Harry
Colson
Harry Colson was born 5 July 1891 in Newport, the son of Taylor Colson and Charlotte Vanderbilt. He was a World War I veteran and even though his death certificate lists him as single, there is a marriage recorded in Cincinnati on 1 Feb 1911 to Alberta Morris. He served overseas in the army in World War I and was a Private First Class when discharged in 1919. The Corps formed the large 1,660-man engineer regiments of the American combat divisions. Army engineers built port facilities, roads, and railroads essential to moving war materiel to the battlefront.
Harry died 23 June 1922 at 131 Southgate in Newport of pneumonia. He was buried in the Union Baptist Cemetery in Cincinnati.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 1 September 1905, page 6
Harry Colson, 17, colored of 1020 Mound st. Newport, was arrested Thursday for assault and battery on Benjamin Jennings, 6, of 504 Richmond st. whose skull is fractured. It is alleged that Colson ran over Jennings with his bicycle several days ago. The police say the lad has been in the House of Refuge for a similar offense.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 17 October 1917, page 2
The eastern Kentucky District Exemption Board at Lexington Tuesday, certified the names of the following selective service men back to the Newport Exemption Board for military service. Harry Colson, 134 W Southgate.
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Kentucky Post, Monday, 13 December 1920, page 1
Newport police were searching Monday for a negro who Sunday night shot two men and held up about 25 men in the saloon of Mrs. Phil Hodesh, Third st. and Central av. Newport. Police were also investigating a story told them that a dice and poker game were in progress when the negro held up the men.
The men shot were: Harry Colson, 30, negro of 131 Southgate st. and Arthur King, negro, of Sixth and Patterson streets. Newport. Colson was shot in the left hand and King was wounded in the left side. After standing in a rear room where the men had assembled for several minutes, the negro whipped out his gun at the same time throwing his hat on the table.
"Fill it up boys" he commanded. The negroes all rushed for the door. Colson and King were among them. After firing four or five shots the rush for the door was stopped and the men filled up the hat to the tune of about $20. After the men in the room placed the money in the hat the negro gave a warning order and left.
Mrs. Hodesh denied Monday there was a hold up, saying "that would hurt my business." Police, however, say there was a hold up as did the negroes who were wounded.