The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-04
RAIDED THE CAKE WALK.
FINAL FUNCTION OF THE JEROME
SOCIAL CLUB.
Police catered just ss the Heveiry ne.
came Riot, because Miss BENDER. che
Coiored champions, Had Refused with
Sarcasm the Cake that she Had won.

Police catered Ju-t as the H~eveiry ne
came Riot, Because Miss BENDER, the
Coiored Champion, Had Refused with
Sarcasm the Cake that she Had won.
At one time the Jerome Social Club, which
was composed equally OF white and colored peo-
pie, was a prominent organization Of its kind on
the west side. It occupied quarters ON the first
floor Of the building at PAL West Twenty ninth
street, and many were the hilarious hops the
members gave, much to their own enjoyment
and TO the dlsmay OF the neiRhbors, who were
foolish enough to think that the night was
made for sleep. But things have gone badly for
the club for some time past, and recently II de-
cIded to go out OF existence. and with this end
in view 1t sold all OF its furniture, and gave no.
tice that when the lease on their rooms expired
10 would not renew IL.
Thursday night was the last night OF the lease.
and, although there was no furniture In the place,
Il was decided to have q grand final hop In tho
shape OF a cake walk. OF all the famous cake
walkers on the west side the best known is Lizzie
Bender, colored. "a years old. of 1913 West Twen-
ty-ffth strest; for has she not won a cake on
several occasions at the SWEETEST OF cake walks
on Ninth avenue2 She was seen about particle
pating in the cake walk. and she agreed to be
the bright particular star of the entertainment
on one condition., and that was that she should
have no other opponent than Sadie How
ard, q white girl, 81 years old. OF
243 West Twenty-ninth street, with whom she
had always contonded as to which was the most
graceful walker. Sadie was seen and agreed TO
the test, and the two women chose as their part
ners Thomas Bird Of 1913 West Thirty-seventh
street, who was to walk with Lizzie. and James
Evans of 800 Seventh avepue, who was to walk
with Sadie. Both men are colored.
In order that the judges might not have the
imputation cast on them that their verdict had
been colored to correspond with the tint Of the
contestants, it was decided to have white and
black equally represented on the board OF Ref,
eroee. Lucy Lawless of PAL West Thirty-tbfrd
street, and Peter Treinor OF PA W est Twenty
eighth street, were tho white judges, while Annie
Williams and George Davis, both of 243 West
Twenty-ninth street, were tho colored ones.
All were on hand Thursday night at IL
O'clock when ms s9Hial tnhct,0m openea w.tn
there were two bottles OF Sin and n keg OF beer
70 minister to the comfort Of both walkers and
in. When midnight had passed. and nearly all
Of the liquor had been partaken OF by the
the struggle for the cake, which, in default of q
table, bad been resting in a corner of the room
The walk proved so exciting that the shouts
OF encouragement reached the ears of a police
man on post four blocks away from the house.
He started to investigate. and as he found that
the mob was too large for him to handle alone he
went to the West Thirty-seventh street police
station and reported the matter to Acting Cap
tain Kear. The Acting CAPTAIN ordered out the
marched them to the scene Of the disturbance.
They reached the house at 80 A. NJ, and ar
rived just as the Judges had decided that Miss
Bender was still the champion Of the cake walks
on the west side. Then the police decided that
It was time TO take q hand themselves, and,
forcing open the door, they entered the hall just
In time to prevent a riot, for Miss Bender had
said In a sarcastically magnanimous tone:
VIVA for shud | take de cake? l doan' laik
sweet stuff no how. / wisht we had ben a walkin'
dis time fob a pickle, fob | likes sour stuff, |
does. Look a.here. Sadie. you kin have yo' ole
ten-cent cake"
Sadie was greatly outraged by this. and the
slur at the cost of the cake highly incensed the
members OF so exclusive an organization as the
jerome Social Club. They started to make a
dash for Lizzie, but as the police entered at that
moment they made a dash. instead, for the rear
window, in an endeavor to escape. But too
many tried to get out at once. and the window
became blocked up. The police untangled tho
mess and placed every body under arrest.
Then the Jerome Social Club showed that II
was q game one. The members submitted to
the arrest with g laugh. and. forming IN a long
line. in double file, they placed the guitar and
mandolin at their head, and marched to the sta
ton to lively music furnished by those instru-
ments and many mouth harmonious that MEM
bers Of the club had at hand. At the station
house the prisoners. of whom there were twenty
one. were each charged with disorderly conduct.
In Jefferson Market Court, Magistrate Crane
fined each Of the prisoners s..