The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-08-29
Percy Harris Didn't Get Enough War
In France SO He Starts Some
thing at BurIing-
ton.
DRAWS JAIL SENTENCE
He Got Married and Then Was Fired
from Hotel Where He Works,
and This Resulted ia
Fracas.

|
didn't get enough war in France, sc
he started a couple of them in Bur
ljngton, where he is employed. The
first one was when he procured a
! marriage license, and the second one
commenced when he went back 70
/ the hotel where he works and was
told that his check was waiting ioi
| him. The Burlington Gazette's war
J correspondent chronicles the engage
ments thusly:
| Sent into the army with the A. IA
F. in France and battling IN the
! Argonne forest along with other
heroic American forces, returning,
and now, after getting married, he
| is in the county Jail under sentence
of thirty days, charged with assault
J and battery. This is just bit OF
the experience of Percy Harris. negro
night porter at the Burlington hotel.
He says he is not guilty OF the
charge: further. he told pretty
good story, but the judge ruled
against him in the police court this
morning and he began his sentence.
Harris laid off" night before last.
Earlier in the day he had procured
marriage license and married Ger
trude Cowden, local colored girl.
He went back to the hotel yesterday
about S o'clock and was told his
check was ready for him and that
Mr.. Lloyd, the night clerk, wanted to
see him.
Harris was fired. He knew 1t and
declares he said nothing about the
matter.
Claims Check Short
However, Harris claimed that his
check was short, and this morning he
told the chief OF police and reporter
that now he needed all the money
he had coming to him."
He told Mr.. Lloyd the check was
short. Lloyd, it is charged by Harris,
called him a liar, and Harris retail
ated by a similar statement and
started for the door. 80 he claims,
and Mr. Lloyd admitted that this was
the case. Harris said he wouldn't
accept the short check.
This was about $50 yesterday aft
ernoon and there were two or three
other people in the hotel A few
minutes later the attention OF the
whole neighborhood was focused on
the hotel.
Story Of the Battle.
Harris says that Lloyd started for
him, carrying in his hand pick
handle, and called him vile name.
More to scare him than anything
else" stated Harris, when | saw
him coming after me with club,
threw a cuspidor at him" This did
not strike the clerk and Harris re-
~ tho with
the pick-handle. Then Harris re-
moved Lloyd's glasses from the lat
ter's face and proceeded to hit him
smashing blow with his fist which
foored the night clerk, and Harris
made his escape. He went into the
cellar, got his clothes, and picked up
/ three bottles, as he was prepared to
fight his way out if necessary. No
one was in sight and SO he went
home to break the news to his bride.
Gets Thirty Days.
Last night Officer julius visited
Harris and told him to report to the
police station this morning This
i Harris did. Lloyd arrived to file
charges against him, and after both
stories had been heard, Harris was
| sent to jail for thirty days.
The only difference in the two
stories, as told by the men, Is that
Lloyd claims the cuspidor was
thrown at him before he advanced
on the negro.
Harris gave notice that il possible
he would file an appeal, and the
Judge informed him that that was his
! right and he could do 1t. Before the
trial, Harris stated that he hac
served since early in the war, hat
fought in the Argonne forest ant
other parts Of France, and that never
! before had he had his name on the
police records. He came to Burling
ton from Keokuk, where, he states
he had never been in any trouble
| His friends state the matter will BIZ
taken up with the home service
branch of the Red Cross.