14 Negroes, Including the Host, Found Guilty of Attending Private Party, Jan. 16, 1922

Loitering Army of Negroes Rounded Up

If a fellow can’t go to a party there’s nothing like bringing the party to him, and this is exactly what Officer Gribble, McGraw, Fesperman and Blackman did to an all-night festival at an African soup joint on East Second street Saturday night.

Passing by about 5 a.m. Sunday, the officers noticed paramount hilarity rampant in the restaurant. There were no less than 14 negroes congregated about the stove, cracking jokes and raising Cain in general. From appearances the party seemed to be the source of merriment to all, and the officers decided to go in and see what was going on.

But evidently the owner of the restaurant had sent out invitations to the event, for when the officers failed to show proper cards some argument arose as to admittance. This argument was backed up by sundry ebony-hued individuals who surrounded the stove until it began to look as if the officers were going to be counted out of the fun.

“Well, we’ll just take this party to a bigger place where we can all have a good time,” said Officer Gribble.

And forthwith the restaurant owner, customers, guess and all were rounded up and carried to jail. Only a hungry cat was left with the chicken sandwiches and sweet milk.

It would have taken a bunch of cowboys to have rounded up the assembly as did the local officers in the Recorder’s court Monday morning. The defendants liked like Pharoah’s army just before it got drowned. The judge at first thought that the court room was about to be attacked, and looked with some uneasiness at the officers. Practically everybody in Darktown but the well known gambler, Jehu Davis, was there. When they all cried “Not guilty!” at the same time it sounded like the Russian army giving three cheers for Nicholas Lenine.

Judge Jones fined them all with the costs, the money collected being almost more than the court has made since Christmas. The restaurant owner was required to pay $10 and costs, after which he made a dash for his place to get the cat out of the soup.

From The Charlotte News, Monday, January 16, 1922