in misdemeanor cases the normal sentence was $100 and 30 days, with the prison sentence suspended, and that in more than seven years on the bench he had never sentenced anyone to jail for more than three months,109

The sheriff's investigation file of the bombing of Dillon's home consists of a single page dated the day of the bombing, which recounts the interview with Dillon and his arrest and conviction. No other investigation is recorded.110

Subsequent bombings resulted in further arrests of Negroes. In McComb, on September 20, 1964, the home of a prominent Negro woman and a Negro church were bombed. A crowd of Negroes gathered at the home following the bombing. When local, State, and Federal officials arrived, bottles and rocks were thrown at them. This incident led the sheriff— who had not previously requested help to prevent violenceto call the Highway Patrol for assistance. The patrol responded the next day by sending 50 men to McComb. During the next three days the sheriff and the patrolmen arrested approximately 25 Negroes, charged them with criminal syndicalism, and held them on $5,000 bail each. Subsequently, bail was reduced by a Federal court and defendants were released after a month in jail. Ultimately, these charges were dismissed by agreement between the county attorney and the defense.111

Sheriff Warren chose to believe that Negroes or civil rights workers were responsible for the violence. On the day he called for the Highway Patrol, he stated publicly that the bombs had been planted by civil rights workers.112 A few days later he picked up two local Negro leaders in the middle of the night. One was brought in under armed guard, interrogated, cursed, and threatened, "if you damn niggers don't tell me the next time

109

110

Testimony of Robert W. Brumfield, T. 52-54.

Investigation report of the attempted bombing of the home of Willie J. Dillon, dated August 28, 1964, T. 494-95.

111

These facts are alleged in petitions for removal in State v. Lewis, et al., Civil Nos. 3604-23, 3635, S.D. Miss., Sept. 29, 1964. See also motion to remand filed by defendants.

112 T. 18-19.

there is a bombing, I am going to skin you.

114

...

"113 The other was taken to Jackson in handcuffs, held in jail, and given a lie detector test." Although he made these investigations of civil rights workers and local leaders, the sheriff testified that he was unable to obtain any knowledge of the membership or activities of white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan or the Americans for the Preservation of the White Race, which were known to be active in the area.1

115

Most incidents of violence which occurred in Pike County during 1963 and 1964 took place in or near the city of McComb. Police Chief George Guy of McComb, who gave a deposition to the Commission, stated that he was unable to solve any of these incidents or to halt the attacks on the Negro community. His reason was “lack of information and lack of good hot suspects to work on.' He also said that because he did not have any men trained as detectives,11 he turned the investigation of violence over to other law enforcement agencies, which had “special men that knew how to do it probably a lot better than [his] men did."

"118

"116

In October 1964, Chief Guy did arrest 12 civil rights workers on charges of operating a public food handling establishment without first getting a permit. The basis of the charges was that they prepared food for civil rights workers living at the McComb civil rights headquarters. At the trial the charges were dismissed against all but one of the defendants, who was found guilty and fined $100.

119

For a time Chief Guy was both chief of police and president of the local chapter of the Americans for the Preservation of the White Race. In this capacity he attended several chapter meet

113 Testimony of Curtis C. Bryant, T. 68.

114 Interview with Rev. Ned Taylor, Pike County minister, October 1964. 115 T.E. 28.

17 T. 37.

118 T. 35.

119 Memorandum in Commission files, dated September 22, 1965; T. 59.

ings. Although he said his presidency was public knowledge, he did not believe that Negroes in the community were aware of it. At the time of the hearing, he was no longer president and did not have a membership card. Like Sheriff Warren, he testified that he had no knowledge of the aims, activities, or membership of either the APWR or the Klan.120

In fact, just such a group was responsible for the violence in Pike County. The terror in Pike County receded at the end of September. An accidental discovery by a private citizen of a cache of arms, followed by investigation by State and Federal officers, led to subsequent confessions by several suspects and the arrest of 10 white men.121 The confessions of the arrested men revealed that they had formed an organization called the “South Pike Riflemen's Association," which was a klavern of the Ku Klux Klan. The group met weekly to carry out bombing raids.122 It had also purchased an arsenal of weapons.

