Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-02-19
DEMOCRAT & NEWS
A Good Joke...Ths subject Not COloreA.
From the Quincy Herald.

k'iom s"c Sesucy
A very nice practical joke was perpe'
trated in this city on Saturday last, nj
the expense Of three OF our abolition
| friends, that deserves ventilation. A
rumor obtained circulation that there
wasa young woman Of the ''colored
persuasion" incarcerated in one OF the
c, lis of our Jail tor no other crime than
being black. Ii was further rumored
that her release conld only be obtained
by entering into bond with good and
sufficient sureties, in the sum OF $500.
An African lady Of American birth, 10
jail, whom "Ol Dabe' had proclaimed
10 he free In the name of all "ireedom
shriekers," can such tyranny over an
unottsnding 'eoIored LADY," be tolerated
in the city Of Quincy, the asylum Of the
down-tredden.n negro Not = bit Of it. The
phllanthropic flesh, blood and brains OF
three OF our abolition friends Were put
in requisit,on forthwith to secure her
freedom. Their iirst inquiry was, is il.
true that = lovely eolored lady has been
subject to the lndlgniiy o; Imprisonment
in filthy jail II "Seelng is believing
and application was Immediately made
to Sheriff Steinagel TO show them tho
distinguished damsel. The Sheriff, with
bis usual politeness, escorted them TO
the cell door, and there she was sure
enough, with turban on her head, Ia
Atrique, bewailing her sad fate, and u
the sight OF her real friends she gave
vent to the dread apprehension that
ner Missouri master had come to take
her back TO endure still longer tic
shackles of slavery. When told they
had come to restore her to sweet liberty,
she INDUCED in q paroxysm OF grief,
and replied, II know what You cum for.
Yon wants to take me back to slavery.
| amt goin'-dis child amt. You 60
away knows what you're after. Nothing
would convince her OF their philanthropy
&c purpose. and they retired with the
intention Of fling bond with the re-
CURED sureties, with only $500 as the
penalty for the forfeiture. Night came
on before the arrangements for her re
lease we're perfected, when Sheriff Stem
agel was waited on to accept the bond.
Here the unhappy denouement occur
red. 4 friend OF the sheriff, who hap
pened to be- present, disclosed the nnfor-
tunate Observation-Disclosures, that it pre-.
vented an exhibition of genuine aboli.
zion philanthropy III the release Of an
unfortunate negro woman from "durance
vlle," that the subject of misplaced
sympathy was nothing but white NO.
man--that she WAS OF the pure Cauca.
sian race, without drop of African
blood in her yeins."
Now for the explanation. In No.
senber last young woman some egh
teen or nineteen years Of age, was arrest
I'd and lodged in AL for sppropristing
sundry articles Of female apparel to her
own use that belonged to some ladies'
Of the house 10 which she was living.
She has lain in Jail ever since, when on
Saturday she conceived the happy idea
that what she failed 10 obtaining as a
white woman, che might acco Dpilsh AS
a "dalkie,' and accordingly she black
ned her face and hands, and with al
excellent counterfeit Of negro manner
aud dialect, she carried ont the rusc as
ar As it went, with admirable naiuete,
with the sincere hope, no doubt, that il
might affect her liberation but the dis
covery that she was white woman,
dashed her expectations to the ground.
Had she been negro she would now be
-nloying the ewee.s of freedom; but
what does an aboltons. care for white 7
woman? She may now rumlnate in her
ell upon the phIlanthrophy that would
hazard $500 for she darkie, but not a
cent for a white woman.