gambling

“Just a pow-pow wid his gun.”

Wilson Daily Times, 8 October 1912.

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In the 1900 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: farmer George Braswell, 52; wife Adeline, 47; children Mollie, 22, Mattie, 18, Caroline, 16, Victoria, 13, Melvina, 12, Cora, 10, and Ernest, 9; and grandchildren James, 3, and Frederick, 3 months.

On 24 October 1912, Ernest Braswell, 20, of Wilson, son of W. and Adeline Braswell, married Teenie Sims, 17, of Gardners township, daughter of Caesar and Adeline Sims, at Caesar Sims’ in Gardner’s.

In the 1920 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: Ernest Braswell, 27; wife Tinie, 22; daughter Lillian, 7; and brother Willie, 21.

  • Rufus Whitley

On 8 September 1898, Rufus Whitley, 26, of Stantonsburg, son of John and Isabella Whitley, married Mattie Pree, 23, of Wilson, daughter of Ben and Bettie Pree, in Gardners township.

In the 1900 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: farm laborer Rufus Whitley, 25; wife Mattie, 25; daughters Caroline, 7, and Isabella, 3 months; and brother-in-law Wiley Dupree, 19.

In the 1910 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: Rufus Whitley, 37; wife Mattie, 30; and children Mattie, 8, Wiley, 3, and Rufus B., 3 months.

In the 1920 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: Rufus Whitley, 49; wife Mattie, 45; and children Wiley, 13, Benjamin, 12, Bettie, 7, and Lizzie, 11 months.

In the 1930 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: Rufus Whitley, 59; wife Mattie, 52; and children Ben, 20, Bettie A., 18, Lizzie J., 11, and Matta B., 6; and lodger Jesse King, 22.

  • “the King boys,” Tart, Otto, Jack, Marcellus, Sylvester and Lum

In the 1880 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: farm laborer Shandy King, 24; wife Nancy, 23; and sons Zadock, 3, and Jackson, 1.

In the 1900 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: farmer Shandy King, 51; wife Nancy, 49; and children Marcellus, 19, Shandy, 16, Mahala, 14, Columbus, 12, Sylvester, 10, Otto, 7, and Harriett, 6.

In 1917, Sylvester King registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born in March 1891 in Wilson County, N.C.; farmed for W.F. Woodard; and was single.

In 1917, Columbus King registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 13 July 1890 in Wilson County; lived in Stantonsburg; was single; and was a farm laborer for W.T. Harrison. He was short and stout, with brown eyes and black hair.

In 1918, Otto King registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born in 22 March 1891 in Wilson County, N.C.; farmed for Charley Walston; and was single.

On 2 February 1922, Sylvester King, 28, of Wilson, son of Shandy and Nancy King, married Etta Mitchell, 23, of Wilson, daughter of Jim and Martha Fields, in Wilson. Disciples minister J.W. Pitt performed the ceremony in the presence of Wesley Bullock, Walter Bullock, and Tom Jones.

Sylvester King died 26 June 1930 at Mercy Hospital, Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born in 1890 in Wilson County to Shandie King and Nancy Anderson; was single; and worked as a tenant farmer for Chester Jordan. He was buried in Wilson. Informant was York King.

Charges on the docket.

News and Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), 6 September 1908.

This rundown of Superior Court cases reveals crazy times in the streets of Wilson. It’s not easy to determine which defendants were African-American, but:

Jack Rountree was charged with setting fire to the house of Jesse Howard (whose honorific “Mr.” was unusual for an African-American at the time.)

Josephine Blount and white madames Cora Duty, Mallie Paul, Rosa Holland, Gladys Moore, Nan Garrett, Fannie Burwell, Willie Bright, and Maud Kelly were charged with “maintaining ‘red light’ houses.” Blount, who operated from Samuel H. Vick‘s Orange Hotel, was already in jail, awaiting trial.

Gladys Moore, seated wearing boater, and Mallie Paul (or, perhaps, Paul and Moore). Arguably, Paul, who operated for decades, was the doyenne of Wilson’s red light district madames. Photo courtesy of Jim Gaddis.

The first of two “squads of blacklegs” charged with gambling — Jesse Taylor, Mid Farmer, Dock Atkinson, Wiley Dupree, John Lancaster, and Bud Bynum — was comprised of Black men.

George Rountree, probably. I have not been able to identify Abner Renfrow.

Numbers racket busted up.

Wilson Daily Times, 15 July 1935.

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  • Moon Jones
  • George Porter — in the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 508 South Spring, pressing club operator George Porter, 34, divorced; Jeneva Brown, 30, divorced,  housekeeping servant, and her children Brown, 15, Esther, 13, Martha, 12, and Olive, 9; and George M. Porter, 4.
  • Frank Jenkins
  • Willie Smith
  • Jesse Whitehead

Stick ’em up.

In which Tom Johnson, losing at cards, robs (and shoots) Jesse Foster to get his money back. 

Wilson Daily Times, 3 October 1930.

