Barr v. City of Columbia Transcript of Record
Public Court Documents
June 10, 1963
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Brief Collection, LDF Court Filings. Barr v. City of Columbia Transcript of Record, 1963. 88584790-be9a-ee11-be36-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/bbfea198-1a12-4954-87fd-e02cc230146c/barr-v-city-of-columbia-transcript-of-record. Accessed November 23, 2025.
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TRANSCRIPT OF RECORD
Supreme Court of the U nited States
OCTOBER TERM, 1963
No. 9
CHARLES F. BARR, ET AL., PETITIONERS,
vs.
CITY OF COLUMBIA
ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT
OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
PETITION FOR CERTIORARI FILED APRIL 7, 1962
CERTIORARI GRANTED JUNE 10, 1963
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
OCTOBER TERM, 1963
No. 9
CHARLES F. BARR, ET AL., PETITIONERS,
vs.
CITY OF COLUMBIA
ON WRIT OR CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT
OR THE STATE OR SOUTH CAROLINA
I N D E X
Proceedings in the Supreme Court of the State of
South Carolina
Statement_________________________________
Record from the Recorder’s Court of the City of
Columbia, State of South Carolina ________ —
Transcript of trial proceedings, March 30, 1960
Testimony of Carl D. Stokes—
direct _______________
cross ________________
redirect _____________
John M. T e rry -
direct —
cross -------------------------
David Carter—
direct _______________
cross ________________
redirect ---------------------
Richard M. Counts—
direct_______ ________
cross ________________
redirect _____________
Original
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2
2
2
6
20
20
22
30
34
37
38
43
46
Prin t
1
2
2
2
5
16
16
18
24
27
30
31
34
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Record Press, P rinters, New York, N. Y., J uly 1, 1963
11 INDEX
Original P rin t
Record from the Recorder’s Court of the City of
Columbia, State of South Carolina—Continued
Transcript of trial proceedings, March 30, 1960
—Continued
Motions of defendants to dismiss the charges
against them, etc. and denial thereof______ 46 38
Judgment _____________________________ 50 41
Motions of defendants for arrest of judgment
or in the alternative, for a new trial, etc. and
denial thereof ________________________ 52 42
Record from the Richland County Court, Criminal
Division ________________________________ 56 46
Opinion, Crews, J. ________________________ 56 46
Notice of intention to appeal________________ 63 51
Exceptions ______________________________ 63 51
Stipulation as to record____________________ 64 52
Opinion, Oxner, J. __________________________ 65 53
Petition for rehearing and order denying________ 67 57
Petition for stay of remittitur _______________ 71 59
Order staying remittitur ____________________ 74 61
Clerk’s certificates (omitted in printing) _______ 76 62
Order allowing certiorari _______ 78 63
1
[fol. 1]
Statement
Appellants Charles F. Barr, Richard M. Counts, David
Carter, Milton B. Greene and Johnny M. Clark, all Negro
college students then attending college in the City of Colum
bia, South Carolina, were .arrested on the 15th day of
March, 1960 and charged with the. offenses of Trespass and
Breach of the Peace. Appellantswere tried before Colum
bia Recorder John I. Rice, without a jury, on the 30th day
of March, 1960. Each appellant, at the conclusion of all
evidence, was found “Guilty” by the Recorder on each
charge and each was sentenced to pay a fine of One Hundred
($100.00) Dollars on each charge, or serve a period of
thirty (30) days in jail on each charge, provided that
Twenty-four and 50/100 ($24.50) Dollars was suspended on
each charge.
Within the time specified by law, Notice of Intention to
Appeal was duly served on the Recorder, each appellant
having deposited cash bonds. Subsequently, proper appeal
bonds with sufficient sureties were substituted in lieu of
the cash deposits.
Thereafter, by consent, this case was consolidated with
a similar appeal from the Columbia Recorder’s Court and
argued before Honorable John W. Crews, Judge of the
Richland County Court (Criminal Division). By Order
dated April 28, 1961, Judge Crews affirmed the judgment
of the Recorder’s Court.
Notice of Intention to Appeal was timely served upon the
City Attorney.
2
[fol. 2]
IN THE
RECORDER’S COURT OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
T he City of Columbia, Plaintiff,
vs.
Chables F. B abb, R ichard M. Counts, David Cabteb,
M ilton D. Greene and J ohnny Clark.
Transcript of Trial Proceedings—March 30, 1960
The Court: Jenkins, how do the defendants plead!
Mr. Jenkins: They plead “Not Guilty”, your Honor.
Mr. Jenkins: If your Honor please, I would like to say
at the outset that Mr. W. Newton Pough, of the Orangeburg
Bar, is associated with me in these cases.
The Court: That is perfectly agreeable.
Mr. Carl D. S tokes, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
Direct examination.
By Mr. Sholenberger:
Q. I believe your name is Carl D. Stokes!
A. Yes.
Q. Now, Mr. Stokes, you are a member of the South
Carolina Law Enforcement Division!
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Commonly known as SLED!
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How long have you been with that department!
A. I was commissioned in 1956.
Q. Had you had any prior police experience!
A. I worked with SLED while attending the University,
Q. As a result of your connection with SLED, were you
at the Taylor Street Pharmacy in the County of Richland,
3
State of South Carolina and the City of Columbia, on the
15th day of March, some time during the day?
A. I was, sir.
Q. What time of the day was it!
A. We went down about 10:30 I believe, in the morning,
[fol. 3] Q. All right, sir, why were you there?
A. Well, the first part of the morning when I went to
work at Headquarters, I was informed by Chief Strom to
come to Police Headquarters and assist them in anything
that they needed our assistance.
Q. Had you had information that there might be some
thing occurring at the store?
A. Well, I didn’t have information. I came down and
met with the police officers and was assigned to work with
Detective Cannon and Deputy Sheriff Mustard.
Q. That’s a County Sheriff?
A. Richland County Sheriff. We were informed then
that something may occur at the Taylor Street Pharmacy
and we were assigned to work at the Taylor Street Phar
macy, and that’s the reason we were there.
Q. All right, Mr. Stokes, while you were there, please
tell this Court just what took place in regard to these five
defendants who have plead “Not Guilty”?
A. Approximately 12:35 the defendants, all five of them,
came into the Taylor Street Pharmacy. Deputy Sheriff
Mustard and myself were inside. I believe a couple of them
stopped at the card counter and the others proceeded on
back and eventually all five of them went back to the counter
and sat down. The luncheon counter.
Q. Did they sit on stools?
A. Well, the counters are in a half moon shape, or similar
to what we have here, and they sat at the counter. On the
stools at the counter. Four of them sat at the first counter
and one I believe, went over to the second counter.
[fol. 4] Q. All right, sir, were there any other people sit
ting at the counter?
A. Yes, there were other customers there eating.
Q. What took place then?
A. Whenever they sat down, the owner, Mr. Terry, came
back and at the entrance of the lunch counter, it is parti
tioned off from the rest of the store. Well, at the entrance
4
of the lunch counter he made the statement to the five, that
he wasn’t going to serve: them, that they would have to
leave. I requested Mr. Terry— < '■
Q. Just a minute. After he requested them to leave, did
they get up and leave ?
A. No, sir, they never turned around. They just sat there
at the counter.
Q. In other words, they didn’t pay any attention to his
request?
A. They didn’t do anything.
Q. What happened then?
A. I requested that Mr. Terry go to each individual and
ask him to leave, in my presence, and he went to each one
and asked him to leave, that he wasn’t going to serve them.
Each one turned and looked at him but they never said
anything, and after he had told all five of them, he turned
and started out back from the luncheon portion of the
store.
Q. After he had asked each one individually, did any of
them attempt to leave ?
A. No, sir.
Q. All right, go ahead?
A. When he started out of the luncheonette, I believe
Carter got up, stood up and asked Mr. Terry if he could
ask him a question. Mr. Terry said that he had no comment
[fol. 5] to make, that they would have to leave.
Q. That was the third time then that at least he asked
Carter to leave ?
A. Yes. Whenever Carter stood up to ask a question, he
took a couple steps and he stopped and the other four stood
up as though they were going to follow Carter out. Carter
then turned around and motioned for them to sit back down
and they sat back down and sat there. I might add too that
they had books, some type of books.
Q. What did you do then?
A. Well, I gave them, I couldn’t say exactly how long,
but several minutes, after Mr. Terry had left the section,
to see what they were going to do and they just sat there.
The customers began to stand up and leave their dinners
on the counter, so I went back—there were two on one
corner and one on the other corner of the second booth.
I walked in the middle of those and told them, I believe
the words I used, that I was a State officer and they had
been asked to leave and they didn’t so they were under
arrest. That’s when they got up and followed us out.
Q. Did you bring them down here to headquarters?
A. They followed Deputy Sheriff Mustard to the front
of the store where three of them were placed in one police
car and two in the other, because we didn’t have room for
all five of them in one car, and we brought them to police
headquarters.
Q. Do you know anything else about this case?
A. That’s all I know about it.
By the Court:
Q. That happened in Richland County, South Carolina?
[fol. 6] A. Yes, sir.
Mr. Sholenberger: I asked him that to begin with.
Cross examination.
By Mr. Jenkins:
Q. You are Mr. Stokes?
A. Stokes.
Q. Now this occurrence that we are concerned with today,
took place on March 15th?
A. March 15th.
Q. Now you have testified, Mr. Stokes, that you were at
the Taylor Street Pharmacy on March 15th?
A. Right.
Q. In an official capacity?
A. Right.
Q. Now would you state to the Court your reason for
being there?
A. As I stated before, I had orders from my Chief to
come to police headquarters and assist the police depart
ment, not only myself but other officers from my depart
ment. We met here with them and upon information they
had, I was assigned to work with Detective Cannon and
Deputy Sheriff Mustard at the Taylor Street Pharmacy.
6
Q. I believe you testified on direct examination that you
were informed, I believe that’s the word you used, that
something would happen at Taylor Street Pharmacy?
A. We were told at the meeting, yes, sir.
Q. Would you tell the Court what was your information
as to what was to occur ?
A. They told us a sit-down demonstration was to occur at
the Taylor Street Pharmacy.
[fol. 7] Q. And were you assigned there to prevent the
sit-down demonstration?
A. I was there to prevent any violence that might come
from the sit-down demonstration, from either race, whether
it be White or Colored.
Q. I didn’t hear the last part?
A. To prevent any violence at all that might occur from
this sit-down.
Q. Is that your only reason for being there?
A. That was the reason we were assigned there.
Q. Did you have any other reason for being there other
than to prevent some violence which may occur?
A. Other than Chief Strom informed me to come down
here, or ordered me to come down here and assist the police
department.
Q. Now you were in the store when these five defendants
came in?
A. I was.
Q. Taylor Street Pharmacy is a very popular store. Is
that correct?
A. I don’t know how popular. I t’s open 24 hours a day.
Q. I believe its radio program advertises that. Have
you ever heard it?
A. I don’t know if they have a radio program but I think
they advertise a good bit.
Q. Now you were there when these five defendants came
in?
A. I was.
Q. Did they come in in a group or separately?
A. They came in single file. In fact, there is a door—•
one door leads into the store and one leads out of the
store, more or less from the cash register counter, and
7
I couldn’t say all of them hut several of them went through
[fol. 8] what I would call the exit door, to enter the store.
Q. You observed the manner and demeanor of these
defendants?
A. I was trying to observe everybody.
Q. Were they orderly when they came in?
A. Oh, yes, they were orderly.
Q. They created no disturbance of any kind?
A. No disturbance at that time.
Q. Now were there other customers in the store at that
time?
A. There were.
Q. A large number or one or two?
A. Do you mean in the whole store ?
Q. The whole store ?
A. I t’s a pretty large store. There were customers but
I don’t know exactly how many. There were several eating
in the lunch part and several in the other parts.
Q. What part of the store were you stationed in when
these defendants came in?
A. I was up at the front part of the store.
Q. At that time could you see from the front of the store,
to the lunch department?
A. I could see the partition which comes up to about my
shoulders, I could see that part, and I could see in the back
of the store.
