The Washington Bee Newspaper, February 22, 1908, Page 1

WOL.27 NO. = James E, Clemen 5 epl sep 39 Who Defended J Thomas, aliqs oJhn criminal The Attorne Wrig recent * Re in years has been so enveloped in race pas- aps no case sion and prejudice and vehement ut popularity as that ofJosephThomas, ali- hn Wright, accused of Mabel , of Washington, n the Circuit Court of fall. our time has been con Risley, D. ¢ upon life Virginia, last of No ated sistent james I County, lawyer ith more determined and per opposition which Mr Clements, the attorney for the than that prisoer, was called upon to face wher he undertook this colored boy”s de fense No to him, glittering retaine witnesse no money t nrp print a b whateve were f shed the inev of a tedious and pr itable i expenses ¢ tracted — trial indeed, | four h } t handicapped at the start! mself defense , charged al] crimes, rished boast | ith the most retribution | inious deat | proceeded to | pocket, and paid the heavy cost of print- ling the voluminous record; he prepared 1908. 2 my =BRUARY of Ale: have openly de- ed that they felt greatly relieved at nd to present his grou sentence, many citizens ne the presid ige, in| County and Virginia icious haste and ther moment the case 1 will sentence f time, so} er stated that, had Wright the blot ory e settle i it declaring the oner to nged, and stair pon death the county and State was so deep and] the distressing | blighting in baneful circumstances, getting no fee and Most lawyers, der its consequentes that they would have sought other plac- habitation and not remain every thing and every body, apparently of in z against the prisoner, would have al unty where human life- was of so lit- doned the fight. An appeal to the Su- preme Court was of costly, and the prisoner had no money, and friends had none, and the future seemed Hed with gloom. But Mr. noted own tle value necessity The persistency with which Mr. Clements pursued his fis for Wright's life had upon the Democratic press of Virginia. The newspapers generally up the ques- tion, and many of them published full and pertinacity ht its effect hopeless and fi Clements did 1 peal; he went down into hesitate; he an his accounts of the case, strongly comment- 1] ing upon the insufficiency of the evi- dence to to justify and Wright's and ament, and went in and had printed elaborate ex- brief of an conviction, stive serting the general belief in Supreme Cow of Richmond, obtained a before Virg papers, innocence. at and] ficed upon the altar of human dice and perjured and illegal testimon preju re and writ ; 1 and supersedeas, and stopped] and he spent his own money —a large for which the nd gave his time and valu- on of Wright, amount — Jing, a seat upon the stage, and an urge J the 50 ngide of were already ected at a cost able labor to save a human soul from ' will he’ per make ce speeches All 1s are invited to attend. The gal- iery will be | Col. P. H. Carson, General lager not surprised at the turn of| J. W. Bell, President | ved ff What | Saw And Heard I am the meeting of the Blaine Inyincible} J. O. Minor, First Vice President Club took Pierce, Second Vice President. ber, chairman of the Tho had rank Wells, W. Lays, Assistant Secretary. sae circular announcing a W. E My dear friend, Mr.j J. R. R. Horner, certainly would not have 7: allowed his nome to have been mention- I Payne, Assistant Sergeant-d ed that of Mr. there] T. H. Marshall, Marshal not an understanding. Dr. W. K. ott and Dr. Then, again, Mr. Horner would Evening : have gone to a certain representative Republican and invited him to his meet- last week. Mr. Sidney iBe-| ‘lection Commit- John L nas, Financial Secretary. have ! Ce District Buildin; printed the Mass meeting. tee, must an understanding the janitor of the , before his name : Recording Secretary. with Perry rson, was | Thomas, Corresponding Secy. Jones, Marshall, Chaplain R. Wells, Sergeant-at-Arn on Yreasurer. t-Arms with of iBeber had been R. LGaines,} not Physician Leroy Harvey, Attorney | R. C. Scot, A nt j Bd Cha Attornney nan =Executive ) ent request that this gentlem Rend Mr. Bieber. 1 The the Com- | oBard mittee, Mr. Bieber, was a candidate, but] | was rather surprised to see my two| the meeting called un- n support Avres, Secretary to Executive rman < Election on his arrival 3 lady friends, one a teacher and the oth-| t ie Mattie FE These Ir - auspices of Carson’s Cle Ww dre the auspices of Carson’s Club,known in poli and Mrs. of the er an ex-teacher, part as the Blaine Invincibles, he lost cour-| 36, Miss 3owen Julia Layton are two r- al- cap Pp black solemn f was tested, the ahsec 4 ost When docket the start on the reached Court, Mr.Clem- the case was of the Supre JAMES E. CL Che Man Who Defended and Saved best-known ladies, and two of the most | deserving ladies in the but they should not allow their gratitude to their friend Horner to force them in meeting Miss Bowen city, against their best friends. should keep t school of Ci polities, and attend Mrs. Layton Horner. Not- of to her dutie is a relativ AGRAPHIC NEWS By Miss Beatriz L. Chase. Mrs. president of Layton, of Wor Convention of Philadelphia, "s National Bap- tist America, made an Idress at the Cosmopolitan . = Temple W Baptist Church Rey Drew pastor, last Sunday Rev. Charles G. known Key, one in of the best Wrshingtor Wednesday week in Baltimore, was stricken a few par many ministers the Conference, who died ks death with old. ent days before his sis He was 78 years and years ago he Howard Uni- versity was