Ghost of a Chance: "Why Did He Do It?" - Episode Summary

Released January 27, 2025 by The Minnesota Star Tribune

Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "Why Did He Do It?" from Ghost of a Chance, host Eric Roper delves deeper into the mysterious and troubling history of Harry and Clementine Robinson, a prominent black couple who lived in a 113-year-old Minneapolis house a century ago. This episode seeks to uncover the circumstances surrounding a violent incident that threatened to unravel the Robinsons' lives and, by extension, shed light on the broader history of race relations in Minneapolis during a period of intense racial upheaval.

The Shooting Incident

The episode kicks off with a recap of previous events where Harry Robinson, the proprietor of the Little Dixie Sandwich Shop, was accused in local newspapers of shooting Roy Mattis, a white man, without apparent reason. This accusation posed a significant threat to the Robinsons' reputation and financial stability.

Melissa Townsend notes at [00:02] that the Robinsons were integral to a budding black community in southwest Minneapolis, setting the stage for understanding the broader implications of the shooting.

Eric Roper introduces the incident with conviction:

"Mr. Harry Robinson has opened the Little Dixie Sandwich Shop. Mr. Robinson is a race man and has given freely of his work to the race." [00:26]

However, reports were murky and contradictory. An article stated:

"Man shot and seriously wounded in restaurant. Negro cook under arrest. Harold Robinson, a Negro, said by police to have been employed as a cook in the restaurant, was held at the 5th Precinct Police Station without charge." [00:34]

Realizing the inconsistencies, Eric decides to conduct his own investigation to uncover the truth behind these conflicting reports.

Investigative Efforts and Obstacles

Eric’s first step was to obtain court records related to the shooting. However, he encountered dead ends:

"I filed a request with the Hanneman county courts for any official court records. And I was hoping that maybe this would illuminate the rest of the story. But they didn't have any information about the shooting." [02:20]

Undeterred, Eric shifted his focus to newspaper archives, uncovering a pattern of violent incidents targeting chicken shacks in Minneapolis during the 1920s. Headlines such as "Armed bandit holds up Cafe Chicken Shack raided by lone man who gets $75" [03:03] hinted at a climate of fear and frequent confrontations, suggesting that Harry might have been protecting his business from similar attacks.

Exploring Motives and Context

Eric pondered various motives behind the shooting. One theory considered was racial animosity, especially given the active presence of the Ku Klux Klan in Minneapolis during the early 1920s.

Historian Kirsten Delegarde provides crucial context:

"You have Klan members in the schools, you have Klan members in City hall, you have Klan members in the police department. Open Klan members. People in Klan robes are riding in civic parades. It's completely open." [05:35]

Eric also explored the possibility of bootlegging, a rampant activity during Prohibition. He surmised that the Little Dixie Chicken Shack might have been a front for illegal alcohol sales, and Roy Mattis’s presence could have been related to territorial disputes or botched deals.

Uncovering Roy Mattis’s Background

Despite extensive research, initial searches revealed no criminal record for Roy Mattis until Eric discovered significant information:

"Roy Mattis was born in 1896. And so when he's 17, he has a kid with a woman named Hazel Morrell. They ended up getting married. And at the time of the shooting, he's a clerk at this lithography company." [11:36]

Further digging led Eric to a pivotal discovery in Stearns County records:

"Roy Mattis was a bootlegger. We have a record here of him getting convicted of selling moonshine whiskey in 1934." [12:35]

This revelation raised questions about Mattis's motives and activities at the time of the 1926 shooting. Eric contemplated whether Mattis was involved in illegal activities that night, possibly prompting the confrontation.

Financial Struggles and Foreclosure

Parallel to the traumatic shooting, the Robinsons began to face severe financial difficulties. Shortly after the 1926 incident, Harry and Clementine took out multiple loans to sustain their business and household:

"In just three years, those loans would add up to roughly $51,000 today." [16:51]

Despite Clementine's hard work as a masseuse, the Great Depression exacerbated their financial strain, leading to the eventual foreclosure of their home in 1931. This loss forced the Robinsons to leave a neighborhood they had painstakingly built and defended.