Q. Now when these defendants came into the store, did
they in any manner interfere with any of the other cus
tomers in the store?
A. How do you mean by interfere?
Q. Did you observe them interfering physically?
A. No, they went in and sat down. That’s all they did.
[fol. 9] Q. When they first went in the store, we haven’t
reached the part when they were in the lunch department?
A. They walked in, and as I stated before, I believe a
couple of them stopped at the card counter where you buy
birthday cards, etc.
Q. Did the entrance of these defendants into the store,
arouse any particular concern or interest on the part of the
customers there?
8
• A. When they first entered the store? No.
Q. Nobody paid them any particular attention?
A. Not that I could tell.
Q. So it didn’t seem out of the ordinary that the defen
dants would enter the store?
A. No.
Q. Now you said that shortly after entering the store,
they proceeded to the lunch department?
A. They proceeded back to the luncheonette.
Q. Were there any other people in the lunch room depart
ment of the Taylor Street Pharmacy when these defendants
came in?
A. There were.
Q. Do you know whether there were several or a large
number ?
A. There were several. At the first counter I believe
maybe five and the other counter was approximately the
same amount. I didn’t count how many there were, but
there were a few empty seats. I ’ll put it that way.
Q. I am not familiar with the lunch room department of
the Taylor Street Pharmacy but I believe you said there
was crescent shaped counter?
[fol. 10] A. There were three crescent shaped counters
similar ’to what we have here. The waitress would go in
between the middle portion to take orders.
Q. Do you know approximately how many stools there
are?
A. I don’t know how many. "
Q. When these defendants came in on March 15th. and
proceeded to the lunch room department, there were vacant
stools were there?
A. Yes.
Q. These defendants seated themselves on the stools?
A. Say this is the first counter, one sat here and one up
there and I believe two over here and on the second counter
one sat by himself.
Q. Did they all sit down simultaneously, or some sat
down and others were standing?
A. One came to this one, one to that one and the other
one walked around.
9
Q. Do you remember whether any of them had to look
around to see if there were any vacant stools?
A. As well as I remember, they walked in to the entrance
of the luncheonette section similar to the aisle here. They
walked straight in the aisle and one came to this side and
the others went over that way. They didn’t hunt for a seat.
Q. Did they place any order for food while sitting there?
A. No, they did not.
Q. Did anyone approach them to your knowledge, to
inquire as to whether they wanted to place an order for
food?
A. Not to my knowledge. Before they came in, the
manager or the owner, Mr. Terry, had told me that he
[fol. 11] wasn’t going to serve them and that he wanted
them out of his store, if they came back.
Q. That was prior to the defendants ever getting there?
A. That was prior to their entering.
Q. So then one of your purposes in being at the Taylor
Street Pharmacy was to prevent these people from seeking
service ?
A. No.
Q. Well, what effect did the information given you by
Mr. Terry, have on you?
A. It gave me, I wouldn’t say a reason, but it more or
less gave me something to look out for. If they were to
come back, then I could look out for maybe someone else
interfering and causing some violence. He had informed
us that if they came, he wasn’t gding to serve them.
Q. Did Mr. Terry give you the impression that he ex
pected some violence to occur if they came in?
A. I didn’t come to any conclusion or observe any im
pressions that he had.
Q. When these defendants sat at the counter, did they
sit there as ordinary customers would sit?
A. Well, I don’t think an ordinary customer would come
in and place their books up where a plate would be or
where you would be eating dinner from, and leave it there.
Q. Mr. Stokes, during the time you were in school, cer
tainly you carried books with you sometimes?
A. Sure.
10
Q. Did you ever carry books into the cafeteria or lunch
room ?
A. If I did, I would leave them at the door.
[fol. 12] Q. I mean, with reference to you?
A. Excuse me, speaking of myself, or my hat, I wouldn’t
carry them to the counter, I would leave them in the car
or if I was walking I certainly wouldn’t place them, on the
counter. If I had to take them to the counter, I would place
them on the floor beside me.
Q. It is quite possible however, that these defendants
may have wanted to preserve their books much more so
than you wanted to preserve yours. That’s possible, isn’t it?
A. Oh, yes, it’s possible.
Q. So that they may not have just wanted to throw their
books down on the floor?
A. I wouldn’t throw mine either.
Q. At the lunch counter, were there any provisions for
putting books and other packages which a customer may
have ?
A. I didn’t observe the structure of the counter.
Q. It is not so unusual that if a person came in to a lunch
counter and had his books with him, it is not so unusual that
he would place them on the counter is it?
A. Well, I don’t know what is usual or unusual but to me,
if I were sitting by someone else who is eating, it certainly
wouldn’t be proper for me to place my books beside them
eating, where I would expect to be served.
Q. Did they place their books in front of them or scatter
them all over the counter?
A. Their books were placed—
The Court: Counsel, I would like to make this observa
tion. You are going rather far afield. I want to stick to
the issue involved in the case but I don’t want to shut off
any pertinent testimony, but at the same time I don’t want
[fol. 13] to go into matters that are irrelevant and not
germane to the issue. Whether they put their books on
the floor or on the table, I don’t think has a thing to do
with it frankly.
Mr. Jenkins: I believe, if your Honor please, it started
off trying to find out from this witness whether the de-
11
meanor of these defendants, when they entered the lunch
room, was any different from that of any other customer.
The Court: But he testified that their demeanor was not
any different from any of the others.
Mr. Jenkins: He testified, if your Honor please, that
they put their books on the counter, and to him that seemed
a bit unusual, so I was merely trying to find out whether
that was the ordinary thing that students with books would
do when they entered.
The Court: I think he’s testified enough about the books.
Q. There were other customers in the lunch room when
these defendants came in?
A. There were.
Q. Were they White or Negro?
A. They were White.
Q. These defendants of course are Negroes?
A. Right.
Q. Now these defendants seated themselves at the lunch
counter, and did they sit by any persons other than them
selves ?
A. If I remember correctly, the one that came to this
side sat between—sat by a White lady. The one that sat
at the other counter sat between two men. The other two
sat at two empty seats together, with a White man on each
side of them.
[fol. 14] Q. Do you recall what those other customers were
doing when these defendants came in?
A. They were eating. The White lady had a plate in
front of her and the others were eating. When they sat
down, the White lady and a couple men on this side stood
up and left their plates.
Q. Are you certain now that they just stood up immedi
ately when these defendants came in?
A. Yes. I don’t say when they came in but when they
sat down.
Q. Did you see anyone directing either of these persons
to stand up ?
A. Which persons ?
Q. These other customers that stood up when these de
fendants came in?
12
A. Did I see anyone directing them to stand up ?
Q. Yes?
A. No.
Q. You are certain now with reference to the lady, that
no one invited her to move?
A. No. I mean, when they sat down, she jumped up, or
stood up.
Q. Now the other customers who were seated there, they
continued to sit?
A. Some of them.
Q. Some got up and some continued to sit?
A. Yes.
Q. To some, it didn’t seem any undue occurrence, that
these defendants came in and sat down to eat?
A. I don’t know about that.
Q. Now you testified that some person from the store,
I believe Mr. Terry, came over and said what to these
defendants ?
[fol. 15] A. He stood at the entrance to the luncheonette
and told them that they would have to leave, that he wasn’t
going to serve them.
Q. About how long had they been there when he told
them that?
A. They had come in and had been seated.
Q. Mr. Terry didn’t say anything to them prior to their
sitting down?
A. No.
Q. Now in the beginning, you had been at the front of
the store when these defendants came in. Did you just
follow them on to the back?
A. Since I was in the store, I had been wandering around
by myself looking at different articles on the counter, and
observing different people.
Q. I mean, from the time these defendants came in, I
believe you testified you were at the front of the store?
A. I was at the front of the store.
Q. So you just followed them on back to the lunch coun
ter?
A. I wouldn’t say I followed them but I walked on back.
Q. Not very long after they got there?
A. Eight.
13
Q. Now then, they were asked to leave by Mr. Terry and
they refused to leave?
A. That’s right.
Q. Did he give them any reason for refusing to serve
them?
A. I don’t recall whether he gave them a reason. All I
remember him saying to each one of them, that he wasn’t
going to serve them and they would have to leave. The
[fol. 16] reason for him telling them to leave I reckon was
because he wasn’t going to serve them.
Q. I merely asked you whether or not you heard him give
them a reason?
A. Well, the reason I think that he asked them to leave
was because he wasn’t going to serve them. I mean, that’s
what I heard. Not what I think but that’s what I heard.
Q. Of course 1 didn’t ask you what you think about it.
I merely asked you did you hear him?
A. That’s the reason I say it’s not what I think, it’s
what I heard.
Q. What were you doing during that time while Mr. Terry
was talking to these defendants?
A. He first made the statement to all of them in a group.
Q. You were doing what then?
A. I was standing by him. I had come up by him.
Q. Was your purpose in standing by him to assist him
in refusing service to these defendants?
A. No, I was there to prevent violence.
Q. Up to that point was there any indication of violence?
A. No.
Q. As a matter of fact, throughout the entire incident
was there any indication of violence ?
A. The only incident that I figured violence might come
from was when they sat down and the customers stood up,
and I didn’t know what was going to come off. I couldn’t
read their minds or anyone else’s in fact.
Q. Did the customers stand in a threatening manner or
just stood up as though they didn’t want to sit by these
persons?
[fol. 17] A. I wouldn’t know exactly how to interpret the
standing up, in a threatening manner.
14
Q. Well, we are not going to be too technical abont the
word threat, but did they just stand up in an ordinary man
ner?
A. Some word like threat could mean a lot.
Q. Now then, since we seem to have some question about
the meaning of words and attitudes and things of that sort,
you were there to prevent violence?
A. I was there to prevent violence, was my main purpose.
Q. Would you know what violence means?
A. When someone would maybe hinder someone else.
Violence could be interpreted as fighting.
Q. Would a threatening manner tend to lead toward vio
lence ?
A. I would think so.
Q. Now the manner in which these persons stood up,
would that manner in your opinion tend to lead toward
violence ?
A. As I stated before, when they sat down and the others
stood up, the word you used before was simultaneous, that
would apply in this case.
Q. Did they stand up or leave the area?
A. They stood up and the one on this side backed up
to the wall. The others got in the corner.
Q. I asked you this before but I ’ll ask you again. Through
out the entire incident, there was in fact no violence, was
there?
A. No violence.
Q. And there was no threat of violence was there?
A. No, other than maybe when they stood up. I didn’t
want anything to happen.
[fol. 18] Q. So, as it worked out, except for your assisting
the manager in arresting these persons, you need not have
been there. Is that true?
The Court: I don’t think that’s germane. He’s testified
why he was there, under orders of his superior and I think
that’s sufficient on that.
Q. You, after Mr. Terry had told the group to leave, sug
gested to him that he tell each one individually?
A. Eight.
Q. State your reason for doing so?
A. Why I asked him to have them leave?
15
Q. Yes?
A. As I stated before, he had informed me that he wasn’t
going to serve them and that he wanted them oat of his
store. All right, after he had made the statement to all of
them, they sat there like maybe they didn’t hear him. The
others had started to get up, the White customers stood
up, and the reason I asked to tell them again so that they
would know that he wasn’t going to serve them and wanted
them to leave.
Q. In fact, you were assisting him in refusing them
service and asking them to leave?
A. I wouldn’t say I was assisting him.
Q. What was your point in being certain that they heard
him?
A. So that whenever they didn’t leave and they had been
asked to leave, well I heard him ask them to leave and they
ignored him. He’s the owner of the store and as I said,
my purpose was there to prevent violence, but at that par
ticular point they refused to leave and it seemed to me
another law was being broken.
Q. What was that law?
A. They were trespassing.
[fol. 19] Q. Are you familiar with the trespass law?
A. No, I don’t say I ’m all familiar with it.
Q. It was an ever present factor in your mind that day?
A. I wouldn’t say it was ever present. I tried to keep all
the laws. I don’t say all of them but I try to keep most of
them in my mind.
Q. You did however, assist the manager in refusing ser
vice to these defendants, didn’t you?
