Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 July 1960 — Page 1

Slaying Climaxes Family Quarrel -Beer Party

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‘MUGGING’ STORY WAS A FAKE; HOAX EXPOSED BY 5-YEAR-OLD

Wife 'Stumbles,' Knife-Wielding Male Shot Fatally After he allegedly advanced an hit attractive wife with a butcher knife Saturday afternoon during an argument, a man reported to have been drinking heavily, was shot to death in the living-room of his modest Northwest side home. He was dead when police strived from a s’ngle .22-caliber bullet that had pierced his heart. The victim, Nelson Wellington, 36, was shot, his wife, Frances Wellington, 35, said, when she stumbled, gun in hand, and fell backwards into a chair as she sought to avoid his attack. The woman said she had gotten the gun in hopes of freightening her husband. Mrs. Wellington’s uncle, Zonnie Summerour, 59, 801 Locke, No. 6, although at the couple’s home, was in the bathroom and did not witness the fatal altercation. Summerour told homicide detectives Floyd Swails and George Cunningham that he went to the Pruitt Avenue residence about noon Saturday, and that when he arrived the couple were arguing. Summerour said he didn’t^know what the argument was about, but that his niece was trying to get her husband to stop ‘‘this useless arguing.” “The argument stopped in a little while and Nelson gave me a can of beer and drank one himself. That was the last of the beer so Nelson and myself went to a tavern in the neighborhood to get some more. At the tavern Nelson discovered that he had forgotten his money so he went back to the house,” the detectives quoted Summerour as saying. He didn’t go back to the tavern with Wellington, Summerour said in his signed statement, and when the victim returned they all sat down and had a beer until Wellington resumed the argument and his wife got up and went into the living room to drink her beer. “In a little while Nelson cooled off,” the uncle recalled, “and suggested we go up to 29th and Clifton and have a beer. Soon after we got there Nelson started the argument again and we decided to go home. “In the car Nelson started (Continued on ^ace S>

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65th Year

India, .^nis, Indiana, July 2,1960

Number 27

Nab Man on Sex Rap

WOULD YOU? If you worked at your Job all week and the Boss foreot to pay yon — or the Boss couldn’t be found—or the Boss Just simply went away without leaving your money—what would you do? Would you come back to work and begin another week? or would the Boss have need for a softer nillow after you conferred with him? Well! You are the Boss. You hired your RECORDER CARRIER and it’s you who owes him 15 CENTS each week, that he leaves you a copy of THE RECORDER. He must pay for each paper that he leaves you. It takes his profits from three good customers to pay for a paper left to a poor-paying customer. We know that vn.u Intend to pay him, but WHEN?? The CARRIER and THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER would appreciate it if you would pay your CARRIER.

15c

EACH WEEK If you’re going to be away, make arrangements to leave it next door. THANK YOU VERY MUCH CARRIERS’ ASSOCIATION

SLAYS MATE: Mrs. Frances Wellington (shown here) told police she only meant to scare her husband with the .22-caliber revolver she had hidden in the bedroom. Perhaps the pocket-knife clutched in her husband's hand persuaded her to change her mind. Or maybe the bullet lodged in the dead man's heart traveled a crooked path. Whatever the reason, whatever the compulsion, Nelson Wellington is dead, and police are holding his estranged wife on a preliminary charne of murder. (Recorder photo by Jim Burres)

PRUITT STREET SLAYING: Authorities crouch over the blood-stained body of 36-year-old Nelson Wellington, shot in the heart following an alleged drunken brawl that took place Saturday night in his Northwest side home. The knife that the victim allegedly had clutched in his hand is shown opposite the gun (right inset) that fired the fatal bullet. Police arrested Mrs. Frances Wellington, 35, who admitted shooting her husband. (Recorder photo by Jim Burres)

Deacon Has Two Other Arrests on Similar Charges A 37-year-old Eastside father, also a deacon in his church who has been arrested twice before in the last eight months 'tor alleged indecent acts towards minor children, was lied again Tuesday afternoon So? t^Tyoung white sisters charged he exposed himself fa

them.

