Charge of Possession of Liquor Against Lewis Long Dismissed, June 24, 1922

Charlotte Attorneys Class Over Case Arising Out of Recent Sharpe Affair

Charlotte, June 22—Lewis Long, charged with possessing liquor in his car in January, while the automobile was in a local garage, was found not guilty in the city court his morning following a statement made by J.F. Newell, attorney for Rev. J.A. Sharpe, through whose efforts Long was arrested on an affidavit furnished by F.H. Huneycutt, sanitary inspector, that the prosecution had never claimed it had sufficient evidence to convict Long and that he desired to inform the court “now that we do not contend that the state can convict Long on the affidavit which has been turned over to your honor.”

In spite of the unique attention which developed when an attorney speaking for the prosecution informed the court before the case was called that the defendant could not be convicted on statement containing the sworn testimony of Honeucutt, the defendant through counsel, D.B. Smith, demanded a trial and was given it.

Sharp and bitter words developed at this juncture between Attorneys Smith and Newell.

“It is none of his business,” Mr. Smith told the court, “whether this is tried or not. He need not be concerned about where it starts or where it stops.”

“You keep your mouth out of this matter,” Mr. Smith said with feeling, as he turned toward Mr. Newell. When Mr. Newell sought to respond Mr. Smith told the court that if the court did not make Mr. Newell shut up and attend to his own business, “I will.”

The Charlotte police force is as efficient and as conscientious in its duty as that of any city or town in North Carolina, declared R.K. Kohloss of Salisbury, federal director of prohibition enforcement for the state, here today.

Mr. Kohloss said he had never heard any criticism of the local officers until a few weeks ago. Up to that time he had merely assumed, never having the opportunity directly to pass judgment upon the character of the local force, that it was doing its work to the satisfaction of the people.

The Provident Bank and Trust Company of Cincinnati offered a bid of $289,669.10 was declared the purchaser of the $287,000 gold bonds of the city of Charlotte by the city commissioners Friday morning.

From the front page of the Greensboro Daily News, Saturday morning, June 24, 1922. Obviously, the last paragraph doesn’t go with this story, but it was included in the newspaper article.