A. I won’t say I assisted him in refusing service.
Q. You assisted him in evicting them from his premises?
A. As it turned out, I did.
Q. And you made the charges against them did you?
A. The warrant charges them with trespass and breach
of the peace.
The Court: Let me ask counsel to try to be a little more
brief. I want everybody to be heard but at the same time
I don’t want to draw this out too long. There are a good
many other witnesses, both on behalf of the prosecution and
16
the defense and I just don’t want to draw it out too long,
so make it brief and to the point.
Q. Mr. Terry, did he request that you arrest these defen
dants ?
A. No.
Q. Did he request that you evict them from his premises!
A. You mean at that time!
Q. At any time!
A. No. He did state before that he didn’t want them in
his store.
[fol. 20] Q. And did he go further and say: “If they come
in my store, I want you to arrest them” or words to that
effect!
A. No, I won’t say he said that.
Redirect examination.
By Mr. Sholenberger:
Q. In other words, you went there for the purpose of
preventing something which you didn’t know for sure what
might happen?
A. That’s correct.
Q. You didn’t know what might happen under these cir
cumstances?
A. No, I didn’t.
Q. That’s why you were there as a Peace Officer for the
State of South Carolina?
A. Yes, sir.
Mr. J ohn M. T ekby, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
Direct examination.
By Mr. Sholenberger:
Q. Mr. Terry, you are the owner of the Taylor Street
Pharmacy in the City of Columbia, are you not?
A. I am a Co-Owner.
Q. You actually manage the place?
A. Yes, sir.
17
Q. All right, sir, on March 15,1960, did you have occasion
to see these five defendants in your place of business?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Just go ahead and tell the Court what they did when
they came in your store. Did you see them when they came
in?
A. Yes.
[fol. 21] Q. What did they do when they came in?
A. Well, just the same testimony as Mr. Stokes gave,
they went back to the lunch department, through the store
and back to the lunch department. Four of them sat at
the first counter and one at the second counter, and I went
back and asked them, or told them I would not serve them
and asked them to leave, and Mr. Stokes then requested that
I ask each one individually, which I did, all but one, and
the luncheonette manager asked him and they refused to
leave, and I left the department, with the law enforcement
officers there.
Q. Do you recall David Carter coming up to you and
making a request?
A. He got up and started towards me, and said “Sir,
could I ask you a question”, and I directed the luncheonette
manager, Mr. Cothran, to tell them to leave.
Q. You say he left the lunch department?
A. He left the lunch department and started toward the
front, and I left the law enforcement officers to enforce the
law.
Q. Had you informed Mr. Stokes prior to the defendants
coming in, that you were not going to serve them, and that
you wanted them to leave?
A.. That’s correct. I was informed on Monday that they
would be there at 12:35 Tuesday, under their plans, etc.
Q. In other words, Mr. Terry, you didn’t know what might
happen?
A. That’s correct.
Q. Mr. Terry, is it or is it not your policy to serve food
to persons of the Negro Race?
A. We do not serve Negroes at our lunch department,
[fol. 22] Q. Has that been your policy?
A. That’s been the store policy.
18
Cross examination.
By Mr. Jenkins:
Q. Mr. Terry, how long have you operated the Taylor
Street Pharmacy?
A. At the present location or across the street?
Q. Your present location?
A. It will soon he four years. ,
Q. Prior to that you operated across the street how long?
A. Approximately six years.
Q. The Taylor Street Pharmacy advertises itself as being
a complete department store, or something to that effect?
A. That’s correct.
Q. You have many departments?
A. That’s correct.
Q. Including a lunch room department?
A. That is a separate department, yes.
Q. I t’s one of the departments in your store?
A. It is a separate department in our store.
Q. When you say separate, would the drug department
be a separate department?
A. Well, the reason I mention separate department, we
have two City licenses at Taylor Street Pharmacy, the
luncheonette is one and the front area is another.
Q. That clarifies it. You in the operation of your store,
cater to the public generally don’t you?
A. That’s correct.
Q. Irrespective of race?
A. In the front area, that’s correct, the Taylor Street
Pharmacy department: ^
[fol. 23] Q. Now tell me what you mean when you qualify
your answer by saying you cater to the public generally
in the front area irrespective of race ?
A. I just explained to you we have two city licenses.
We have the Taylor Street Pharmacy license to operate
and we have the Taylor Street Pharmacy luncheonette
license to operate.
Q. And you call the entire area other than the luncheon
ette, the front area?
19
A. The front area of the store, yes, sir. That includes
everything other than the luncheonette.
Q. These defendants are Negroes aren’t they?
A. I would think so. They look like it to me.
Q. What we generally accept as Negroes?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you have Negroes trading in your store ?
A. Yes.
Q. One or two, or in large numbers ?
A. I think quite large numbers.
Q. So quite a bit of the income from your store comes
from Negroes?
A. Quite a bit.
Q. You don’t hesitate to give them service do you?
A. In the front area, definitely not.
Q. As a matter of fact, you invite them in don’t you?
A. That’s correct.
Q. Just like any other member of the public, you invite
them in ?
A. That’s correct.
Q. You don’t invite them into the luncheon area. I mean
Negroes?
A. We do not.
Q. Under any circumstances?
[fol. 24] A. If they request it, we will fix an order to go
for them, at their request.
Q. So Negroes can then come into the back area, I guess
I’ll call it, the luncheon area, and receive food service?
A. Food service to go.
Q. Do any of them make such requests ?
A. Some.
Q. Large numbers or just scattered?
A. I think it would be very minute.
Q. Do you ever recall seeing any of these defendants,
other than on March 15th, 1960, order any food from
the lunch counter?
A. No, I haven’t. I mean, I don’t recall seeing them
because I ’m not there all the time. I don’t remember them.
Q. Is there any public notice given by you that you do
not serve Negroes generally in the luncheon department?
A. I beg your pardon?
20
Q. You say you do not serve Negroes generally in the
lunch department?
A. That’s right.
Q. Other than they may come in and order food to take
out, you do not serve them?
A. That’s correct.
Q. That’s the policy of your store ?
A. I have Negroes on my payroll in the kitchen depart
ment.
Q. I ’m talking about customers. Now then you testified
that your policy is with reference to the food service, not
to serve Negroes other than they may purchase food to
take out?
A. If they request it, we will fix it for them.
[fol. 25] Q. Now I ask you, is there any public notice
provided by you that you do not serve Negroes in the
lunch counter, other than they may purchase food and take
it out ?
A. I never have advertised in any way on the lunch
department.
Q. So there is no public notice then that you do not serve
them?
A. I have the public notice that I can refuse to serve
anyone in that department.
Q. You do have a public notice to that effect?
A. I t’s a sign there.
Q. You do have occasion to refuse to serve people other
than these defendants ?
A. Definitely.
Q. For your own personal reasons ?
A. I don’t think my personal reasons are involved in
this case, are they?
The Court: No, that’s correct.
A. But for business reasons or personal or any way
you put it, I feel that I have a right to refuse to serve
anyone.
Q. That’s what I asked you. There’s no argument about
that. Now on March 15, 1960, you testified that you knew
that these defendants or some others would come into your
store?
A. I didn’t know that. I was informed on Monday,
21
that a demonstration was planned for the Taylor Street
Pharmacy at 12:35. Didn’t say what date.
Q. Based npon your information yon then asked the
assistance of the police department and other police officers ?
A. That’s correct.
[fol. 26] Q. And the police officers who were in your
store on March 15, 1960, were there at your request?
A. Well, I would say yes or no. I mean they came and
informed me of the demonstration and we were working
as a group. I ’ll put it that way. I didn’t call them to
come around and inform me. They informed me in advance.
Q. When you say working together, you requested their
assistance in preventing this demonstration?
A. Not necessarily a demonstration. Any type of vio
lence could erupt or anything, against my store policy.
It could create violence.
Q. Anything against your store policy, you then wished
the officers to assist you in preventing?
A. That’s correct.
Q. So you then requested their assistance?
A. I would put it that way, yes. I wanted them there.
Let’s put it that way.
Q. And did you observe these defendants when they
came into your store?
A. Yes.
Q. Did any of them make a purchase in the store?
A. Not to my knowledge at that time.
Q. You were some place near the lunch counter when
they came in?
A. I was up in the front area.
Q. But you saw them when they went to the lunch
counter?
A. Correct.
Q. And you immediately came back?
A. That’s right.
Q. Did you see them when they took seats ?
[fol. 27] A. Well, immediately after. I was following them
back there through the aisleway and I immediately pro
ceeded on back.
Q. Did they physically interfere with anyone on the
way to the lunch counter?
22
A. Not to my knowledge.
Q. After they reached the lunch counter did they phys
ically interfere with anyone ?
A. Not to my knowledge.
Q. They were generally orderly?
A. That’s correct.
Q. Were they neatly dressed?
A. I would think so.
Q. Their appearance then was generally that of any
customers, other than the color of their skin?
A. That’s right. They were carrying books.
Q. The seats that they took were vacant? There was
nobody on the seats that they took?
A. That’s correct.
Q. They didn’t interfere with anybody that way?
A. That’s correct.
Q. Did they order any food while in your store ?
A. No, they didn’t.
Q. Did anybody approach them to ask for an order?
A. No, they didn’t.
Q. How long after they sat down did you come up and
request them to leave ?
A. Very briefly.
Q. So they really didn’t have time to order, did they?
A. I didn’t give them time actually because I wasn’t
going to serve them.
Q. Suppose they had stood up when you requested them,
and then requested food to take out, would you have served
them?
[fol. 28] A. If they had moved on to the side without
creating any disturbance, which they had already created.
If they had demonstrated, I would not have, if they came
in there for the express purpose of demonstrating, which
I feel sure they did.
Q. I’m trying to get your answer to my question?
A. I don’t think I would have. Not these five, no.
Q. You wouldn’t have served them?
A. No, or anyone else who comes down there and causes
a disturbance.
Q. But any other Negroes coming in there and walking
up and ordering food to take out, you would serve them?
23
A. If they request it I will fix an order to go, yes.
Q. Now your only reason for refusing them service
was the fact that they sat down. Is that right?
A. Well, we’ve been through that already.
The Court: We won’t have any demonstrations in the
courtroom. (Some commotion in the rear of the courtroom.)
I think he has answered that, counsel.
Mr. Jenkins: If your Honor please, I don’t know the
answer he gave.
A. What was your question again, please?
(Question read.)
A. That’s correct.
Q. That and the fact that they were Negroes ?
A. That’s correct.
Q. Now Mr. Terry, after they sat down and refused to
move, did you request any police officer to arrest them?
A. After they sat down.
Q. You told them to move and they refused, did you ask
them then to arrest them?
[fol. 29] A. We had a previous agreement to that effect,
that if they did not leave, they would be placed under arrest
for trespassing.
. Q. You had already agreed with the Police Department—
A. If we had a demonstration, if we requested them to
leave and they refused, then they would be arrested.
Q. So in fact you had instructed the Police Department
to arrest them if they refused to leave at your request?
A. Not necessarily, I had instructed them but that was
an agreement pertaining to the law enforcement division.
Q. You let the police department know that that was your
wish ?
A. That I would not serve them.
Q. And if they did not leave when you asked them, you
wanted them arrested?
A. That’s correct.
Q. Other than the fact that they came in and sat at the
lunch counter, they created no other disturbance did they?
A. When they sat down they created a disturbance, yes.
You could have heard a pin drop in there, especially two
J
24
weeks before that or whatever time before that, a large
number came in, it just completely stopped everything.
Q. Did you notice the behaviour of any other customers
who were seated at the lunch counter when these defendants
came in and took seats?
A. I think everyone was on pins and needles, more or
less, for fear it could possibly lead to violence.
[fol. 30] Q. I have in mind the fact, did you observe them
continue to eat or get up and leave, or just what did you
observe the other customers doing?
A. Just a brief observation, I think a couple of them
got up and left their food on their tables, and the rest
were just watching to see what was going to happen.
Q. They didn’t move. They sat where they were?
A. That’s correct. Some of them moved, yes.
Q. Did you request any of the other customers to move?
A. No, I did not.
Q. To your knowledge, did anyone else employed by the
store, request any of the customers to move ?
