Talk about a bah humbug, this story from 1925 will set your hair on fire. Christmas was over, the new year was on the horizon. The Knoxville Chapter of Volunteers of America had been collecting money for weeks to provide a New Year’s Day Christmas celebration for underprivileged children.
They had a volunteer Santa Claus, one Albert Morgan, who’d been strolling about downtown, asking the children what they wanted and reminding them to be good as well as aiding in taking up the collection. On Monday, Dec. 28, he was sent off to Union National Bank with the deposit for the party provisions. Morgan did make it to the bank and did make a deposit, but just the silver and coins.
Morgan allegedly had completed another deposit slip for the partial amount and made off with all the cash, about $157. That’s nearly $3,000 in today’s money. By that New Year’s Day, Morgan still hadn’t been found. Thanks to the generosity of one W.C. Terry, some of the lost funds were replenished, and the party was able to go on at the VoA Hall on Depot Street opposite the Southern Railway station.
Outside of searching for wayward St. Nicks, local law enforcement was sending out pre-NYE warnings to revelers thinking about toting a flask around in public. The U.S. was deep in the throes of Prohibition, and on New Year’s Eve, eight federal agents had returned to base in Knoxville from a successful party pooping raid out in Cosby. The two-day operation destroyed seven complete stilling outfits, one with a 200-gallon capacity that was cooking up spirits upon their arrival. The safety director, the sheriff, the chief prohibition officer all sent a shot across the bow for ringing in 1926: Just Say No.
The B.F. Keith Vaudeville was performing all week at the Bijou Theatre, performances that included Ann Suter, Master Gabriel and Co., Foster & Peggy, Billy Flynn, Jones & Hull. After the performances on New Year’s Eve, the Midnight Frolic would start at 11:30 p.m. with “favors and surprises for everyone.” Guests were encouraged to reserve their seats early for the “ideal way to usher in the new year: dancing on the stage…as long as you care to stay.” I don’t know about you, but if I’m dancing on the stage at the Bijou, I think a modicum of champagne should be involved.
Local partyers apparently took head of the admonitions to keep things dry for their celebrations, or at the very least to be savvy enough to not get caught. The New Year’s Day court session (!!!!) was a relatively slow one, with only 12 cases brought before the magistrate. The most serious was one for drunk driving, where the accused was issued a $50 fine and an automatic loss of his driving privileges for one year. The rest were variations on themes of drunken and/or disorderly.
Whatever you are doing to bring in 2026 tomorrow night, by all means, plan ahead, be safe, and I wish you the happiest of New Years.
Make good choices, Go Vols!
Beth Kinnane writes a history feature for KnoxTNToday.com. It’s published each Tuesday and is one of our best-read features.
Sources: The Knoxville Journal digital archives, McClung digital collection
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