123

On the basis of the confessions, a Pike County grand jury indicted the group for conspiracy and for unlawful use of explosives (a capital offense) in connection with the bombing of three of the fourteen Negro homes. The defendants subsequently admitted responsibility for most of the other incidents.124

The defendants were never tried on these indictments. According to local officials, the confessions were the only evidence obtained against them.125 Because of the absence of other evidence and the district attorney's doubts concerning the admissibility of the confessions, he agreed that defendants would receive suspended sentences if they pleaded guilty or nolo con

120 T. 39-41.

121 T.E. 31, 71; T. 30, 54.

122

Hearing Before Board of Inquiry, Illinois Central Railroad, Dec. 7, 1964, at 9. This hearing was held in connection with the dismissal of five of the men who had participated in the raids and were employed by the Illinois Central.

123 T. 42. The group was an affiliate of the National Rifle Association, which enabled

it “to purchase arms and ammunition at a lower price.” T.E. 92–93.

124 Pike County Report, T. 459; testimony of District Attorney Joe T. Pigott, T. 22. 125 T.E. 79-80.

tendere.128 The indictments for conspiracy were settled by $500 fines and suspended sentences of six months in jail. The indictments for unlawful use of explosives were settled without fines and with suspended sentences of five years in jail.'

127

Following these arrests, there were several additional incidents of racial violence at the end of October 1964. Unlike the earlier incidents, these attacks-including shootings and a whipping— were directed against whites, and in particular against a local family which owned several grocery stores employing Negroes. These incidents were solved in a week by the arrest of six white men who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and who were sentenced to a year in jail. These sentences were not suspended.128

In late October a small number of leading white citizens, who had become "greatly disturbed about the incidents . . . formed a group to try to determine what, if anything, [they] could or should do to help solve the problems." 129 On November 17-the eve of a publicized testing of public accommodations in the city-the group, calling itself "Citizens for Progress,” issued a statement signed by 650 persons, which was published as a full-page advertisement in the local newspaper.' This statement recalled the "acts of terrorism . . . against citizens both Negro and white," and expressed a conviction of the necessity "for equal treatment under the law for all citizens regardless of race, creed, position or wealth. . . ." For the

126

130

Testimony of District Attorney Joe T. Pigott, T.E. 73. The belief that the confessions would be inadmissible was based on the fact that they were obtained from the defendants after prolonged questioning without an attorney. T.E. 71-73;

T. 54.

127 Three defendants were indicated for conspiracy, three for unlawful use of explosives, and four for both offenses. Pike County Report, T. 459-60. One of the defendants subsequently violated the terms of his probation by threatening to bomb the home and office of the manager of the company for which he worked. His suspension was revoked and he was ordered to serve his six months' sentence. Telephone interview with Robert Reeves, Pike County Attorney, June 18, 1965.

130

T. 47; Enterprise-Journal (McComb, Miss.), Nov. 17, 1964, p. 9.

purpose of "restoring peace, tranquillity and progress," the signers urged the reestablishment and maintenance of order and respect for law; the ending of harassing arrests; the disqualification from public service of persons who were members of subversive organizations; the elimination of economic threats and sanctions; the reestablishment of avenues of communication and understanding between the races; the widest possible use of citizenship in the selection of juries; and a greater citizenship interest in the selection, support, and constructive criticism of public servants."

131

Although the statement was not signed or endorsed by law enforcement officials, and was met a few weeks later by a counterstatement of "Pike County Conservatives," 182 its publication evoked a "heartened" response from the Negro community in McComb 133 and set an example which was followed by statewide groups. It marked an end, at least for the time,

134

to racial violence in Pike County.

SUMMARY

During 1963 and 1964 substantial racial violence occurred in Adams, Madison, and Pike Counties, Mississippi. The local authorities-sheriffs and police-were ineffective in controlling this violence or apprehending the persons responsible. The testimony of these officials at the Commission's hearing and the records which they produced in response to subpena, disclosed investigations that ranged from nonexistent to perfunctory. Records and testimony also indicate that in some instances officials treated civil rights workers not as victims but as suspects. Hostility to Negroes

131 Ibid. This statement is reprinted on pp. 40-41.

132

This statement was entitled "Straight Talk About Pike County." See EnterpriseJournal (McComb, Miss.), Dec. 10, 1964, p. 1.

133 Enterprise-Journal (McComb, Miss.), Jan. 4, 1965, p. 1.

134 See, e.g., the resolution of the Mississippi State Bar Association, T. 490-92; the statement of the Mississippi Economic Council, T. 379; and the statement of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, T. 382-83. Compare the numerous statements made in Greenville, Mississippi, described in Chapter 5, pp. 94-97, infra.