Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-08-26
DEPRAv|Ty
COhUIn Al KEYSTONE MCDOWELL COUNTY, WEEK 0ME OF PLACES CLOSED
PUBLIC NCEESS RRUPNG INFLUENCE OF POLITICS NEGRO DIVE KEEPER HORD
WITH POLITICAL PREFERM OFFICIALS PRACTICE SOCIAL EQUALITY WHITE PEOPLE DIS
GUSTED-TRE REMEDY

! =" "N"hhS W'tn the subject we must
necessarily use some language that
is not commonly used in polite So
| ciety. The subject Il disgusting q
one and We speak OF Il with reluc-
tance and from n sense of duty.
/ The minister would rather tell OF
heaven than of hell but a birthstone
sermon is a Necessity occasionally.
Our sermon this afternoon will be in
regard to the place Theodore Alvord
said he visited. and who will say
that he exaggerated conditions? We
have already told about the raiding
of the Union Political and Social
Club" but as the edition OF the
paper was limited, we shall repeat
what the officers found there.
AS stated in our Issue Of August
9Th. the club was radcd ON Sun
| day night The officers had no trou-
BILE In gaining admittance as the
JOINT WAS run wiee open. If not un-
der protection OF the officers OF
Keystone, IL was certainly well
known 10 them. Tha mayor ana his
chief OF police were members Of it;
Perry Curry and w. T Mansfield,
negro policemen OF the town OF
keystone. were present when the
raid was made and arc now under
bond for their appearance before
the criminal court of The county.
The club was chartered by negroes
but admitted white members. II
was not az exclusive as another ne
gro club. where the chicf magistrate
was blackballSI when he applied
! for membership. A negro justice
| was there on the night OF the raid
and frequent visitor TO the place
a negro constable associated with
the immoral whites who irequented
the place. A negro deputy sheriff
has club OF It's own The chief
officer of the town did not hesitate
10 dance with the inmates without
reagrd to color on tn night OF the
raid about seventy-fivc people were
present: about an equal number OF
whites as blacks There were gam
bling tables and tables where liq-
uors were served and there were pri-
vate rooms for the accommodation
OF those who were too modest to
drink in the presence OF mixed COM
pany All met on terms Of social
equality.
After the arrests white woman
followed the party to Northfork ana
wept like a child because a negro
man with whom she lived had bcen
arrested
Among the men arrested was A.
l.. Calhoun, the political boss OF Nc
Dowcll county. from whom the les
ser lights take their orders Cal
houn is a yellow negro from The
county OF Appomattox. Virginia
He is very shTewd and has accumu-
lated considerable wealth by very
questionable means His financial
rating is as high perhaps. as amy
man In Keystone His political in-
flucnce has been such that no one
opposed him and b. is today mam-
Der OF the council OF Keystono and
member Of the board of education
and was an alternate dclegat. 20
the last Republican national rou-
vention.
Calhoun and othcr negroes are
received in the homes OF some of
the white officials who drink and
smoke with them in their libraries
while wives and daughters arc force
cd to go to the Kitchen. W. can
call names If the statement s disc
puted.
These conditions existed p week
ago and while thorc has been some
Improvement 81 is suil l.kr.E Wat