Article about civil rights activist Robert Moses\u27s request for a federal investigation into racially-motivated violence in Natchez, Miss., after local authorities failed to act; Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.)https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jws_clip/1263/thumbnail.jp

United Press International

English

eGrove (Univ. of Mississippi)

University of Mississippi eGrove Clippings James W. Silver Collection 5-7-1964 Secret Killings Claimed In State United Press International Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jws_clip Recommended Citation United Press International, "Secret Killings Claimed In State" (1964). Clippings. 264. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jws_clip/264 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the James W. Silver Collection at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Clippings by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact egrove@olemiss.edu. ENN., THURSDAY Secret Killings Claimed In State Negro Civil Rights Leader Asks Investigation In Natchez Area NATCHEZ, Miss., May 6.-(UPI)-A young civil rights leader called Wednesday for a Justice Department investi-gation into an alleged outbreak of racial killings, beatings and cross burnings in Southwest Misslissippi. Negro Robert Moses told a state advisory committee to I the United States Civil Rights Commission of at least five "mystery" killings in the area over recent months in which he said no .one had been ar-rested or indicted . . Moses, state program direc-tor for the Council of Federat-ed Organizations (C.O.F.O.), was one of several witnesses who testified before the state committee, set up to investi-gate reports of discrimination in voting rights, employment and other .areas. The commit-tee will send a report on its findings to the Federal civil . rights group for further action. Archie C. Curtis, a Natchez Negro funeral director, testi-fied he and another Negro were severely whipped near Natchez last Feb. 16 by five men wearing hoods over their I heads. He said the beating, on a rural road away from the ~ city, apparently, stemmed from - his efforts to help other Ne-groes register to vote. : Other witnesses told of ~ crosses being burned, threat- I , ening phone calls and Negroes I being fired from their jobs. : Most of the alleged offenses were reported from Amite, Wilkinson, Pike and Adams counties. Moses said four of the al-leged killings were in Wilkin-son and one in Amite County. He said three Negroes were found dead in a car near Wood-, ville and two others were shot to death, one near Liberty and another near Woodville. Moses said he had no evi-dence that local authorities may be directly involved in any of the reported trouble but charged they "certainly are guilty of winking at these ac-tivities." The hearing was presided over by Dr. A. B. Britton, Ne~ gro physician from Jackson. Among those on hand was William Taylor, general coun-· sel for the United States Civil Rights Commission. -Several Negro and white spectators jam m e d into a small conference room in the I United States Post Office for : the day-long hearing, part of · which was closed to newsmen. · There we-re' no incidents. Among those testifying was Father William F. Morrissey, white pastor of a Natchez Catholic church with a Negro congregation. 

Secret Killings Claimed In State

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1263&amp;context=jws_clip

Secret Killings Claimed In State

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

eGrove (Univ. of Mississippi)