The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-27
A JAMES CROW JOINT.
A Domiciliary Visit to a Highland
Park House
WHERE LIQUOR Has BEEN SOLD

According to Evidence in the Hands
Of the SherIR-OnIy 20 Bottles Of
Beer Were Found.
In modest cottage in a far corner of
Highland Park is "jim-crow" joint 1t
is operated by James Crow, or was up to
10 o'clock Saturday night when the sher-
if and his deputies swooped down upon
him like birds of prey. The officers
were rather disappointed at the dimen-
sions of the raid
They had never been there before, but
had heard of the place as a big joint,
famous all the country round about and
doing more business than a candy butcher
at circus.
They made elaborate plans for the
raid, and would not have been surprised
to lind a whole brewery in operation.
1t was natural therefore that a feeling
akin to modification should affect them
when they were directed to a little
house in a cornfield where there were
twenty-three bottles of beer stored in the
kitchen. 1t was quite proper that Mr..
Crow should live in a cornfield, and it
was Jim Crow joint in fact as we'll as
name.
When the officers drove up in an ex-
press wagon and waded through several
acres of plowed field to the Rouse, they
found Mr.. Crow in the back yard
"Hello," said Tom Wilkerson, by way
of opening conversation.
"Hello," replied Crow. "Lost?"
"Guess not. Is your name Crow?"
"Yep."
"Guess this is the right place, then.
Got any beer?"
"No, amt got any beer. Were you
fellers going fishing?"
Yes
"How much beer do you want?"
"All we can get"
who sent you here?"
"Some of the boys"
Crow sized up the crowd and appeared
to be suspicious and told them he had
no beer.
II guess" said one of the deputies,
swell look around anyhow and see what
we can find. Mr. Crow, allow me to in
trOduce you to Sheriff Burdge. He's got
warrant for you"
the - you say" said Crow.
"WhaFs the chsrge?"
SELLING whisky"
"You don't say. I haven't got bit on
the premises"
Glow about beer?"
give got some beer in the kitchen,
but it's for my sick wife. The doctor
prescribed it,
Crow led the way to the house and
went into the kitchen where Mrs. Crow
was amusing four little children, the
youngest ones playing and tumbling on
a rag pile.
sand he's arrested me for selling liq
uor,"
Mrs. Crow screamed, and the children
realizing that something was wrong, be-
gan to cry. The sheriff seemed embar-
| raised, for he dislikes anything like
scene. 1t was especially embarrassing,
too, because Mrs. Crow was very pretty
woman, being tall and slender and neat
| ly dressed.
1t was apparent, however, that his wife
was not very sick, or at least not 80 sick
as to have disposed of all but twenty
three bottles of beer from a barrel that
had contained seventy-two bottles Mr..
Crow looked much more as though he
was the one who needed the tonic But
the 'sick wife" plea is used by every
small jOintist to account for the presence
of liquor on the premises. Mrs. Crow
cried and sent the children to bed, and
although it was past 10 o'clock she was
determined to hitch up and try to get
$500 bond for her husband, until the
sheriff convinced her of the uselessness
of such effort at that hour.
The twenty bottles of beer were
found in a tub of ice water in the pantry.
There were fifty empty bottles These
were all put into a barrel and confscated
1t is stored with an innumera BILE amount
of like merchandise in the basement of
the old court house.
On the way back to town Crow pro-
tested his innocence of the charge, but
the officers have i've counts against him.
and say the best thing he can do is to
plead guilty to as few of them as the
| county attorney will allow