The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1905-08-03
THRIVE By
Negroes Who Thrive by Suing Rail
roads, Hotels and Restaurants.

Negroes Who Thrive by Suing Rail
roads, Hotels and Restaurants.
According to a New York lawyer
there is a considerable class of profes
sional litigantS among the colored PEG
pie of New York. They make a bust
ness" says the lawyer, 'of suing rail
roads and sleeping car companies ant
tproprietors of hotels, restaurants, bar
rooms, ice cream parlOrs and sods
water fountains for refusing to gran,
them the rights and privileges which
are freely accorded white persons
These professional black litigants have
many ways of meeting and beating thu
scheme Of the white purveyors of com
modities and accommodations who de
sire only White patronage. The pirofFess
sional black litigant, for example
walks into a bar-room that he knows j.
a drinking place exclusively for white
men, and calls for a milk punch.
Milk punches cost a dollar to-day,
says the barkeep, thinking that thu
black will Immediately 60 out and take
the air. -, &c %"r
"'All right says the professiona
black litigant, and, if the bartende.
puts up no further excuse and serve:
the drink, the colored man drinks it
pays his dollar and walks out.
He has a case in law for extortiol
under the. civil rights clause. HI
clinches his case-I speak now of {
case that actually happened in New
York not long ago-by sending into
the barroom, after he himself leaves it
a white cOnfederate-many Of the pro
fessional black litigants have thes'
white working partners.
The white partner calls for a mill
punch, gets it. drinks it, and pays thu
regular market price for milk punches
That's the finishing touch to the pro
fessional black litigant's case.
"Or. supposing the bartender, find
ing that his black customer is willing
to pay the dollar demanded for a mill
punch. says:
1--we got nc milk.
There are several bottles of mill
on ice in that case behind the bar re
plies the black man, having the lay O:
the land all fixed before setting abou
to build up his case; and l am speak
ing again of a case that actually hap
pened.
THAT milk soured during the thun
Il Hometown, chic ,,nrpinn COW fhn how
keep.
"'Oh, it did, says the black man
and he walks out.
He Immediately sends his white
confederate into the barroom. The
white confederate gets a milk punch
manufactured out of sweet milk from
one of the bottles that the colored mar
has previously pointed out to the side
stepping Northumberland there's the
Games like these are worked
and again by the professional,
black l%itigants, and they get by with
them in the New York courts more
often than they lose out.
The. professional black litigant
walks into a tirst-class hotel in a city
where he knows the civil rights clause
is still a living affair, and begins tC
write his name on the register.
mot a room left in the house. re
marks the clerk, knowing about half OF
the rooms to be vacant.
THAT so?' says the colored man
Are you absolutely certain of that?
"'Certainest thing you ever heard,
the clerk.
The cOlOred man strolls out, ant
two minutes later his white side work
err. an impressive-looking man, steps
off Il car or out of a carriage in from
of the hotel. walks in, registers, is re
effusively by the clerk, and gets
his pick Of a whole lot of rooms-anG
another case for the profession
al black litigant.
THE same system is used on rail
roads and. usually works like a charm