The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1870-04-01
MARIETTA GEORGIA FRIDAY MORNING. APRIL |, 1870
From the New York Sun.
TOUCHING SCENE.

gan was about to leave his courtroom
in the Toombs, the gentlemanly clerk
called his attention to forlorn and di-
lapidated coored man. The poor old
negro was nearly seventy years of age
and was quite lame. He had an old
slouched hat wrapped about the head OF
his cane, and his hair, moustachc, and
eve brows were as white as the driven
snow. Hobblins on the outer railing he
looked at the Judge, while his palsied
hands we're shaking on his stick, and
his bent body was quivering with de-
crepitudc. It was some time before he
could speak. At length, in choking ac-
cents, he said:
"Judge, I-T-I'sc an ole man. Use
way down from Alb'mArle county, Vir-
ginny-dar's whar | come from. De
ole massa do boys, and my son Pete, and
al de little nigs am scattered by de wah,
and de old man in a strange land !"
Here the poor old negro dropped his
hat from tho top of his cane, and wiped
tear from his eye with the back of his
shrivellcd hand The judge, becoming
interested told, tho old man to so on
with his story saying that he had some
friends in Albemarle county, and asked
the trembling negro, if he knew any of
the Taliaferros The old darkey bright
oned up and said:
"Ycs, yes, indeed de old massa' Toll
liver won de great Abemarle cock fight
nigh onto forty years ago. You remcm-
Der dat cock fight, Judge 2"
The Judge laughed, and said that that
was before his time. TIE old negro
stopped and picked up his hat with a
great deal of difficulty, after which he
drew long breath, and hobbled closer
to the judges desk.
"Ah, dose Tollivcr chickens had dc
shuah blood. judge, and all dc cmmens
was afearcd on them. Did you cher sec
any of dem birds, what de old massa'
Tolliyer had, Judged
"No, no, UNCLE" replied the Judge,
shat was before my time"
"Yes, yes" pensively whincd the old
darkey, ''dat was long time agonc, for
shuah-dat great Albemarle cock fight
dat was in de ole Jackson and de Hen
ry Clay time Does yc remember dose
times, Judgef'
The Judge assured the old man that
he did not, and asked him what he could
do for him. The venerable negro be-
came sober, and once more dropped his
hat on the floor. The tears again start
cd to his eyes, and in trembling
voice he said:
"Yes, yes, Judge. You see Use an
old nigger-a poor old Niger; and
massa, and dc boys and Pcte-dat's my
son-and all de little nigs am scattered
by de wah, and de ole mans in strange
land. And dc old man is hungry and
cole. And dc ole mans frens say for
him to cum down to dc Judge, and de
Judge would CUB them commit to dc
island, whar de ole man he could sleep
and cat until dem warm days would come
again. Am dis right for you to do dis
ting, Judge, ies for dc accommodation
of dc ole man For de ole mans all
alone in dc world and dc ole mans got
nothing, and the ole man is hungry and
cole, and there is no place for de ole
man to 60"
The tears sprang to the eyes of the
kind-nearted Judge, He asked the de-
crepit old African if he wanted any
money, but the negro shook his vener-
able head, and again in broken accents
begged to be sent to the island. There.
upon the Judge turned to the clerk, and
directed him to make out commitment,
assuring the wretehed old man that he
would see that he was taken from the
island to the almshouse, where he would
be kept warm and well fed until the
Summer months.
AS the aged darkey was conducted to
the Tombs, he again broke out with his
recollcctions of ''dc great Albemarle
cock-fght and dc way dem Randolph
was cleaned out by dc TolIiver chick
ems"