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VOL. 12, No. 1 : Vancouver, British Columbia, January 9, 1953 <@@B» 2 PRICE TEN CENTS

Incredible verdict!

DEMAND ATTY. GENERAL
ACT IN CLEMENS CASE

A demand that Attorney-General Robert Bonner im-
mediately open an investigation into police methods and

Cle menc “y v 1 gi [ Ss fe or R osen b er g Ss police administration in’ Vancouver is being made by the

oe Tribune this week following the ‘‘unnatural acci

ental death’’ verdict reached by a coroner’s jury in the

STORY ON BACK PAGE death of Clarence Clemens, Negro longshoreman, in Van-
‘_ couver General -Hospital on December 24.

Tense silence settled over the crowded court -room
when the foreman of the all-white jury rose to read the

verdict: ““We find that this is an unnatural, accidental
Geaths x?

A low moan and muffled cries of “Oh! Oh!” came
from both white and Negro spectators at the word ‘‘acci-
dental.”” The foreman continued: “*. . . as a result of injury
to the spinal cord caused by an old injury which may have
been aggravated by his strenuous struggle while resisting
arrest by two city police officers at approximately 2.30 a.m.,
July 19, 1952, in the normal course of their duties.”

As Coroner J. D. Whitbread was writing the verdict
on an official form, a slim, middle-aged Negro stood up
and said, ‘‘May I ask’a question?”

“Silence!’’ shouted a cop.

“T’d like to ask a question. I’m not satisfied with this
verdict and I want to ask a question,”’ persisted the Negro
citizen.

“Sit down or we'll take you upstairs and let you ask
your questions up there,’’ said Whitbread, and two cops

started toward the dissatisfied spectator, who reluctantly
sat down.

From 10 a.m. Tuesday until after midnight, in the
lengthiest inquest since 1945, jurors, lawyers and spectators
listened to evidence given by 52 witnesses, while court
reporters took down more than 500 pages of testimony.

Not one Negro and not one worker was on the seven-
man jury, which had the responsibility of determining
“how, when, where and by what means Clemens came to

Continued on page 7 — See PATHOLOGIST .

How U.S. plans
to loot our

resources

page 10

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