Newspaper Page Text
Gov. asked
to investigate
youth’s death
Page 1
VOLUME 14 NUMBER 35
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DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM—Karen Brown and Keith Saunders
Ala. governor asked to investigate youth ’5 death
TALLADEGA —The Southern
Christian Leadership Conference
is calling on the U.S. Justice
Department and Alabama Gover
nor George Wallace to
investigate the death of a 15-year
old Black youth who was shot and
killed by police in the town of
Childersburg on Dec. 28.
SCLC President Joseph Lowery,
said SCI C was asked bv the family
of Michael Jerome Johnson to use
its influence to demand a full in
vestigation. In addition to contac
ting the Justice Department and
the Governor’s office. SCLC has
arranged tor a second autopsy on
Johnson’s body. District attorn-
Stye Augusta Nnus-Iteuteui
Jessye Norman
ey, Robert Rumsey, said a grand
jury will review the circumstances
of the shooting of Johnson, who
was apparently unarmed.
Police report that Johnson was
driving a van that had been stolen
from the driveway of a home in
Munford. The van was spotted at
a Chevron station near Childer
sburg on U.S. 280.
According to closely guarded
police reports, after police
surrounded the van, Johnson and
20-year old Kimble Wayne Moore
of Alpine, Ala. reportedly jumped
from the van and started running.
Moore was caught and pinned to
the ground but Johnson escaped,
Protestors
at inauguration
target jobs, racism
Page 3
Augustans brave zero
weather, S3O seats
to see Jessye Norman
and Karen Brown
In spite of record temperatures
hovering just above zero,
Augustans greeted Metropolitan
Opera star Jessye Norman and
Karen Brown of the Dance Theatre
of Harlem —both Augusta
natives— with a standing-room
only evening of repeated ovations
in the Gilbert-Lambuth Chapel at
Paine College.
Ms. Norman suggested to Paine
officials that the Dance Theatre of
Harlem be a part of the concert
kicking off the sll million fun
draising drive —Campaign For
Excellence— which is expected to
result in a Library-Theatre Lear
ning Resources Complex. She ser
ves as honorary chairperson for
the campaign.
After performing several selec-
running behind an adjoining con
venience store and leaping a fence
into a ditch.
Childersburg police officers,
Tim Unger and Charles Brown,
said they chased Johnson and fired
several shots, Johnson was found
wounded in the ditch. He died on
the way to Birmingham HospiaL
Rev. John Nettled, Anniston,
Ala. SCLC State President said
Johnson’s mother, Vivian
Ferguson of Jenifer, Ala., told him
she found out her son was dead
about an hour after the shooting.
“All I know is that he was home
for Christmas,’’ she said.
Childersburg Police Chief, Ira
Pilgr
Io:
college
Page 3 |
January 26, 1985
tions in German, she sang tour
spirituals alone and four more with
the Paine College Choir and the
Morehouse Glee Club.
It was obvious throughout that
she enjoyed herself. Her mother
was in the audience. So were her
sister and brothers. They all had
flown in earlier in the day from
Washington, D.C. where Ms.
Norman sang at President
Reagan’s inauguration. Augusta-
Chronicle Herald Publisher
William S. Morris 111 —fearing the
weather might delay flights from
Washington, D.C.— dispatched
his airplane for Ms. Norman and
her family’s trip to Augusta.
Paine College President William
H. Harris read a letter from Mayor
Charles A. DeVaney, who was out
of town, offeMteg the first com
muMtive medals cut for the City’s
250th anniversary in 1986 to the
honorees.
County Commissioner Henry
Brigham gave them a plaque.
Russell Brown, brother of Karen
Brown, presented her with roses.
Her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Allen
Brown, were in the audience with
their other children.
Ms. Norman is a graduate of
Howard University but said that
she feels as much attached to Paine
as to her own alma mater.
Edwin Moses case puzzles supporters
Olympic gold medalist Edwin
Moses has not been charged with
soliciting prostitution or
possession of marijuana by the Los
Angeles City Attorney’s office, a
spolesman said l ast week.
Despite Los Angeles police
complaints that Moses allegedly
solicited an undercover police of
ficer who was posing as a prostitute
in Hollywood early last week, and
had a small quantity of marijuana
in his car, City Attorney
spolesman Alan Dahle said no
charges had been filed against the
international sports star.
When asked why no charges had
been filed despite the widely repor
ted allegations, Dahle refused to
make further comment.
“As of now,” he said, “no
charges have been filed against
Edwin Moses. In the interest of
avoiding complications and
misunderstandings, I really can’t
say anything else.”
Earlier, Moses told reporters at
tending a news conference in the
Finn, said his officers had received
an earner radio broadcast from the
Talladega County Sheriff’s Depar
tment warning that the stolen van
was occupied by “heavily armed”
Black males who had taken a white
man captive. The report was tran
smitted through official police
channels and appeared on police
teletypes, Finn said. No weapons
were found either in the van or on
Johnson or Moore.
