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Thurgood Marshall — Part 12
Page 53
53 / 254
: Menorandum for the Attorney General
Later on in his letter, Marshall points out that you have
called for a strengthening of the Federal Civil Rights Statutes,
but. guesttions the effectiveness of any such statutes when prosecu=-
tions and convictions do not result from the investigations under
the statutes already in force. I believe itt can be pointed out to
. Marshall that the two cases referred. to above tend to show the need
_ for specific civil rights statutes with clearly defined violations,
rather than the fatlure of th¢ Bureau or the Department which are
"operating under the present Atghly controversial Statutes
Marshall makes the further. statement that the MeAvAeCoPe
has used inexpertenced tnvestigators who have been able to produce.
the names of the members Of mobs and refers spect fically to the .
recent Minden, Louisiana, lynching. Reports of investigation in
that case have been forwarded to the Criminal Diviston under the
caption "Deputy Sher tiff Oscar Henry aynes, Jre,y et Gle3 John Cecil
Jones and Albertiiarris, Ure - Victinss Civil Rights and Domestic
Violence". You will recall that that. case involved the release of
two negroes by Deputy Sheriff Haynes to a mob of men who took them
out and severely beat them, as a result of which Jones died but —
Harris survtved. Indictments have already been handed down agatnst
Deputy Sheriff Haynes, Deputy Sheriff Edwards, and three private
individuals who were members of the mobe A number of eye witnesses,
some of whom were negroes, have identified some of the members of
the mob and one negro informant reported what he believed to be a
list of the individuals involved but had no evidence to substantiate
hts beltef. I belteve it should be pointed out to Marshall that
although information. as to suspects in some cases has been furnished
by the NeAs&e CoP. or some of its representatives, the furnishing
Of such names of suspects does not constitute a solution to a parti=
cular case although tt does lend invaluable assistance. Actually,
the real problem in these cases ts to obtain definite and concrete
evidence admissible tn court to prove the identity Of the individuals
responsible. .
in referring to the Isaac Woodard case which, you will
recall, involved the beating of Woodard by Chief of Police Shull
at Batesburg, South, Caroling, which resulted in Woodard's subsequent
blindness, Marshall states that the Ne&eAsCePs was able to produce
eye witnesses and the name of the police officer. In this connection, ©
tt ts to be noted that the original complaint received from the “a
NebeheCePe and from victim Woodard stated that the beating occurred
at Aiken, South Carolina, and it was not until the investigation by
this: Bureau had been instituted that it wos learned that the offense
had actuaily occurred at Batesburge Marshall's statement that eye
witnesses were produced is misleading but the Bureau-.agents inter=_
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