The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1917-04-21
MATTE DAVIS CONVICT
ED.
Keeper of Resort Again Found
Guilty.

Matte Davis was found guilty
in the district court of keeping a
house of ill-fame at COZ 9th Ave.
No., after a sensational trial last
ing three days. The witnesses for
the State, two white girls, gave
startling testimony of association
with Negro men. The methods
of the police department in OBJ
tanning the evidence were crit
icized by Judge Dickinson, who
afterwards found that the police
were right in their efforts to Sc
cure evidence. The main defense
was that Mrs. Davis was a Ne
gro woman. The witnesses tor
the state was Alice Garfield and
Louise Connery, white girls and
A. F. Rivers, who was employed
as an investigator for the Purity
Squad under Serg't Belair-also
Eddie White, who surprised the
state by a denial of former state
ments made to County Attorney
Newton. Serg't Belair and Of
ficer Hallet testified as to the
raid. Frank Brooks, DR.. Knoll
and Atty. Hirshfield, white neigh
bors testified as to the reputation
of the place. Editor Smith and
Detective Brunskill were not al
lowed to testify (not being neigh
bors or having been in the
house,. The defense was mainly
that Mrs. Davis was "colored."
Geo. w. Holbert testified for
the defense as to the reputation
of the place. Geo. Jones, chef at
Porters' and Walters Club, a
roomer, claimed ownership OF
liquor found in his room and "did
not see white women or never
saw anything wrong"
Carl Jones, drummer with
Cason Bros. orchestra, had bust
ness engagements with white
women; also they had been in his
room, he could not name any
business visitors on cross exam
ination. Green Hawk, a roomer
never saw white women in the
place. Roscoe Walton, dining
car waiter, claimed to be roomer
and that his wife, who looked
like white left on the morning
of Mrs. Davis arraignment for
Chicago. They had visited Mrs.
Gamers before the raid. Mrs. A.
Wright, 1224 Mary Pl. a white
woman, knew Mrs. Davis in Ma
son City, Ia, and met her 8
times altogether in Minneapolis.
She supposed that she had col
ored blood-never called on her
at her Western Ave. house. Mrs.
Helen Kopp, III E. 18th ST.,
whose husband conducts a but
cher store at l4l2 Plymouth Ave.
knew Mrs. Davis about eight
years, never met her as colored,
called at her home ONCE in March
but saw nothing wrong. Mrs.
Davis testified that she was the
wife, of Frank Davis a railroad
man, married 10 years ago, was
born in Mason City, Ia, and was
colored. She had lived in West
ern Ave. and bought the property
at 6O7 9th Ave. No. about a year
ago. She denied the testimony
of the States witnesses and un-
der cross examination by Atty.
Newton was unable to show that
she had not sold drinks or prove
that she had no knowledge of the
occurrences on the night of the
raid as claimed by the state.
Judge Diclxinson's Charge.
Judge Dickinson charged the jury
to decide the case without regard to
the station in life of the person
charged in the indictment, regardless
of color or race, and decide the case
on the evidence submitted to the
court, and not on the issues on the
side. What has transpired as to the
propriety of the police in detecting
crime has nothing to do with your
decision in the case. The chief Of
ficers of the police dept have re-
pudiated to this court any DISPOSE