SCLC wants the Justice Depar
tment anu tne governor’s office to
investigate the shooting and the my
sterious circumstances surrounding
the false report of arms and the sub
sequent kiiing of the unarmed youth.
I Fdwin Moses
puzzles
ipporters
| Page 1
Less than 75 percent Advertising
Thomas McCain named
county administrator
by Nita Wiggins
Dr. Thomas C. McCain this
month began a two-year term as
Edgefield’s first Black county ad
ministrator since Reconstruction.
The former Paine College
professor, who “somehow got
fascinated about the problems (of
government) and how to find
solutions,” last year won a U.S.
Supreme Court case that led to the
overthrow of the at-large voting
system in Edgefield County and
the election of three Blacks to the
five member county council. The
councilmen appointed McCain
county administrator. He is rep
sonsible for the operations of daily
government.
McCain said that he is not
disturbed that the council members
voted along racial lines (3-2) selec
ting him over the other applicants.
“I would like to have seen a
unanimous vote,” he said, and
later added, “I hope the vote to
rehire me will be unanimous.
“1 am looking forward to the
challenges (of the county ad
ministrator’s job) and 1 don’t have
any reservations about my
qualificaions,” said McCain, who
is also chairman of the Edgefield
County Democratic Party.
The 44 year-old Ph.D. from
Ohio State University feels his
computer science knowledge will
be valuable as the county converts
from paper to a computerized
system of bookkeeping.
McCain filed a class action suit
in 1974 to protest the at-large voting
procedure of Edgefield’s District II
after his unsuccessful bid for a
council seat. He won three times
in his district, but was defeated
each time at-large.
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Edwin Moses
Airport Hilton Hotel that he was
“very sorry for any discomfort he
has caused” his wife, friends, and
supporters.
Moses, who has vowed to
“fight” the charges, said he would
comment further following a “full
investigation of responsible
authorities.”
“I do not want to suggest that
anyone is at fault,” Moses added.
Accompanying him at the news
conference were his wife Myrella,
and his attorney, Harold Lipton.
“Due to the advice of my attor
neys,” 1 Moses continued, “I can
not say any more. We do not wish
to try this case in the press. That’s
all I have to say.”
Moses then left the room and
refused to answer any questions.
John Naber, an Olympic gold
medalist in swimming, told repor
ters afterwards, “I honestly feel
Edwin is telling the truth.
“Edwin is a friend of mine. I
find the charges against him hard
to believe.”
Many other among Moses’
tnends, associates, ana supporters
made similar statements.
A gold medal winner in the 400-
meter hurdles in the 1976 and 1984
T I
Dr. Thomas C. McCain
He argued that tne practice denied
minority participation on the county
council. Edgefield was the last
majority-Black county in South
Carolina with no Black elected of
ficials. The county’s election plan
required candidates to live in par
ticular locations, but they were
voted on at-large.
The case reached the Supreme
Court, which handed down a
unanimous decision supporting
McCain’s view.
The high court’s ruling, which
required the county districts to
replace the at-large voting system,
made possible the election of three
Black councilmen this past
November.
McCain taught mathematics and
computer science at Paine College
for 15 years before deciding to
pursue a doctorate in academic
programming.
Searching for administrative ex
perience, he left Paine for a job at
the Georgia Regional Hospital in
1983.
“I went to the Georgia Regional
Hospital as a means of trving to
See McCain, Page 3
Olympics, and unbeaten in 109
consecutive races, Moses probably
was/is the most highly respected
track and field athlete in the world,
world.
But, as one tract and field
auditor said, “This nebulous story
could not have been treated more
sensationally by some of the media
if Edwin Moses had been Charlie
Mason.”
Naber said he was disturbed at
the massive turnout for Tuesday’s
news conference. He pointed out
that Moses recently held a news
conference in Los Angeles to
promote the positive values of
sports for young people which was
poorly attended.
Naber also said that he
numerous awards Moses has
received are undoubtedly respon
sible for bringing on the attention
his case is now receiving.
“With all the good he’s done, I
feel (he’s being treated like a)
black marble in a white ocean.”
According to reports, Moses,
who lives in Laguna, had been
staying at the Airport Hilton Hotel
because he was in town for the
purpose of taking care of some
Olympic business.
According to those reports, he
was driving through Hollywood in
his Mercedes-Benz automobile
with personalized licensed plates
when his attention was attracted by
the woman who turned out to be
an undecover policewoman.
According to one source who
asked that his name not be used,
“At no time did Moses indicate
that he wanted to buy sex. On the
contrary, after this woman ap
proached his car, he seemed to
treat the incident jokingly.
“If he hadn’t been Edwin
Moses—a fact which was easily
determined by running a check on
the personalized license plate—in
my opinion, he would not have
been stopped.
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