The Paducah sun., 1906-02-10
Judge Sanders Started in by
Filming Ben Boyd.
Boyd Seemed TO Ignore Advice, and
His Balls Cost One Man His
License.
POLICE COURT CASES TODAY.

morning in lengthy verbal opinion.
upheld the stand and action taken
by the board of aldermen in its de-
termination to break up and rid the
city of all Objectionable saloons
dance halls and public places not
having a tendency to uplift the NOR
ais of the community.
The opinion was rendered in the
case of the commonwealth against
Ben.Boyd, colored. charged with run
ming a disorderly dance on North
Tenth street in the rear of a saloon
run by Henry Gallman, the grocer.
Boyd was fined s25 and costs and
took an appeal. The case had been
ranging fire in police court for neal
ly two Weeks pending the acquisi-
ton of sufficient testimony to shoS
the true situation, and it was not un-
til this morning that the evidence
was concluded.
Take these public dances where
persons of the lower stations in life
attend, and you have one of the most
disorderly houses imaginable, at least
this is the result of my observation, ="
Judge Sanders declared. I'm some
places these amusements have re-
suited in tragedies, and If the police
do not break them up in a short
time, they break UP themselves, be
cause cutting and shooting general
ly become features in addition TO
the legitimate object, and dancing
beer. drinking. etc, and they can
not run long under these conditions
Take this case in particular and
you will see, from what the evidence
shows, very deplorable state. and
right in the heart of a prominent
resident section of the city. Boyd is
charged with running a disorderly
house and the question to decide is
whether or not he is guilty. The ey-
idence shows that his dance is at
tended by many negroes and OF all
classes, further that the dance hall
Is located ingthe rears of a saloon,
where women go and drink at liber-
ty. The evidence shows these dances
to keep going until early morning
and when they break the chatter OF
the returning revelers can be heard
for five blocks. Several prominent
young lady residents testified that
they had been disturbed and this in
itself constituted an offense-that of
. disorderly house.
Boyd runs a restaurant in the sa-
loon or grocery and was not satisfied
with this, he must go ahead and give
dances. When warranted he contin-
ued. Now had he been a man desir
ing to do right, he would have dis
continued the dances until the mat
ter was settled in court.
'No, he did not do this, but con-
tinued to run his dance hall, and
when the police notified him that he
would be warranted told them to go
ahead and get the warrant. that he
would not stop until they did. This
showed an antagonistic attitude, and
was anything but commendable. Ii
showed that Boyd did not really de
sire to assist in upholding the law,
as he promised the chief of police 20
do when he sought advice from the
police before starting his dances. He
has gone and done exactly what the
chief told him to avoid, and you see
the result-the warrant.
Another result of his dances was
the refusal of the. board of aldermen
to grant the saloon adjacent to the
dance hall license and all because
of this dance business. Ii shows that
the people want a moral town and
are intent on having one at all haz.
ards. The fact that so much CON-
plant was made, and the antagonis-
llt dlllluut doouhhtu ny DosNs 10 oNi
ficient to find him guilty Of running
disorderly house and | will fine
him $25 and costs"
Boyd's attorneys Immediately took
an appeal and will carry the case to
the circuit court.
other cases in police court were:
Will Young. white, breach of ordi-
nance, dismissed; II. l.. brewery,
white, petty larceny. dismissed; Ton,
Jones, colored, petty larceny, dis
missed; Guy Bennett, white, breach
of the peace, $40 and costs; Rufus
Ross, colored, breac hof the peace,
$50 and costs; Frank Mason, color
ed. obtaining money by false pre-
lenses, held to answer.