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November 11. 2014 12:01AM Since You Asked: 'Black' was used to describe unspeakable crimes a century ago I've seen several stories in the Mail Tribune 100 from a century ago that have mentioned a "black charge."  I don't think it had anything to do with color, but what did it mean? — Dave, Medford   One could get the idea that euphemisms and turns of phrase were how news spread in the days of yesteryear. For example, we can draw inferences when a doctor at the turn of the century was imprisoned for performing an  "illegal operation," and we can tell that prostitution was involved when a woman was said to have been held in "white slavery." In the case of a "black charge," like the one placed on prominent lawyer and decorated Philippine War hero Major William J. Canton, it's a little harder to figure. It helps to note that the newsroom's dictionary shows an archaic definition of "black" as wicked or evil, but to find your answer we went to the one place that didn't resort to euphemisms in the early 20th century — the court records. With the help of the Southern Oregon Historical Society, we were able to uncover from the court docket that Major Canton's unspeakable crime was sodomy. Details of Canton's "criminal depravity," a term also used in the Mail Tribune pages 100 years ago, are still as unfit for print today as they were a century ago, but previous Mail Tribune stories allege that Canton bribed a youth 15 cents and molested him in Jacksonville, and a man by the name of John Opp witnessed the crime. Both the youth and the witness testified, and stories note that because of Canton's status in the community, the courthouse was filled with onlookers. Canton's defense was that he had been eating lunch in a Jacksonville restaurant when the crime was alleged to have occurred, but archives show that he was convicted of the "black crime" and sentenced to prison with a term of one to 15 years, according to the Nov. 11, 1914 issue. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20141111/NEWS/141119951 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->