The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-09-21
Remarkable Story of Negro
Ills Interview with sole GreenbaCkS.

The correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette, Agate" who accompanied Judge
Chase in his recent tour describes graphi-
cally, an old negro whom the party found
at Key West:
Presently there came hurryiDg up a
stalwart negro; with the physique of a
orize fighter ;body round as barrel, arms
knotted with muscles that might have be-
onged to race horse leg, chest broad
and deep, with room enough inside for the
play Of an OK s lung. So magnificent phys
ical development have never seen, before
or siuce. The head WIS large, but the
broad forehead was very low. Above it
ose the crisp grizzled wool, almost perpen-
d icuIarly for height quite as great as
that Of the exposed part of the forehead ;and
the bumps above the ears and at the back
of the head were of corresponding magni-
tude. The face was Enthusiastically African
glossy black, with widely distended nos
trils thick lips, aud liquid but cleaning
eye, This was Laudie hinself-an old man
nov in my sebenty-three yeah, sah,' y
he said himself-yet the strongest man on
the island, the richest of the negroes, the
best farmers here and with a history as
romantic as that of any Indian whom song
and story have combined to make famous
He was native of Maryland; had
bought himself for three thousand two
hundred dollars, from his master, aud had
earned and paid over the money had re-
moved to Florida, and been engaged at
work on a railroad, where he had already
accumulated what for him was a handsome
competence when his little house burned
down and his free papers were lost i'll the
fire. A gang of unprinciped vagabouds
at once determined, there being no accessi-
bic evidence Of his freedom to be produced
against them, to seize him, sell him in
the New Orleans market and pocket the
proceeds. He frustrated their attempt by
whipping the whole party of six then hear
ing that they were to be reinforced and
were to try it again, he deliberately procee-
ded to thepublic square, accompanied by
his wife, cut the leaders of his ankle joint,
plunged knife into the hip joint on the
other side, and then sinking down on a
wheel barrow, finished the work by chop
ping off with Ratchet the fingers of his
left baud! Meanwhile an awe struck
crowd CT white men gathered ronnd, but
made no attempt at Interference. Finally,
brandishing the bloody knife, Landie shout
ed to the crowd that if they persisted in their
efforts to sell free man into slavery after he
had 0nce at an extortionate price bought him
self out OF it, his right arm was yet strong,
and he had one blow reserved, af ter which
they were welcome tos him for whatever
he would bring.
That the essentials of this story are
true, there is unqudstionable evidence
| he fingers on his left hand are mutilated.
and the scars IN the hip and ankle are
still fearfuly distinct, while besides there
are still white eye-wtnesses to testify to the
maiuf acts
'Landie's powerful constitution hrot him
hrou gh he was confined to bed six months
then he began to hobble about a little, and
at the end OF the year was again able to
support himself.
HE showed us through what he proudly
called his plantation. Ripe sapadlIoes
hung from the trees and a particularly
large 'soursop' was pointed out as specially
intended for our dinner. He had little
patch of tobacco green cococanuts rested on
the tops Of the palm ike stems and tama-
rinds were abundant the African cayenne
pepper berry was hanging on little bushes,
and one or two Of the party who had been
promiscuously experimenting on Landie's
fruit came to grief when they reached it
and were heard compl aiming that their
mouths were on fire Plucking two or
three berries Of different kind, Landie
handed them to the Chief Justice, Take
dem home and plant EN- in your own gar
den, and you'll hab your own coffee aft ah
while But coffee won't grov Lande,
where live Don't know abo,.5 dat sab.
OATS juss what dey told me heah but
you see it does didn't know no reason
why it shouldn't and so l try. Now you
just try tool
Finally he asked for picture of his
guest, and the chief Justice handed him a
zone dollar greerback. The scene that fol
lowed was curious. Old Laudie bare-head
Ell and with his shirt thrown loosely back
from his brawny bosom, stopped down,
spead the bill out on one knee, and gazsd
from it to Mr.. Chase and back to the bill
again for some moments in perfect silence.
Now knows you;"he broke out at last
''you's Ole Greenbacks hisself You mount
come heah fifty yeah from now and Id
know you jass de same, and tell you
all about sittin in dis yeah piazzy heah.