State v. John Green
Charged with bastardy. Found guilty, ordered to pay $2.50 per month
in support. Verdict handed down April 11, 1929, four days before Davis
disappeared.
State v. Columbus Thorne
Charged with larceny for stealing a watch, value of $10.00. Found guilty,
sentenced to 20 days in jail.
State v. Carrie Gordan and Clara Porter
Charged with larceny for the theft of various items, valued at $4.20.
Jordan found not guilty, Porter sentenced to 30 days in jail.
958, p. 160
State v. Thomas Stokes
Charged with robbery (watch, $21.70). Found not guilty.
State v. Chester Robinson
Found not guilty of robbery of $14.00.
State v. Herman Smith
Charged with bastardy, found not guilty.
State v. Bernard Moore
Found not guilty of robbery of $23.00. Found guilty on deadly
weapon charges, fined $10 and costs.
State v. George Spence and William H. Thomas
Convicted of burglary, stealing $185 worth of property. Spence sentenced
to one year in jail, Thomas sentenced to two years.
State v. John Brown
Convicted of two counts of larceny for stealing boots. Sentenced to
one year in prison for each, to be served concurrently
Leonard Hillary Smith v. Erenest Watts and Muriel Ringold, trading
as Watts and Ringold
Davis for plaintiff, suit to recover $142.40 owed to him by defendants.
Smith seems to have been a musician playing in a production by Watts and
Ringold. Smith was earning $35 a week, but between August 1928 and March,
1929, was paid only $10. The Court issued an attachment to Watts
and Ringold's property. A note included in the court papers reads
"Please lay an attachment in the hands of the Royal Theater, 1329 Penna.
Ave. and attach all scenery, costumes, and trunks belonging to...Watts
& Ringold." No further indication is given as to the resolution of
the suit, although the attachment order is marked "nulla bona," suggesting
that the plaintiff was unable to recover. Case was probably presided over
by Judge Ulman.
All Saint's Evangelical Lutheran Church
v. George Ahrling et al
Davis represented Frederick I. Scott, one of 64 defendants. Two cases
consolidated into one as 16532A. Case stemmed from a neighborhood covenant
signed in 1925 by the members of the 1100 block of Franklin St. to maintain
the block as all-white. Evidently there were some issues with the legitimacy
of the signatures. The plaintiff, a church on the block, wished to
lease their space to a black congregation, as they could find no other
offers. The church alleged that its signature on the agreement was
not made by an authorized member of the corporation, and further that the
agreement had other discrepancies. The defendants seem to be those who
the agreement, which means Davis was representing a white client. Much
of the testament, like the case itself, is rather difficult to follow,
there are interesting neighborhood feuds and racial politics at play. The
testimony of Mrs. Young, one of the creators of the agreement is particularly
noteworthy. See also Dowd et. al. v.
Scott et. al., 1926.
The Abyssinian Baptist Church, Inc. v. George W. King, Robert
D. Wilson, John Moore, George W. Johnson, Trading as The Abyssinian Baptist
Church
Davis for the plaintiff, requesting an injunction against the defendants
use of the name "Abyssinian Baptist Church." Attorney for defendants
was George W. Evans, Davis' former partner; in fact, all papers filed in
the case used old "Davis & Evans" stationary. Suit filed March 2, 1929.
Alfred Holmes v. Martin Horn
Davis for the plaintiff. Suit for damages related to car accident.
Filed March 5, 1929. Outcome of suit not clear.
Carroll Independent Coal Co. v. Davis
Attachment on Davis as administrator for $97.87. Order for attachment
issued by Superior Court on February 12, 1929. Case proceeded from
Justice of the Peace hearing on July 5, 1928. No indication in papers of
case’s outcome.
BALTIMORE CITY SUPERIOR COURT (Cases Instituted) Carroll Independent Coal Co. v. J. Steward Davis, Administrator of the Estate of Dorotha Gross, 1929, March R.D., no. 55, "box no. 2659," p. 224 [C1497-121 2/16/13/10]
Simon Silverberg v. J. Steward Davis and Blanche M. Davis
Attachment on judgment filed February 29, 1929 in City Court against
the Davises: $139.50 plus interest and costs, for a total debt of $173.29,
owed to Simon Silverberg. Silverberg was the attorney for Whittier B&L,
and this presumably arose from that case.
State Ex Rel Louise Miller on behalf of Emmaline Miller v. House
of Good Shepherd for Colored Girls
Davis for plaintiff. Suit for writ of Habeas Corpus, filed February
5, 1929. Writ issued same day; released February 7, 1929.
BALTIMORE CITY COURT (Habeas Corpus Docket) State Ex Rel Miller v. House of Good Shepherd, 1929, GCL 11, p. 62, case no. 5249 [T550-5, 3/34/13/19]
State Ex Rel Isaiah Dixon on behalf of Rudolf Dixon v. House of
Reformation for Colored Boys
Davis for plaintiff. Suit for writ of Habeas Corpus filed February
23, 1929. Writ issued same day; returned February 26, 1929.
BALTIMORE CITY COURT (Habeas Corpus Docket) State Ex Rel Dixon v. House of Reformation for Colored Boys, 1929, GCL 11, p. 64, case no. 5258 [T550-5, 3/34/13/19]