Missing Dress Found on Defendant, May 10, 1925

Long Lost Dress Finally Found. . . Mary Morgan, Colored, Wears into Court Dress She Is Charged with Stealing. . . Julia Hackney Talks Loud

It was Hallowe’en and to celebrate the occasion properly, Julia Hackney, colored, held a party. The party, according to Mary Morgan, also colored, was lively, very lovely, with the “spirits that were there and Mary ought to know; she was there and got so drunk she couldn’t see, she said.

Came the dawn—and disappointment to Julia’s heart. The spirits reputed to be abroad on Hallowe’en night, or somebody, or something, under the spell of those evil spirits, had entered Julia’s closet and departed with an almost brand new dress she had only recently paid out $50 good dollars for. As to whether the witches or some of the invited guests had taken the dress, Julia didn’t know. And should Julia accuse any of her guests with the theft of her dress?

The days grew into weeks, and the weeks stretched on into months of another year. Then one day what should Julia see but Mary wearing a dress she was positive was her dress, her new and long lost dress? A visit to the police station; a warrant sworn out; Saturday morning last, and Mary was there answering not guilty to recorder’s court to the larceny of that long lost dress.

And to show what Mary though of the charge against her, she didn’t do nothing else but wear that dress, which she was charged with stealing, right into court and be tried in it. The bad spirits, good to her, stuck with her until the judge said not guilty. Then they came very near deserting her. Judge Graham told Mary that although the evidence tended to show she did not steal the dress, Julia ought to get that dress back and intimated it would be best for her to return it to Julia.

From the volume of words Julia began to utter as she, Mary and their witnesses went out the court room door, it sounded as though Julia wouldn’t wait for Mary to return the dress; it sounded like she was in a mood to take the dress by force. And to calm the storm, Judge Graham had the whole party called back to sit in the prisoners’ dock for a while. Then he let them go one by one with several minutes in between. Julia was the last to go.

From page 2 of the Durham Sun, Sunday morning, May 10, 1925

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84020732/1925-05-10/ed-1/seq-2/