
the amount not to exceed $3,000.00.
Said warrants to bear Interest at
the rate of 6 per cent per annum,
and th* full amount of said warrants
to mature at a date not later than
May 15, 1940.
JNO. M. BIGGERSTAFF,
County Auditor, Hopkins
dig County.
me and believing in me." .
So today spoke Southerland, $7,
Little Rock, Ark., printer, who has
convinced more than one official
that he i* serving a 50-year sentence
for a crime he did not commit.
Southerland entered the prison
here May 24, 1935, on a conviction
of robbing the Firat National Bank
of - Atlanta, Texas, in June, 1984.
He maintains his innocence and
recent events have tended to support
his contention. Most startling was
the action of the federal grand jury
at Beaumont indicting Chapman,
well, known bank raider, and Bone,
another Texas convict, for the rob-
bery. The true bill was returned on
March 16, but trial has been post-
poned by a delay In transcribing the
record.
Chapman at Eastham.
Chapman is at Eastham prison
farm, 88 miles away, serving out a
76-year term for a second robbery
of the Atlanta bank in September of
1986. And although United State*
District Attorney King of Beaumont
•ays ha haa Chapman’s statement ad
mitting the first holdup as well, th*
stocky convict this afternoon said
he had no comment. *
He stuck to that phrase despite
question after question.
Would he admit that he returned
the loot to the bank in an effort to
show that it was he, not Souther-
land, who committed the first rob-
bery?
"I have ho comment on that," he
said.
How about the statement?
"I have no comment," he said
then elaborated thus: "Publicity
never did anybody any good. I’ve
had my .share of it and most of <it
was unfavorable. I’m extremely well
treated here and I don’t want to do
anything that will get me moved
around. It'll all come out sooner or
later.”
He v^u not Impressed by the idea
that a public admission of guilt
would help clear Southerland and
the letter’s codefendant, Mathis, 28,
also or Little Rock, and arouse sym-
pathy for himself as well, *
"I have no comment,” he said
again. "Some people will do a lot of
things In the penitentiary but I’m
here for a long time. I'm satisfied
and I’d rather let things stay just
like they am. I’d rather be forgot-
ten about. Anybody that knows me.
knows that l never hurt anybody in
my life, and I'm not going to.”
He did, however, avow that Bone
is innocent of participation in the
first robbery.
“I'm in a position to know,” Chap-
man said, "and he didn't have any-
thing to do with it."
He hoisted his dirt-soaked shoes
onto the barren bench ami looked
through the chicken wire screen
which separate* Kaatham prisoners
from visitors.
I’m sorry you had to come all the
way out here." Chapman said, “hut
that’s the way it is. 1 want to stay
out of it. I've been convicted for the
second robbery and the State knows
I’m guilty of that.” i •.
He wouldn’t commit himself as to
plans when he is called to trial on
the federal indictment for the first
holdup. And would not say whether
he would plead guilty.
Earlier in the day, Southerland
had been confident that Chapman
would hear out his statement that he
wao a victim of circumstances—cir-
cumstances that contributed to make
him a number in the Texas prison
system instead of a workaday Little
Rock printer.
This is his story, which also In-
volves Mathis, whom Southerland
argues is as guiltless as himself.
"Had an Appointment."
“I had an appointment to meet a
man in Texarkana, and I was about
30 feet inside the Texas line when
the law arrested me. I believe that
that appointment was made for the
purpose of framing me. I am not
bitter at anyone, but those who
framed me. That was on Aug. 14.
1934, and I was told that I was a
suspect in the robbery of a bank- at
Atlanta two months *nd eight days
before.
"In all my life as a printer I hadn’t
been out of work for a year at a
time. I was on the extra hoard in
th# composing room of a Little Rock
newspaper setting qp ads, but my
regular work is in a job shop.
_ "On June 6, the day of the rob-
bery of the Atlanta hank or on the
day they say it was held up, I was in
Shreveport. Mathis was with me, and
w« ate at a restaurant where the
owner didn’t come down until about
$ p. m. We were eating when he
came in, so that w« knew that was
At the trial, Sterrett, McAlester,
Okla., candy salesman and one time
federal bank inspector, said South
erland was nat on* of th* robbers.
A graphic defense demonstration
drove home Sterrett’s testimony that
he was forced to look downward into
the eyes of the larger bandit, while
Southerland was three inches taller
than the witness.
Dunklin, bank cashier, was not
called upon for anything more than
the statement that the bank was
robbed and that he was present. He
said Southerland and Mathis *‘re-
sembled” the holdup men.
Southerland wa,i arked his court-
room reactions.
“The district attorney called me
a desperado," he remembered, "and
the last words he said were ‘Give
him death.’ Buy, I’ll tell you it
sounded awful, me sitting there
thinking about going to the electric
chair for something I didn’t know a
thing about. Knowing I was inno
cent, I didn’t ask for character wit
nease*. I didn't think I’d need their,
with the alibi 1 had!’4
Then the clear-eyed printer lapsed
Into the present tenge.
"When the jury goj-s out I'm feel-
ing pretty good, cause 1 know that
they’re'not going to convict me. But
the longer I waited the worse I felt.
Something bad a hold on me and
was bothering me plenty.
“Even when I hear them ray I
have-heed found guilty I don’t be-
lieve I’m coming to the penitentiary.'
