Goodman Pleads for Justice
Pvt. Woods' Trial Tests Army -
Treatment of Negro Soldiers
By SHERWIN WINE
•
Jewish News Staff Writer
On July 21, at San 'Francisco, amid the subdued emotion
of legal formalities, a major issue will be determined:
Can a Negro soldier receive a fair trial at the hands of
the Army?
The court martial of Pvt. Lemas Woods will decide how
far the civil rights of Negroes will be respected. To his defense
have arisen those liberal forces
who are outraged by what they
term the phony judicial proceed-
ings which sentenced an innocent
man to be hanged.
As his defense counsel, the
UAW-CIO, to which he belongs,
has engaged Ernest Goodman,
and it was through Goodman's in-
vestigation that evidence was un-
covered which caused Wood's de-
fendents to believe him innocent.
Pvt. Woods, a resident of De-
troit, had been stationed with
the Quartermaster Corps outside
Manila since December, 1945. On
March 23, 1946, he shot and killed
his tent mate, Thomas Patterson.
He was tried and convicted on
May 1, after only three hours of
judicial proceedings. He was sen-
tenced to be hanged.
Union Intercedes
While awaiting execution of
the sentence, Woods wrote to his
father in Detroit, attesting his
own innocence and requesting
that he reveal the injustice com-
mitted. The father contacted the
Civil Rights Congress and the
UAW-CIO. George Addes, sec-
retary-treasurer of the Union, in-
terceded with Secretary of War
Patterson to delay the execution,
pending the decision of the Board
of Review in Washington.
Meanwhile Goodman obtained
a transcript of the court martial
proceedings. He claims to have
found inaccuracies, contradictions
and many unexplained aspects
that were never corrected. He
contends that evidence pertinent
to the defense had been elimi-
nated, and concluded that a fair
trial had not been given.
Evidence of Innocence
Goodman found new evidence
on which to base his contention
that Woods is innocent. In his
efforts to secure information rela-
tive to the killing, he was aided
by Carlos Ramos, secretary of
the Philippine Lawyers' Guild.
(Ramos was in Detroit July 2,
sent here by the Guild to confer
with Goodman. He also will be
in San Francisco for the trial.)
The prosecution maintained the
following:
On the morning of March 23,
- A. Deutsch Heads New
Bank Established at
Dexter and Cortland
Serving a locality where bank-
ing service was sorely needed,
American Savings and Loan As-
sociation has opened quarters at
the corner of Dexter and Cort-
land. As previously announced,
the bank will be closed Satur-
days.
Adolph Deutsch, president, and
his associates, declare that this
location was chosen to best serve
our people.
Mr. Deutsch has been connect-
ed with the banking and mort-
gage business for 25 years and
his reputation, ability and integ-
rity are well known in banking
circles.
The State charter was recent-
ly granted with authorized cap-
ital at $2,500,000. All accounts
up to $5000 are insured by Fed-
eral Savings and Loan Insurance
Corporation, an instrumentality
of the U. S. government. All
savings have a current rate of
two per cent, payable every six
months, June 30 and Dec. 30.
The officers are Adolph
Deutsch, p r e s i d ent; Samuel
Hechtman, executive vice-presi-
dent; Jack Sylvan, vice-presi-
dent; Nathan Goldin, secretary;
Alfred Deutsch, treasurer. Sam-
uel S. Greenberg has been ap-
pointed attorney for the institu-
tion, and as a director.
The officers and directors an-
nounce that at the opening, de-
posits exceeded $250,000.
Page Thirteen
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday. jail/ I I. 1947
lEitlgEST GOODMAN
1946, Woods was in his tent with
three other Negro soldiers—Pvts.
Patterson, Sanchiouz and For-
man. The tent had an opening
three feet in length. Woods and
Forman were cleaning the tent
for inspection, and Forman left
for water.
It was then, the prosecution
declared, that Woods walked to
his cot, took out a 45 automatic
revolver, walked over to Pat-
terson's cot, shouted, "Wake up,"
and shot him. This was based on
the testimony of Pvt. Hicks, an-
other Negro soldier, who claimed
to have witnessed the scene 100
yards away.
; Denies Murder Motive
Woods denied such occurrences.
He stated that Patterson and he
had been the best of buddies, and
there was no reason to kill him.
