Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-11-13
CLEANSING CLOVER

The truth of the old adage, set a
crook to catch a crook, was proven at
Clover, Tuesday, when five negroes
were convicted in police court at that
place. charged with gambling and SELL
ing liquor, and the town treasury was
enriched by more than 5000, which
money will be used toward the moral
and physical improvement Of said
town. Two negro detectives who work.
ed up the cases are not confirmed
crooks, but only assumed the role tenn
porarily.'
For some time past Glover has been
infested with negro vagrants, although
these negroes appeared to always have
plenty Of money There has been much
drunkenness among them also, which
led the authorities to believe that
much cheap whisky was being sold
among them. Glover negroes stick to-
gether pretty well-that Is those of the
petty criminal class, and it is almost
impossible to get one to tell what he
knows about another
Realizing that the situation was be-
coming pretty bad, the town authori-
ties some time ago decided to root out
the evil. Communication was estab-
lished with Charlotte detective agen-
cy recently. Ten days or two weeks
ago, careful observer lettering around
the Glover depot would have noticed
two strange negroes get off the train.
They were much like other negroes
however, and after getting the lay of
the land, they sought work picking
cotton in fields surrounding the town.
and in fact were willing to work any
where other Glover negroes are en-
ployed.
In few days they had made the ac-
quaintance of every negro, both male
and female, who possessed a rather
questionable reputation. They soon
became known as good sports by
the other negroes, and invitations to
hot suppers, games Of skin" ETC., soonl
poured in upon them. They were even
told where they could buy 'pop-skull'
whisky and in whose houses they
could gamble.
Things went on merrily for a few
days. There was plenty Of whisky. The
new arrivals did not appear anxious to
gamble or buy liquor but were always
willing to adopt the suggestion of local
negroes. Last Monday a big game was
in progress. The negroes had slipped
into barn belonging to DR.. ]. w.
Campbell, and the bones" rolled
across the rough planks of the barn
loft with a merry rattle. After some
little time one Of the new members Of
the Glover negroes gambling fraterni-
ty declared to his fellows that he was
broke" but that he knew a man
downtown from whom he could bor-
row money. He said he would go and
get some more money and would re-
turn. He returned-but with several
officers, who caught the gamblers right !
in the act.
Then the local negroes realized they |
had been harboring vipers. The two
negroes who had appeared to be such |
good fellows proved to be employees Of
the aforesaid detective agency. They
not only had the gamblers; but they
had the names of blind tigers, and bot !
ties Of liquor purchased from these I'll ,
Q. ers, a label as to the identity Of the
seller and the price of the booze on
each bottle.
Tuesday was big day in Glover po-
lice court. Two Yorkville attorneys
were summoned-one to represent Clo-
yer and the other to defend the alleged
offenders against the law Those who
heard the testimony in the case. say
there was a legal battle royal. The two
negro detectives were the star wit
nesses, and proved to be pretty good
lawyers themselves. They stated that
they were not working for a per CEN
tage Of fines imposed. One of the ne
groes, q mulatto about 2S years of age,
who can neither read nor write de-
clared that it was immaterial to him
from a financial standpoint whether
the Glover negroes were convicted or
not He was paid $50 month and eX-
penses by the Charlotte detective
agency, he said.
The detectives had done their work
we'll There was nothing to do save
convict the defendants, some on one
count, some on two, and some on three.
And there are several warrants out