St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1942-01-23
GerschOW Fur Co.
Doesn't Want
Negro Business
PROPRIETOR TELLS WOMAN
81 DON'T WANT DIRTY
N-R BUSINESS"

~ DOO@~'~-OO
Joseph Gerschow, proprietor of
the Jos. Gerschow Fur Co. at 9th
and Cedar, St. Paul, doesn't mind
Negroes spending their money with
him, but he reserves the right to
call them "n-s." If they don't
like it he doesn't care-at least
that is the impression gained by a
reporter for this paper and white
representative from statewide
civic organization who went to the
Gerschow store to investigate re-
port that Gerschow had made the
statement 81 don't want this dirty
III business, tell my clerks all
the time"
Early in December Estyr Brad
lev, 693 Carroll Ave-, St. Paul,
went in the store to complete pur-
chase of a fur coat costing $685..
She had ordered a muff with the
coat, she said, and was told that
the muff could not be delivered for
eight weeks.
In the heated argument which
ensued when Miss Bradley protest
ed that she had been promised de-
livery of both coat and muff, Miss
Bradley said Gerschow, the pro-
prietor, told her "no black woman
can tell me what to do" Later he
used the Objectionable epithet
"n-r," the woman added.
When the customer asked for a
refund it was refused. Later, after
reporting the affair to the police,
she returned to the store with her
brother. A police squad car &C
companied them but the officers re-
manned outside looking in. Her
deposit was then refunded.
The incident was reported to the
St. Paul Recorder newspaper in
December. Because of the fact
that Gerschow is of Jewish extrac-
ton, the case was referred by the
paper to the Jewish Anti-Defama-
ton Council of Minnesota, state
wide group which combats all
types of racial intolerance and
which has taken a definite stand
in behalf of the Negroes in Min
nesota on two occasions.
Tuesday Samuel Scheiner, exec
utive secretary of the council, ac-
companied by Cecil Newman of the
St. Paul Recorder, went to the
store to get Mr.. Gerschow's side
of the story. 1t was agreed that
such attitudes as allegedly dis
played by Gerschow could do much
to aid those who are seeking to
spread Anti-Semitism among Ne
groes.
Gerschow, when approached, i'm
mediately launched into abusive
TRADE repeating that he had called
the woman "n-r" because she
had raised her voice in his store,
which, he described, as his "home."
He told the men how he had beat
up a white lawyer by the name of
Gardner who had referred to his
racial identity slurringly, several
years ago.
He said he had been good" to
the colored people and that he had
given more to Negro charities than
any man in st. Paul. He produced
a customers record card which
was delinquent to prove that Ne
groes had owed him. When asked
if he had any delinquent accounts
among other racial groups he said,
Eyes,"
He expressed no regret that he
had called Miss Bradley "n-r"
and said he didn't care what any
body did about it. Scheiner and
Newman left after Gerschow began
to below loudly and unintelligibly
about what he would do.
Miss Bradley said the firm had
been recommended to her by
George Grissom, city and county
welfare investigator. Some of the
prominent people who have pur-
chased furs there are Mrs. George