The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1946-03-14
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Citizens Of Durant are watching
with a great deal Of interest the out
come of the hearing Of T. E. (Ed)
weems in Chancery Court Tin vaca-
toni in Yazoo City Saturday norm
ing before Chancellor M. B. Mont
gomery.
Weems has been cited to appear
for a hearing before Chancellor M.
B. Montgomery to see why he should
not be adjudged in contempt of
court.
This case grew out of a perman-
ent injunction against Weems to
violate the prohibition laws in
Holmes county made January l4th,
1912. At that time he was supposed
t o have posted a $4,000 bond that
he would not again violate our pro-
hibition laws. He did not post the
bond and left the county.
Coming back to this county again
some time later he has again engag-
ed in the whiskey business and is
today recognized as the largest sim
gle operator in Holmes county. In
the Dec. 10th issue of The News we
showed where Weems bought dur
ing the first eleven months of l945
4,726 cases Of whiskey at a whole
sale price Of $l65, 756.34 to be resold
to trade. These figures, from Off
eial records Of the State Collectors
records, also showed where he paid
$ll, 727.8 Black Market tax the first
ten months of 1945.
Only twice has Weems been
brought into court since coming
back to Holmes county, on April IL,
1914, and on December 18th, l945.
Both times he pied guilty to violat-
ing the prohibition laws and paid
the fines.
Numerous Pieces
There are several places through
out Holmes county which are known
as "Weem's Place" whether owned
outright by him or not. In these
places white people and Negroes
mix together on the outside and
probably on the inside. These places,
with paper-thin partitions, are
breeding places for race trouble
which 3 bound to come If these con-
ditions are allowed to continue.
Whiskey-selling and drinking, slot
machines and gambling just don't
mix well especially when whites
ana UIsck1 togethe + are involved.
Such places are . disgrace to Holmes
county and every decent citizen in
Il
So far Holmes county law enforce
ment officers have done nothing to
clean up such conditions although
called upon repeatedly to do q. Mr..
Weems has been too big or too
something to be bothered ~ our
county law. He certainly has shown
nothing but contempt for our local
courts.
Now we shall see II the Chancery
Court can do anything with him.
Ten persons, including n white
woman, were arrested in Durant
over the weekend compared to six
teen for the weekend before.
Last weekend there were four wo-
men, two white and two colored, ar
rested in the sixteen. Thus the dis
orderly and drunken conduct is not
confined to men alone.
Beginning next week the News
intends to carry every week the
names and addresses of persons ar
rested in Durant, what they are
charged with and the disposition OF
their cases. This is not done to en-
barrass anyone. Maybe, we hope, II
will serve to make people more care
full of their actions.
We resent the fact that Durants
once good name is no more. 1t is
recognized as one Of the toughest
little towns in the state. The people
who come here to raise cain PROB
ably won't mind having their names
in the paper, but maybe it will help
some.