New-York tribune., 1909-07-25
rTTY SPLIT IN TWO
r. YOU DON'T LIKE Law
CROSS TIE STREET.
~. of Bristol Is in Virginia and
port in Tennessee, and Strange
Conditions Result.
Nv Charles j. Harkrader.

DE ss,..-s &C regards state laws is 10 De iouhu
ton - ,,,tra citv Of Bristol Va-Tenn' with popu
:. L.. n twenty thousand. ana oiFloeo equ1IIy "
latol. T+ra that separates Virginia and Tennes-
The ST. ST. +o1f of the population Is on each side OF
a.. which runs directly through the centre OF
tls - so4-al business street Bristol has latey
p NJ ,ororiety Iy a local option election heIa IN
zf-cinis half Of the city on July > Wheh II
- n license the sale OF WhlSkeE aEalh 'S d Ia-
sO = % while the other half Of the city IS un-
ON -. wide prohibition. being in Tennessee
o. .,,sr Geographical location OF the city makes
II -. Two municipal governments. and conse-
pe1. -vro mayors and two sets q city oftcials
60, X " Finley OF the Southern Railway
-, remarked Of Bristol that II was so good
-. a. +ookfrwo states 70 hold Il.
y s-e-e street the principal business thorough
=. state line runs directly down the centre
r -ss-,a- line for more than q mile 4 novel
:. e,sdfng the Tennessee Jim Crow laws de-
80 v-ben the Tennessee Legislature passed a
-s7u3riag negroes 70 ride in the rear OF me cars
f-o7-, TIE whites In state street, half of
- inns IN Virginia ana the other halt in Ten
-. To evade this law II is only necessary for
rs t. -ssss-rers 10 move u the side running IN
--t,is ard by 50 doing the negro may ride IN
-. ssa+ with q white passenger. who IS riding in
tennessee -, s--o.
+be difference II the laws Of the Tarious states
80 himself one day in Bristol. He walked into
r.o-a m The western side Of the street.
&
rya ne 2 package Of Turkish cigarettes, please"
be said .--,.-. 49,.
.csn let YOU have almost anything else you want,
from morphine up
-ss 6rI-7rrer was puzzled for moment but de-
..s.5 +bst he must have misunderstood the clark
az var- some cigarettes. please" he repeated
~ cigarettes in Tennessee" answered the clerk,
-qr YOU can get them across the street That's
Virginia
ranking the clerk for mis- information. the drum
-.- crossed 70 a drug store opposite and laid in
-,ly N last him on his trip across Tennessee.
Es had reached the door when a thought struck
azsre YOU any 1norphine?" he turned to the clerk
tnd asked
aso-rr. sir" replied the Virginian. but we are
m. allowed 10 sell II in this state. You can get
a YOU want at any drug store on the other side OF
,hs street That's Tennessee"
Tho sane IS true Of revolvers and small firearms.
7hev cannot be sold one side OF the street with
uf cornitting q felony, while the windows OF
hardware stores and sporting enporiums on the
oser side usually contain large display Of them
IMMUNITY FROM ARREST EASY.
I, Bristol the police and other officers Of one
tse Of the main street have no Jurisdiction the
cher Il e TOT unusual for persons - commit
CINE On one side OF the street step fifteen feet
soss the state line to the other side Of the street
De immune from arrest. except h- AtA--S-tlOlA
t1a extrsdition papers which the police resort 10
uy il cases Of high crime, as the Governors grant
IL papers only in cases Of felony
ne situation got so bad in Bristol that gang
q criminals was continually committing crime IN
part OF the city and darting across TO the other
End rensInng there The officers began kidnapping
ten during their first night "a jail after having
bsn arrested without any authority About the only
ting they could tel the next morning was that
they had been carried across the state line.
However, the laws OF each state are rigid. and
is onLy in minor cases and with professional
criminals Of whose conviction they are certain
tst the officers VIII resort 10 kidnapping.
Though Temperance sentiment predominated over
rhslmingly n Bristol II was several years before
ih rvO parts coud obtain unity of action in voting
On the question OF the saloons. following the rise
q the prohibition tide in the South This due
70 ihe discrepancy in the state laws. There were
fnout twenty-five saloons IN each division OF the
ciy, paying large revenues. and before both parts
had The power 10 abolish them neither half desired
70 90 Il ana be dry without the certainty that the
oher half Of the city would follow suit. The state
NNt unoer which il was possible TO suppress the
s-oons were different in that Virginia had and still
mas local option law. under which an incorporated
oEn may vote on the question every two years.
phAe IN Tennessee the Pendleton law provided
a1 when town voted dry II must be dry
hl an ume' the Supreme Court having held that
Ocal option was unconstitutional
Ihs situation operated 10 prolong the life Of the
11Soh II Bristol Twenty years ago Bristol. Va
O.e0 ofy with the understanding that the other
eh o. The city would do likewise, but il failed to
Asep us promise when the time came. It was put
~ lhe Tennessee part OF the city to take the
Ll.snFe which II did. Bristol. Va followed suit
- II Nay ls9l, voted 70 abolish her saloons and
- ooer liquor houses. doing a business of ST.
annually In the Tennessee fight II was
E charged that the Virginia half Of the city
- eO~g ory 10 get saloons out Of the other half
oly' with view TO changing later and
- - al OF the revenue itself. Regardless of
4a mere vas any foundation for the charge,
- lact remains that the Virginia city has lust
- !" allow the saloons 10 return, while the
N,-'F haf of the city is dry
Ni'-palgn was 4 most spectacular one The
- people were largely in favor Of the return
ss'oon' believing that IL would attract trade
- e rural districts and stimulate commerce.
O'oH ana the panic struck Bristol al the
s,.--,le' 1l'e' and the result was that it suffered
anIisliy. ard the ahskey people said that pro-
esIrsssion. "a 'ie business
Though the -
trs me women and children were organized
uek, an active part for prohibition the license
II. - - III the strenuous campaign. and though
,as. - pefarce people are now threa tenfng TO CON
= - erection licenses viii be granted on August
4 r. eiouha Of contest is that lZj persons living
bss7 =, isii'.' voted Illegally. For years it has
lie ~, o-sl'in Of many 70 live in one part OF
ts 60 sha o"n their homes there. and vote in
Sens STATE by claiming their citizenship there.
Trxn,s - that this is unlawful, though the
III 80 Supreme Court recently held that citizen
g matter of intention
!, BUSINESS MEN HAVE OPTION.
a. -Ao' hundreds of persons work in Tennessee
a. - sad sleep in virginia. or vice versa. The
erer-i- ne principal business thorouehfare is
q eb6o.e ne state line permits men in business
ssse,,s,Ee the state IN which The laws are more
asns : their particular lines. without sacri-
Fissa "oAaHiage of being on the principal
esrfs,s instance, il the Tennessee license on a
A1ens, -iess Is 800 "a year and the Virginia