SCLC #643 · Bessemer convicted Howard over a cartoon still on the drawing board
The Commission’s original 1959 report says Bessemer convicted union leader Asbury Howard Sr. and a white painter under a city-code provision against publishing libelous/obscene material over a voter-registration cartoon still on the drawing board, never publicly displayed. Chief Barron was reportedly the sole city witness; both received six months/$100, with Howard’s appeal pending at report time. The 1961 son’s account names different charges, so ordinance/docket and final outcome remain unverified.
Archive: 1959-bessemer-voter-registration-cartoon-unpublished-placard-city-code-conviction.
Attributed Commission narrative ≠ verified docket · preserve charge discrepancy.