Walter Maynor Accused of Burning His Home, Received Threat, Aug. 12, 1922

Fremont Barber Is Arrested on Charge of Burning Own Home. . . Walter Maynor Held Without Bail on Complaint of Insurance Deputy. . . Tells Officers He Was Told to Leave

Walter Maynor, colored barber of Fremont, was lodged in jail here last night on a charge of arson. He was arrested yesterday afternoon on a warrant sworn out by Deputy Insurance Commissioner Scott of Raleigh.

According to officials, Maynor set fire to his house last Tuesday night and left town. Although he had been twice notified of the burning, he did not return to make any investigation but remained here.

Evidence gathered by the deputy commissioner shows that Maynor and his wife had both been away for several days. The wife left Fremont first and later Maynor went. He was seen at a sister’s house about 9 o’clock Tuesday night and, according to statements made to the officers, was heard talking to someone in the house from an automobile about midnight Tuesday.

There was $1,500 insurance on the house and Maynor recently made application for $500 additional, say the officers. The fire was discovered early Wednesday morning and had only done small damage. Inspection afterwards showed that the walls had been well saturated with kerosene and two jugs of kerosene were found in one of the rooms. In the room where the fire started was found a lamp, minus wick, with the oil cap gone. Trunks and personal effects had been removed.

Maynor told the officers who arrested him that he left Fremont because he had been warned in a letter to do so. He had no statement to make about the fire. He will probably be given (a) preliminary trial this morning and sent on to Superior Court next week.

From the front page of The Goldsboro News, Saturday morning, Aug. 12, 1922. Maynor isn't the first Black barber to receive a threat. Quincy Lee of Winston-Salem was also threatened. That article follows.

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Colored Barber Is Warned to Travel. . . “K. K. K.” Message Disturbs Him; Klan Not Involved in the Matter

Winston-Salem, July 22—Quincy Lee, colored, who conducts a barber shop here received a letter this week signed “K. K. K.” which very naturally disturbed his “equilibrium.” The writer notified Lee to dispose not only of his barber fixtures, but his household effects “at a reasonable price” and get out of town within 30 days. Very emphatically did the sender of the message convey to Quincy that he must not wait for another notification.

The barber showed the letter to several of his white friends and then turned it over to an officer for investigation. He has been assured that the Ku Klux Klan as an organization had nothing to do with the matter. Lee feels confident he knows the party who wrote it, as he has other writing which corresponds with the K. K. K. message. Lee has been a resident of this city for a number of years and bears a good reputation.

From the Raleigh News & Observer, July 23, 1922