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Vol. 1
Councilman Tappan Views Loitering,
Jail, Garbage, J.B. Blvd.
Aaron Tappan was elected
to City Council last February,
following the death of former
councilman T.A. Bowman. As
of January first Tappan will be
the only Black councilman
representing the fourth ward.
Reverend C.S. Hamilton will
leave office unable to succeed
himself twice.
For most of his first year in
office Tappan has been
relatively quiet. Too quiet for
some. Recently, however,
Tappan has been thrust in the
midst of a number of
controversies such as the
“Loitering” ordinance that
enraged many Blacks, because
anyone found standing around
in the downtown area who
looked unemployed was
subject to being arrested. Many
citizens demanded that the
ordinance be revoked.
Question: What is the
current status of the loitering
ordinance?
Answer: That law has been
declared unconstitutional by
the City Council, the City
Attorney and John H. Ruffin.
Question: Does that mean
that there is no longer an
ordinance against loitering?
Answer: There is a law
regarding loitering, but it has
to be looked into by City
Council or other city officials
before it can be enforced. If a
person is arrested, before they
can make a case it has to be
looked into to see if the
persons rights are being
violated.
Question: Two weeks ago
two young Blacks were killed
by police while allegedly
burglarizing a grocery store.
They were reportedly killed
with double ought buck shot as
they fled police. Obviously one
does not use double-ought
buck shot to wound people.
What justification is there for
these kinds of killings and what
can be done about them?
Answer: The first thing is
that it has to come before the
Civil Service Commission. All
actions of the Police
Department come before the
Civil Service Commission. Now
what action will be taken, I
don’t know.
Now as for the men that
were killed I think it was an
uncalled for situation. It was
unjustified. You kill a person
when you defend yourself. But
nobody was defending himself.
The boys were just running.
Therefore, I don’t think they
should have been killed.
Question: What action can
the public take to see that
these killings stop? That is, if
the Civil Service Commission
does not take action, can the
public do anything about it?
Answer: Yes, the public can.
They can have a petition drawn
up and present it to the Civil
Service Commission and ask
for a public hearing. I feel that
the fellows who got killed . . .
their rights were violated. A
policeman is only supposed to
kill when he has to defend
himself. AnjJJ don’t think they
found a gun or anything on
neither one of the fellows. If
they did, it was not reported.
But my concern about
killing is that we have too
much killing for no apparent
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reason. There’s not a weekend
that passes that one, two or
three don’t die and everytime
they die, they’re Black people.
But what is the public doing
about it? And when they go to
court, the fellow does the
killing, when they go for a
preliminary hearing, it (the
charge) is reduced to
involuntary manslaughter and
the man is free.
Question: What's the reason
for that?
Answer: I don’t know. You
have to go on the report that
the police make and that
determines whether it’s
manslaughter, involuntary
manslaughter or whatever the
case maybe. But in ninety
percent of the killings the
people are free to kill again.
Question: But why?
Answer: Somebody is
paying somebody to get me
out and let me go. I’ve gone to
solicitor Kerr and to Judge
Kennedy to find out why. And
they say that the report that
the police made said that the
man killed the other man in
self-defense. So they give him
involuntary manslaughter and
the person is given six months
or set free and nothing is done.
Question: That’s the case
when Blacks kill Blacks. But
it’s quite different when Blacks
kill whites.
Answer: You don’t run into
much of that and when you
run into it, it’s such a big issue
you can figure it out anyway.
You very seldom find a case
where a Black man kills a white
man - around here.
Question: Is that because of
the severe punishment?
Answer: No. Blacks don’t
kill whites; Blacks kill Blacks.
He ain’t gon’ kill whitey.
Question: Why?
Answer: I wish I knew; he’s
a bad scratcher until whitey
shows up. Then he’s as quiet as
he can be.
Really and truly, when a
man kills another man they
need to put him away. And
stop giving paroles, and stop
Candle
Light
Service
A Candle Light Memorial
Service wll be given by Chou-
No. 2 at Bethel A.M.E. Church,
Sunday Dec. 26th at 7:00 p.m.
Rev. Rosie Williams,
Associate Pastor of Good
Shepherd Baptist Church will
deliver the sermon. Please
contact a member of the choir,
if you wish for one of your
loved ones to be remembered.
Rev. Sanford, Pastor. Mr.
Joseph Johnson, President
930 Gwinnett St.
accepting money because
money will get them out. But
nobody checks on the judge.
And they do what they want
to do. And they free the folks.
Everybody ought to have
somebody checking on them.
But this is what’s wrong in
Augusta.
The Civil Service
Commission can tell (Police)
Chief Beck “turn 'em loose.”
And they all are loose. And
nobody checks why he said
turn 'em loose.”
