Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-09-29
FUNNY INCIDENT.
A Case of Mutual Distrust.

From the eavannah Herald.
An affair occurred few days since in
Scriven county, which, ludicrous as it
was, affords striking illustration of the
mutual suspicion and distrust existing
between whites and blacks in some of
the country districts We give the cir
cumstances as they were related to us
A countryman, very nearly deaf, whose
name we do not remember, was driving
pair of mules attached to wagon,
when he was met on the road by a negro
on foot, who bore an ak on his shoulder
The man in the wagon was about taking
chew of tobacco, when the negro stop
ped suddenly and asked him for a chew,
which was promptly given him. The
negro returned his thanks for the quid,
looking steadfastly at the man and re-
peating the words, thank you, Sir"
several times The white man hearing
being very dull and not liking the ne.
gro's appearance, be imagined that a
demand was made for his money, and,
in great alarm, replied that he had none
The negro perceiving the misapprehen-
sion aud that The man was very deaf,
shouted, II didn't ak you for no money.
But the man in his fright heard only the
word money" While the negro was
endeavoring to explain, the mules, who
had been neglected by their driver in his
fright, sheared off to the opposite side
of the road, and were about to upset
the wagon, when the negro seized the
reins to bring them back, which action
on his part only confirmed the dreadful
suspicion of the white man, who, in
great panic, sprang from his wagon and
took to the woods at full speed. The
negro, anxious to convince the man that
he meant no harm, followed in pursuit,
shouting to him to stop. The race con
tinued to some distance, but the negro
being the fleetest, was rapidly gaining
on the terrified white man, who, seing
that he was about TO be overtaken, turned
to encounter his pursuer As the negro
approached with vociferous assurance
of kindly intentions, and hold his ak in
his hand, the white man made a spring
at him and desperate struggle for the
possession of the AK ensued In the
strife the white man got control of the
weapon, when the negro, for his protec
ton, closed with him and succeeded in
throwing him TO the ground, the white
man all the time pleading for life, and
the negro using all his eloquence TO con
vince him that he meant no harm. They
remained some time on the ground,
locked in each other embrace, the white
man clinging desperately TO the AK, and
literally turning a deaf ear to the en-
phatic assurances of the negro, who was
now afraid to let him up for fear that
in his alarm he might kill him with the
AK
In this dilemma, each distrusting the
other, in spite of their protestations, it
was finally agreed that the negro would
let the white man up upon condition that
the AK, to which the latter still clung,
should be thrown away Watching each
other like tigers, they rose from the
ground, the negro holding the white
man arms from the rear, until, with
swing of his body, the AK was thrown
from their reach, when they separated,
running in opposite directions, the white
man, hatless, and with his clothes nearly
torn from his person, shouting murder
help at the top of his voice.
Terror lending feetness to his legs,
he was not long in reaching a house u
ohOAh tht sNtht Va hhI NOh
hict Breathless with exertion and
alarm, he related his story, declaring
that he had narrowly escaped being rob-
bed and murdered, and demanded arms
and assistance to go in pursuit of the
robber. In the midst of the excitement
which his appearance and relation of the
affair had created, the negro, scarcely
less alarmed and excited, approached
and Immediately surrendered himself
He made his statement to those present,
but as the principal party in the affair
was still incredulous, and could not be
persuaded that he had made a narrow
escape with his life, it was finally deter
mined to detain the negro in custody
till the next morning, when he was to
be taken to the Freedmen's Bureau, for
a hearing. Accordingly, his physical
wants having been amply supplied he
was tied and his supposed intended VIC
tim, armed with gun, placed over him
as a guard. In the morning the deaf
man was found lying fast asleep and the
r,auro svoo rot found ~ all