In July 1915, Howard Barnes swore out a warrant against a police officer for striking him during an arrest. The Times reported some confusing jurisdiction and procedural matters and identified charges against Barnes himself — public drunkenness (to which he pleaded guilty) and resisting arrest. The paper then laid out the testimony concerning “Officer Cooper.” 

Howard Barnes was admittedly drunk and wandering from one cathouse to another in Wilson’s red light district. (These establishments were staffed by white sex workers for white clients.) He sat down to rest on the steps of “the colored Episcopal church,” Saint Mark’s, which stood at South and Lodge Streets. Then (or maybe before then — the timeline is hard to follow) Barnes stumbled around on the railroad tracks, perhaps falling and hitting his head. At some point, he crossed paths with Officer Cooper — and “Crazy Pete.” Cooper beat Barnes bloody. Or so Barnes claimed. Saint Mark’s rector, Rev. Robert N. Perry, was called to the stand. His testimony was notably circumspect. He “heard loud talking and heard two or three licks. Sound[ed] as if slaps with open hand. Went to door and saw officer going with Barnes.” In other words, he did not actually see what happened. Staying out of white folks’ business was a cultivated talent among African-Americans of the day. 

Wilson Daily Times, 9 July 1915.