Establishment of Negro Bank in Elizabeth City Draws Criticism, Nov. 14, 1919

From The Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., Friday, Nov. 14, 1919

Negro Bank Deal Brings On Trouble. . . Home Development Company Alleges That C.W. Brown Operates Like a Slick White Lawyer

The movement to establish a Negro bank in Elizabeth City doesn’t seem to be meeting with the unqualified approval of all the Negroes to Elizabeth city. The Home Development Company has entered suit against C.W. Brown, promoter of the bank, to recover from him the building which the bank purposes to occupy.

The building in question is the old Citizens Bank building, corner of Fearing and Poindexter Sts. The Home Development Company bought the property in 1918 with a view to establishing a bank. The Home Development Company was composed of J.R. Fleming, J.T. Doles, C.W. Brown, Dr. E.L. Hoffler, Dr. G.W. Cardwell, W.A. Britton and Clyde Long.

The company avers in its complaint that C.W. Brown was employed to get information relative to the methods for stabling a bank and prospects for the operation of a bank for Negroes in this city. The company avers that Brown brought them only discouraging information and advised them to sell the property at a loss. They bought the property for $10,000. In October of this year they sold it for $9,000 and C.W. Brown was the purchaser. Two weeks after purchasing the property Brown announced the plans of the Albemarle Bank, a Negro banking organization, to occupy the building about Dec. 20. The Home Development Company is saying things about C.W. Brown, which indicates that Brown has been taking lessons from certain lawyers of the white race in Elizabeth City.