From The Rockingham Post-Dispatch, Thursday
afternoon, February 26, 1920
Hearing of Kent Greer
on White Slavery Charge to be Held Before Commissioner Guthrie Friday Afternoon
at 2 o’clock
As noted briefly in last week’s Post-Dispatch, J. Kent Greer was arrested by U.S. Marshal Tomlinson
of Fayetteville on Thursday afternoon, February 19th, shortly after
the Greer robbery trial had ended. He was carried into U.S. Commissioner H.L.
Guthrie’s office and allowed to give a $1,000 bond for his appearance for a
preliminary hearing February 27th.
This hearing will take place before Mr. Guthrie tomorrow
(Friday) afternoon at 2 o’clock.
Kent Greer, who was last Thursday bound over to superior
court, April 5th term, to answer to the charge of conspiracy to
commit highway robbery, is now charged with white slavery. It is for this that
he must appear before Mr. Guthrie. It is alleged that he and W.R. Clinard, who
was killed the 14th by a Richmond county posse in self-defense,
spent Thursday night, February 12th, at the Cheraw hotel with two
women whom they had brought from Greensboro. That they got several of the
colored bell boys drunk, and “cut up Jack” in general; and it is reported that
then the Covington hotel clerk asked Kent was he married, that Kent is said to
have replied, “Yes, and here is my license”—at the same time shoving a pistol
against the clerk’s side.
The Post-Dispatch
will in next week’s issue give in full the evidence that develops at the
hearing tomorrow.
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From The Rockingham Post-Dispatch, Thursday
afternoon, March 4, 1920
Kent Greer Bound to
March 30th Term of Federal Court Under $1,000 Bond on White
SlaveryCharge.. Details of Evidence
Before Commissioner Guthrie at Hearing Last Friday
As a result of a hearing before U.S. Commissioner Henry L.
Guthrie at Rockingham, in the Clerk’s office, last Friday afternoon, Feb. 27th,
J. Kent Greer was bound over to Federal Court under $1,000 bond. The next term
begins March 30th at Laurinburg.
The charge against Greer is white slavery, or, as the Federal
warrant reads “that J. Kent Greer did unlawfully carry certain females from
North Carolina into South Carolina for immoral purposes, in violation of an act
of Congress known as the ‘Mann Act.’”
The above warrant was served on Kent Greer by Deputy Marshal
J.W. Tomlinson of Fayetteville on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 19th, at
5:30, just after the magistrate’s trial had concluded, wherein Kent was bound
over to April 5th term of Superior Court under $3,000 bond on the
charge of conspiracy to commit highway robbery, this being a part of the
sensational hold-up of Robert Steele Jr. on Feb. 13th, as a direct
result of which one man, W.R. Clinard, was killed, and the other robber, Robert
Greer, is on $10,000 bail for April 5th term. After serving the
warrant, Kent was allowed to give $1,000 bond for appearance for trial Feb. 27th.
And so the hearing took place before Commissioner Guthrie
Friday afternoon, last.
Representing the Government were Ex-Solicitor A.M. Stack of
Monroe, James Lockhart of Wadesboro, and W.S. Thomas of the Thomas &
Phillips law firm (Mr. Phillips at the time being sick at Laurinburg with flu).
Appearing for the defendant were T.J. Gold and Leonidas Williams of High Point,
and Walter R. Jones of Rockingham. Sitting at the defense table with the
defendant and attorneys were his brother, U.S. Greer, and brother-in-law, W.F.
Taylor, both of High Point.
Father of Greer’s
Wife
The first witness called to the stand by the Government was
the father of Kent Greer’s wife—J.R. Long of High Point. By Mr. Long the
Government proved that Kent Greer is a married man, his wife the daughter of
Mr. Long, and on or about Feb. 13th Mrs. Greer was sick and that
Kent Greer was out of town for three days during that time.
The defense put no questions to him.
Cheraw Hotel Clerk
Next witness was James Simmons Felder of St. Matthews, S.C.,
and at present clerk at the Covington Hotel at Cheraw, S.C. Felder is a youth
probably 18 years old. He testified that on Thursday night, Feb. 12th,
two strangers and two women arrived at the hotel. That one of the two men (this
man is supposed to have been W.R. Clinard, deceased), came to the desk and
registered as “J.R. Borwn and wife,” and immediately under his name he
registered for the other man as “C.F. Baileyi and wife,” and gave their address
as “Charlotte.” While “Brown” was registering, “Bailey” was standing 20 feet
distant talking with the two women. After registering, the clerk gave the room
keys to a colored bell boy and assigned “Brown and wife” to room 57. He wore
that the four left the hotel the next day (Friday, 13th) about 1:30
o’clock in a green Hudson Speedster.
Negro Bell Boys Drunk
The next witnesses were three colored bell boys of the
hotel, and each of these three were made drunk by liberal partaking of a bottomless
jug from the rooms of “Brown and Bailey.” That gallon jug has played a
prominent part—the leading role, as the theatrical people might say—in all the
subsequent unfortunate happenings. And from the many gallons that jug evidently
must have contained, it would seem that it had a wonderful faculty for
expansion.