The man, apprehended a short time later with the eid of a license number furnished by the girls was identified as William R. Lash, 3601 Ralston. The sisters, one 10 and one 11, told police they were walking in the 1900 block of Ruckle when a grey Dodge pulled to the curb alongside them and the occupant opened the door and was seated in the car with no pants on. THE FREIGHTENED sisters said they fled from the man after he tried to entire them into the car, and the younger girl said she saw the man a few minutes later when she went to a grocery at

21st and Ruckle.

Police were called and aided by

White Couple Admits Making Up Tale In Attempt to Conceal Wife-Beating A white Northside couple who reported earlier this week they had thwarted a robbery attempt by two club-wielding Negroes, admitted under questioning Wednesday that they devised the story to “keep friends and neighbors ffrom finding out about a family fight/' Lieut. Spurgeon Davenport and Sgt. James Dabner of the police homicide division said Mr. and Mrs. Chester Sears admitted making the false report wljen their 5-year-old son began to tell about “daddy beating mommy" during an interview in their home, 5371 Sunset.

The detectives said

the couple WHEN THEY GOT on the out-

admitted concocting the attack side, Sears went on, his wife story after remembering thetre- picked up a long stick and broke mendous amount of publicity out the window in his car, before muggings had received since a turning her attack on him. Catholic priest, Rev. James A. Angered, Sears said, he unHickey was supposedly robbed leashed a two-fisted attack on his and beaten in his car by hood- mate, knocking her to the ground, lums lurking near the Statehouse, She suffered several broken ribs and seeing two Negro men pass and a cut on her arm. by- Soothing their ruffled feelings, Sears, 51, a crane operator at the couple decided to go to a the Indianapolis Sanitation De- restaurant for something to eat, partment’s incinerator, and his but when Mrs. Sears got out of wife Dorothy, 39, said they had the car the pain caused by her started to enter a restaurant at rib injuries became so severe, 37th and College but found out Sears decided to take her to St. that injuries sustained by Mrs. Vincent’s Hospital. Thinking hosSears during the family fight re- pital officials might want to know quired hospital treatment, the de- how the injuries were sustained tectives continued. they thought up the phony attack He told the crack homicide team story. { that his wife drinks heavily and Chief of detectives. Inspector that he had to go get her from Carl Schmidt told The Recorder a neighborhood tavern Monday Thursday morning that although night. Mrs. Sears didn’t want to he favored it, on the advice of leave the tavern, Dabner said Lieut. Davenport, charges of makcontinned, and became ing a false police report would

Parker to Head GOP Ticket in Fall Election

Sears

angry when he insisted.

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Sanitation Workers Demand Dismissal of Negro Accuser

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Charging that the rules at the city sanitation department were being unfairly enforced, an employee of the department called The Recorder Thursday morning and demanded the dismissal of Chester Sears, a crane operator at the department’s incinerator division. Sears, to cover up a family fight in which his wife suffered several broken ribs, reported to police earlier this week that he and his wife had been attacked by two Negroes early Tuesday morning when they got out of their car and started to enter a restaurant. The couple admitted under questioning by Lieut. Spurgeon Davenpor and Sgt. James Dabner that they had concocted the story as a cover-up. THE CALLER, who asked not to

the license number the sisters be identified, said a Negro employee

were thoughtful enough to

Beckwith Confident Of Coed Showing At GOP Convention While admitting he has no illusions of defeating Vice-President Nixon for the Republican presidential nomination, Frank R. Beckwith, noted Indianapolis attorney, is confident he will make a good showing as the first Negro ever placed in nomination by a major

political party.