The Divorce Filing Revelation

A startling turn in the investigation came when Eric unearthed a civil court record indicating a divorce filing by Clementine Robinson against Harry in 1915, predating their joint acquisition of the house and business. This document revealed allegations of domestic abuse:

"The defendant, that's Harry, has a violent and uncontrollable temper and has at all times since said marriage been a constant user of intoxicating liquors to excess and has on frequent occasions come to his said home under the influence of liquor and there struck, beat, kicked and otherwise abused and mistreated the plaintiff, that's Clementine." [22:02]

This revelation introduced a complex layer to Harry Robinson’s character, challenging the narrative of him as solely a victimizer or a community leader.

Understanding Domestic Abuse

To contextualize Clementine's actions and the domestic abuse allegations, the podcast consulted Dionne Trice, a marriage and family therapist specializing in domestic violence:

"Men who abuse have had experiences of traumatic abandonment and rejection... poverty, abandonment, social stressors, injustices, trauma that are unresolved and undealt with." [27:28]

These insights suggested that Harry's abusive behavior could stem from deep-seated trauma and societal pressures, highlighting the multifaceted nature of his character.

Historian Kirsten Delegarde added:

"Respectability is. I can't show my flaws. I can't reach out for help... I can't afford that." [30:11]

This underscores the societal expectations placed on black men during that era, contributing to the Robinsons' struggles both privately and publicly.

Reflection and Continued Puzzles

Despite the new information about Clementine's divorce filing, many questions remain unanswered. Eric grapples with reconciling the image of a community leader and business owner with someone who had a violent and abusive past. He reflects:

"I feel like I've turned over basically every rock that I can find at this point. And this does sort of haunt me on a day to day basis. And I cannot tell you what happened that night at the Chicken Shack." [14:51]

Conclusion and Ongoing Investigation

As the episode concludes, Eric acknowledges the unresolved mysteries surrounding the 1926 shooting and the Robinsons' subsequent downfall. The foreclosure and departure from their home marked not just a personal loss but also a step further into racial segregation in Minneapolis:

"By 1940, there were only three [black families in southwest Minneapolis]. Eight black families had left. And with them, the whole city took one more giant step toward racial segregation." [15:11]

Eric remains committed to uncovering more about the Robinsons' lives, hinting at future explorations into where they went after losing their home and how they navigated an increasingly segregated city.

Notable Quotes

• Eric Roper on the shooting:

  "Why would someone shoot Roy Mattis, who seems to have everything to lose by shooting Roy Mattis? Well, maybe Roy Mattis did something to him." [01:05]

• Melissa Townsend on the impact of the shooting:

  "It was important to Eric to find out what happened in the Little Dixie Chicken Shack the night of February 15, 1926." [01:33]

• Dionne Trice on domestic violence origins:

  "Men who abuse have had experiences of traumatic abandonment and rejection." [27:28]

• Nelson Peary (historical recording) on masculinity:

  "A man don't cry... You can't live like that. I don't guess I got it out of me yet." [29:29]

• Kirsten Delegarde on the Klan’s influence:

  "Open Klan members. People in Klan robes are riding in civic parades." [05:35]

Final Thoughts

"Why Did He Do It?" masterfully intertwines personal tragedy with historical context, offering listeners a nuanced exploration of Harry and Clementine Robinson's lives. Through meticulous research and empathetic storytelling, Eric Roper not only uncovers hidden facets of a family's past but also prompts a broader reflection on race, community, and resilience in early 20th-century Minneapolis.

Listeners are left contemplating the complexities of human behavior influenced by societal pressures and personal trauma, emphasizing that history often holds deeper, untold stories waiting to be discovered.

For more detailed insights and to follow Eric Roper's ongoing investigation, visit Ghost of a Chance on The Minnesota Star Tribune's website.