1. While the New York Amsterdam News reported that a woman rushed to the Muslim restaurant on 116th and Lenox, Malcolm X stated in his autobiography that the second victim telephoned the restaurant, which sparked a series of other calls (Hicks, 1957, p. 32; Malcolm X, 1999, p. 238). More than likely, both occurred amid other calls. Louis E. Lomax labeled this series of calls a “crisis system,” a special communications network or “telephone pyramid.” When a Nation of Islam follower is abused, each Muslim is responsible for calling ten or so others, allowing the group to mobilize hundreds at a time rather quickly (1963, p. 34). Herbert Berg states that 50 FOI were stationed outside the precinct, which is in contrast to Louis E. Lomax, who claims the number was 500. The larger number could indicate the inclusion of many Harlem residents who had just begun to join the protest. Otherwise, Lomax could be referring to the rally of about 400, which occurred the next day on Sunday. Their sources, however, are not clear and both give contrasting dates for the incident. SeeBerg (2009), p.41; Lomax (1963), p. 33.
2. For the published testimony of Hinton Johnson (the newspapers invert his name), see “Moslem victim's own story of cop's brutality,” New York Amsterdam News, May18,1957, pp.1, 38.