The fiery ana outspoken civil rights fighter who filed in the Indiana primary against the vicepresdent said his name will be put before the GOP national con-

re-

member, Lash was stopped minutes later at 16th and Carrollton. He was charged with disorderly conduct and public indecency. In checking Lash’s record at 'rontmuea on Page 3)

at the plant, arrested Wednesday j ve £ tion starting July 25 in Chicago, for boot-legging cab, had been fired, Beckwith polled nearly 20.000

but that Sears, who hadn’t been

Bishop Names 12 Ministers At Zkm Meet

The 51st Session of the Indiana Conference, of the African Methodist Episcqpal Zion Church closed at Campbell Chapel AME Church here last week with 12 AMEZ clergymen receiving new appointments, four elected to the AMEZ .conference and three being transferred to another district. The pastoral appointments, read by Rt. Rev. Stephen Gill Spottswood, Washington, D.C., the presiding bishop, are as follows: Dr. I. B. Pierce, Jones Tabernacle; Rev. R. W. Walker, St. Mark’s Temple; Rev. G. A. Heeter, Penick Chapel; Rev. R. L. Fisher, Campbell Chapel; Rev. Marvin Barnett, Alleyne Chapel; Rev. Odella Davis, St. Paul; Rev. Mary Johnson, Messiah Temple; Rev. J. H. Lee, Hood Temple, Evansville; Rev. E. H. Martin, Ricks Chapel, Duquoin, 111.; Rev. Hezekial Williams, Blackwell Temple, Mt. Vernon, 111.; Rev. C. McMullen, Kadesh Mission, Elkhart, and Rev. Continued on Page 7

Refused Trooper Applicant Due Reconsideration, FEPC

Ulr IIP'

Recorder Exec, to Do Series While On European Tour Mr and Mrs. Leland Bailey left the city Thursday morning on the first leg of their 2-month Eeuropean tour. The Baileys will motor to Montreal, Canada, where they embark for London, uhe first European city on their itinerary

which includes visits to Paris, Germany, Ital'\ Norway, Sweden and Den-

mark.

Mr. Bailey, a d v e r Using manager of The Recorder, will Write a series of warm and intimate news stories from

each country visited, and a _ uaii ity special article v * BAILEY on Paris and the French Riviera He will also make movies of the many historic sites and will show them at a special party to be given at his home upon his return to the States in late August. Mrs. Bailey, a teacher in the public school system, will attend educational lectures and visit leading universities while abroad. Mr. Bailey’s first news dispatch will be published in two weeks

If the recommendation of an personnel for the state police. Indiana Fair Employment Prac- Three factors which reportedly tices Commission official is fol- weighed heavily against the young lowed through, the state may yet father were instability “because get its first Negro trooper. of frequent job changes,” “domiState police officials, while ve- nation of Ewing by his wife” and hemently denying the existence “loud parties” at the Ewing

of any racial discrimination with- home.

in the department, nevertheless The “frequent job changes,”

Negro appli- Cummings’ report revealed, in-

had eliminated all

cants for the law-enforcement cluded"a “term ^of “emibymeAt‘at J 0 ” 8, the Bell Aircraft plant in BufJames C. Cummings Jr., FEPC falo, N.Y. Ewing said he was field consultant, following a thor- laid off that job when the firm ough investigation of one of the reduced its working force from applicants, urged that the man 15,000 to 2,000, eventually clos-

be given “additional considera-

tion.”

ing down altogether.

He lost a job with Sylvania

ROBERT EWING, 29, of Rich- under similar circumstances, he mond, one of 10 Negro applicants, said. Both jobs were clerical, was turned down because of his The former Earlham College “character,” according to Capt. all-around athlete said he sent his

•Howard Hyslope, director of the

Continued on Page 3

Bank Vice-President Says TwoThirds of UNCF Goal Reached

Hugh Funk, vice president of 7 Indiana National Bank and chair- total represents two-thirds of man of the local United Negro local goal of $30,000, and preCollege Fund campaign, this week dieted that the goal would be met announced that the College Fund b y tb e end of the 1960 calendar has raised a total of $20,000 in year. He pointed out that the I960. campaign effort is approximately Mr. Funk released the figure $2,000 ahead of the figure reached at a meeting of the steering com- this time last year, mittee. Dr. James Colston, presi- Funds raised from the annual dent of Knoxville College was campaign are used to help mainin attendance. He lauded Mr. tain 31 Negro colleges, most of Funk and Henry J. Richardson which are located in the South. Jr., the campaign co-chairman, Support of these educational infer their “unceasing efforts.” stitutions makes it possible for In announcing the campaign many youths to receive an educafigure, Mr. Funk pointed out that tion they otherwise would not get.

to work or called in for two days, had asked for ana received his

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votes in state primary balloting from every Hoosier county except one. “I was especially pleased because in at least 40 counties there is no Negro population at all,” he

declared.