a st in The Senate passed a bill for the pur- President Zachary Mrs.Lola Wood, grandson chase of the bust of $2,000 1 Wood, widow of lor for the of President Taylor Ambassador Reid, al for who spent leave in this country, has sailed London a mass meet- The principal speaker at ing to be held in Sharp Street Method- Church, Md, in the interest of the Prov- al of the Monumental C A.M Advocate ist Episcopal altimore February 2 idence will be The states Hosp Dr Portland Curtis, of this city. correct- very ly the truth in saying that EMENTS, ESQ, Innocet He SHEPPARD, did more; he performed a service to the the South < z col race for which they should be destruction and ignominious death er in red can possibly signify be it to h credit, But, Mr. Clements flinche he the insidiov never an eye never yielded an inch and subtle opposition rose to meet him ot sought to block his progress and crush every turn, him by every trick known to law, 1 be vise t the law. He stood of this unfortunate the and by every wile that co de in the name of alone in the defens creature till two o'clock in the morning of the second day of the tr battling with Prosecuting Attorney and the hostile Court and the prejudiced and perjured witnesses, and sought to stem the feeling, awful tide of local and_ sectional intensely inflamed and threat- ening, by pleading for a trial not the nor upon crim prejudice abhorrent character the Negro white upon embittered eeainst 2 charged with criminal assault upon a woman, n upon accusation, wever heinous the Y and revolting it might be; there before the jury demanding in the of the Giver of Life and for the good fame mere but he stood name Great Light, name 4 } tri the sake of Old Virgin a J t al, a trial upon the evi- dence, a trial without prejudice or pas- sion, as guaranteed by the Constitution no reason in itself to establish his guilt. of Virginia and Constitution of the Union. and of fair the It was a masterly defense; not an in- stant did om the responsi- bility he had undertaken even at ur past midnight, he swerve f not that late and solemn h when the court tors were worn out with the long and and jury and specta- severe strain, when the verdict of death was pronounced by the j he waiver in his duty. Mr. Clements con- with the trial days’ time present ia id inued pleading hostile fudge for a few his motion for a new trial, and when s denied (wrongfully so, as all rs agree), he besought the Court for a few hours in order to get other ad material evidence obtainable at the to batted | forever grateful, a service that should be forgotten, by saving Wright’s he brought prominently before the people of this the fact that even if a black man he still a human being, and because he may be d with horrible crime And further, Mr. Clemtms emphasized the that the colored i ll bad, nor at heart vicious rapists, not By life went again to Richmond, and ar- the case for two days with the At-| Virginia opposing all the legal ma- General of both races in country backed State; mney and by chinery of the and a new trial was refused by a bare majoity of one cha a is Court three to two, the judges all that Wright had| en convicted upon illegal and incom- should the standing declaring fact petent that not. have been permitted by the trial judge to go testimony, speech to the jury. Mr. Clements vin- the jury dicated the race from this slander, and that in the main they were d law-abiding citizens, and declared The two dissenting opinions of Judges Whittle were strong and able Wright's behalf that Mr.} Clements proceeded to prepare another | brief of great force, asking for a re- peaceful Cardwell and in when the father and brother were ab- sent on the field of battle, the old col- ored man was in many instances the trusted guardian and sole protector of the women of the Southern homes. The by Mr. Clements stands out prominently in a class by itself, and he is entitled to a niche in the Hall of Fame. It should always be remembered as striking example of what courage, work, and faith a man’s ability, and confidence ghteor and tice will accomplish in this world hearing, in which he argued with fine ability for an opportunity to be heard again by the Supreme Court; but by the same divided court this motion was The two judges who dissent- | victory won refused ed declared that the evidence,was not} sufficient to convict Wright, and put it their opinion that the crime itself had not been established or} mn record as determination in proved. Mr. his untiring and costly in the Clements, however, did not cease labor; he to work and got up many affidavits, at| expense, from many the trial had been found, and; knew of matters terial to the of Wright; armed with] these and the entire record and the two ness ju of his cause wet his own persons | DR. CORROTHERS. who since who m sility and, ; ate for he National Republican Convention. defense UNITED REPUBLICAN CLUBS. Next Monday evening the United Re- j publican Clubs of the District of Co- | nbia will hold a public meeting at | True Reformers’ Hall. Every Repub- Clements afterwards succeeded in| lican Club that is organized under the dismissed from the docket the| auspices of the United Republican Club other cases that were lodged] is requested to be present next Monday the prisoner,—two capital of-| night at seven o’clocck. one other felony,—all of| ' Among the speakers are Attorneys Thomas L. Jones, Judge E. M. Hew- lett, W. Calvin Chase, J. B. McLaugh- n, and others. dissenting opinions of the two judges, e laid