Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-15
FOUND QUEER SOCIETY
RAIDS CONDUCTED By FIGHTING
SERGEANT DALEY.
Organization Known as the protective
Sons Of Solomon" Against
the Police.

Several years ago when Lieutenant OF
Police John c. Daley, then known as the
fighting sergeant" was making 1t hot for
the lawbreakers in South Washington, and
his raids on disorderly establishments were
of almost nightly occurrence. he came
across an odd and unique organization of
colored men, whose names were familiar in
the annals of the police. The designation
of the strange society was the Protective
Sons of Solomon but 1t was no indication
of the true nature of the organization or
Its aims and objects. Had it been called
the ''Ant-Police Association or the
'Amalgamated Order of Law Breakers
the pseudonym would have been fitting
one, for its members were sworn 1t is
stated to resist the efforts of the law
guardians to enforce the laws when such
enforcement encroached upon the personal
prerogatives of one or more of the sons"
So it came about that the fighting SER
geant." having learned the society was
holding a meeting and fandango on a GER
tain night, summoned his raiders from No.
police station and started out to "inveS-
tigate, as he termed it. The meeting was
In progress In building on Sd street be-
tween l. and M streets southwest. and the
festivities were at their height when the
shadowy figures of the police raiders began
to reach the neighbOrhood in pairs and by
threes and to take their positions behind
trees anu OtueT HulHS pldCeS IN the vicinity
of the meeting place. At a signal from
Daley, shril whistle. the shadowy forms
broke from cover, and, rushing across the
intervening space, quickly closed in from
front and rear on the luckless Sons of Solo
mon. An entrance was soon gained to the
temple" and the policemen and "sons"
were together in a hurly-burly, the hoarse
SHOUTS of the men mingling with the
screams of the women as they made des-
perate eHorts to escape from the place.
Evidences of Speakeasy.
But the raiders had drawn their net too
tightly and not a fish escaped through the
meshes. The place had been the scene of
dlsorderly gatherings, the neighbors stated,
and evidence that a speakeasy was con-
Quoted there were found on every hand
After the prisoners had been dispatched to
the station house in the patrol wagon, maxi
ing two squirming, squealing loads the
'nghting sergeant and his men proceeded
TO make thorough examination of the
premises. They found among other things
the ritual and paraphernalia of the Sons
OF Solomon. with descriptions of their grip,
signs and signals.
The grand hailing sign of Distress" to
be given when member was under arrest
ana required assistance from his fellows
was described as clasping and unclasping
the hands three times and repeating the
words, Il am not guilty; let me go" The
imitation was described as rough house
buffeting about of the candidate for admis-
sion to the mystic circle of the sons This
was no doubt meant to give him a practi-
cal demonstration of how he should tackle
the first policeman who ATTEMPTED to take
him into custody.
Each member was required to take
solemn oath to protect brother Son of
solomon from the prosecutions of the po-
ice, ana the society was pledged to try in
every manner to keep its members out of
the workhouse. the jail or the pen" :
defense fund was provided to pay the fines
OF oHendlng members when they were haul
ed before the Police Court, or to employ
lawyers in their defense when such a stem
was considered necessary in the Solomonic
wisdom of the board of stewards.
The sons Were sworn enemies of the DO
lice, and the members of Major Sylyester's
force are therefore considerably Interested
IN a report that the organization has been
reorganized and is holding secret meetings
man IN another section Of the city. One Of the
place of first guide - inc temple" when
asked II it was true that the sons had re-
FORMED their society, replied that such
was his understanding
But he quickly rejoined, "I amt in
dat mess no mo. Mistah Daley done glib
me all de trouble I wants erbout bein'
Son OF Solomon. an Use gwine ter keep
out of such mix-ups heahafter"
Words of Greeting.
This former son stated that the words
of greeting between two members Of the
old society were:
Are you a true SOM
Il am"
Prove yourself worthy"
Bull" (Spellng the word).
What does that spell?
Police
You are worthy son and true.
They then exchange the grip.
One of the oldest features of the odd
organization was the fact that among
the officers was a chaplain, whose duty it
was to open each meeting with prayer.
Their social sessions would discount the
most rampant parlor social ever given
by sin-sodden humanity. The principal
features being plentiful supply of gin
songs, including Sergeant Daley Turn Me
Loose" and other elegant numbers. The
principal duty of the visiting committee
was to call upon members who were in
supply them with tobacco and other
things. Another feature Of the society
was the rapidly with which the members
could turn a social session" into prayer
meeting upon the approach Of the police
On such occasions the orgies and bachana-
lian songs would be quickly merged into
psalm singing and apparently devout
prayers and exhortations until the danger
point was passed, when the revclry would
be resumed.
Some Of the former leading Sons Of Sol
ONION are SalQ TO De uOfnB long time Stunts
at the big penitentiary house at Mounds
vile. One of the ex-presidents was re-
ported to have been killed recently in an
affray on the levee at St. Louis. While In
this city he had the reputation of being a
police fighter of the most desperate sort,
but was several times captured in the po-
lice drag net when Lieutenant Daley was a
sergeant and was making his noted raids
on disorderly premises and persons in
Washingtons south end.