A. No, not to my knowledge.
Q. Was it your idea to have these defendants arrested,
or was it the idea of the police department?
A. I ’ll put it that it was the both of us’ idea, that if they
were requested to leave and failed to leave, and given time
to leave, that they would be arrested.
The State rests.
The Court: Is there any testimony on behalf of the
Defendants?
Mr. Jenkins: Yes, your Honor, if you will indulge me for
just a minute.
Mr. David Cabter, being duly sworn, testifies as follows:
Direct examination.
By Mr. Jenkins:
Q. You are David Carter, one of the defendants in this
case?
A. That’s correct.
[fol. 31] Q. You are one of those persons who on March
15th, 1960, went into the Taylor Street Pharmacy?
A. Correct.
Q. In Columbia, South Carolina?
A. Right.
Q. In your own words, please relate to the Court what
took place on that day?
A. On March 15th, around 12:35, five of us entered the
Taylor Street Pharmacy. As we entered the store, I
glanced to my left and I saw the Deputy standing on the
side of the store. As we started toward the back, I saw
Mr. Stokes coming from the back. They stopped and
looked at some cards. We moved on to the back of the
store, to the luncheonette section.
Q. May I interrupt you just a minute. What was your
purpose in going into the Taylor Street Pharmacy that
day?
A. The purpose of going into Taylor Street Pharmacy
that day was to be served. ' '
Q. When you say “served”— .
A. Served food. Being a part of the general public
we felt we had a right there, and we still feel we have
a right there.
Q. Did you have in mind making any purchases other
than foodl
A. Not that particular time, no.
Q. Had you been in Taylor Street Pharmacy previous to
this?
A. Yes, I have.
Q. Made purchases there?
A. I ’ve made several purchases there, plus I had checks
cashed there.
Q. Have you ever made any purchases of food there?
[fol. 32] A. No, I never purchased food there.
Q. Go ahead with your account?
A. As I said, I saw Mr. Stokes coming from the back,
I moved on to the back and immediately I took a seat at
the lunch counter beside a White lady. At that particular
time, I called him the Cashier, it could have been the
luncheonette manager, came to the lady and said: “Get up,
w’e’ll get them out of here.”
Q. May I interrupt you? Is it your testimony that an
employee of the store came up to the person sitting there
and made a statement to them ?
26
A. That’s my testimony, said to the lady: “Get up, we’ll
get them out of here”, so he caught the lady by the hand
and assisted her in getting up.
Q. Prior to that time had this lady made any indication
that she would get up ?
A. The lady made no indication at all. She sat there
and began eating just as if I was a human being sitting
beside her, which I was.
Q. Now will you continue ?
A. Then about that time the Deputy Sheriff, I think
it’s the Deputy. Am I right? The Deputy Sheriff came
back and he stood beside this luncheonette manager, not
Mr. Terry, and he said to me—the luncheonette manager
said to me: “You might as well leave because I ain’t going
to serve you”.
Q. Did you leave?
A. No I didn’t because he didn’t ask me to leave. He
said: “You might as well leave because I ’m not going to
serve you.”
Q. Suppose he had asked you to leave, would you have
left?
A. Had he asked me to leave, I would have left and to
go on with my testimony, he went to Mr. Counts there and
[fol. 33] said the same thing: “You might as well leave
because I ain’t going to serve you.” Then he did not turn to
Mr. Stokes but he turned to the Deputy and said: “I’ve
asked them to leave”. So then I bowed to Counts and
Counts bowed to me and we stood up. Then I said to the
luncheonette manager: “Sir, may I ask you a question?”
and at that time Mr. Terry said: “No, don’t answer him.”
He said: “No, I don’t want to talk to you” so I said: “Thank
you, sir” and I turned to walk away. When I turned to walk
away I looked back and no one had gone to the other three
boys yet, so they were about to leave and I told them to just
sit until somebody asked them to leave, and then I turned
to walk away and the Deputy patted me on the shoulder
and said: “Just a minute please.” I said: “Thank you, sir”
and I just stood there and waited, and after a while he
led me on out and we got in the car and they brought us
down to the jail.
27
Q. Were you told while in the store, that you were under
arrest?
A. I was not told that I was under arrest. Mr. Stokes
got in the ear we were in and he said: “I suppose you boys
don’t know who I am.” Then he pulled out his credentials
and said: “I am Mr. Stokes from SLED.” I said: “Well,
good.” I said to him: “It’s a very good day isn’t it? The
weather certainly has changed.” He didn’t say a word but
the other man driving the car said: “Yes it has.” They
did not tell me that we were under arrest until we got to the
jail. However, I knew we were under arrest. I assumed
it because they were carrying us down. Yes I did for this
reason, when I got in the car and saw the News Reporter,
and I called for the News Reporter, and the man who was
driving the car, whoever it was, I don’t know, I said:
[fol. 34] “Who are you talking about? The young man
there?” He pointed to Mr. Stokes. I said: “No, not him,
I ’m talking to Mr. Bill Handle” so he said to Mr. Stokes:
“He wants the News Reporter.” Mr. Stokes said: “No
he doesn’t, he wants to go to jail”, so I knew then I was
under arrest.
Q. Did you observe any conversation between any em
ployee of the Taylor Street Pharmacy and any of the ar
resting officers up there ?
A. At that particular time no, because I don’t remember
seeing Mr. Terry until I turned to the luncheonette man
ager and asked him a question. At that particular time
he was very emotional and said “No.” Whether he con
versed with any of the other officers, I don’t know.
Cross examination.
By Mr. Sholenberger:
Q. You are David Carter?
A. That’s correct.
Q. I believe you stated to your counsel that your purpose
for going to the Taylor Street Pharmacy was to sit down
at the lunch counter and be served food?
A. Be served food, correct.
Q. And of course it was also your purpose, if you did that
and it led to your arrest, why you wanted to be arrested.
Is that correct!
A. Oh I wouldn’t say I wanted to be arrested. No one
wants to be arrested. I wanted to be served.
Q. You went there with the idea that you would be
arrested?
A. I went there with the idea of being served. I did
not go with the idea of being arrested but I had been
promised that I would have equal protection in that store
or any other store.
[fol. 35] Q. Who promised you that?
A. The City Manager. There were five of us went down
to City Hall.
Q. He promised you?
A. Listen to me now. Five of us went to the City Hall
one day to see the Mayor. The Mayor was not in. We then
talked with the City Manager, who was very polite to us.
He said to u s: “Gentlemen, further demonstrations will
not be tolerated.” We said: “Mr. McNayr, what would
you do to stop such demonstrations?” He said to us: “If
you are going to go down, I don’t object to nobody—”
Mr. Sholenberger: This is all hearsay, your Honor.
The Court: I ’m going to strike that out. You see, you
have to answer counsel’s questions.
A. I ’m answering his questions—
The Court: We don’t want any speech here. We’re not
going to tolerate any great big speech.
Mr. Jenkins: Your Honor, I want the record to show
that counsel opened the door for this type of testimony.
The Court: He didn’t open the door for any hearsay
testimony. I ’m going to rule hearsay testimony out, defi
nitely, I rule it out right now. Ask him the questions.
By Mr. Sholenberger:
Q. But you did have an idea when you went there, that
if you were asked to leave and you didn’t leave, that you
would be arrested?
29
A. Well, my intentions were to leave when we were
asked properly to leave.
Q. Now, did Mr. Terry, the owner and proprietor of the
store, ask yon to leave ?
A. No, sir, he did not ask us to leave.
Q. Do yon deny he asked you to leave!
[fol. 36] A. I certainly deny he asked us to leave.
Q. You deny completely, in the face of his testimony and
in the face of the testimony of the officer, that he asked you
to leave ?
A. I do.
Q. You deny that?
A. That’s right.
Q. Well, why did you leave ?
A. Why did I leave ?
Q. Yes?
A. Because the luncheonette manager said: “You might
as well leave, I ain’t going to serve you.” Then he looked
to the Deputy and said: “I ’ve asked them to leave.” There
was no point in sitting there.
Q. Didn’t you leave because the manager told you—the
man from SLED told you to leave ?
A. The man from SLED did not tell us to leave. As a
matter of fact, I did not talk to the man from SLED until
after I was in the car, when I called for the News Reporter.
The man driving the car said I wanted a News Reporter
and he said: “No, he wants to go to jail.” That’s the first
word he said to me.
Q. That’s what you went there for, was the intention of—
A. Not to be arrested, to be served.
Q. And you intended to be served even though it might
lead to your arrest?
A. No, we wanted to be served, if they were going to
serve us. We had nothing to say about being arrested.
Q. Wasn’t it your intention to make a case so that you
could be arrested?.
A. I think I told you I went there to be served and not
to be arrested. I think I’ve told you that.
[fol. 37] Q. Now, after Mr. Terry told all of you to leave,
30
and the rest of them started to get up, didn’t you motion
them to get down?
A. Mr. Terry did not tell all of us to leave.
Q. Did you motion them to sit down again after they
started to get up?
A. When I started to leave, since nobody went to them,
I said just like that. (Indicating with the hand.)
Q. Mr. Terry is correct in that, and also the officer from
SLED, that you were motioning them to sit down?
A. That’s right, I did that.
Q. Of course this group going there, was the result of
a prearranged plan on the part of all of you to go there
and sit down and be served. Is that correct?
A. Well, in order to go there it had to be prearranged
before we left our place of departure.
Q. In other words it was a prearranged plan of the
group ?
A. That particular day I went, I invited three men to
go along with me to the Taylor Street Pharmacy. To leave
the building to go there, it had to be prearranged.
Q. Are you a student?
A. I am.
Q. Where?
A. At Benedict.
Eedirect examination.
By Mr. Jenkins :
Q. Assuming, without saying, that you did go to Taylor
Street Pharmacy according to some prearranged plan, did
you see anything wrong in that?
A. No, I didn’t.
[fol. 38] Q. Did you go to Taylor Street Pharmacy as a
member of the general public, invited in to do business?
A. I certainly did.
31
Mr. R ichard M. C o u n ts , b e in g d u ly sw o rn , te s tif ie s a s
f o l lo w s :
Direct examination.
By Mr. Jenkins:
Q. Yon are Richard M. Counts of Columbia!
A. That’s correct.
Q. You are a student at Benedict!
A. That’s correct.
Q. What’s your classification?
A. Junior.
Q. You are a native Columbian I believe?
A. I am a native Columbian.
Q. Do you remember March 15th, 1960, going into Taylor
Street Pharmacy on Taylor Street in Columbia, South
Carolina?
A. I do.
Q. State to the Court your reason for going there?
A. Well, I invited a Fraternity Brother of mine, Charles
Barr, to come and have lunch with me, and the two of us
walked in last, and as we walked in, or before we got to
the door, we saw the news man and the police on the out
side—•
Q. May I interrupt you. What was your reason for going
to Taylor Street Pharmacy?
A. To be served food.
Q. You invited I believe, a friend of yours, to have lunch
with you?
A. Charles Barr. He and I entered together.
[fol. 39] Q. Now briefly describe to the Court the events
that took place in Taylor Street Pharmacy with reference
to yourself on that day, March 15th?
A. Well, as I said, when we arrived there we saw the
newsmen and the policemen on the outside, so we just
ignored them completely because we didn’t know why they
were there, so we walked on in and as I entered last, the
photographer came behind me so I stopped and went over
to the cigarette counter and bought a pack of cigarettes
and from there I went to the back and as I entered the en-
32
trance to the lunch counter I imagine it was the luncheonette
manager, but it wasn’t this gentleman here, Mr. Terry,
he extended his arm to me like this (indicating) as if to
say he was showing me a seat because as I got there it
was very crowded and I didn’t see a vacant booth or stool.
Q. When you went into the store you proceeded to the
lunch department!
A. After I purchased a pack of cigarettes.
Q. You purchased the cigarettes first!
A. That’s right.
Q. Where was Barr at this time!
A. I don’t know. I think he had walked ahead of me.
Q. That was your companion who had gone with you to
get lunch?
