Summoned to the police court on two charges, committing a public nuisance and assault and battery, Gordon M. Finger, 1826 East Eighth street, was found guilty in both cases by Judge Laurence Jones Saturday morning. He was fined $25 and costs for the first conviction and $10 and costs for the second.
According to the evidence, Mr. Finger had a fire started in his back yard several days ago which threatened to smoke out the entire neighborhood. Trash and shingles from a house he was remodeling fed the flames. Several witnesses living in the neighborhood were on hand in court Saturday morning with complaints.
The first climax to the story came soon after the fire was started, when Dr. L.D. Walker, who lives next door, went out in his back yard to complain to Mr. Finger.
“Didn’t your chickens scratch up my yard some time ago?” is the answer Mr. Finger was alleged to have made. This was followed by Mr. Finger’s instructions to Dr. Walker to “mind your own business and I will mind mine.”
Dr. Walker then had a warrant sworn out for the defendant.
The major climax came Friday night. It was alleged that Mr. Finger saw Dr. Walker in his car in front of his house playing with his little girl. He made a bee line for him, according to the evidence, and struck Dr. Walker, who had his glasses on at the time. A bruise under his right eye in the police court showed that he blow struck home. In the scuffle that ensued, Dr. Walker’s coat was torn and his glasses lost and several minor bruises inflicted upon him by Mr. Finger. The fight lasted for some time, with many neighbors as witnesses.
Dr. Walker then had another warrant sworn out.
In court Saturday morning, Dr. Walker’s cook testified that after Mr. Finger had been warned by Dr. Walker to stop the fire, he ordered a negro boy to pile up more fuel on the fire and exclaimed, “Smoke hell out of them!”
It was alleged that the smoke filled nearby houses to such an extent that the windows had to be closed.
On the witness stand Mr. Finger was cut short by solicitor Guthrie when he declared that “his neighbors didn’t fit in with that section.”
The entire evidence heard was against Mr. Finger.
From The Charlotte News, Saturday evening, June 18, 1921
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