1946

In this era overwhelmed with “alternative facts” and half-truths, of so-called “yellow journalism”, in times of a persistent sense of hopelessness and a permanent state of helplessness, combined with a real lack of objectivity in reporting of many a story—big or small, it is refreshing to know that, when my father was covering a news story—whatever its length or importance, he covered it accurately, acknowledging only the facts for, to write anything else would have gone completely against his principles. 

For an instance, there’s a case in 1946 Columbia, Tennessee following World War II.  This was a particularly egregious scene involving a lynch mob and a black serviceman fresh from fighting in World War II, and his mother, wherein hundreds of agitated white men and boys had gathered.

My dad had jumped into an automobile full of reporters to speed to Windsor to cover the story.  The crowds were still there when the reporters all arrived and witnessed embers yet smoldering.

This is the story of a certain Gladys Stephenson who wanted nothing more than to have her radio repaired at a local shop which happened to be white-owned. 

Given a price for the service, Mrs. Stephenson promised to return later with the agreed-upon monies.  Upon her return to pick up her radio, she was told that services for repair would be more than she had been told.  Royally upset, this black woman went home and reported the new charge to her armed services veteran son who decided to accompany her back to the repair shop.

Mind you, Mrs. Stephenson’s son was accustomed to white people as, he had engaged all sorts and conditions of Nazis in combat and defeated them.  And, he had been a boxer in the service.

The shopkeeper expressed conspicuous consternation and a desire to hit Mother for having the nerve to question his pricing policies.  One thing led to another and the storeowner socked the veteran son, after which a Battle Royal ensued. All parties were arrested, and there was a broken window involved.

Needless to say, as word rapidly traveled throughout the city, crowds gathered around the jail and there was talk (of course) of lynching.  Blacks began to organize to get the mom and son out.  There were shotguns, pistols, and positioning in strategic places in preparation for a volatile encounter. 

As has been frequently the case, the Whites made every attempt to burn as many businesses owned by Blacks as was possible.  But, many of the Blacks wounded the white arsonists.  And, as per usual, the sheriff was called in along with the state’s National Guard, a measure that caused the Blacks to defend their property primarily due to their positioning of themselves on rooftops & in other strategic locations for clear views. 

In the end, a total of twenty-five African Americans were arrested for “attempted murder”.  Notwithstanding, upon thorough search, National Guard troops could find no incriminating weapons of any kind on or around the men.  Brilliantly, the NAACP sent in a team under the leadership of Z. Alexander Looby, for fear of repercussions. At the trial of the twenty-five men,    ingenious, strategic questioning on the part of Looby resulted in the  unconditional release of twenty-three of the twenty-five. 

As their added insurance, a young Thurgood Marshall was summoned from New York City to “clean things up”.  The trial over, and upon threats made by members of the Ku Klux Klan, Marshall and his cohorts pulled out of there in their car to return to the North.  

But, of course, law enforcement was still quite upset over the outcome of the trial; so, in a couple of unmarked cars, police followed Marshall and his colleagues, Maurice Weaver and Looby, in a vain hope on the part  of the cops that they could catch these “Negroes” doing something illegal.  When they stopped the car, they found only thermoses of water and an occasional empty Coca Cola container.  No alcohol, as the police had so wished. They, then, had to send the lawyers on their way.

A few miles down the road, dissatisfied at not finding incriminating evidence, the police stopped them again, this time to ask for drivers’ licenses.  All documents were in order.  Again, they were forced to let go of Thurgood Marshall, future justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America, and his colleagues. 

In a third attempt by the police, Marshall and his “band of merry men” had to stop one more time for a charge of  “driving drunk”.  Of course, no one gets drunk from drinking Coca Cola; but, this time, Marshall, et al, were arrested and placed in the back seat of the unmarked cars because they “looked drunk”.

A certain white reporter by the name of Harry Raymond, at work for the Communist Party (that had taken up the cause of Mrs. Stephenson and her son), who had been present at the trial, had taken it upon himself to follow the unmarked cars which had pursued Marshall’s.  Suspicious of what they were about to do, Redmond stopped his car and got out to confront them when they stopped.  For all intents and purposes, the police were on their way to some deserted place in the country where, surely, they were going to lynch Marshall and his cohorts and throw their bodies into the nearby Duck River because that was what they did in those days.  Harry Raymond was sure of this, so he warned them in no uncertain terms that there would be dire consequences for any such action. The admonition must have worked, though, of course, Raymond hadn’t a leg to stand on!   He had no weapons and no one to back him up.  ‘I know what you’re about to do!’ he probably said.  Thus, fear of repercussions is, indeed, powerful motivation, especially for those intent on doing evil. So, for all intents and purposes, Harry Raymond had saved Thurgood Marshall’s life!

A fabulous oral accounting of the incident is given by Carol Anderson, a Charles Howard Chandler professor of African American studies at Emory University in Atlanta.  She is best-selling author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Nation’s Divide.  Now, do you think that the venerable Emory professor would have been able to capture details of the incident so accurately had it not been for the incisive reporting of “pool” journalists such as my father?  When I think of the drudges at Fox news and similar outlets who report in their own interests, I rejoice that Albert L. Hinton’s works remain extant for us to continually enjoy and absorb.

Had it not been for his absolute adherence to his journalistic principles of following closely the facts, and only the facts in his straight news stories, we may never have garnered the whole truth, especially the hidden facts.  Who knew this about Thurgood Marshall?

Following the incident, and firmly ensconced in safe surroundings, Thurgood Marshall filed a complaint by telegram to U.S. Attorney General Tom Clark.  It read:

“Monday night, after leaving Columbia, Tennessee, where we secured the acquittal of two Negroes charged with crimes growing out of February disturbances, three lawyers, including myself, were stopped outside of Columbia by three carloads of officers including deputy sheriff, constables and highway patrolmen.  Alleged purpose was to search for whiskey.  When no whiskey was found, we were stopped by same officials two more times and on last occasion I was placed under arrest for driving while drunk and returned to Columbia. Magistrate refused to place me in jail after examining me and finding I was extremely sober. “This type of intimidation of defense lawyers charged with duty of defending persons charged with crime cannot go unnoticed. Therefore, demand immediate investigation and criminal charges against officers participating in last night’s outrage.  Three lawyers were: Z. Alexander Looby, M. Weaver and myself.”

Thurgood Marshall

= Albert L. Hinton