The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-02-11
PRIVATE DETECTIVES
Do PUNK WORK HERE
Or It May Be That Elizabeth City Isn't as Bad as
Moralists Have Painted It

It is cheaper sto engage in the
illicit sale of whiskey in Eliza
beth City under nation wide pro-
hibition and the Volstead Act,
than it was to sell the stuff leg-
ally under local, state and fede-
raj license in the days of the
open saloon. If one gets caught
the fine will likely be only $50,
if the case is tried before Trial
Justice Spence with P. G. Saw
yer representing the defendant.
Such was the outcome Of two
convictions, in Judge Spence's
court Wednesday morning after
the city had spend hundreds of
dollars in the hire Of private de-
tectives to work UP the cases.
The men convicted were, Dennis Har-
ris and Mckinley Sawyer.ss They were
fined $50 each on each count. There
We're two counts against Harris
- The evidence against the young men
was furnished by pair of private de-
tectiYes from the Bradford Detective
Service of Washington, d. G.. One of
these was an Assyrian by the name Of
Karl Esper. The other was young
ex-sailor by the name of j. II. Raab.
The two men were employed by Mayor
w. G.. Gather and City Manager J.. C.
Commander. They arrived in the city
on February 1 and began to hang out
with the drinking element After a
weeks work they landed two of the
smallest fish in the puddle of liquor en-
quilting the Matthews street district.
The detectives testified in effect that
they had hobnobbed with the boys and
made themselves at home around Me-
Kinley Sawyer's pool room in Matthews
street. Raab,s the ex-sailor was ad-
mittedly an amateur and the evidence
showed that he drank the stuff he bought
and got beastly drunk. Once the chums
he was trying to double cross had to
carry him to his hotel. On one occa-
sion he got SO drunk in the hotel that
he Yomited all over the furniture in his
room. The two detectives boarded at
the Southern Hotel, rate $500 day, all
paid for by the city.
Both Harris and Sawyer denied hay-
ing sold the whiskey. Their defense was
that they acted as agents, taking the
money from detectives and getting whis-
key for them. The price was $500 a
quart, the Matthews street price of corn
liquor. One quart Of the liquor was pur-
chased last Sunday. Sawyer says he
obligated to get the liquor for Esper
and three others. He was in his place
at the time and had to go out to get it.
He said there was a Negro standing in
front of his place and he took the Ne
gro in his automobile and the Negro
got the liquor for them.
While pursuing the liquor hounds, the
private detectives also attempted to
round up men and women engaged in
immoral practices. Bruce Pickett and
George Midgette, two jitney drivers,
were hauled up on the detectives evil
dence and fined $25 each. Two young
women, Annie White and Ada Mayo,
charged with soliciting for immoral pur-
poses were taxed with the costs of their
cases and released under suspended
judgements. ~
The cases created a sensation We'd
nesday morning and furnished much that
was salacious for the court room spec
tators. But it is hardly probable that
the Washington detectives put so much
as a suspicion of a crimp in bad busi-
ness in Elizabeth City. They scratched
a few surface sores and never penetrat-
ed to the body of the undesirable traffic.