The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-08-24
SUIT Is FILED FOR
$4,000 DAMAGES
AGAINST w. ID. HINES, d.
RECTOR OF RAILROADS,
AND PULLMAN co.
MRS. w. BELL SUES
Alleges Negro Pullman Car Por-
ter Insults Her While in
Pullman Car.

Hon. John Frierson, attorney for
Mrs. Vida Bell, wife Of Rev. ]. H.
Bell, plaintiff, on Tuesday, in behalf
of his client, filed suit in the Circuit
Court of this county against Walker
d. Hines, director general of the rail-
roads, and the Pullman Palace Car
Co., for $4,000 damages. The case
will be tried in this county, the Pull
man company running its cars
through Lowndes on the M. & o.
railroad. The declaration which was
filed on last Tuesday with Circuit
Clerk Stephenson AYERS;
Plaintiff is a resident citizen of
Lowndes county, Mississippi. De-
fendant is the Director General of
Railroads of the Pullman Palace Car
Company, under the laws Of the
United States. The said Pullman
palace Car Company is a common
carrier of passengers which runs and
operates its Pullman cars over va
rious and sundry lines of railroads
throughout the United States, and
particularly over the Pennsylvania
Railroad that runs from st. Louis
Mo, to Columbus, 0. The said Pull
imam Palace Car Company also OPP
crates its cars over the Mobile q
Ohio railroad through Lowndes
County, Mississippi
On or about the first day Of July
1919, plaintiff in conjunction with
her husband and other friends, was
making a trip from Columbus, Mis-
sissippi TO Columbus, Ohio, for the
purpose of visiting the Methodist
Episcopal Centennial celebration that
was heing held in the said citU 81
Columbus, Ohio, and on the said d<e
of July 1st, 1919, plaintiff and Der
said husband, Rev. j. H. Bell, and
other friends, were passengers for
hire on train No. 20 of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company from St.
Louis, Mo-, to Columbus, Ohio. This
said train on which plaintiff was rid
ing left the city of st. Louis be-
tween the hours of eight and nine
O'Clock in the morning and reached
the city Of Columbus, Ohio, about the
hour of eight o'clock in the after
noon The trip from St. Louis to
Columbus, Ohio, was a long, hot,
weary and covered with the dust of
travel and with the smoke and Gin
ders of the engine of the train. Late
in the afternoon of said date, and
when the said, train was within a
short distance and within an hour
run of the said city of Columbus,
O., plaintiff, together with another
lady who was travelling on the same
journey, went into the dressing room
of the coach on which they were rid
ing and tried TO get water with which
to bathe their faces and hands be-
fore getting into the said city of
Columbus, o. Plaintiff and her
friends were riding in the day coach.
The water both hfor drinking and
washing purposes on the said coach
had become entirely exhausted.
Plaintiff then proposed to her said
friend that they 90 into the Pullman
car, which was attached to the said
train, and pay for the privilege Of
being allowed TO use the dressing
room of the said Pullman car. The
said Pullman car was in charge Of 6
Pullman car conductor who was an
employee of the said Pullman Palace
Car Company. Plaintiff and her said
friend found the said Pullman Pal
ace car conductor in the dining car
They asked the said Pullman con-
dnctor for the privilege Of using the
dressing room to wash and clean up
a little. The said Pullman conductor
was very courteous and polite and
told them that it was all right. that
they might go into the said dressing
room and use it, and told the said
ladies to tell the porter, Il told you
TO-" The conductor said that there
would be no charges Plaintiff and
her said friend thanked the eonduc-
tor and went into the Pullman car
with the full permission of the said
Pullman conductor. They looked for
the porter Of the Pullman car but
did not see him before they went into
the said dressing room.
The said ladies began to bathe and
cleanse themselves from the accum-