First Black Tipper

From the Beeville Edge dated October 16, 1955: 

USIAH JUPITER ELLIOTT, the first black man to tip a waitress, immolated in house fire. 

Beeville, Arkansas 

Yesterday, history lost another luminary with the passing of Usiah J. “Tipper” Elliott, who gained local fame 40 years ago for being the first black man to tip a waitress in a restaurant. 

The year was 1901 and Elliott had just entered a restaurant after finding a small parcel of cash in a sock, discarded on the street. "He was aimin' to eats him a steak." said Bo "Gumdrop" Yantis, Usiah Elliott's grandson, "He went into dis nice restaurant and tole the man 'I gwan hab me a nice steak wif all de trimmings.'" What happened next became local folk-lore. 

Margaret McDaniel was a waitress working tables in Bellweather and Sons Cafe on Tavish Street on the east side of Arkansas that day. It was she who had the good fortune to acquire Mr. Elliott as a customer. "He shuffled in there like a duke, ordered a steak smothered in gravy and onions, with mashed potatoes, and black-eyed peas. He washed all that down with a big tanker of fresh-squeezed lemonade." Yantis recalled. Following his meal, when it was time to pay Mr. Elliott produced the sock and began to access the elusive cash which was inside in order to pay for his meal. At some point his hand slipped and all the money flew out. "It was a cloud of dollar bills and change dat flew out and was tinkling all ober the table." Yantis recalled "He got so flestered and worryfied, he jess run out de place. He figgered dey was enuff moneys in dat sock to cover de bill. He leff on outta dere and went and called on a lady friend." 

 When Mrs. McDaniel returned to the table she noted a large amount of money scattered about a wide area in and around the booth where Mr. Elliott was sitting. After counting it, she remarked to Landen E. Parker, manager of the restaurant, that the gentleman had left a large amount of money in gratuity. After the bill was paid, the tip came to $42.74. Very generous indeed. 

 Sadly, less than 26 hours ago, firefighters arrived at 3456 Burnside Avenue only to discover it was fully involved. Fire marshall David Merrit describes what happened: "We arrived at Mr. Elliott's home and discovered it had been completely gutted by tortuous flames. We are divided on whether it was accidental or arson. We think we know what happened though. After the conflagration was extinguished we found the decedent Mr. Usiah J. "Tipper" Elliott in the restroom, actually his charred remains were still perched on the commode. What? Oh sorry. Can you strike that last detail? Sure. Okay, anyway we located his charred remains within the home. Put it that way." 

 "See, Grandpa made his own candles out of wine bottles filled with gasoline. Then he took and puts a strip of rag up in the top." said Yantis. Authorities speculate it may have been one such incendiary devise that led to his dreadful immolation. 

 "I cants buleev he dead." said Yantis, his yellowy eyes glazed over with sorrow. The county medical examiner said he had never in his 56 years of serving Rosebud County, seen a body burned as bad as Mr. Elliott's was. Usiah Elliott in happier times