Oklahoma Statute on Railroad Segregation (1907)

Chapter 68. Railroads.

Article II. Duties.

Sec. 5955. Shall provide spearate coaches.—That every railway company, urban or suburban car company, street car or interurban car or railway company, lessee, manager or receiver thereof doing business in this State as a common carrier of passengers for hire, shall provide separate coaches or compartments as hereinafter provided for the accommodation of the white and negro race, which separate coaches or cars shall be equal in all points of comfort and convience. 

Sec. 5956. Separate waiting rooms.—Every railroad company, street car company, urban, suburban or interurban car company shall provide for and maintain separate waiting rooms at all their passenger depots for the accommodation of the white and negro races, which separate waiting rooms shall be equal in all points of comfort and convenience. Each waiting room shall bear in a conspicuous place, words in plain letters indicating the race for which it is set apart. It shall be unlawful for any person to use or occupy or remain in any waiting room, toilet room, or at any water tank in any passenger depot in this State, set apart to a race to which he does not belong. 

Sec. 5957. Construction.—The term negro as used herein includes every person of African descent, as defined by the Constitution. Each compartment of a railway coach divided by a good and substantial wooden partition with a door therein, shall be deemed a separate coach within the meaning of this Act, and each separate coach shall bear in some conspicuous place appropriate words in plain letters indicating the race for which it is set apart; and each compartment of an urban or suburban car company, interurban car or railway company, or street car company, divided by a board or marker, placed in a conspicuous place, bearing appropriate words in plain letters, indicating the race for which it is set apart, shall be sufficient as a separate compartment within the meaning of this Act.

Sec. 5959. Failure to provide—penalty.—Any railway company, street car company, urban or suburban car company, or interurban car or railroad company, lessee, manager or receiver thereof which shall fail to provide its cars, bearing passengers, with separate coaches or compartments as above provided, or fail to provide and maintain separate waiting rooms as provided herein, shall be liable for each and every failture to a penalty ofnot less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, to be recovered by suit in the name fo the State, in any court of competent jurisdiction, and each trip run with such railway train, street car, urban, suburban or interurban car without such separate coach or compartment, shall be deemed a separate offense.

Sec. 5959. Person occupying wrong apartment—penalty.—If any passenger upon a railway train, street car, urban, suburban or interurban car provided with separate coaches or compartments, as above provided, shall ride in any coach or comparmtnet not designated for his race, after having been forbidden to do so by the conductor in charge of the train or car, or shall remain in any waiting room not set apart for the race to which he belongs, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be fined not less than five nor more than twenty-five dollars. Should any passenger refuse to occupy the coach or compartment or room to which he or she is assigned by the officer of such railway company, said officer shall have power to refuse to carry such passenger on his train, and should any passenger or any other person not a passenger, for the purpose of occupying or waiting in such sitting or waiting room not assigned to his or her race, enter said room, said agent shall have the power and it is made his duty to eject such person from such room, and for such act neither they nor the railway company which they represent, shall be liable for damages in any of the courts of this State. . . .

Sec. 5962. Special trains.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent the running of extra or special trains or cars for the exclusive accomodation of either white or negro passengers, if the regular trains or cars are operated as required by this Act, and upon regular schedule.

Sec. 5963. Street railways.—Conductors of passenger trains, street cars, urban, suburban or interurban lines, provided with separate coaches or compartments shall have the authority to refuse any passenger admittance to any coach or compartment in which they are not entitled to ride under the provisions of this Act, and the conductor in charge of the train, street car, urban, suburban or interurban car, shall have authority, and it shall be his duty to remove from the train, coach, street car, urban, suburban or interurban car any passenger no intitled to ride therein under the provisions of this Act; upon his refusal to do so knowingly shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be fined in any sum of not less than fifty nor more than five hundred dollars, and the company, manager, conductor, agent, receiver or other officer shall not be held for damages for any lawful removal of a passenger as provided herein. . . .