The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1923-05-18
NOTHINGIN
Law ANY MORE
Laws Against Carnivals and
Gaming Seem Eu!. and
Void Here

over their eyes Wi?Ca the James
Nj. Benson shows 4 travelling
aggregation cf tent shows,
gaming devices. amuScmcnts
and fortune tclicrs, generally
called 4 "Carnival"Wcrc to come
iii this wcrl; anl show right un-
der the noses Ui the police,
church folks, and everybody
else, contrary to a city orGl-
nance passed in 1919.
What good docs it do to have
two weeks revival, il we're going
to let this kind of stuff be pat over,
vail s0mc of the people. Il don't
hnow what our folks are coming to.
says City Attorney J B. Leigh. Il
don't understand why they should
want to put poor darky Oh the roads
for shooting crap when they allow
that gambling outfit to operate" says
j. Il. Flora. chief of the fire depart
ment.
Contrary to law. some II gaming
devices are being run wide open ut
the present time without one word
of diSapproyal from city or county
authorities. and under the express
sanction of Prosecuting Attorney, T..
q. Sawyer. who while admitting that
the law could close nearly everyone
of them. gives the operators permis-
sion to keep them going until some
body raises Il Kick.
The prosecuting attorneys pcrmiS-
sion to keep the gambling devices go
ing OH in the city limits was given
after Chief of Police Holmes visited
the Benson Shows on Monday and
closed l. of the gaming attractions
openly operated with money on the
tables right on the midway. Chief
Holmes ordered the devices to be
closed. and gave the owners orders
TO open them no more unit! they
heard from the higher authorities.
With the shows are two groups
nf fortune tcllcrS. including the same
outfit of tents and their occpantS
who made an cycSorc of the already
disrcputable looking corner of Pom
dexter Street this winter. and where
women used to go to be told that
their husbands were untrue to them
and spending money on other women.
an impression that on some OCCaS Sons
caused family diSruplionS. These
fortune tcllcrS should pay the city Il
weekly tax of So apiece. The Ben
son Shows carry libel on every
negro in America i'll one tent that
flatterS itself with the name Dixie
MinstrclS." and pulls off the dirticst
Jokes yet To be heard from Il so called
minstrel stage in Elizabeth City this
wear. And it gets by with the rest
of the outfit. altho every other negro
minstrel show in Elizabeth City this
year has had to pay SO for the usual
one night stands.
In addition the carnival outfit car
rics a wrestling exhibition, Il goat
and pony show which ordinarily
would be taxed at the rate of Sli.JO
a day. motorcycle race, an under
water exhibit. and numerous other
attractions for all of which the city
gets only SO per week, and the coun-
~ and state small percentage on
what the owners see fit to give III.
How The Show Got In.
The james VI. Benson Shows got
into town by deception, suggest, the
police. the city auditor, the city at
torncy. the sheriff and the fire chief.
The advance agent came to town Il
few weeks ago and represented the
show as being without any objection
able features. 1T has nothing that
has been barred by law or objected 20
in the recent notice you got from
the National Showmen's Association
said the Snowman. The city auditor
bit at the story, and gave the show
license to do business. They
haven't lived up to their promise juds-
ing by what they carry" says the
auditor.
The same story went to the sheriff
and the county commissioners. Bless
God" says Sheriff Chas. Reid, 1T
amt anything but the tail end of Il
carnival; it amt good enough to be
called Il carnival"
The show man expected to get his
show in under the auspices Of the
Elizabeth City Fire Department.
Nothing doing" said Chief jerome
Flora. My men now have the good
will and support of the public. am
not in favor of swapping it off fol
carnival rig that gets out with al
the money and leaves the boys will
| the bag to hold.
/ Having failed to get in under the
auspices of the firemen as the carnl'
val represents itself in other places
the show came in anyway. IheA
took their first troubles to Fire
Chief Flora. They had Il tank to b(
filled with water. for Il diving act
They wanted Jerome Flora to taxi
! his mon. hnse reel and 4 fire trncl