Charlie Core Gets 8 to 10 Years in State Prison, Sept. 25, 1925

Negro College Janitor Gets Long Term. . . Charlie Core Pleads Guilty to Attempt to Break Into Girls’ Room

Charlie Core, Wake Forest negro, was sentenced by Judge Garland E. Midyette last week in the Wake County Superior Court to not less than 8 nor more than 10 years in the State’s Prison for entering the woman’s dormitory at Wake Forest College during the recent summer school and attempting to force his way into the bed room of Miss Lola Hines and Miss Pauline Miller, summer school students.

Core was charged with the capital crime of burglary on a bill of indictment charging him with attempting to break into the sleeping room of the two girls with the intent to commit either larceny or rape. However, Solicitor W.f. Evans accepted a plea of guilty to charge of feloniously entering a dwelling house with intent to commit a felony.

The two young women took the stand for the State and testified to their trying experience. Core did not take the stand in his own behalf. Only his mother, Nettie Core, testified for him.

The case has attracted wide attention because of the publication of a slanderous article in the Pittsburg Courier, a negro newspaper, which purported to be a report of Core’s arrest. The article stated that Core went to the room in response to a “mash note” by one of the girls, but that she had Core arrested because the other girl was in the room when Core arrived.

Solicitor Evans stated in court that he did not believe Core had anything to do with the publication of the article. Charles U. Harris, attorney for Core, stated that his client was as opposed to the publication of the untrue article as was anyone else. Solicitor Evans stated that following the publication deep anger was aroused in Wake Forest and also in Hoke county where the two girls live. No retraction of the article has been published by the paper although demand was made upon it.

The two girls testified that they saw Core looking up at their window. Later they heard some one out in the hall of their dormitory. The light I the hall of the dormitory and the light in their room was turned out by a switch in the hall. Core came to the door of their room and attempted to open it. The two girls threw their weight against the door and pushed it shut, but with Core pressing against it from the outside. The girls screamed and Core ran. Their screams were heard by J.C. Caddell Jr., baseball coach at the college. He saw Core run out of the dormitory and tried to catch him.

From the first page of the Zebulon Record, Friday, Sept. 25, 1925

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073191/1925-09-25/ed-1/seq-1/