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Frederick Harwell arrested
Harwell appeared in the Harlem Magistrates Court on March 20, and was held on bail of $1,000. He was one of only eighteen of those who appeared in court represented by a lawyer, E. D. Watson of 2297 7th Avenue. With an office in the heart of Harlem, Watson was likely a Black lawyer; no other information could be found about him. When he returned to the court on March 22, the clerk crossed out the charge of burglary in the docket book and wrote "Red[uced] to Pet[it] Larceny," recording a decision the prosecutor would have made, and Magistrate Renaud sent Harwell to the Court of Special Sessions for trial, reducing his bail to $500. The amended charge suggests that police did not have evidence that Harwell had broken into a store, only evidence that he had taken merchandise. Almost two months later, on May 13, the magistrates in that court released Harwell, according to the 28th Precinct police blotter. That outcome indicated a lack of evidence against Harwell; commonly that resulted from a failure to locate a witness.
The docket book and newspaper lists recorded the name as Harwell; the blotter recorded it as Horwell. The 28th Precinct police blotter had his address at 2578 8th Avenue; the New York Evening Journal had him living at 2175 8th Avenue.