Why Are Elizabeth City Aldermen Reluctant to Clean Up Problems? April 25, 1919

From The Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., April 25, 1919

Whiskey Cases Bring to Mind Political Evils. . . Elizabeth City Has Its Filth and Disorders Probably Because of the Rotten Methods of Its Selfish Political Bosses

A number of cases in the Recorder’s Court in this city Tuesday morning did not result in much of a triumph for the police department in trying to break up the illicit sail of whiskey in Elizabeth City, but in all the cases there was evidence that there is plenty of liquor being sold in Elizabeth City and that much of the traffic centers in the district on Matthews street between Poindexter and Martin streets.

In this locality one finds livery stables, pool rooms and pop shops frequented by the vulgar herd. 

There are a lot of decent folk doing business in the same neighborhood, but the decent ones never seem to lift a finger or raise a voice against the other class and it is in that locality that one finds most evidence of drunkenness and “bootlegging.” One can tell the character of the neighborhood by the looks of the class of bums who lounge around the various resorts, seeming to have no other occupation that waiting for a drink.

The cases Tuesday morning grew out of the rest of Whit Wilson, a notorious booze fiend and generally worthless fellow who runs a cook-shop on South Poindexter street. Wilson was charged with having sold a quart of whiskey to two old fellows, Whitson and Haskett. Both testified to having purchased a quart of whiskey between them, paying Wilson therefor $10.

When examined by the police and Prosecuting Attorney Sawyer after his arrest, Wilson told them that he had bought the whiskey for Whitson and Haskett from McKinley Sawyer, who runs a pool room on Matthews street. He said that he had made other purchases from Dewey Hayman, a waiter at the Busy Bee Café, and from D. Walter Harris, the City Tailor. Warrants were sworn out against the three. 

When placed on the witness stand Tuesday morning Wilson swore he had never bought any whiskey from Mr. Harris or had any conversation with him about whiskey. He stoutly maintained however that he had made purchases of Dewey Hayman and McKinley Sawyer, sticking to his declaration thru a grueling cross examination. But his almost insane accusation of Walter Harris on Monday, followed by his contradictory statement under oath Tuesday discredited his whole testimony and all three cases were thrown out of court. Mr. Harris says he had recently bawled Wilson out over an account and that Wilson had sworn to “get even with him.”

Wilson was sentenced to six months on the roads for his transaction with Whitson and Haskett. He took an appeal.

It was brought out in the trial that Chief of Police Holmes found a quantity of whiskey bottles in the rear of the pool room, which is operated jointly by James Barkley and McKinley Sawyer. It was also brought out in the trial that much drunkenness is observed by frequenters of that pool room and that fist fights occur there. There was a fight there Monday.

This Reminds Me

All of this recalls that at a meeting in May 1918, the Board of Aldermen adopted and published the following resolution:

“Whereas the Board of Aldermen in regular session on May 17, 1918 felt it their duty to God and in response to the desire of the people of the town to discontinue the pool rooms in the town after January 1, 1919; We now further in order to save the boys of the town from becoming gamblers, ask the board of trustees of the Y.M.C.A. to discontinue the use of pool tables.”

Previously the Aldermen had served notice that all pool room licenses would be revoked. But they haven’t been revoked and there are more pool rooms in Elizabeth City to-day than ever.

In view of the fact that a campaign for the election of a new Board of Aldermen is under way it is well for voters to pause here and question why the pool rooms never closed; especially in view of the fact that the Aldermen last May were so impressed with their duty to God and their desire to save the boys of the town, that they even asked the Y.M.C.A. to discontinue tables under the clean, refined, Christian influences of that institution?

I am going to bring up a few reminders, because it all has to do with the rottenness of politics in Elizabeth City which tolerates so many evils.

In the spring of 1918 the Mack Sawyer family had acquired complete control of the business of the Owens Shoe Co. The Owens Shoe Co. was occupying crowded quarters on Main street and needed a larger store.

One of the best stands for a shoe store on Main street was occupied by James Nash as a pool room. Nash liked his stand and was sticking to it. But as soon as the Mack Sawyer Board of Aldermen served notice that they would revoke pool room license “because of their duty to God” Nash threw up his lease. And in favor of the Mack Sawyer controlled Owens Shoe Co., who almost immediately moved into the building. Shortly after that poor old Mathias Owens who founded the Owens Shoe Co. hanged himself with a piece of string. With Owens out of way and in their new quarters the Owens Shoe Co. is doing business. And so are the pool rooms.

Of course the Sawyerites claim that the bluff about closing the pool rooms last spring had nothing to do with getting a stand for a Sawyer shoe store and maybe it didn’t; but it will always seem strange to honest folk that the Aldermen should have lost interest in “their duty to God” as soon as they had got one pool room out of the way and created a vacancy for Owens Shoe Co.

The case in the Recorder’s Court Tuesday morning opened up the old stink and was reminiscent of the way things have been conducted by the boss system of politics in this town. The voters of Elizabeth City have an opportunity to get rid of that system on May 13, the day of election of a new Board of Aldermen.