”July New Moon” Blamed for Violence
Dublin Core
Title
”July New Moon” Blamed for Violence
Description
"GREENVILLE, S. C. (ANP) – The old folks down here attach a special significance to the July new moon.
Always preceding the appearance of the July new moon there is a wave of fatalities. The July moon is not Carolina moon of song and story, it is a blood moon. Blood kin will fight and kill just before the July new moon. Blood kin did fight in ‘76.
July 4th fatalities are not the result of the holiday spirit, the coming of the July new moon makes the blood hot and people kill. With the coming of July 5, the old folks sagely nod their heads as report after report reaches them of what the rest of the world calls Fourth of July fatalities.
At Bishopville, as the result of a colored ball game, one man was killed, eight men and women are in jail, and two policemen who attempted the quell the riot were injured. The dead man was Johnny Lee Truesdale, of Kershaw, stabbed to death by a colored woman, Mary Wright, who escaped. The two white police officers ho attempted to quell the disturbance were severely beaten about the face and head by J.C. Buford of Kershaw.
At Union, James Glenn shot and killed a white man, J.H. Gregory, and wounded his companion. After killing, which took place in the Negro’s yard, Glenn gave himself up to officers and was carried to an undisclosed jail for safe keeping.
In Greenville, Richard McBee, 12 year old youth, died of stab wounds allegedly inflicted by his stepfather Ray Arnold. The stepfather was also treated at the hospital for stab wound about the face and arms.
Wendell Thompson, 25, shot and killed his stepfather, Arthur Smith 50, after wounding his wife, Esther Thompson, twice in the arm. Immediately after the killing Thompson surrendered to the officers. All the parties involved were members of substantial families.
To most people all this is added to the sudden deaths that occur on the Fourth. To old timers, it is the July new moon, a blood moon."
Always preceding the appearance of the July new moon there is a wave of fatalities. The July moon is not Carolina moon of song and story, it is a blood moon. Blood kin will fight and kill just before the July new moon. Blood kin did fight in ‘76.
July 4th fatalities are not the result of the holiday spirit, the coming of the July new moon makes the blood hot and people kill. With the coming of July 5, the old folks sagely nod their heads as report after report reaches them of what the rest of the world calls Fourth of July fatalities.
At Bishopville, as the result of a colored ball game, one man was killed, eight men and women are in jail, and two policemen who attempted the quell the riot were injured. The dead man was Johnny Lee Truesdale, of Kershaw, stabbed to death by a colored woman, Mary Wright, who escaped. The two white police officers ho attempted to quell the disturbance were severely beaten about the face and head by J.C. Buford of Kershaw.
At Union, James Glenn shot and killed a white man, J.H. Gregory, and wounded his companion. After killing, which took place in the Negro’s yard, Glenn gave himself up to officers and was carried to an undisclosed jail for safe keeping.
In Greenville, Richard McBee, 12 year old youth, died of stab wounds allegedly inflicted by his stepfather Ray Arnold. The stepfather was also treated at the hospital for stab wound about the face and arms.
Wendell Thompson, 25, shot and killed his stepfather, Arthur Smith 50, after wounding his wife, Esther Thompson, twice in the arm. Immediately after the killing Thompson surrendered to the officers. All the parties involved were members of substantial families.
To most people all this is added to the sudden deaths that occur on the Fourth. To old timers, it is the July new moon, a blood moon."
Date
1940-7-19
Collection
Citation
“”July New Moon” Blamed for Violence,” African American Fourth of July, accessed May 3, 2024, https://africanamerican4th.omeka.net/items/show/204.