When the sheriff goes out of town
they move us to Marshall. Mathis
had been given a 30-year term and
I think maybe the federal* are do-
ing something. But they’re not; the
sheriff Is just out of town.
Find* It’) Tortnr*.
"I don’t believe it would be hard
to serve time for something you ac-
tually did. 1 really don’t, but to be
forced to be cut off from the world
for something you haven’t done, it’s
slow torture. Those hoys that go out
In the chair are better off, but I’ve
n#ver lost hope, I always believe
something will happen."
Helping him to believe that is
Barnett, superintendent of printing
for the Texas prison system. It is
Barnett, convinced of Southerland's
story, who is leading the fight for
his freedom. „
Aiding is Galloway, investigate*
for the Pardon* and Paroles Board,
who asserted, indicating, Souther-
land, “this fellow didn’t have any
more to do with/that bank robbery
than you did.”
Barnett, well remembers when
Southerland entered the prison!
"He came in,” Barnett recalled,
and said, ‘Mr. Barnett, I’m a first
x-lasg, job printer and I’ve got a long
time to serve. I teams down here for
a hank robberv, but I didn’t rob any
hank.’
First Class Printer.
“I tbld him I’d heap rather work
a guilty man as an innocent one, hut
that if he was a good printer I could
use him. He didn’t lie about that.
He's a first elate printer, one of the
best.”
It was not until the fail of 1935
that Barnett began to give serious
heed to Southerland’s recital. A
letter written by the convict to De-
partment of Justice officials at Dal-
las was halted by prison authorities
because of statements that could not
be interpreted. Barnett began to get
busy. He communicated with Ster-
reit and obtained an affidavit that
Southerland and Mathis were not the
robber*.
He communicated with those who
recalled seeing Southerland in
Shreveport on the day 6f the crime
miles away. He learned that the
Burns Detective Agency in pursuing
its investigation did not think that
Southerland and Mathis were the
culprits. He went to Dallas and was
informed by Blake, head of the Dal-
las Department of Justice office,
that the case had not been closed
with the conviction of the two Lit-
tle Rock men.
Other things had happened, too.
On Aug. 81, Chapman, Lindsey and
Lewis Sadler, all serving long sen-
tences, escaped from the Arkansas
penitentiary.
Shortly afterward the second rob-
bery of the Atlanta bank occurred.
Chapman was shot and captured;
Lindsey was arrested near by and
Sadler was caught in Louisiana, J
few days later.
Chapman, without ever having
seen Southerland, made a statement
that he was the June gunman. SterJ
rett identified him and Bone, altho
Lindsey said he was Chapman’s com-
panion.
Bone, now serving a six-year *en-|
tenee from Grimes County for bur-
glary, denies that he was Chapman's)
confederate.
Galloway plans to confer with
Federal Judge James C. Wilson in
Ft. Worth soon in regard to the>
proper step* to set Southerland and
Mathis at liberty. Mathis is at Cen-
tral Prison Farm JIo. 2 and. Souths
erland it trying to get him transfer-
red to the Walla, pointing out that
he was a former cleaner and dyer,
and unused to farm labor.
ARE YOU AN
EMPLOYER UNDER
SOCIAL SECURITY ACT*
If you employ one or more per
sons under the ages of 65 years, *■<
at any employment common in thi
aection except farming and domeati
service, you are an employer unde
the Social Security Act, and are liabl
for the Federal Old Age Benefit ta)
Under the Act, yon, as an employei
are required to keep certain record)
and while no certain form ia pr<
scribed, we have ■ number of differ
ent forms, suitable for the emalle*
business or the largest. Liability to
this tax started Jan. 1, 1937. If yo
have not already started keeping a<
curete records, you will find It rati
er difficult to bring these records u
to date, unless you start aoon. Li
us sell you the necessary record bool
Phone 481.
ECHO PUBLISHING COMPANY
When that Harlow gal struts h)
stuff with that loving Tkylor man
look for fun and swell romance. Gl
riously teamed for th* first time-
and grandlv directed by W. S. (Al
er the Thin Man) Van Dyke. 8
“Personal Property” at the Missii
Wednesday and Thursday.
for Convenience
and Economyl
Faster freezing speeds
-easy-out sc* cube
Ijays—exclusive stain-
less steel super-freezer
—lull width sliding
shelves — thermometer
— temperature control
— interior light —food
containers.
• See the new General
Electric Triple-Thrift
models—not one bit of
traditional quality has
been sacrificed. They are
the finest refrigerators
General Electric ever
built and you save 3 ways
—on price, on oper-
ating cost, on upkeep.
America’» Buying
One-A-Minute!
Here’s a refrigerator
with a matchless cold-
making mechanism
that w ill tutp on giving
attention-free service at
lowest cost long after
it has paid for itself.
It s the refrigerator
with oil cooling and will
produce a super-abun-
dance of cold just as
cheaply after year* of
use as when branc^iew.
V
See Them on
Display at
Our Store
Convtnitnl Monthly Terms at
Slightly Higher Prices
TEXAS POWER-* LIGHT
OMPANY
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Bagwell, J. S. The Daily News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 130, Ed. 1 Tuesday, June 1, 1937, newspaper, June 1, 1937; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth826422/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.