A. That’s right.
Q. Now did you see these other defendants at that time!
A. Well, when I got to the entrance of the luncheonette
counter, they were already seated.
Q. You saw these four!
A. Yes, sir.
[fol. 40] Q. They were seated at the lunch counter!
A. Already seated.
Q. Were there any vacant seats available when you first
walked in?
A. There was one but I didn’t see it, and so I stopped
and looked as if I was looking for a stool, and then the
gentleman extended his arm to me and said: “Have a seat
here” and I sat there.
Q. You say a gentleman. Was it one of the employees
of the store!
A. I would assume so.
Q. Upon what do you base your assumption?
A. Well, right after that he made the statement, after
I had been seated, he said: “You may as well leave because
we ain’t going to serve you”, so I thought he had some
authority after having gone through all that.
Q. Now, I believe that you testified that when you walked
in and looked around for a seat, this employee made a wide
sweep of his arm?
A. That’s correct.
33
Q. Was that sweep made in the direction of the vacant
stool?
A. It was, and that’s where I sat.
Q. Yon sat on that stool?
A. That’s correct.
Q. How long after you were sitting there at the counter,
—after you sat at the counter, you testified that this same
store employee made some remark to you?
A. That’s true.
Q. What was the remark?
A. He said: “You may as well leave, we ain’t going to
serve you.”
[fol. 41] Q. Did you leave then?
A. No, I didn’t because that left me a choice to stay or
to leave, so I preferred to stay.
Q. Did you order any food while there?
A. Well, the waitress didn’t come to take my order.
Q. Had the waitress come would you have ordered food?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did any police officer advise you to leave the stool
where you were seated?
A. No, they did not.
Q. Why did you leave?
A. Well, the same gentleman whom I spoke of earlier,
he came and he practically whispered in my ear the same
thing he said before.
Q. What was that?
A. “You may as well leave, we ain’t going to serve you”,
so after having been told twice I looked around at David
Carter and he nodded to me as if to say we will leave,
so as I stood up I walked to the exit, and then I think it
was the Deputy Sheriff whispered in my ear “You’re under
arrest.”
Q. He did tell you you were under arrest?
A. Yes.
Q. Did he tell you for what reason?
A. No.
Q. I don’t know whether you testified to this or not but
on previous occasions have you been in the Taylor Street
Pharmacy?
A. I have.
34
Q. Have you made purchases there?
A. I have.
Q. Have you made any purchases in the food department
of the Taylor Street Pharmacy?
[fol. 42] A. Once that I remember very distinctly when it
was. It was during my Probation week, around the first
week of May, that’s the week I went over to the Fraternity,
and I had to go up there one night on an errand and we
purchased a sandwich and a soda.
Q. Did you eat that food there at the counter?
A. No, it was to go, because our time was limited.
Q. You took the food with you?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you believe that you had a right to sit at the
counter and be served food at the Taylor Street Pharmacy?
A. I did then and I still do.
Q. Did you observe any conversation between any of
the officials of the store or employees of the store and any
police officer, while you were there on March 15th?
A. Only between the Deputy Sheriff and the luncheonette
manager.
Q. Was the conversation you observed between them, be
fore your arrest or after?
A. Well, it was before. It was after he had made the
first general statement that “We ain’t going to serve you.”
Q. And after this conversation, the same officer came
and told you you were under arrest?
A. Well, not directly. After the luncheonette manager
talked to him, the luncheonette manager came to me again
and whispered in my ear: “You may as well leave, we ain’t
going to serve you.” Then I looked at Mr. Carter and he
nodded to me and then we got up and then the Deputy
Sheriff whispered in my ear: “You’re under arrest.”
[fol. 43] Cross examination.
By Mr. Sholenberger:
Q. You are Richard M. Counts?
A. That’s right.
Q. You say that you never had any conversation with,
35
or nobody said anything to yon except the luncheonette
manager ?
A. I imagine that’s who it was.
Q. Do you recall seeing Mr. Terry?
A. Not at all.
Q. You don’t recall seeing him?
A. No, I don’t.
Q. In other words, do you deny that he told you to leave
the luncheonette?
A. He didn’t address me in any way.
Q. Do you remember seeing Mr. Stokes?
A. I do, because he rode in the same car I was in.
Q, You remember him, Mr. Stokes, telling you to leave
the luncheonette?
A. Mr. Stokes did not tell me to leave.
Q. He didn’t say a word?
A. No, sir, he didn’t.
Q. The sum and substance of your testimony is that
nobody told you to leave this establishment?
A. "With the exception of the gentleman who I mentioned
earlier.
Q. The luncheonette manager ?
A. I imagine that’s who it was.
Q. You say he told you to leave?
A. That’s right.
Q. And you didn’t leave did you?
A. Because he didn’t address me in any direct manner
to leave.
[fol. 44] Q. That’s the point about having it phrased in so
direct a manner.
A. The importance is I assume he had authority there.
Had he told me to leave directly, I would have left, but
he made it as if I had a choice to stay or leave. He made
it clearly understood I wasn’t going to be served, there
fore I left the second time after he told me.
Q. Wasn’t it agreed that this was a planned group to
make a test case?
A. No, it was not.
Q. If that was not the case, then why is it that you never
had gone to the luncheonette before during your stay in
36
Columbia, and seated yourself at the luncheonette counter!
A. Well, because as I say—•
Q. Why this particular occasion, if there wasn’t some
thing behind it!
A. There wasn’t any particular occasion,
Q. Why had you not gone there before!
A. That would be the same thing as why I had not gone
to another store.
Q. You’ve been in this store before!
A. I have, on several occasions.
Q. Why didn’t you sit down at the lunch counter then!
A. I was rushing on to do something else after I made
my purchase.
Q. You say you went there with this group of four boys.
A. Charles Barr and I were walking together, and the
other three walked in previously. In fact, if the officers
recall, we saw them coming this direction, I can’t recall
the name of the street, but coming from towards Assembly
[fol. 45] Street, and we were coming from the campus di
rection. We came from opposite directions.
Q. You met there at the same time!
A. They had entered before we had.
Q. How long!
A. I imagine a minute or two.
Q. All right, in addition to your purpose of going there
to be served, and that was your purpose, wasn’t it!
A. To be served food, yes, sir.
Q. Didn’t you also go there for the purpose of being
arrested!
A. No, I did not.
Q. You didn’t have any idea that you would be arrested?
A. I did not.
Q. You had no idea you would be arrested!
A. I didn’t see any reason to be.
Q. I think you testified to your counsel that you looked
to David Carter in regard to this thing before you left.
Wasn’t he the leader of the group!
A. Well, I wouldn’t call him the leader of the group.
My purpose for looking at him was because he had been
told the same thing I had been told.
37
Q. But you looked to him for leadership!
A. Not really. I just wanted to see what he was going
to do.
Q. And why didn’t you turn to this boy Barr that you
came in with!
A. Well, because Carter was the closest to me.
Q. In other words, you didn’t actually sit with the boy
you came there with!
[fob 46] A. Because he walked in ahead of me and there
weren’t any seats there for me to sit next to him.
Q. But you did go there for the purpose of creating a
situation that would likely lead to your arrest!
A. No, I did not.
Q. Do you deny that!
A. I deny it.
Redirect examination.
By Mr. Jenkins:
Q. State whether you went into Taylor Street Pharmacy
as a member of the general public invited to trade there!
A. I did.
Q. Now as far as the lunch room area is concerned, did
you see any posted notice that you would not be served in
that section!
A. I didn’t notice any.
Q. How long did you stay in the lunch room section that
day!
A. I think it was about five minutes.
Q. There were other persons 'in the lunch room area,
than you and these four defendants!
A. That’s right.
Q. Were any of them Negroes, other than you five!
A. No.
Q. Did you see anyone evicted on that day, other than
you and these four other defendants?
A. No, I did not.
38
M otions op D e pen d a n ts to D ism iss t h e C harges
A ga in st T h e m , e t c . and D e n ia l T h er eo f
Mr. Jenkins: We have no further testimony, your Honor,
but at this time we would like to make certain motions.
The defendants move the Court to dismiss the charges
against them and each of them, on the ground that the
Court lacks jurisdiction to try these defendants as charged,
[fol. 47] The evidence shows that the defendants were ar
rested and charged by police officers, agents of the State,
not for the commission of any crime as charged, or any
other for that matter, but in furtherance and in aid of the
wishes of private individuals to discriminate against the
defendants, based solely on their race and color.
This Court, also an agent of the state, cannot use its au
thority to aid in the enforcement of a private discrimina
tion based solely on race and color. For this Court to sub
ject the defendants to fine and conviction under the evi
dence and testimony in this case, would be a violation of
due process of law and would deny to the defendants the
equal protection of the laws as guaranteed the defendants
by the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The Court: I ’ll have to overrule that motion on the
ground that under the laws of South Carolina and of the
United States, I can’t grant it.
Mr. Jenkins: The defendants move to dismiss all
charges against them and each of them, on the grounds
that the evidence shows that the statutes (i.e., S. C. Code,
Sec. 16-386, as amended, Trespass, and S. C. Code Sec.
15-909, Breach of Peace) though nondiseriminatory on
their faces, are discriminatory when applied to these de
fendants, thus denying to them due process of law and
equal protection of the laws, in violation of the 14th Amend
ment of the United States Constitution and Article 1, Sec. 5
of the Constitution of South Carolina. The grounds for
said motion are that the evidence proves,
(1) That said statutes are being used by the police power
of the State to aid private individuals in businesses cater
ing to the general public, to discriminate against these
defendants solely on the basis of race and color, in violation
39
[fol. 48] of the 14th Amendment of the United States
Constitution;
(2) That said statutes are being used as a basis of un
constitutional State action in that the State police power
is provided to eject the defendants from a public place
where they have been invited and where they have a legal
right to go, and to arrest them and deprive them of their
liberty solely on the basis of race and color;
(3) That said statutes are being used as a basis of un
constitutional State action in depriving said defendants of
the equal protection of the laws in that they are arbitrarily
and unreasonably singled out by being ejected and arrested
solely on the basis of their race and color, while others are
allowed to remain where the defendants had the legal right
to be.
The Court: Motion denied.
Mr. Jenkins: The defendants move for the dismissal of all
charges against themselves and each of them, on the ground
that the operator of the private business catering to the
general public, invited them in and afterwards discrim
inated against them in the sale and purchase of wares and
services solely on the basis of race and color, and that the
State, through the use of its police as its agents, cannot
become a party to and assist in this unequal treatment.
If the State should so assist the private business operator
by ejecting and arresting the defendants, the State denies
to said defendants the equal protection of the laws in vio
lation of the 14th Amendment of the United States Con
stitution.
The Court: I ’ll deny that motion, too.
Mr. Jenkins: Defendants move to dismiss the charges
of trespass and breach of the peace, in violation of State
Statutes, Section 16-386 and 15-909, on the ground that the
[fol. 49] evidence proves that the defendants, as business
invitees of a business catering to the general public were
merely attempting in a peaceful and lawful manner to
exercise the freedom of being served by said business on a
nondiscriminatory basis, without regard to race and color,
and in so doing were not guilty of any crime.
40
Further, the defendants move to dismiss the charges of
trespass and breach of the peace on the ground that to
deprive them of their liberty to enter such a business estab
lishment in a peaceful and lawful manner as the record
describes, and be served as others, and that to be ejected
and arrested by agents of the State, solely on the basis of
race and color, and to be singled out as the only persons
ejected and arrested while others remain, is a denial of
due process of law and the equal protection of the law as
guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the United States
Constitution.
The Court: Motion denied.
Mr. Jenkins: The defendants move for a dismissal of
the charge of trespass because of the insufficiency of the
evidence to substantiate the charge. The basis of the mo
tion is that even if a private individual in a public business
may discriminate against these defendants on the basis of
race and color alone (a point which we do not concede),
nevertheless, for the State to back up this discrimination
by State action in ejecting, arresting and subjecting to trial
these defendants, is a denial of due process of law and a
denial of the equal protection of the laws as guaranteed by
the 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United
States.
The Court: Motion denied.