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  • Tom Johnson

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 112 Reid Street, owned and valued at $1500, Tom Johnson, 41, and wife Ethel, 38, cosmetics agent.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Tom Johnson, 55, public service laborer; wife Ethel, 42; mother Lula, 68; and son Rogers McGill, 27, tobacco factory laborer. [The Johnsons lived in the same house they had occupied in 1930, but were paying $20/month in rent.]

Thomas Johnson died 25 December 1942 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 12 September 1895 in Terrell County, Georgia, to Orange Johnson and Lula [no maiden name given]; was married to Ethel Johnson; lived at 112 South Reid Street; and died of gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen.

  • Jesse Foster

On 20 January 1915, Jesse Foster, 23, of Fremont [Wayne County,] N.C., son of Jesse and Cora Foster, married Zalister Grice, 22, of Black Creek, daughter of Joe and Lillie Grice, in Wilson.

In 1917, Jesse Foster Jr. registered for the World War I draft in Fremont, Wayne County. Per his registration card, he was born 11 March 1892 near Stantonsburg, N.C.; was a farm worker on his father Jesse Foster’s farm; and married. He signed with an X.

Murdered while gambling.

An afternoon of gambling ends in the murder of Will Brown, and the frantic flight of the gunman and his friends.

Wilson Daily Times, 13 July 1913.

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  • Frank Tart — in the 1920 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Frank Tart, 30, is listed among laborers at Wilson County jail.
  • Will Brown 
  • Lum King — in the 1920 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Lum King, 35, is listed among laborers at Wilson County jail.
  • Otto King — in the 1910 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: Jim Bass, 19, and lodgers James Allen, 21, and Otto King, 18, all farm laborers.
  • Peter Ward
  • Will Barron

African golf.

Wilson Daily Times, 8 September 1920.

“African golf”??

——

  • Charlie Neal — probably, in the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Stantonsburg Road, cook Effie Battle, 64, widow, and grandchildren Ida Parrs, 17, tobacco factory laborer, Hattie May Marlow, 16, cook, and Charles Neal, 14, high school student.
  • Richard Wheeler — in the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: college cook Lula Wheeler, 49, widow, and children Richard, 12, Emma, 10, John, 8, and Sammie, 6.
  • Walter Powell — in the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 210 Hackney Street, Julia Powell, 50, “wash”; husband Walter, 40, farm laborer; and lodger Mary Griffin, 25, factory laborer.
  • Mary Griffin — see above.

Clipping courtesy of J. Robert Boykin III.

The death certificate of Henry Moses.

Henry Moses had two death certificates, each of which offers unique information.

The basics: Henry Moses died 15 December 1913 of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Certificate #1. This document is most complete. Moses lived on Youngs [Alley or Avenue]; was born 27 May 1878 in Franklin County, North Carolina; was married; could read and write; and operated both a restaurant and a pressing club. Undertaker A.D. McGowan buried him in Wilson.

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Certificate #2 appears to start off as a copy of the first, though on a slightly different form. The person who filled it out misread the signature of the registrar, L.A. Hinnant, writing “Hinerant.” He or she (most likely he) also misread the first name of the informant, who was Henry Moses’ father Caesar Moses. This document dispensed with Moses’ occupation, but added two details to his cause of death: (1) it was a homicide and (2) “gambling” was the contributory cause.

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On 22 November 1905, Henry Moses, 27, of Wilson, son of Caesar Moses, married Sandora Dancey, 25. Rev. P.H. Howell, a Christ Disciple minister, performed the ceremony at Henry Moses’ home in the presence of W.M. Mayo, L. Studeway and Frank Sims.

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: tobacco factory laborer Henry Moses, 31; wife Dora, 31; and daughter Luevenia Dancy, 16, servant.

Also in the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on TIllmans Road, house carpenter Caesar S. Moses, 56; wife Alice, 53; and children Oliver, 22, and Walter, 13.

Caesar Moses died 19 January 1917 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was a widower; was 63 years old; worked as a carpenter; and his father was named Crofford Stone. Oliva Moses was informant.

[Note: the 1900 census of Jeffreys township, Florence County, South Carolina, lists a Henry Moses in the household of his father Caesar Moses. As uncommon as the names are, this is a coincidence. This Henry Moses died of typhoid fever in 1917 in Florence County.]

Stabbed while asleep.

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Wilson News, 20 July 1899.

Another version:

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Wilson Daily Times, 21 July 1899.

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  • Warren Barnes — probably, in the 1900 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Warren Barnes, 50, ditcher; wife Agnes, 38, “stimmer”; and children Addie, 18, Willie, 17, and Jinnet, 11. Warren Barnes died 10 January 1918 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was about 70 years old; married; worked in a tobacco factory; and was born in Wilson County to Dink Barnes and Judia Barnes. Agnes Barnes was informant.
  • Mrs. Warren Barnes — Agnes Barnes died 21 March 1934 at Mercy Hospital, Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 62 years old; was born in Edgecombe County to Agnes Powell; and was the widow of Warren Barnes. Addie Lee of 204 Pettigrew Street was informant.
  • Claude Jones