'Cliffie Gets Acquittal In Baltimore Court On Sit-In Charges

Emily Shiling '63 and nine other members of a civil rights committee were tried last Friday in Baltimore, ostensibly for violation of a trespassing law.

A group of high school and college students, mainly Negro, entered a segregated diner on Route 20 outside of Baltimore last August, and refused to leave. The proprietor summoned a police officer who took the names of the demonstrators over eighteen. One boy did not have identification and was taken into custody.

Several of the others went to his home and brought his proof of identification to the police station, where they were also placed under arrest. Miss Shiling, one white and five Negro boys spent several hours in jail before they were released on bail.

Last Wednesday, Miss Shiling received a telegram to appear before Maryland's County Circuit Court.

At the trial, when the judge asked the arresting police officer and the proprietor to identify the defendants, both of them did not remember clearly that they had seen Miss Shiling and the one white boy, who were subsequently released.