[fob 50] Mr. Jenkins: The defendants move for a dis
missal of all charges against them for the reason that the
evidence fails to show the commission of any of the charges
alleged. Instead, the evidence, interpreted most favorably
to the State, shows that the said defendants, without vio
lating any rights of the public, were attempting to exercise
their common law right of free access to the common mar
ket. To be denied that right by the State ejecting them
from the business places described in the record, and sub
jecting them to arrest solely on the basis of race and color
is a denial of the equal protection of the laws and due
process of law as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of
the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 5 of
the South Carolina Constitution.
The Court: Motion denied.
41
J ud g m en t
The Court: Now I would like to say this: The law of
this State and of the United States is well established,
that any private concern or any private individual operat
ing any business, has the right fundamentally and under
the Constitution of the United States and of South Caro
lina, to do business with anybody whomsoever he pleases.
That’s the fundamental law of this State and of the United
States. The witness Mr. Terry, testified that he had a
notice posted on the door that he had a right to refuse to
serve anybody, whether they are White, Colored or anybody
else, if he saw fit to do it, which he had a right to do. Now
it’s just like a doctor or a lawyer, if a man comes to a
doctor’s office and wants to be treated, the doctor hasn’t got
to treat him if he don’t want to do it, and neither has a
lawyer got to accept a client if he don’t want to accept him.
That’s a fundamental inherent right which an individual
has. Now we have a lot of talk about Civil Eights. The
[fol. 51] Senate of the United States is today debating the
Civil Rights Bill in Washington, but we overlook often
times certain property rights and certain inherent rights
that an individual has. An individual has rights to do
business with anybody he wants to. I t’s not merely a
Colored person or a White person or any other race, but
it’s a right that if anybody don’t want to do business with
a person, he don’t have to transact business with him. I
might mention in passing, that the relationship between
the Colored people and the White people of this section has
been most harmonious and very cordial for a great many
years. I t’s been very harmonious and very cordial, until
some outside interest comes in and tries to create trouble
and start trouble, which is a very bad thing, and oftentimes
these outside interests are insidious. The Colored race has
made great progress down in this part of the country and
we can continue to get along well if these outside interests
will not come in and try to interfere with our relationship.
I ’m sick and tired of the Northern politicians playing
politics with human rights, and that’s what it amount to,
the Northern politicians are playing politics with human
individual rights which they are making a serious mistake
42
to do. We can get along well. We can transact onr business
well as we have done in the past, if we will just keep these
outside insidious and selfish interests out. Now I ’m not
going to quote much law because it’s not necessary, but in
Second Ruling Case Law, page 559, I ’m quoting: “It is a
well settled principle that the occupant of any house, store
or other building, has a legal right to control it and to
admit whom he pleases to enter and to remain there and
that he also has the right to expel from the room or build
ing, anyone who abuses the privilege, which has been thus
given to him. Therefore, while the entry by one person
[fol. 52] on the premises of another, may be lawful by
reason of express or implied invitation to enter, his failure
to depart on the request of the owner, will make him a
trespasser and justify the owner in using reasonable force
to eject him.” That’s the fundamental law of the land and
we are going to have to abide by it.
The judgment of the Court is that the defendants are
guilty as charged, and they will be fined the sum of $100.00
on each charge, of which amount the sum of $24.50 will be
suspended on each charge.
M otions of D e fe n d a n ts fo e A eeest of J u d g m en t , ob in
THE A l TEBNATIVE, FOB A NEW T bIAL, ETC. AND
D e n ia l T h eb eo f
Mr. Jenkins: Tour Honor, at this time, on behalf of the
defendants I should like to make certain motions. At this
time the defendants move the Court for the Arrest of Judg
ment, or in the alternative, for a New Trial, on the ground
that the Court lacks jurisdiction to try these defendants as
charged. The evidence shows that the defendants were
arrested and charged by police officers, agents of the State,
not for the commission of any crime as charged, or any
other for that matter, but in furtherance and in aid of the
wishes of private individuals to discriminate against the
defendants, based solely on their race and color. This
Court, also an agent of the State, cannot use its authority
to aid in the enforcement of a private discrimination, based
solely on race and color. For this Court to subject the
defendants to fine and conviction under the evidence and
43
testimony in this case, would be a violation of due process
of law and would deny to the defendants the equal protec
tion of the laws as guaranteed the defendants by the 14th
Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The Court: I ’ll refuse the motion.
Mr. Jenkins: The defendants move for an Arrest of
Judgment or in the alternative, for a Sew Trial, on the
[fol. 53] grounds that the evidence shows that the Statutes
(be., S. C. Code, Sec. 16-386, as amended, trespass, and
S. C. Code, Sec. 15-909, breach of the peace) though non-
discriminatory on their faces, are discriminatory when ap
plied to these defendants, thus denying to them due process
of law and equal protection of the laws, in violation of the
14th Amendment of the United States Constitution and
Article 1, Section 5 of the Constitution of South Carolina.
The grounds for said motion are that the evidence proves:
(1) That said statutes are being used by the police power
of the State to aid private individuals and businesses cater
ing to the general public to discriminate against these de
fendants solely on the basis of race and color, in violation
of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution;
(2) That said statutes are being used as a basis of un
constitutional State action in that the State police power
is provided to eject the defendants from a public place
where they have been invited and where they have a legal
right to go and to arrest them and deprive them of their
liberty solely on the basis of race and color;
(3) That said statutes are being used as a basis of un
constitutional State action in depriving said defendants of
the equal protection of the laws, in that they are arbitrarily
and unreasonably singled out by being ejected and arrested
solely on the basis of their race and color, while others are
allowed to remain where the defendants had the legal
right to be.
The Court: Motion denied.
Mr. Jenkins: The defendants move for an Arrest of
Judgment or in the alternative, for a New Trial, on the
ground that the operator of the private business catering
44
[fol. 54] to the general public, invited them in and after
wards discriminated against them in the sale and purchase
of wares and services solely on the basis of race and color,
and that the State, through the use of its police as its
agents, cannot become a party to and assist in this unequal
treatment. If the State should so assist the private business
operator by ejecting and arresting the defendants, the
State denies to said defendants the equal protection of the
laws in violation of the 14th Amendment of the United
States Constitution.
The Court: I ’ll deny that motion.
Mr. Jenkins: The defendants move for an Arrest of
Judgment, or in the alternative, for a New Trial, on the
ground that the evidence proves that the defendants as
business invitees of a business catering to the general pub
lic, were merely attempting in a peaceful and lawful man
ner, to exercise the freedom of being served by said business
on a nondiscriminatory basis, without regard to race or
color, and in so doing were not guilty of any crime.
Further, the defendants move for an Arrest of Judg
ment, or in the alternative, for a New Trial, on the ground
that the charge of breach of peace and trespass, the charges
with which they are being charged here today will deprive
them of their liberty to enter such a business establishment
in a peaceful and lawful manner as the record describes,
and to be served as others, and that to be ejected and ar
rested by agents of the State, solely on the basis of race
and color, and to be singled out as the only persons ejected
and arrested while others remain, is a denial of due process
of law and the equal protection of the laws as guaranteed
by the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution,
[fol. 55] The Court: Motion denied.
Mr. Jenkins: The defendants move for an Arrest of
Judgment or in the alternative, for a New Trial, on the
ground that the evidence is insufficient to substantiate the
charge of trespass. The basis of this motion is that even
if the private individual in a public business, may discrim
inate against these defendants on the basis of race and
color alone, a part which we do not concede, neverthe
less, for the State to back up this discrimination by State
45
action in ejecting, arresting and subjecting to trial these
defendants, is a denial of due process of law and a denial of
the equal protection of the laws as guaranteed by the 14th
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
The Court: Motion denied, likewise.
Mr. Jenkins: The defendants move for an Arrest of
Judgment or in the alternative, for a New Trial, for the
reason that the evidence fails to show the commission of
any of the charges alleged against these defendants. In
stead, the evidence, interpreted most favorably to the State,
shows that the said defendants, without violating any rights
of the public, were attempting to exercise their common
law right of free access to the common market. To be
denied that right by the State ejecting them from the
business places described in the record and subjecting them
to arrest solely on the basis of race and color, is a denial
of the equal protection of the laws and due process of law
as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the United
States Constitution and Article 1, Section 5 of the South
Carolina Constitution.
The Court: Motion denied.
Mr. Jenkins: At this time if your Honor please, on be
half of these defendants, I serve notice of intention to
appeal and request that the Court set bond.
[fol. 56] The Court: Mr. Sholenberger, I think we might
let the same cash bond stand as an Appeal Bond.
Mr. Jenkins: We just want the record to show that we
are not paying any fine—
The Court: Let the record show that I am letting that
stand as an Appeal Bond. Is there anything else?
Mr. Jenkins: If your Honor please, I discussed this
matter yesterday, that in the previous hearing the Motions
were passed to the Court Stenographer. I am certain it
was the intention that they be entered in the record and
I notice in taking the testimony that Mr. Cordell did not
include them into the record. At this time I am requesting
if your Honor please, that they be included.
The Court: I ’ll attach them to the testimony and make
them a part of the record. They will be attached to the
record and made a part of the record.
46
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct
transcript of the stenographic notes of testimony taken by
me at the trial of the above cases.
Jas. C. Cordell, Reporter.
I n t h e R ic h la n d C o u n ty C o urt , Cr im in a l D iv isio n
Op in io n —April 28, 1961
These Appeals from the Recorder’s Court of The City
of Columbia were orally argued together before me and
taken under advisement. The facts are largely undisputed.
All of the Defendants are Negroes. Eckerd’s Drug Store
and Taylor Street Pharmacy are separate stores in The
City of Columbia. Besides filling prescriptions, each sell
drugs and sundries and has a section where lunch, light
snacks and soft drinks are served. Trade is with the gen
eral public in all the departments except the lunch depart
e d . 57] ment where only white people are served.
On one occasion, Bouie and Neal went into Eckerd’s
and on another day the other Defendants went into the
Taylor Street Pharmacy, sat down in the lunch depart
ment and waited to be served. All said they intended to
be arrested. In each case, the manager of the store came
up to them with a peace officer and asked them to leave.
They refused to do so and were then placed under arrest
and charged with trespass and breach of the peace. Bouie,
in addition, was charged with resisting arrest. It is un
denied that he resisted.
Bouie and Neal were tried on March 25, 1960, and the
other Defendants on March 30, 1960, before The Honorable
John I. Rice, City Recorder of Columbia, without a jury;
trial by jury having been waived by all the Defendants.
All the Defendants were convicted and sentenced and
these appeals followed. Motions raising the constitutional
questions were timely made.
There are 16 grounds of Appeal in the Bouie and Neal
proceeding and 13 grounds of appeal in the proceeding
47
involving the other Defendants, raising the following ques
tions : (1) Did the State deny Defendants, who are Negroes,
due process of law and equal protection of the laws within
the Federal and State Constitutions either by using its
peace officers to arrest them or by charging them with
violating Sects. 16-386 (Criminal Trespass) and 15-909
(Breach of Peace) of the Code of Laws of South Carolina,
1952, as amended, when they refused to leave a lunch coun
ter when asked by the manager thereof to do so! (Bouie
and Neal Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15; other
Defendants, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13.)
(2) Was there any substantial evidence pointing to the
[fol. 58] guilt of the Defendants'? (Bouie and Neal, No. 8;
other Defendants, No. 7.)
Since Defendants did not argue Bouie and Neal’s Excep
tions 7, 9 and 16, I have considered them abandoned.
The State has not denied Defendants equal protection of
the laws or due process of law within the Federal or State
Constitutional provisions.
A lunch room is like a restaurant and not like an inn.
The difference between a restaurant and an inn is ex
plained in Alpaugh v. Wolverton, 36 S. E. (2d) 907 (Court
of Appeals of Virginia) as follows:
“The proprietor of a restaurant is not subject to the
same duties and responsibilities as those of an inn
keeper, nor is he entitled to the privileges of the latter.
28 A. Jr., Innkeepers, No. 120, p. 623; 43 C. J. S., Inn
keepers, No. 20, subsection b, p. 1169. His responsibil
ities and rights are more like those of a shopkeeper.