Question: Do you feel that
there are enough checks and
balances on public officials? It
seems that everybody should
be responsible to somebody.
Answer: It’s not true. There
are a lot of people working for
the City and nobody checks on
them. I’ll give you an example.
About a month ago, the Public
Works Committee met at the
Sanitation Department. We
met because the City was in
such bad shape as far as
Sheriff Announces
Promotions
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THOMAS J. PERRY
Yesterday Sheriff W.A.
Anderson announced two new
Investigators, Thomas J. Perry
and Charles Wm. Wardy, Jr.
Anderson said, “I take great
pride in naming the first two
black Investigators in the
history of the Department. 1
said we would do this, not
merely as a campaign promise,
but because we have men who
are qualified. The two men will
prove to be effective and will
be a real asset to the
Department. We have just
received the new cars we
needed to make these
assignments”, the Sheriff
concluded.
A number of personnel
changes brought about by a
retirement, additional
equipment and added
Abrams,
Young
Released
Former City Councilman
Grady Abrams was released
from the Richmond County
jail Tuesday after being held
for a week on charges of armed
robbery and aggravated assault.
Superior Court Judge
William Fleming set bond on
the armed robbery charge at
$5,000 and bond for
aggravated assault was fixed at
SI,OOO.
John Young, who was
arrested along with Abrams on
December 7, was also released
under the same bond rates.
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER
garbage and trash and leaves,
are concerned. The city has
two inspectors. One from 15th
Street back to East Boundary,
the other from 15th Street up.
Their job is to inspect and to
find garbage that the garbage
men are not picking up. We
went and checked on them and
we found that the inspectors
don’t even make a list, don’t
even keep a record of the
number of places they inspect.
They just leave in the morning
and come back in the evening
and say, “We’ve been.” So
when we asked for a record of
inspections made, there is no
record. So we went to the
Superintendent wanting to
know why. He said it has never
been done before. And the
City is paying people,
furnishing them with a truck to
make these inspections. So we
brought the Superintendent
along with the inspectors out
in the city and went to some
places and showed them where
7
CHARLES W. HARDY
manpower were announced by
Sheriff Anderson.
Jesse C. Redd has been
named Chief Deputy,
succeeding Roger W. Tomlin,
who will retire on December
31, 1971.
Redd, Chief Civil Deputy,
has the longest service in the
Department. He joined the
Sheriffs Department in 1945,
and has performed nearly every
duty during his career.
Tomlin, who was on the
Augusta Police Department at
one time, started on the
Sheriffs Department in 1951,
and was named Chief Deputy
by Sheriff George C. Mutimer
in 1962.
L.O. (Hunter) Beazley, is
named Chief Civil Deputy to
take Redd’s place. He will
handle civil work and. will
continue to represent the
Sheriff in Court.
“I want, first of all to
express appreciation to Chief
Deputy Tomlin for the service
he has performed during the
time when enforcing the law
has become difficult. He has
made a contribution to all of
us”, said Sheriff Anderson.
“In Jesse Redd,” he
continued, “we are fortunate
to have an officer who is well
experienced in law
enforcement work and who
knows every phase of the
Sheriffs Department.”
Augusta Ga Phone 722-4555
some trash had been there for
THREE MONTHS!
About four weeks ago, this
was a special detail made up of
City employees to work on
Saturday, in the Urban
Renewal area. That’s on the
Southeast side of Savannah
Road. They hauled
twenty-four loads of TRASH,
that was piled on the streets
and on the sidewalk, to the
trash pile in one day. And the
inspectors didn’t know a thing
in the world about it. Yet and
still, he’s being paid. They
hauled those many loads on
Saturday. So we asked for a
weekly progress report on the
inspectors. Last week I carried
the inspector and showed him
where trash had been in
another place for about three
weeks and asked him, “Is this
SEE TAPPAN
Page 5
Blackmon
Jailed
Samuel Blackmon, who was
allegedly beaten and robbed by
Grady Abrams, John Young
and two other men, was
arrested Monday. He was
charged with forgery and first
degree violation of the
Uniform Narcotic Drug Act.
According to deputies W.A.
Martin and M.A. Hammet,
Blackmon was arrested at 112
Augusta Homes where they
said he had in his possesion
sixty decks of heroin. The
police said they also found
assorted needles and syringes.
Blackmon is being held in jail
under bonds totaling $7,500.
League To Clarify
Reorganization
The League of Women
Voters of the Augusta Area is
distributing 1500 copies of a
single-page leaflet on the
proposed reorganization plan
for state government,
according to Mrs. H.R.
Worthey, local League
president.
