The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-21
EVERY TOWN HAS ONE.
What Respectable Communities En-
dure, and Why Do They En-
dure 1t?


From Will Whites Emporia Gazette.
Wednesday afternoon four honest, high
" respectable Emporia girls who work
downtown testified in Justice Hamer' 5
court against a negro for insulting them
at different times as they returned home
from their work early in the evening.
One of the girls positively identified Joe
Davis as the fellow who had done it; the
other three thought he the one, but
were not sure. Hamer gave him the limit
OF the Iaw-ninety days in Jail
This is the sixteenth time Joe Davis has
been in a court of justice in Lyon county.
and only one time has he been found not
guilty." This goes back only six years
The records We're not examined previous
to January 80, 1881 when he was arrested
for loafing and refusing to move off the
sidewalk He tried to draw a knife when
arrested by policeman. Three days aft
erward he served a sentence for beating a
man named Chas. Brown. Shortly after
ward Waldo Worster was chasing him,
near the junction, when Davis tried to
draw a razor. but dropped it and was
put in Jail.
Davis probably gained more notoriety
by his Chicken episode" than in any
other meanness he ever did. When the
Populists were celebrating their victory
on November 49, 1892. they had big bon
fire at Seventh and Commercial. Joe
Davis was drunk-awful drunk. When
he is drunk he is as dirty, mean, british
a specimen of humanity as can be found.
Some chickens were roOsting back of the
coal yard on that corner. Davis broke in
to the coop and took chicken. Coming
on the street and standing by the fire,
he made the crowd stand back by yelling,
''Oh, Use a bad niggah!" and holding the
chicken high up in the air he tore the
skin off of the live chicken and was ready
to throw it in the fire when the police ap-
peared. After a lively chase he was ar
rested and served a sentence.
He has been in the hands of the officers
for nearly every crime on the docket ex-
cept murder. He stabbed J. d. Tyther-
leigh a couple of years ago. He was be-
fore the district court for cutting Nate
Henderson, but escaped through some
technicahty If it had not been for this
he would have been in the penitentiary.
He has been arrested for insulting girls
before this. He is a worthless. ornery
fellow who is disgrace to the town
About three years ago he got on high
rolling spree and managed to have two
toes cut off in the Santa Fe yards. 1t is
hard thing to think that Providence is
responsible for cutting off the wrong end
of his corporal being.
The only time he was released from
custody was when Sam Sharpe accused
him of petit larceny. Otherwise, Davis
record is a dirty record of black marks
He is a fellow who has no good qualities
when sober. and when drunk he thinks
he is a little tin devil on skates. He has
been in police court eleven times and once
in district court. He has cost the town
and county about 1.OO0. He is now only
27 years old. 1t would have been cheaper
to have hung him in the year 1890
He has been before the public just six
teen times too often. There are about
half a dozen other colored young fellows
who are no better than Joe Davis. He
is not the only fellow who has been in
sulting some of the girls. The next one
who is arrested will receive the mixed
blessings of the Gazette.