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Michael Jackson Natalie Cole’s Federal Jud " Rites held for youngest to make ex-husband to AlceeHastii . , nan Ebony’s top 100 speak Sunday is Kappa speaker ■ rs Page 2 Page 5 Page 1I Page 1 Augusta VOLUME 13 NUMBER 53 Mclntyre facing 60 years Blacks stunned by verdict by Mallory K. Millender As the hours passed and the jury deliberated the evidence in the federal extortion trial of Mayor Edward M. Mclntyre, he sat out side on the steps of the Federal Court house talking freely with supporters. He laughed easily, and answered their questions. Only his weary, red eyes betrayed his coolness. He refused to discuss the trial, but he talked confidently of being able to generate money to pay his legal fees which he said are now well in excess of SIOO,OOO. The rest of his conversation was vintage Ed Mclntyre: building Augusta into a utopia. FBI agent R. T. Smith came up the stairs. Mclntyre poin ted out that it was Smith who arrested him on Dec. 21. Mclntyre nodded, but his eyes flashed fire. After a while, it began to rain, and he escaped inside the lobby of the courthouse where many more supporters and reporters waited. There he struck up a conversation with John H. Ruffin Jr., one of the defense attorneys. By the time their conversation broke up the rain had stopped and many people returned to the cour thouse steps, to while the time away. Just as boredom was star ting to set in, people started scurrying toward the door. The jury had reached a verdict. Augustans react to verdict The guilty verdict on federal ex tortion and conspiracy charges returned against Augusta Mayor Edward Mclntyre left Augustans with mixed reactions. The Augusta News-Review has conducted a poll of area residents, Black and white, as well as in terested non-residents who either attended the trial or were familiar with the proceedings. The reactions are as follows: “Fifty-two percent Black in the city and only three Negroes on that jury. They can lynch you and me and do anything they want. I feel Party asked to oppose 2nd primaries by Theresa Minor State Rep. Tyrone Brooks, head of the Jesse Jackson cam paign in Georgia, has issued a challenge to the Georgia Democratic Party to go on record opposing what is being termed “second primaries” or run-off elections. During an Atlanta news con ference, Brooks blasted the prac tice as “a sinister scheme per petuated by so-called democrats to bar meaningful political par ticipation of Black Georgia citizens.” Brooks said that second primaries have been extremely ef fective in nullifying Black gover nment representation in the state; citing that though Blacks in the state account for 33-percent of the voting age population, there has never been a Black candidate elec ted statewide. “We do not accept the premise that the second primary was Wyt-. .1 i,j ' ' ji 1 W I 1 ■Kag|HBHK AWAITING THE VERDICT, Mayor Edward M. Mclntyre poses with Ella Singleton (left) and Amanda O’ Bryant. Inside the court room Mclntyre sat behind his team of defense at torneys, on the right side of the court room. On the left side were his mother, the Rev. Essie Mae Mcln- as bad as anybody after having stuck with it so long and prayed about it.”—David C. Brown, Flagler Road. “It means that the jury believed Joe Jones instead of the mayor. It’s just disgusting. I have followed the testimony. It didn’t seem they had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ed was guilty.”—State Rep. Billy McKinney, Atlanta. “The only thing that made me feel he was guilty was when he testified he took the $9,000. If he’s going to appeal his case, I think he created to keep the democratic par ty strong,” said Brooks. “We will not be intimidated by those who say that Jesse Jackson and his campaign would seek to destroy the democratic party in the South. Nor would we seek to appease and accomodate the closet republicans in our state.” Brooks said that the Georgia Jesse Jackson Campaign Commit tee is prepared to work within the framework of the state party if Georgia democrats would refute run-off elections. But he cautioned that if this does not take place during the yet to be scheduled meetings with the state party chairman, former White House director of the Office of Management and Budget Bert Lance, that legal steps to rectify the controversy will be taken. “We’re also confident that if we choose this course that second primaries will be struck down based on our position that this tyre, his wife, Juanita, and his daughter, Wanda. Before calling the jury into the courtroom, Judge Dudley Bowen warned the spectators that there could stay in office. He hasn’t really done anything to hurt Augusta. But he has done a lot to help the city.”