the case before the Governor of Virginia, and finally obtained a com-} >, ation of sentence to life imprison- mcnt. Mr havi thiee aga’ fenses them growing out of the alleged crim-| inal assault and out of the perjured tes-| timony accumulated by the prosecution, | which undoubtedly inspired the other | indictments against the prisoner. i After the commutation of Wright's of and In the near future there will be_an independent labor party in this country. t not, the prosecuting attorney charged in his referred to the days of the Civil War, | Rey. S. L. Cororthers will in all prob- | be a candidate for delegate to} that the called He meeting of age found mai idred hopele: one nd twenty- | were ly divided | an endorsement would | he four persons and an attempt have been a failure here are about fifty-six memb SENATOR J.B —— FORAKER all belonging to the Blaine Invincibles, { with the ticket named by their ex-president, | I president, P. H. Carson, Bell as a figurehead and Bell must do as Car- It was through Car- and two-thirds of them are opposed to uld be careful am vagran This and stringent but in fact ; who Jacl under his thumb. law will be passed gress law covers all kinds vagrants, especially political “va: The town is son directs him son that Bell was appointed under th > ei Rounder Districy government. The most amusing thing wass when | Procsident Bell discovered that his mass He and DR -*PARD February the JAMES E. SHE New York City, There man 14. uth any colored meeting was against his candidate ruled the opposition of order declared that only the members of the Even is ne in out to the Sheppard, of This distinguished and more popular and use than Dr. James E Durham, N. ( well known young man has adopted a race club would be permitted to vote jthen there was a division among the} broke up in|} rder | The speakers took opportur to} Editor Chase, that | ° o- to be siding officer, Bell, did, who had better} Dr ministers The largest members and the i ¢ meeting ; s new problem for the colored Americans in this country. He is teaching them a the pre- religion, so to speak, which seems a great benefit. new to denounce addressed th white New York city last meeting held . Sheppard remain at his work under the District enti tt government. Fred Dyson, a, member of the police, and Eugene Welburn ,a laborer in the Government Printing Office ,were very Perhaps Mr. Dy- t there lice | | regulation forbidding members of the was in one week the churches in the His sub- for the subject in a of white {city or State of New York. ject was “Religious Education Negro.” He handled masterly ma dt w much disappointed aware ¢ is a pe son is not nner s eloquence elec- : 2 1ich consisted of force to mix up in politics. I am aware that he has frequently passed uncomplimentary remarks about the Edtior of The Bee. If the td strike back he would be decl When he does strike it will be an effective blow The basement of the District Build- x seems to be a rendezvous f local politicians and political j I am confident that the Com-|{ | | who c was white sters in the city New At the his address he left fe conference the leading mir e of York con- clusion of ton, Mass., nd where he held a seis an of the International with thec hai see Giga School Executive Committee MADAME DAVIS. One of the is Madame wt hi most gifted women ir city Davi fifth street northwest te fiscus- | ¢ . discus: of 1228 <S} sic She = woman nissioners do not allow such. s I print below the cireular nded me a few days ago: A Masss Meeting under the auspices} of the Blaine Invincible Republican Club will be held at the True Reformers’ | «tt eee Se. wavice. Hall, Twelfth and U streets northwest, | Thursday, February 13, 1908, at 7.30} Dr. Woodward, Health Officer of the p.m. at which time Mr, R. R. Horner,} pistrict of Columbia, wants all cats attorney at law, and Mr, Sidney Bieber taxed. nd those n th : gh ture with of consulted ber claim remarkable gift. The who have that young she the old should as ; Rev | i red man’s ov ig traits are rpowerit envy and j paras to lousy reported that Joe Gans inten the world t He has sworn elevate sporting forming eff from drinking opposer yvbody’s progress but their own PW. tour and res effort,” and hooves Negro.” j Cessive and ; As usual, the smoking critics and begun because Editor has started to make a “A distinctively race History of the wish him success. “A Negro Woman Gets a Job’ article tel!l- to write Ve is the scandalous headline over a: ing of the success of Miss Wright, her lity, proved Lilian B who by not her fitness under color, her as | mimeo- the general graphist and copyist Government Alonzo Johnsc the priesthood at St. John’s P: scopal Church,Hartford, Con- necticut, by Rt. Rev. Chauncey B.Brev Rev. W. V. Tunnell, of Ho University, is in attendance. 1 is today ordair edt ite estant Ep ster. The Temple of Labor to be erected in this city is to be a million-dollarr building, and the design has been sut mitted, Dr. William M who died last Saturday, was V Starr, d to be the oldest res- dent of hington. He 1807 From was born the descriptior Mr editor of the Evening the car in which he and vy had travel th Railroad from Chicago to California in the month just p: given by Crosby S. Noyes, his fam- Santa Fe Southern st, and Star. to over must have been a “Jim Crow” c the , employees of the road must have been mistaken in their passengers The wedding present of the young : lady who is librarian of the Carneg' Library at Atlanta is the income of Continued on Page 4