Davidson v. Chinese Republic Restaurant Co., 201 Mich.
389, 167 N. W. 967, 969, L. R. A. 1919 E, 704. He is
under no common-law duty to serve anyone who applies
to him. In the absence of statute, he may accept some
customers and eject others on purely personal grounds.
Nance v. May-flower Tavern, Inc., 106 Utah 517, 150
P. (2d) 773, 776; Noble v. Higgins, 95 Misc. 328, 158
N. Y. S. 867, 868.”
48
And the proprietor can choose his customers on the basis
of color without violating constitutional provisions. State
v. Clyburn, 101 S. E. (2d) 295, 247 N. C. 455; Williams v.
Howard Johnson’s Restaurant, 268 F. (2d) 845; Slack v.
Atlantic Whitetower, etc., 181 F. Sup. 124 (Dist. Court
Md.), 284 F. (2d) 746.
[fol. 59] In the Williams case, supra, Judge Soper, speak
ing for the Court of Appeals for The Fourth Circuit, said:
“As an instrument of local commerce, the restaurant is
not subject to the Constitution and statutory provisions
above (Commerce Clause and Civil Eights Acts of 1875),
and is at liberty to deal with such persons as it may select.”
And in Boynton v. Virginia, . . . U. S. . . . , 81 S. Ct. 182,
5 L. Ed. (2d) 206, The Supreme Court of The United
States took care to state:
“Because of some of the arguments made here it is
necessary to say a word about what we are not decid
ing. We are not holding that every time a bus stops at
a wholly independent roadside restaurant the Inter
state Commerce Act requires that restaurant service
be supplied in harmony with the provisions of that
Act. We decide only this case, on its facts, where cir
cumstances show that the terminal and restaurant
operate as an integral part of the bus carrier’s trans
portation service for interstate passengers.”
I have reviewed all of the cases cited by both the City
and the Defendants, and in addition have reviewed sub
sequent cases of the Court of Appeals and The United
States Supreme Court, including the case of Burton v.
Wilmington Parking Authority, handed down on April 17,
1961, and find none applicable or controlling except the
Williams and Slack cases, supra.
The Defendants, under South Carolina law, had no right
to remain in the stores after the manager asked them to
leave. Shramek v. Walker, 149 S. E. 331, 152 S. C. 88.
As the Court quoted the rule, “while the entry by one per
son on the premises of another may be lawful, by reason
of express or implied invitation to enter, his failure to
[fol. 60] depart, on the request of the owner, will make him
49
a trespasser, and justify the owner in using reasonable
force to eject him.”
If the manager could have ejected Defendants himself,
he could call upon officers of the law to eject them for him.
Since the Defendants refused to leave, they were crim
inal trespassers under Sect. 16-386 and breached the peace
under Sect. 15-909 of The Code of Laws of South Carolina,
1952, and their conviction was proper.
Shelly v. Kraemer, 334 IT. S. 1, 92 L. Ed. 845, 68 S. Ct.
836, 3 A. L. R. (2d) 441, and Barrows v. Jackson, 346 IT. S.
249, 97 L. Ed. 1586, 73 Supreme Court 1031 cited by the
Defendants are not in point. In both of these cases, there
had been a sale of real estate to a non-caucasian in violation
of restrictive covenants. In the Shelly case, the Court held
that the equity of court of the State could not he used
against the non-caucasian to enforce the covenant. In the
Barrows case, the court held that the covenant could not
be enforced by an action at law for damages against the
co-covenanter, who broke the covenant.
In both of these cases, there were willing sellers and
willing purchasers. The purchasers paid their money and
entered into possession. Having entered, they had a right
to remain.
In the cases before the Court, there were no two willing
parties to a contract. True, the Defendants wanted to buy,
hut the storekeeper did not want to sell and the Defendants
had no right to remain after being asked to leave. A white
person would not have the right to remain after being asked
to leave either. In either case, a person would be a tres
passer. The Constitutions provide for equal rights, not
paramount rights.
[fol. 61] I have only to pick up my current telephone di
rectory and look in the yellow pages to find at least four
establishments listed under “Restaurants” that advertise
that they are for colored or for colored only.
To say that a white proprietor may not call upon a police
man to remove or arrest a Negro trespasser or a Negro
proprietor cannot call a policeman to remove or arrest
a white trespasser would lead to confusion, lawlessness and
possible anarchy. Certainly, the Constitutions intended
no such result.
50
The fundamental fallacy in the argument of Defendants
is the classification of the stores and lunch counters as
public places and the operations thereof as public carriers.
A person, whatever his color, enters a public place or
carrier as a matter of right. The same person, whatever
his color, enters a store or restaurant or lunch counter by
invitation.
That person’s right to remain in a public place depends
upon the law of the land, and in a public carrier upon such
law and such reasonable rules as the carrier may make, and,
under the Constitution, neither the law nor rules may dis
criminate upon the basis of color.
On the other hand, the same person has no right to enter
a store, a restaurant, or lunch counter unless and until
invited, and may remain only so long as the invitation is
extended. Whether he enters or remains depends solely
upon the invitation of the storekeeper, who has a full choice
in the matter. The operator can trade with whom he wills,
or he can, at his own whim and pleasure, close up shop.
There is no question but that the Defendants are guilty.
They were asked to leave and they refused. They, there
upon, were trespassers and such constituted a breach of the
[fol. 62] peace. In addition, Bouie. admittedly resisted a
lawful arrest.
The trespass statute (Section 16-386, as amended, Code
of Laws of South Carolina, 1952) is not restricted to “pas
ture or open hunting lands” as Defendants argue. The
statute specifically says “any other lands”. In Webster’s
New International Dictionary, the definition of “land” in
“Law” is as follows:
“ (a) any ground, soil, or earth whatsoever, regarded
as the subject of ownership, as meadows, pastures,
woods, etc., and everything annexed to it, whether by
nature, as trees, water, etc., or by man, as buildings,
fences, etc., extending indefinitely vertically upwards
and downwards, (b) An interest or estate in land;
loosely any tenement or hereditament.”
The statute thus applies everywhere and without dis
crimination as to color. There is no question but that it was
designed to keep peace and order in the community.
51
Since Defendants had notice that neither store would
serve Negroes at their lunch counters, they were trespassers
ab initio. Aside from this however, the law is that even
though a person enters property of another by invitation,
he becomes a trespasser after he has been asked to leave.
Shramelc v. Walker, supra.
For the reasons herein stated, 1 am of the opinion that
the judgments and sentences of the Recorder should be sus
tained and the Appeals dismissed, and it is so ordered.
John W. Crews, Judge, Richland County Court.
Columbia, S. C., April 28, 1961.
[fol. 63]
I n t h e R ic h la n d C o u n ty C ourt , Cr im in a l D iv isio n
N otice of I n t e n t io n to A ppe a l— May 2, 1961
To: Messrs. John W. Sholenberger and Edward A. Harter,
Jr., Attorneys for the City of Columbia:
You will please take notice that the defendants above
named intend to and do hereby appeal to the Supreme
Court of South Carolina from the Order of the Richland
County Court, Criminal Division, in the above entitled
matter, dated April 28, 1961, upon a case and exceptions
hereafter to be served upon you.
Jenkins & Perry, By: Lincoln C. Jenkins, Jr., At
torneys for Defendants.
Acceptance of service (omitted in printing).
I n t h e R ic h la n d C ou n ty C ourt , Cr im in a l D iv isio n
E xceptio n s
1. The Court erred in refusing to hold that the City
failed to prove a prima facie case.
2. The Court erred in refusing to hold that the City
failed to establish the corpus delicti.
52
3. The Court erred in refsuing to hold that the evidence
shows conclusively that the arresting officers acted in the
furtherance of a custom, practice and policy of discrim
ination based solely on race or color, and that the arrests
and convictions of appellants under such circumstances are
a denial of due process of law and the equal protection of
the laws, secured to them by the Fourteenth Amendment
to the United States Constitution.
[fol. 64] 4. The Court erred in refusing to hold that the
evidence establishes merely that at the time of their ar
rests appellants were peaceably upon the premises of
Taylor Street Pharmacy as customers, visitors, business
guests or invitees of a business establishment performing
economic functions invested with the public interest, and
that the procurement of the arrest of appellants by man
agement of said establishment under such circumstances
in furtherance of a custom, practice in and policy of racial
discrimination is a violation of rights secured appellants
by the due process and equal protection clauses of the
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
In t h e R ic h la n d C o u n ty C o urt , C r im in a l D iv isio n
S t ipu l a t io n
It is hereby stipulated and agreed by and between coun
sel for the appellants and respondent that the foregoing,
when printed, shall constitute the Transcript of Record
herein and that printed copies thereof may be filed with the
Clerk of the Supreme Court and shall constitute the Re
turn herein.
Respectfully submitted,
John W. Sholenberger, Edward A. Harter, Jr., Co
lumbia, South Carolina, Attorneys for Respon
dent.
Jenkins & Perry, Columbia, South Carolina, By:
Lincoln C. Jenkins, Jr., Attorneys for Appellants.
53
[fol. 65]
I n t h e S u p r e m e C ourt oe t h e S tate of S o u t h C arolina
Case No. 4777
T h e C ity of C o lu m b ia , R esp o n d en t,,
v .
C h a rles F . B arr, R ichard M. C o u n t s , D avid Carter ,
M il t o n D . Gr e e n e a n d J o h n n y Cla rk , A p p e lla n ts .
Appeal From Richland County, John W. Crews, County
Judge.
Affirmed
Jenkins & Perry, of Columbia, for appellants.
John W. Sholenberger and Edward A. Harter, Jr., both
of Columbia, for respondent.
Opinion No. 17857—Filed December 14, 1961
Oxner, A. J . : The five appellants, all Negroes, were con
victed in the Municipal Court of the City of Columbia of
trespass in violation of Section 16-386 of the 1952 Code,
as amended, and of breach of the peace in violation of
Section 15-909. Each defendant was sentenced to pay a
fine of $100.00 or serve a period of thirty days in jail on
each charge but $24.50 of the fine was suspended. From an
order of the Richland County Court affirming their con
viction, they have appealed.
The exceptions can better be understood after a review
of the testimony. The charges grew out of a “sit-down”
demonstration staged by appellants at the lunch counter
of the Taylor Street Pharmacy in the City of Columbia, a
privately owmed business. In addition to selling articles
usually sold in drugstores, this establishment maintains
a lunch counter in the rear, separated from the front of the
54
store by a partition. The customers sit on stools. The
policy of this store is not to serve Negroes at the lunch
counter although they are permitted to purchase food and
eat it elsewhere. In a sign posted the privilege of refusing
service to any customer was reserved.
Shortly after noon on March 15, 1960, appellants, then
college students, according to a prearranged plan, entered
this drugstore, proceeded to the rear and sat down at the
lunch counter. The management had heard of the proposed
demonstration and had notified the officers. To prevent
violence, three were present when appellants entered. As
soon as they took their seats several of the customers at
the counter, including a White woman next to whom one
of appellants sat, stood up. The manager of the store then
came back to the lunch counter. He testified that the situa
tion was quite tense, that you “could have heard a pin drop
in there”, and that “everyone was on pins and needles, more
or less, for fear that it could possibly lead to violence.” He
immediately told appellants that they would not be served
and requested them to leave. They said nothing and con
tinued to sit. At the suggestion of one of the officers, the
manager then spoke to each of them and again requested
that they leave. One of them stood up and inquired if he
could ask a question. As this was done, the other four
appellants arose. The manager replied that he did not care
to enter into a discussion and a third time told appellants
to leave. Instead of doing so, they resumed their seats.
After waiting several minutes, the officers arrested all of
them and took them to jail.
The foregoing summary is taken from, the testimony of
fered by the State. Only two of the appellants testified.
They denied that the manager of the store requested them
to leave. They testified that an employee at the lunch coun
ter stated to them, “You might as well leave because I
ain’t going to serve you”, which they did not construe as
[fol. 66] a specific request. They said after it became ap
parent that they were not going to be served, they volun
tarily left the lunch counter and as they proceeded to do so,
were arrested. They denied that any of the White customers
got up when they sat down, stating that these customers did
55
so only after the employee at the lunch counter said: “Get
up, we will get them out of here.”
