The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-08-19
Negroes In Chicago

pendent could operate successfully in
that district without its approval.
These gambling houses were run un-
der the name of clubs, out fat bank
roll gained easy admission to them.
bill" Lewis, noted for years as a
fifth street near State street. So
brazen was the conduct of this gam
bling house that for a long time Lewis
did not bother to pull the curtains
down, and the games could be watched
from the platform of the elevated
railroad station nearby. Finally, out
of seeming consideration for the feel
ings of the police, the shades were
drawn.
Conditions Generally Known.
The newspapers of Chicago repeat
edly exposed conditions in the Black
Belt. Members of the city council
sometimes denounced it. Reformers
/ visited the all-night cabarets and
wrote long reports about them.
Numerous complaints were made to
the police. Conditions finally became
SO notorious that the all-night caba-
rets were closed. For a few weeks
the Black Belt was comparatively
quiet. except for the gambling games,
which were seldom molested.
Then came vice in new form; in
the shape of clubs, which were in
reality dance halls. These new places
had no liquor licenses, although most
of them sold intoXicants, and they
didn't open their doors until midnight
or 1 a. m. They caught the crowds
which surged out of the cabarets at
the closing hour and held them until
sunrise.
The old Pekin theatre at 2,7OO
State street, for years one of the lead
ing negro amusement houses in the
country, became one of these dance
halls. They were openly conducted
| for a long time without being mo-
Tested, but early in 1918 the city
council passed an anti-cabaret ordi-
nance which put damper for time
on the night life of the city.
Last spring, however, tn emayoralty
election came around again Mayor
Thompson was candidate for re-
election and was reelected. The
! Black Belt did its duty
When the primary campaign opened
the lid was tossed overheard. Re-
= oh, h,I
ened. The Black Belt became again
the centre of night activities.
! With the elections over in April
and prohibition looming up in the
thorities were softened, and the lid
stayed off In the last few months
. conditions in the Black Belt have
been unprecedented. Men who have
nowhere in the United States have
witnessed such scenes as they saw in
the notorious "black-and-tan" resorts
on the south side in Chicago.
| State Attorney Maclay Hoyne of
/ Chicago few days ago laid the
blame for the race riots at the door Of
the politicians, who, he said, taught
the negroes disrespect for the law.
The police department." said Mr.
I Hoyne, has been demoralized TO such
extent by the politicians black and
white. on the south side that they are
afraid 10 arrest and prosecute men
with political backing or who claim
TO have political influence"
! Others nave issued similar warn
or three years.
| Municipal Judge Harry NJ. Fisher.
/ after sitting for a time in the morals
/ court, where the larger per cent of
! the offenders were negro men and
women. said:
My opinion, based on observation
in this court, is that crime conditions
among colored people are being delib-
erately fostered by the present city
| administration. Disorderly cabarets,
/ thieves and depraved women are al
lowed in the section of the city where
colored people live. They have an ex-
preston, the law is around tonight. :
as warning to behave, so seldom is
! the law enforced"
| When Chicago began to come out
of the nightmare of rioting last Fri
day, 1t is probable that the smiles
which greeted that Uncle Tom s