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| 1933 Century of Progress Exposition Documents |
Issue Warrant for Jim Crow at Fair
Owner of Cafe Is Named
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Source: Chicago Defender, 15 July 1933, pg. 5.
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A representative of the Chicago Defender was invited to be present at 10 o'clock Friday morning in the court of Chief Justice John J. Sonsteby in the city hall, where representatives of the N.A.A.C.P. were to meet to urge upon him the necessity of issuing a warrant against C. A. Gifford (white), alleged to be the manager of the Schlitz Tavern in the Century of Progress.
It had been charged and on several occasions that this resort among numerous others had grossly violated in both spirit and letter the civil rights act, a statute made and provided for the purpose of assuring equal accommodation to all citizens in all public places in the state of Illinois.
However, late Thursday afternoon the office of the Chicago Defender was advised that the hearing had been changed from Friday morning at 10 o'clock and instead would be heart at 3 o'clock that same afternoon. A hurried trip was made to the judge's court to find that a star chamber conference was in session in the judge's private office. There we found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People represented by Attorneys Irvin C. Mollison, Graham T. Perry and the assistant attorney general, Earl B. Dickerson.
Judge Asks Questions
Justice Sonsteby was in the midst of what appeared to be a strenuous effort to fortify his own position in refusing to do the same. In one part of his discussion he wanted to know what recourse a business man would have being arrested upon such charges if those who caused the arrest failed in their efforts to convict him. The whole burden of the court's contention seemed to have been to lead those from the main point under discussion, namely, that the responsibility of the courts laid in the preservation of the laws as found on the statute books rather than trying to find extraneous grounds for those who violated them.
Attorneys Mollison and Perry strived hard to force a decisive decision from the judge, but this was sidestepped by the judge. Assistant Attorney General Earl. B. Dickerson did most of the talking before the committee and at times appeared to be most agreeable with the judge's views.
The judge attempted to justify this act in refusing to issue the warrant Thursday afternoon on the grounds that he had on Dec. 27, 1932, established a certain policy which read as follows: "Except in an emergency, no warrant should be issued against any person who is the head of or a member of a family having an known place of residence, or is a person engaged in a business or profession, or to collect balance on a chattal mortgage on an automobile, upon a charge of larceny by bailee, until after an investigation of the complaint has been made by the captain of the police, etc."
Does Issue Warrant
This is the rule or the policy as the case may be, behind which the judge fortified himself in his refusal to issue a warrant where the civil right of a citizen has been violated. At the conclusion of the meeting the judge turned to Mr. Dickerson and asked him what the office phone number was, stating that he would call him early Friday morning and tell him what his disposition would be in the matter. At this point in the proceedings the Chicago Defender representative inquired of the judge if there could not be obtained a more definite answer as to what his position was in the premises. The judge paused for a moment. "I don't know, I may issue the warrant." The reporter replied, "It appears to me that it will help Mr. Dickerson's cause since he is a member of your political faith." The judge smiled.
In response to a phone call Friday morning Judge Sonsteby stated that he had decided to issue the warrant against C. A. Gifford, manager of the Schlitz cafe for violation of the civil rights act in refusing members of the Race service in that establishment.
The warrant was asked by T. D. Scott, a schoolteacher of Oklahoma, who, a few weeks ago, was insulted when he attempted, with his wife and mother, to have a meal served to them in the Schlitz cafe.
[End of news article]
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Page compiled: 14 January 2006
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