Evening star., 1951-07-20
chickIand Club
Loses License,
Won 'tReopen
Keeper Had Enough
Of Fires and Riots,
Liquor Bourd Told
By Gene Goodwin

ny 0ene Goodwin
The short but stormy history
Of James M. Harrigan's attempt
to operate an inter racial tavern
at Capitol Heights, Md, was
ended today.
The Prince Georges County
Liquor Board yesterday revoked
Harrigan's license, after the 81
year-old tavern-keeper told the
agency he "has had enough"
Harrigan's tavern, the Chick.
land Club, 4908 Central avenue,
has been the scene of two race
disturbances and three fires since
he tried to open on a non-segre-
gated basis July 6.
The board based it's revocation
decision on the alleged transfer
OF a financial interest in the tav-
ern to another person without
prior approval of the board. The
board threw out a second charge
OF selling beer to minors because
OF insufficient evidence.
Harrigan's lawyer, Robert w.
Mccullough, told the board earlier
that Harrigan will not reopen
the club, no matter what the
board decides about the license"
However, he said he would appeal
to Circuit Court.
200 at Hearing.
Almost 200 persons jammed Po-
lice Court in Upper Marlboro to
witness the hearing in the Chick
land case. Virtually all of them
were white, and most were resi-
dents of Capitol Heights. The
crowd was orderly, except for oc-
casional applause when the board
overruled Mr.. McCullough's objec-
tions to hearsay testimony.
Detective Richard A. Pearson in
troduced a statement signed by
Halrigan's father, his brother-in-
law and some of his brothers and
sisters to the effect that Harrigan
sold 81 per cent of the business to
James M. Raskin, a Washington
contractor who lives in Upper
Marlboro and maintains Offices at
1919 F street NV.
Harrigan, who lives in Seat
Pleasant. denied that he had re-
|linquished control of the club TO
Mr.. RaSkin. He said he has bor-
rowed quite a bit of money"
from Mr.. Raskin. and he has
tsigned notes for the debt but not a
sales contract.
He described Mr.. Raskin as an
lold friend for whom he has
worked. off and on, as a plumbing
subcontractor during the past
eight to 10 years.
Harrigan testified that, after
the first disturbance at his club,
he falsely told Liquor Board In
spector Robert L. Beall and others
that he did not have controlling
interest in Chickland. He did
this, he said, because he was
afraid and wanted to build a
screen around myself and my
family"
Profit Motive. for Policy.
Harrigan's testimony indicated
that his motive for attempting
to serve both Negro and white
persons in the same club was
chiefly monetary. He said he
had never made any money off
the place in the 18 months he
has leased it, and so he decided
to open up to Negro customers in
hopes OF paying off his debts and
getting his money back on his in
vestment,
Many persons, including county
police officers, have unofficially
charged that Communists were
behind Harrigan's venture. but
there was no evidence at yester-
days hearing to Substantiate that
Some one has painted the word
Communists" in 15-inch high
red letters on the front of the
club. s
Harrigan said he closed the
tavern after the first disturbance
on opening night July 6 because
ne was afraid of a race riot" +"
About 400 people gathered in front
of the place that night and a brick
was thrown through the plate
glass window.
He tried to open again a week
later. Harrigan added, because he
understood he was to get police
protection. That second Friday
night, about 700 persons collected
around the tavern.
They stormed the club, chasing
out all the patrons and inf1icting
some damage to the furnishings.
Then they turned their wrath on
a car full of colored persons who
were driving through the town.
The car was stopped and one of
the passengers was beaten. Police
hnally had to use tear gas to dis
perse the crowd.
Arson Possibility Probed.
Three fires also have broken
out at the tavern in the last 10
days ana county police said they
are investigating the possibility of
arson. The third blaze, last Sun
day. ruined the interior of the
club, causing damages of more
than $4,000.
After the third fire, firemen
found a pyre of tables and chairs
in the center of the clubs main
room and a quantity of cotton
batting apparently soaked in kero-
sene.
The charge against Harrigan of
selling beer to minors stemmed
from his arrest on the night of
'he July 6 disturbance. Police
charged Harrigan and his bar
,ender, William Roger Crowdy, 35.
,olored, of the HOO block of CO.
umbia road NV, with the illegal
ale tn tW0 1Q.vear-old coIdiars