“We know that there has
been great confusion about
what the reorganization plan
proposes," said Mrs. Worthey
Wednesday morning, “and we
hope that the green leaflet and
the second brochure which will
be coming out soon will help
SEE VOTERS LEAGUE
Page 6
Federal Agencv Says AT&T Job Bias Keeps
Rates From Declining
Equal Employment
Commission’s Report Filed
with FCC, Which Will Hold
Hearings on Charges
Customers would pay lower
phone rates if American
Telephone & Telegraph Co.
refrained from alleged
discriminatory employment
practices, a federal job-bias
agency contends.
This assertion is included in
2,500 pages of evidence and
findings that the Equal
Employment Opportunity
Commission filed with the
Federal Communications
Commission. The FCC has
scheduled hearings Jan. 31 to
determine whether the bias
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Mrs. Mamie Carter (L) and Lonnie McNeely (R) look on as Mr. Verdery Tutt presents check to
Mrs. Ollie Brown, Director of Shiloh Orphanage. Tutt, who is president of the Augusta-Richmond
County Barbers Association, said the Barbers Association “looks forward to making a contribution
to the orphanage every year at Christmas. Mrs. Carter is the Orphanage House-mother. Mr.
McNeely is Secretary of the Barbers Association. p hoto By Roscoe Williams
Editorial I
ATime For Reason |
Irrespective of who agrees or disagrees, the Supreme Court has clearly
stated that racial discrimination in public education is illegal. It has further ; : ; x :
stated busing is an acceptable means of helping to achieve a unitary school :;X;:
system.
The point to be considered here is not whether or not we favor busing,
S-S but rather, what we can do to make for a better education for our children, :•$:
what we can do to see that our children receive a total education, growing
spiritually, socially and academically.
Now is the time when rumor should be replaced with fact and fear should g:;:
be replaced with reason. It is time that the nobler qualities of our being g;:;
summon the courage to speak up for that which is just and to standup for :g;:
that which we know to be fair. It is time that we commit ourselves to xX;
obeying the law and to seeing that we make our city and our nation what it «g:-
has always claimed to be - land of the free with liberty and justice for all. g$
§:!■ It is ironical that many of the sternest advocates of law and order now
join Board of Education president, John Fleming, in urging citizens to g;<
disobey the law. If law and order is valid for Blacks, then law and order is :g;:
valid for whites. And in this case, law and order is certainly not the rallying gg
?x cry of those who are still holding out for segregation in the name of :j:g
$:•••: Neighborhood Schools.
For most Blacks, the greatest concern over the proposed desegregation
plans centers around the possibility of losing T.W. Josey and Lucy C. Laney gg
as graduating high schools. This is a valid concern. Blacks have already xg
•xil watched John M. Tutt high school become a predominantly white junior gv
•:4j high school. This, Blacks accepted. It can hardly be expected that Blacks will xg
sit idly by and watch Laney and Josey go by the same route. ;:;g
If sentimental or historical values were to be considered in determining gx
lg: which schools should retain graduating status, then certainly Laney and
Richmond would be the logical choices - Laney being Augusta’s first public :g;i
bigh school for Blacks, Richmond Academy being the oldest high school in g$
xg the South. And if anything can be agreed on, then it would seem that one :g:J
point would be that these schools retain their graduating status. ;g;|
It is time for those citizens of good will to use their energies and resources g;3
■:g: to see that the American dream of equal opportunity' and justice becomes a xg
reality in Richmond County and throughout the nation. ggl
charges are true and, if so,
whether there’s a “functional
nexus” between such
discrimination and the rate
requirements of AT&T and its
22 operating companies.
AT&T with more than one
million employees, is the
nation’s largest private
employer. The company
immediately responded to the
equal opportunity agency’s
report in a statement issued by
Robert D. Lilley, executive
vice president.
“Our corporate policy is
absolutely clear,” Mr. Lilley
said. “We are now, as we have
been from the outset, actively
supporting the national policy
December 16, 1971 No. 39
of equal employment
opportunity. We have a good
record. We have made good
progress. And we are at the
present time doing more than
ever to assure equality of
opportunity for minority
people and women”.
In a 300-page summary, the
independent agency asserted
that discriminatory practices
against women proved costly
to the company. “If AT&T had
operated to minimize labor
costs (i.e. employed workers at
the lowest possible wage,
regardless of sex), they would
have employed large numbers
of women in all job
categories,” the agency alleged.
15<
It said “the total effect of this
savings would have been an
annual reduction of 2% to 4%
in overall telephone rates.”
The Rights Commission
filing is a further step in its
case before the FCC to deny
AT&T a substantial rate
increase until the company
ends its allegedly
discriminatory practices. Late
last year, the agency asked the
FCC to turn down the
company’s proposed $385
million-a-year rate boost until
it ended what the commission
SEE JOB BIAS
Page 3