The night before, Woods ex-
plained, he had gone to a Red
Cross movie, taking with him his
45 revolver, contrary to Army
regulations. On his return he
found it too late to return the
gun to the supply house. In the
morning, before inspection, he
decided to place the revolver in
the foot locker beneath San-
chiouz's bed.
He passed Patterson's cot while
cleaning his revolver. The gun
accidentally went off and shot
Patterson. There was no intention
to kill, Woods asserted.
As his defense counsel, Woods
was given a former Coca Cola
salesman, who later declared his
knowledge of legal procedure in-
adequate in any case, and par-
ticularly in this circumstance.
Nor was the counsel permitted
to see the defendant until one
day before the trial.
At the close of the trial, more-
over, the Judge-Advocate, Lt.
Guenzel, who had conducted the
prosecution, had written the com-
manding officer, maintaining that
Hicks' testimony seemed dbubt-
ful; that no one had witnessed
the alleged arguments between
the defendant and Patterson; that
Woods had denied the validity
of the confession from the Very
beginning; and that the subse-
quent actions of Woods seemed
less those of a "calculating mur-
derer" • than of a "frightened
man."
Proscutor's Statement Withheld
Yet, Goodman revealed, "I was
able to obtain the • prosecutor's
statement only by accident. The
commanding officer had not, as
would have seemed imperative
in the case, forwarded the state-
ment to the Board of Review, an
action which had been specifically
requested by Guenzel."
The - circumstances made con-
templated murder, as well as
Hicks' testimony, seem improb-
able to Goodman.
The attorney searched for more
positive evidence. He remem-
bered that Patterson was sleep-
ing beneath his mosquito netting.
If Woods had not intended to
kill, the bullet which he claimed
escaped accidentally would have
penetrated the netting.
Find Holes in Net
Upon Ramos' inquiry it was
discovered that the mosquito net
had been analyzed and three bul-
let holes fOund. The Army Crim-
inal Investigation Committee it-
self had advised the defense at-
torney to introduce this evidence,
but the prosecution had preferred
that it be withheld. Yet the Board
of Review in Washington, aware
of this information, concurred in
the decision of the court martial.
The fate of Lemas Woods now
lay with Secretary of War Pat-
terson and, ultimately, with the
President. The President was pe-
titioned and by October, 1946,
was persuaded to grant a new
trial. Originally to be held in
Manila, the trial now is scheduled
in San Francisco July 21.
The members of the court mar-
tial, including many prominent
military officers, already have
been chosen, as well as _ the
Judge-Advocate, a n d Major
Evans Bunker has been designat-
ed as defense counseL Good-
man, however, is associated with
him and will undertake the res-
ponsibility for the defense.
The treatment of Lemas Woods
seems to Goodman to reveal the
general indifference of the Army
to the civil rights of Negroes.
"When Lemas Woods goes on trial
this July 21 the whole system of
Army justice likewise will be
tried. The innocence of the de-
fendant questions the legality of
the entire proceedings," the at-
torney declares.
As to the gradual solution of
this problem, Goodman showed
much apprehension. "I feel that
very notable steps in reducing
discrimination lie in two legis-
lative acts which are before
Congress—the FEPC Bill and the
Anti-Lynching Law. Factors
which tend to encourage their
passage include the continued
organization of whites and Ne-
groes in the South and elsewhere
which is slowly revising tradi-
tional prejudices.
"Another factor exists, how-
ever, which may render worth-
less those that are beneficiaL
Our increasing concern over the
spread of Communism has trans-
ferred our interest from a con-
structive policy to one entirely
negative, and if we continue to
expend all our energies to oppose
the doctrine, we are going to
be diverted permanently from
those actions which will truly
insure democracy."
Positive Social Policy
The defense of Lemas Woods
is one of these actions. And the
forceful response of so many peo-
ple reveals that there are still
those elements in the country
that are interested in a positive
social policy.
Goodman, whose offices are lo-
cated in the Barium Tower, has
been in practice for 19 years.
He was a member of the first
graduating class of the Wayne
University Law School, in 1928.
He was married to the former
$.-Aa Kesler in 1932, and they
have two children, Richard, 13,
and William, 7. The Goodmans
live at 20146 Warrington Dr.
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