The first of the three bell boys examined was Paul Poe, a
rather thick-headed coal-black boy of 20 or thereabouts. He testified that he
was given the keys to rooms 50 and 57 on the night of Feb. 12th by
the hotel clerk and escorted to these rooms two couples who had registered as
man and wife. That he left the “Brown and wife” at room 50 and “Bailey and
wife” at room 57. That later the four were in room 50 and had some sandwiches,
and when he returned one of the men told him to get a drink. He said he poured
from a jug on the bureau a swallow. There is an old saying that one swallow
does not make a summer—but evidently one swallow from that jug made Paul a very
drunk boy. His “swallow” must have been of camel-like proportions. At any rate,
he testified that the next time he saw any of the four was when he passed the
room later and saw “Bailey” and a woman in bed.
The defense then gave Paul a severe cross examination,
conducted by Attorney Jones. Mr. Jones asked him could he recognize the two men
if he saw them again. Paul answered yes. “Are the two in this room?” asked Mr.
Jones. “Yes, sir.” “Point them out, then.” And Paul proceeded to point out Kent
Greer as “Mr. Bailey,” and then pointed out U.S. Greer, a brother of Kent, who
has no connection with the case, as “Mr. Brown.” The defense made much of this,
endeavoring to show that it the witness could make such a mistake as
identifying U.S. Greer for “Mr. Brown,” then he must and could be mistaken in
the rest of his evidence.
Jerome Poe, the second bell boy, testified that he saw the
man “Bailey” and “Brown” in room 50, with two women, about noon on Friday, 13th.
That they appeared to be feeling especially “good.” And that one of the men
offered him a drink from the same old jug. He drank—and got drunk.
Marion Wilson, the third bell boy, carried ice water to room
50 Friday afternoon about 1 o’clock. “Brown and Bailey” and two women were in
there. Marion likewise was offered a drink, and too polite to decline, he took
a wee slug from the l. o. j.—and forthwith walked among the stars. Verily, that
little old jug contained “some” kick.
Hotel Manager
Testifies
B.P. Wallace, the manager of the hotel, testified that the
two men and two women left the hotel about 2 o’clock Friday afternoon, Feb. 13th,
in a green Hudson Speedster, the man “Bailey” driving. He identified positively
J. Kent Greer as the man who was registered as “Bailey,” and whom he saw leave
the hotel in the Hudson Speedster.
Connecting Up
The Government then introduced several witnesses to show
that Kent Greer has passed through North Carolina with two women.
G.W.C. Rush of Biscoe, testified that a green Hudson
Speedster passed Biscoe Thursday afternoon, Feb. 12th, and stopped
in front of his store. That he recognized Kent Greer as the driver; that two
women were also in the car. They came from towards the north and were headed
south.
Sam E. Covington, chief of police in Rockingham, testified
to seeing a green Hudson Speedster drive slowly up the street of Rockingham
shortly after 7 o’clock on Friday night, 13th. On the front seat
were a a man and two women.
E.E. Hamer, night policeman of Rockingham, testified to
seeing a green Hudson Speedster, with ma man whom he thought looked like Kent
Greer on front seat, with two women beside him, drive down the Main street
about 8 o’clock, and that when the man observed a big crowd gathered with guns
around a Ford Coupe, he instantly quickened his speed and turning the
courthouse corner literally shot down the hill and away.
Government Rests
At this point, after evidence lasting an hour and a half,
the Government rested its case.
The attorneys for the defendant asked permission of the
Commissioner to retire with the defendant for a conference. They went into the
vault of the Clerk’s office, and in five minutes returned and stated that the
defense would put on no evidence at this time.
Probable Cause Found
Commissioner Guthrie thereupon announced that probably cause
existed and bound Greer over to the Federal Court that meets at Laurinburg
March 30, placing his bond at $1,000. This bond was signed by U.S. Greer and
W.F. Taylor, brother and brother-in-law of Kent. Commissioner Guthrie made each
of the bondsmen swear that he was worth more than $1,000 personal property,
over and above all encumbrances.
And so ends for the present the charges against Kent Greer
of white slavery. The next chapter will be unfolded in the Federal Court.
-=-
From The Rockingham Post-Dispatch, Thursday
afternoon, March 4, 1920
Kent Greer to be
Tried at June Term of Court at Danville, Va., for Car Stealing
J. Kent Greer was to have been tried in Court at Danville,
Va., last Tuesday. He is charged with stealing an automobile from a man named
Seth Taylor of that city. He was under $1,000 bond to appear for trial. At the
appointed time Tuesday he appeared in court at Danville, but when it was
explained to the Judge that he was to face trial in Rockingham in April for
highway robbery and White Slavery, the Judge continued the case against him
until the June term of Danville Court. His bond was thereupon renewed at
$1,000.