—Toni Comber, South Richmond County. “My gut feeling is that he is guilty. But I don’t think they proved that in court. I think in the mind of the jury what was more important in weighing the decision than the evidence was his color.” —Marvin Jones, Myrtle Drive. “I really didn’t think he was guilty of any of the three counts with the evidence they device is racially discriminatory.” Brooks charged. Though Brooks would not comment on how he believes the apparent ultimatum will be received by Lance and other party officials, he was optimistic about the outcome. “We believe that we can convin ce the party to abolish second primaries as a resolution. We believe the Georgia General Assembly would vote that resolution into law,” he said. The state lawmaker indicated that sights were being set on the national party heads as well. “We have to challenge Mr. Charles Manatt who is the national democratic chairperson,” Brooks said. He concluded the news con ference by saying that the move to abolish run-off elections in the state could be expedited if “Black citizens start calling on their state legislators.” May 5,1984 were to be no outbursts or reaction of any kind, irrespective of how the jury ruled. Then he summoned see Verdict page 3 had.” —Thomas Hankerson, Augusta, Ga. “If Ed had not been of the race he is, this would not have developed the way it did. There are those who feel threatened by men of color who have very progressive ideas. This will serve to solidify well-thinking Blacks and well thinking whites. And though whe have had a major set back, we shall overcome —not someday, but soon.” —Rev. Nathaniel Irvin, North Augusta, S.C. “1 really don’t think he should resign. I believe in him and I trust in him and I always will. If the Black people would stick together we could pull him through this.”—Helen Germany, Sunset Villa. “I think he’s guilty. As far as I see it, he’s the leader of the com munity and people looked up to him. But he does something like this, and I think it’s as bad as any other crime. I think he should step down and let somebody else take over that we can depend on and not have to worry about in the future.” —Laura Boyer, Evans, Ga. “I do believe he received a fair trial and I do think he’s guilty. But with what new information that can turn up in his appeal, it makes you believe that maybe there is something that could prove his in nocence. So I don’t know if I would want him to resign. But I think that he should take a leave of absence until any doubt is cleared up.”—Debbie Suma, Martinez, Ga. Less than 75 percent Advertising Unacceptable verdict Editorial We do not impugn the motives of any of the jurors in Mayor Edward Mclntyre’s extortion trial; however, the guilty verdict on all three counts against him amounts to a political lynching. We do not accept the verdict. We know that juries have been wrong before. Ask Lenell Geter. And if it were possible, ask the people who were mur dered by the KKK in North Carolina. Their murderers went free. Yes, juries are sometimes wrong, no mat ter how well-intentioned they are. There is no justice when murderers go free and outstanding public servants go to jail. Mclntyre murdered no one. He was set up by a man—posing as his friend —bent on vengeance after his Riverfront Development Plan was rejected in favor of one submitted by the American Cities Cor poration. Mclntyre now faces 60 years in prison, plus a $30,000 fine, with still another trial looming Federal judge to speak Federal Judge Alcee Lamar Hastings will be the speaker Sun day at the 32nd anniversary of the Augusta Alumni Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. The program will be held in the Gilbert- Lambuth Chapel of Paine College at 3:30 p.m. A graduate of Fisk University, Judge Hastings attended the Howard University School of Law and received the juris doctorate from Florida A & M University’s College of Law. He practiced law in Ft. Lauderdale from 1964 to 1967. In 1977, he was appointed Cir cuit Court judge of Broward County by Gov. Ruben Askew. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter ap pointed him U.S. District Judge Yewiston Myers dies Funeral services were held Wed nesday at Trinity C.M.E. Church for Yewiston Myers Sr. He died April 28 at the age of 80. He retired from the Richmond County School system after 39 years, 34 of them as principal. He served on the City Council of Augusta and was a member of the Civil Service Commission at the time of his death. A member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, he graduated from Paine College, and earned the master’s degree from Wayne State University. He joined Trinity C.M.E. Chur ch in 1923 after moving to Augusta from Saluda, S.C. At Trinity, he served as a steward and as a trustee. He was a member of the senior choir, a Sun day School Teacher and formerly before him on additional charges. If Mclntyre is guilty of extortion, then there must have been a victim of the extortion. He is accused of attempting to extort money from former Mayor Lewis A. Newman, businessman L.D. Waters, and FBI agent Thirwell. Newman testified that Mclntyre never asked him for money. Waters said he never asked him for money. Mclntyre did say that he wanted to retire in a condominium on the Savannah River. Wouldn’t any of us? But that is not extortion. Throughout the secretly recorded tapes of the con versations between Mcln tyre and Waters, there is never a request of anything from Waters on Mclntyre’s part, there is just a lot of friendly con versation about the mayor’s willingness to assist a local developer in getting a bid to develop land on the river. As for agent Thirwell, it was he who offered Mcln- see Unacceptable page 4 Judge Alcee Hastings for the Southern District of Florida. The public is invited. A < Yewiston N. Myers Sr. the church treasurer. He also served as treasurer of the Paine College National Alumni Association for more than 20 years. 30C