Opinion ID: 106879
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Mitchell v. City of Charleston, post, p. 551.

Text: Mr. Albert C. Watts, the manager of the S. H. Kress & Co. outlet in Charleston, testified: Q. . . . What type of business is Kress's?
Q. Could you tell us briefly something about what commodities it sellsdoes it sell just about every type of commodity that one might find in this type establishment? A. Strictly variety store merchandiseno appliances or anything like that. Q. I see. Kress, I believe it invites members of the public generally into its premises to do business, does it not? A. Yes. Q. It invites Negroes in to do business, also? A. Right. Q. Are Negroes served in all of the departments of Kress's except your lunch counter? A. We observe local custom. Q. In Charleston, South Carolina, the store that you manage, sir, does Kress's serve Negroes at the lunch counter? A. No. It is not a local custom. Q. To your knowledge, does the other like businesses serve Negroes at their lunch counters? What might happen at Woolworth's or some of the others? A. They observe local customI say they wouldn't. Q. Then you know of your own knowledge that they do not serve Negroes? Are you speaking of other business such as your business? A. I can only speak in our field, yes. Q. In your field, so that the other stores in your field do not serve Negroes at their lunch counters? A. Yes, sir.