Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Nettie White, arrested for partying in St. Paul’s Baptist Church, denied in court that she was found “sitting on the pulpit, with crossed legs and a cigarette in her mouth.”

However, she did admit that there were a lot of cigarette butts on the floor. She blamed those on her two male companions, who got away before police arrived.

Nettie claimed that she and her two friends were admitted to the church on a Saturday afternoon by the janitor, who apparently took pity on them because they had no place to go and their blankets were wet. They proceeded to drink beer, smoke cigarettes and play the piano.

Neighbors grew suspicious when they heard nonstop piano playing and other sounds of revelry. When neighbors went in to investigate, they said Nettie jumped out from behind the pulpit and cussed them out. Her two companions “left her in the lurch” before police arrived and broke a window as they departed.

She denied that there was “continuous gaiety” from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., as neighbors charged. She said they took an “intermission” at the dinner hour.

St. Paul’s was a “colored” Baptist church, but the three merry-makers were white. Nettie was fined $10 and police were on the lookout for her two companions.