The questions involved are stated in appellants’ brief as
follows:
“I. Did the Court err in refusing to hold that under
the circumstances of this case, the arrests and convic
tions of appellants were in furtherance of a custom of
racial segregation, in violation of the Fourteenth
Amendment to the United States Constitution? (Ex
ceptions 3, 4).
“A. Was the enforcement of segregation in this case
by State Action within the meaning of the Fourteenth
Amendment ?
“B. Were appellants unwarrantedly penalized for
exercising their freedom of expression in violation
of the Fourteenth Amendment?
“II. Did the State fail to establish the corpus delicti
or prove a prima facie case? (Exceptions 1, 2).”
The questions designated 1, A and B, must be decided
adversely to appellants under City of Greenville v. Peter
son, filed November 10, 1961, ----- S. C. ----- , ----- S. E.
(2d)----- , and City of Charleston v. Mitchell, filed Decem
ber 13, 1961,----- S. C.------ , ------S. E. (2d)------ . Each of
these cases involved a sit-down demonstration at a lunch
counter in a privately owned place of business and the
precise questions raised by Exceptions 3 and 4 in the in
stant case were raised in those cases and overruled. In
the City of Charleston case we affirmed a conviction for
violation of Section 16-386 as amended, which is the same
section under which the appellants were convicted.
We think that Question II is based on exceptions too
general to be considered. They are as follows:
“1. The Court erred in refusing to hold that the
City failed to prove a prima facie case.
“2. The Court erred in refusing to hold that the
City failed to establish the corpus delicti.”
56
The foregoing exceptions do not comply with Rule 4,
Section 6 of this Court. They do not point out in what re
spect the City failed to make out a prima facie case or to
establish the corpus delicti. We do not know to which of
the two offenses involved these exceptions are directed.
We are not aided by appellants’ brief. Only scant refer
ence is there made to these two exceptions and apparently
the position is taken that their determination is dependent
upon the disposition of the other questions which we have
held to be without merit.
It has been held that an exception to the effect that the
judgment is contrary to the law and the evidence is too
general to be considered. State v. Turner, 18 S. C. 103;
State v. Cokley, 83 S. C. 197, 65 S. E. 174; State v. Davis,
121 S. C. 350, 113 S. E. 491. The same conclusion has been
reached with reference to an exception “that plaintiff failed
to make out a case against defendant.” Concrete Mix, Inc.
v. James, 231 S. C. 416, 98 S. E. (2d) 841. Other pertinent
cases are reviewed in Hewitt v. Reserve Life Insurance Co.,
235 S. C. 201, 110 S. E. (2d) 852. It was pointed out in
Brady v. Brady, 222 S. C. 242, 72 S. E. (2d) 193, that
“every ground of appeal ought to be so distinctly stated
that the Court may at once see the point which it is called
upon to decide without having to ‘grope in the dark’ to
ascertain the precise point at issue.”
In oral argument counsel for appellants raised the ques
tion of merger of the two offenses and argued that there
could not be a conviction on both charges. But this question
is not raised by any of the exceptions, is not referred to in
the brief of appellants and, therefore, is not properly
before us.
Affirmed.
Taylor, C.J., Legge, Moss and Lewis, JJ., concur.
Clerk’s Certificate to foregoing paper (omitted in
printing).
57
[fol. 67]
I n t h e S u pr e m e C ourt of t h e S tate of S o u t h Carolina
Case No. 4777
[Title omitted]
P e t it io n for E eh ea r in g— Piled December 20, 1961
To the Honorable Chief Justice and Associate Justices
of the Supreme Court of South Carolina:
Petitioners, Charles F. Barr, Richard M. Counts, David
Carter, Milton D. Greene and Johnny Clark, respectfully
request a rehearing in the above case. Petitioners submit
that this Court in affirming that the judgment of the Court
below may have overlooked or misapprehended certain
facts and rules of law, urged by petitioners in their appeal.
1. The Court may have misapprehended that Section
16-386, Code of Laws of South Carolina for 1952, was in
voked against petitioners in this case solely for the purpose
of preserving and furthering the custom of excluding Ne
groes from lunch counters in Columbia, South Carolina or
segregating them in same, in violation of petitioners’ rights
to due process of law and equal protection of the laws, pro
tected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States
Constitution.
[fol. 68] 2. The Court may have overlooked petitioners’
assertion that they were unwarrantedly penalized for ex
ercising their freedom of expression in violation of the
Fourteenth Amendment. The Court further overlooked the
applicability of Marsh v. Alabama, 326 TJ. S. 501, 90 L. Ed.
265, 66 S. Ct. 276, and Munn v. Illinois, 94 U. S. 113, 24
L. Ed. 77, to this argument.
3. The Court may have overlooked petitioners’ assertion
that in arresting and prosecuting petitioners, the State has
either enforced or supported racial segregation in a place
open to the general public, thereby infringing their rights
under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Con
stitution. Petitioners, in their appeal, did not challenge
the right of the store manager to select his customers, but
58
asserted that the State cannot implement and enforce segre
gation by direct action on the part of its police nor by stat
utory scheme.
4. The Court may have overlooked or misapprehended
that petitioners’ convictions of the offenses of trespass
after notice under Section 16-386, Code of Laws of South
Carolina for 1952 and breach of peace under Section 15-909,
Code of Laws of South Carolina for 1952, rested upon no
evidence of any substantial element of either of said of
fenses, in violation of petitioners’ right to due process of
law under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States
Constitution. Thompson v. City of Louisville, 362 U. S. 199,
80 S. Ct. 629 (1960).
Conclusion
Wherefore, petitioners request they be granted a re
hearing in this case.
Jenkins and Perry, Columbia, South Carolina, By
Matthew J. Perry, Attorneys for Petitioners.
Columbia, South Carolina, December 20, 1961.
[fol. 69]
Certificate
I, Harold R. Boulware, hereby certify that I am a prac
ticing attorney of this Court and am in no way connected
with the within case. I further certify that I am familiar
with the record of this case and have read the opinion of
this Court which was filed December 14, 1961, and in my
opinion there is merit in the Petition for Rehearing.
Harold R. Boulware
Columbia, South Carolina, December 20, 1961.
59
[fol.70] [File endorsement omitted]
O rder D e n y in g P etitio n eor R e h ea r in g
—Filed January 8, 1962
The within petition for a rehearing is denied.
C. A. Taylor, C.J., G. Dewey Oxner, A.J., Lionel K.
Legge, A.J., Joseph R. Moss, A.J., J. Woodrow
Lewis, A.J.
[fol. 71]
I n t h e S u p r e m e C ourt of t h e S tate of S o u t h Carolina
Case No. 4777
[Title omitted]
P e t it io n for S tay of R e m it t it u r
To the Honorable G. Dewey Oxner, Associate Justice of
the Supreme Court of South Carolina:
The Petition of Charles F. Barr, Richard M. Counts,
David Carter, Milton D. Greene and Johnny Clark, re
spectfully shows: 1.
Petitioners have been convicted of the offense of trespass
after notice under Section 16-386, Code of Laws of South
Carolina for 1952 and breach of peace under Section 15-
909, Code of Laws of South Carolina for 1952. Their con
victions and sentences have been affirmed by the Supreme
Court of South Carolina in an Opinion which was filed on
December 14, 1961.
2.
Thereafter, petitioners requested rehearing of said cause
in a Petition therefor dated December 20, 1961. Rehearing
was denied this day.
60
[fol. 72] 3.
Petitioners are aggrieved with said decision and in
tend to petition the Supreme Court of the United States
for a Writ of Certiorari in order that that Court can pass
upon petitioners’ contention that their arrests and convic
tions were in furtherance of a custom of racial segregation
and rested upon no evidence of any substantial element of
said offenses in violation of their rights to due process of
law and equal protection of the law, protected by the Four
teenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
4.
Under the Rules of the United States Supreme Court,
petitioners have ninety (90) days after the rehearing of the
final judgment of this Court within which to file their Peti
tion for Writ of Certiorari. Petitioners are therefore de
sirous of obtaining a stay of the sentences imposed upon
them and a Stay of the Remittitur herein for a period of
ninety (90) days after the rendering of the final judgment
of this Court in order that they may have time within
which to file said Petition for Writ of Certiorari.
5.
Counsel for the City of Columbia have agreed to a pro
posed Order, Staying the Remittitur for the requested
period.
Wherefore, petitioners pray that execution of their sen
tences be stayed and that Remittitur in this matter be
stayed by order to this Honorable Court for a period of
[fol. 73] ninety (90) days after the final judgment of said
Court in order that petitioners may file in the United States
Supreme Court a Petition for Writ of Certiorari.
Jenkins and Perry, Columbia, South Carolina, By:
Matthew J. Perry, Attorneys for Appellants.
[File endorsement omitted]
61
[fol. 74]
I n t h e S u p r e m e C ourt of t h e S tate of S o u t h C arolina
Case No. 4777
C ity of C olu m bia , Respondent,
against
C h a rles F. B arr, R ichard M . C o u n ts , D avid Carter ,
M il t o n D . Gr e e n e and J o h n n y Clark , Appellants.
O rder S taying R e m it t it u r—January 8, 1962
On the 14th day of December, 1961, we issued an Opinion
in the above case, affirming the judgment of the Richland
County Court which sustained the judgment of the Re
corder’s Court of the City of Columbia wherein appellants
were convicted of violating Section 16-386, Code of Laws
of South Carolina for 1952, namely, Trespass after Notice,
and Section 15-909, Code of Laws of South Carolina for
1952, namely, Breach of Peace.
Thereafter, appellants petitioned this Court for a re
hearing and, on January 8, 1962 we entered an Order, deny
ing same.
Appellants have now indicated that they desire and in
tend to file in the Supreme Court of the United States a
Petition for Writ of Certiorari, seeking review of our judg
ment in said cause. Under the rules and decisions of the
United States Supreme Court, they have ninety (90) days
after the final judgment of this Court within which to file
[fol. 75] their Petition for Writ of Certiorari. The final
judgment of this Court is the Order, denying rehearing.
Department of Banking, State of Nebraska v. Pink, 63 S. Ct.
253, 217 U. S. 264, 87 L. Ed. 254. They desire a stay of the
Remittitur and Sentences in this matter pending the filing
of their Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United
States Supreme Court and thereafter until said matter has
been disposed of by that Court. It appears that the request
for stay of remittitur and sentences is proper. Now, on
62
motion of counsel for the appellants, by and with the con
sent of counsel for the respondent,
It Is Ordered that the Remittitur and execution of the
Sentences herein be stayed for a period of ninety (90) days
after the day of the final judgment of this Court in order
that petitioners may file with the United States Supreme
Court their Petition for Writ of Certiorari.
It Is Further Ordered that if a notice from the Clerk of
the United States Supreme Court that the Petition for
Writ of Certiorari has been filed in that Court is filed with
the Clerk of the Supreme Court of South Carolina within
the time aforesaid, the Stay of Remittitur and execution of
Sentences herein shall continue in effect until final disposi
tion of the case by the Supreme Court of the United States.
G. Dewey Oxner, Associate Justice.
January 8, 1962.
We Consent: John W. Sholenberger, Edward A. Harter,
Jr., Attorneys for Respondent.
Clerk’s Certificate to foregoing paper (omitted in
printing).
[fol. 76] Clerk’s Certificates to foregoing transcript
(omitted in printing).
63
[fol. 78]
S u p r e m e C ourt of t h e U n ited S tates
No. 90—October Term, 1962
C h a rles F. B arr, et a l , Petitioners,
YS.
C ity of C olu m bia .
O rder A llo w in g Certiorari— June 10, 1963
The petition herein for a writ of certiorari to the Su
preme Court of the State of South Carolina is granted, and
the case is placed on the summary calendar.
And it is further ordered that the duly certified copy of
the transcript of the proceedings below which accompanied
the petition shall be treated as though filed in response to
such writ.