James Henderson Hall
Submitted by:
Bill (Hall) Holmes GLOBETREKR@aol.com===========================================================
MUSKOGEE TIMES - DEMOCRAT
volume XIV. Telegraphic reports by the Associated Press
You see it first in the Times Democrat
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA, SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15, 1908
SUPPOSED NEGRO IS WHITE MAN SAYS COURTS
Muskogee, OK., Feb 15 --- (special) ----- In the most peculiar trial of its kind ever heard of in this part of the world, Henderson Hall, a well-educated Missourian who came to these parts some years ago, has been acquitted of a charge of neggro blood and, it is believed, will in the future be allowed by his neighbors to take his place among them as a white man.
He is of Portuguese - English descent and is a man of swarthy complection. There are many negroes here and the antipathy between them and the whites makes race lines closely drawn. Despite Hall's good qualities he was supposed by his white neighbors to be a negro and was ostracised by them and his children not allowed to attend the white schools. He tried by every means to convince them that he was a white man, but did not do so. The situation finally became unendurable to him and he sought for some way of settling the affair in court. The only way in which the matter could be reached was for Hall to bring suit for damages. This he did. The trial has just been completed. His family records, witnesses from Missouri, etc. proved conclusively to the jury that he was a man of untainted Caucasian blood, and they returned a verdict in his favor. He asked only nominal damages and was awarded $1, the real verdict being that he was innocent of being a negro.
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