The big parade and band concert he has planned on Chicago’s Southt'de is expected to have a big impact j- jon the largely Democratic Negro

vote.

FATHER'S DAY DROWNING VICTIM: Seven-year-old Paul Steven Stewart, of Madison, a Recorder carrier since he was 5, drowned June 19 at Crystal BeacK Swimming Pool, where his father had taken* him to help celebrate Father's Day. The father, Robert H. Stewart, said he was outside the pool when he was informed that his son's body was discovered wedged beneath the concrete base of the pool. It was believed that the tot's body had been in the water from 45 minutes to an hour. Paul was a second grade student at Lidio Middleton Elementary School, ond o member of Second Baptist Church Sunday School.

A colorful veteran of Hoosier Republican politics. Lieut. Gov. Crawford Parker will lead his party’s ticket in the Nov. 8 election. With no opponents filing to oppose him Lieut. Gov. Parker was the automatic choice of the State Republican convention. His Democratic opponent will be State Senator Matthew Welsh of Vincennes. For nearly four years Mr. Parker has been, under Gov. Harold W. Handley, the No. 2 official of the state. Before becoming lieutenant governor he was secretary of state for two terms, and was public service commissioner under ex-Demo-cratic Gov. Henry F. Schricker, and (twice clerk of Henry County. IT IS SAID th?t Lieut Governor Parker has never lost an election. His running mate will be State Senator Richard O. Ristine who won the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor on the second ballot. Sen. Ristine, a practicing attorney of Crawfordsville. has been active in Republican politics for two decades. During his senior year at Wabash College he was elected presiden of the Young Republican Club. He has been a member of the Indiana General Assembly since

1951.

He is a family head and the father of three sons, the oldest age (Continued on Page 8)

Homeowner's Suit Asks Circuit Court to Mandate More Police Suit for a mandatory injunc- THE ACT, drafted and lobbied tion was filed against the Cit> to passage by Frank R. Beckwith, of Indianapolis this week in Cir- president of the Yankee Doodle cuit Court by Mrs. Juanita Cor- Civic Foundation, provides for bitt, 1064 W. 35th. the compulsory fulfillment of its The suit points out the need terms, for additional personnel in the Mrs. Corbitt’s complaint points Indianapolis Police Department out that the compliance with the and seeks to have Judge John L. law would require the appointNiblack to mandate the city, the ment of approximately 84 addimayor and the Board of Public tional Negro policemen. Mrs. Safety to employ Negro members Corbitt, co-owner of Corbitt’s of the department on a popula- Market, complains that the nortion ratio basis in keeping with mal use of the public streets is the terms and provisions of a not safe because of the lack of law now on the statute books for sufficient personnel to properly 17 years. protect the public safety.

Much Arrested Man Freed of Dope Count on Technicality

A lesal technicality has resulted in freedom lor « 28-year-old man arrested nearly eight months ago

on a narcotics charge

Ethridge Knight, 2126 Dexter, had been in jail since last November when he was arrested on charges of forging and attempting to pass a narcotics prescription. He was charged April 13 with violation of the state narcotics law Prosecutor Philip L. Bayt said his office decided to dismiss the charge against the much-arrested Knight because-of a defect in the statute. The Legislature, it was discovered, failed to include special terms of the penalty when it amended the act five years ago. He said Deputy Prosecutor John

W. Tranberg discovered the oversight while reviewing the case in preparation for a July 6 trial. Knight allegedly tried to pass the forged narcotics prescription last Nov. 24 at the Freije Drugstore, 2101 Harding. His 25 arrests since 1947 included several on

narcotics charges.

'MUGGINS' MUST READTHE ''AVENOO'' ON PAGE 12