Thomas v. City of Atlanta

The defendant was convicted of violating an order of the City of Atlanta which provided that “any person whose duty it shall be to register their business and who shall fail and refuse to do so” shall be fined. A further ordinance provided that peddlers should pay a license of $60. The defendant was arrested while walking along the street with a phonograph and “some of Jehovah’s witnesses’ books in his hands. He said he got twenty-five cents apiece for the books. He had no license, but was a preacher, and sold one book to Wallace Rhodes for twenty-five cents.” He used the victrola to play…