November 13, 1950
Describes a dispute between Sheriff C.F. Sasser and Grand Dragon ThomasHamilton and briefly notes statements made at a Ku Klux Klan rally
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Former Policeman Pleads Guilty in Civil Rights Case
October 13, 1950
Describes that a police officer named Doyle Mitchum admitted to the murder of a young Black boy named Willie B. Carlisle and conveys that the harshest punishment he could face was one year in prison and a $1,000 fine
25-Year-Old Negro Charged With Rape
October 17, 1950
Conveys that an unnamed woman identified a Black man named Eddie Thomas as her rapist and that he admitted to the crime.
Posse Seeking Negro Man In Death Of Boy: Rapes His Mother And Then Shoots Child Through Head
October 19, 1950
Describes that a large posse organized to hunt down the rapist of Kathleen Holley, and the man was later identified by police as Cooper Drake
Posse Shoots Down Accused, Sex Offender: Negro And Farm Wife He Raped In Same Hospital; Boy, 4, Dead
October 20, 1950
Describes that a group of angered men attacked Cooper Drake, the Black man accused of raping a woman named Kathleen Holley and killing her son
Public Rally Held By Klan In S. Carolina: Handbills Urge: ‘Hear What The Klan Stands For
November 12, 1950
Describes that the Ku Klux Klan was to hold a rally in order to explain their version of a violent night where they attacked a man named Rufus Lee at his home, attacked Black Americans at Myrtle Beach, and conducted a shooting that resulted in multiple injuries and deaths
Negro Arrested For Sears And Home Robberies: Case Is Solved By City And County In Few Hours
December 17, 1950
Describes that a Black man named Clarence Summerhill was arrested for a string of burglaries across Lauderdale County
Florence Police Solve Robbery Case Quickly
December 24, 1950
Briefly describes that a Black woman named Corine Noel was arrested for purse theft
Civil Rights Molisters (typo) Denounced By Mansfield
September 30, 1965
Describes new guidelines, outlined by South Magazine, that police officers needed to follow in order to avoid being accused of brutality by civil rights’ activists.
Editorial Grist: The South Cannot Be Sure
June 16, 1958
Discusses the idea that there is no reason for the Civil Rights Commission to investigate potential violence in the south and expresses the belief that the south was being mistreated by the Justice Department.
Editorial Grist: For A Saner Approach
July 7, 1949
Describes the belief that fighting against the Ku Klux Klan with violence is not productive and supports the efforts of Jefferson’ Sherriff McDowell in his investigation of the Klan.
Alabama Exhibit At Chicago Is Predicted
March 15, 1965
Describes that Governor Wallace visited Chicago for an Alabama travel exhibit and that protests broke out, many under the direction of CORE. Also, explains that Wallace expressed gratitude to the policeman who guarded the exhibit from picketers.
Editorial Grist: Fiery Crosses Burn Again
April 14, 1960
Explains the belief that the Ku Klux Klan is not any worse than those advocating for civil rights within the NAACP.
Negro Pays Fine After Entering Plea Early Today
November 3, 1961
Describes Charlie Brown, a Florence ‘Negro’ previously taken into custody for “breaching the peace”, pleading guilty to his charge and paying a fine of $10. The articles goes on to say that the incident had no connection with any planned “sit-in” movement and was a misunderstanding.
Possible Local ‘Sit-In’ Attempt Reported Today
November 2, 1961
This article describes Charlie Brown, a ‘Negro’ man, sitting down in a downtown drugstore in Florence, Alabama. Police were called after Brown made no effort to leave despite being asked to do so by store owners and he was taken into custody. The police assumed he would be charged with breach of the peace.
4 Teenagers Arrested in ‘Dousing’
April 8, 1956
Describes the arrest of 4 teenagers in the “dousing” of ‘Negroes’. They were charged with disorderly conduct and ordered to appear in municipal court on April 14.
Police Sound Warning As: Local Negroes Reported ‘Doused’ by Teenagers
April 5, 1956
Describes Florence and Sheffield teenagers driving by ‘negro’ citizens and “dousing” and dousing them with water balloons as they walk down the street. The article also states that local police are working with the ‘negro’ citizens to identify the culprits as quickly as possible.
Negro Nightspot Operator Claims $25 Fee Asked For By Police Commissioner
November 10, 1955
Describes that Ozzie Newsome, a Black man who owned a restaurant in Muscle Shoals, was told by Police Commissioner Thomas F. Terry that he would have to pay a $25 fee each week to operate, a fee that Newsome could not afford. The article continues to describe the trial that was still being deliberated by the jury at the time the article was written.
‘Wolf-Whistle’ Trial Opens Monday
September 18, 1955
Describes the murder of Emmitt Till and notes that a trial with an all-white jury was beginning. Also, notes that police officers had not found evidence necessary for conviction.