David Schein (1875-1950) immigrated to the United States from Lithuania in 1890. In 1896, he established a retail dry goods store on Bay Street in Beaufort, which he operated until around 1946. In 1899, Schein caught the attention of local and state newspapers when he sued Pennsylvania Senator James Donald “Don” Cameron (1833-1918), who owned land in Beaufort, for $10,000. Schein reportedly sold liquor to a group of African Americans, likely sharecroppers, on Cameron’s property. In response, Cameron cornered Schein on his property and proceeded to whip him. An all-white jury ultimately awarded Schein $850 for damages.1 Schein married Austrian immigrant Annie Taubenfelt (1880-1951) in 1900.
1 “Don Cameron’s Anger, It Caused Him to Pay $850 for Whipping a Jewish Merchant.” The Times and Democrat, September 20, 1899.