The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1872-01-03
Victims OF Tyranny.

! ptCtcu CltlIeu vi Doutu HAtuliha,
.hosc word no ono would dare to
doubt. That journal withhoIds the
name Of the writer, for tho reason
that the fact of writing tho letter
would make him victim Of Grants
tyranny and de>potism. And yet this
is free country: -..
CoLuMpIA, S, G Nov. 10, III.
Sir: 1 was in Yorkvillo, few
days ago. Where there l met an
'gud son Of Africa. His wool was
white, his brow wrinkled. His eyes
had grown dim, and the old mans
back was bent. His ebon countenanoe
was black rs night, bat thore was the
light of truth and sincerity in it.
Hc was coming from the Jail, where
a large number of Ku Klux prisoners
ware incarcoratod. I stopped him,
being struck with the Intelligent,
though sad expression Of mis- face.
sOld man, sail l, ehave you been
to the jail7"
"Yos, boss" he replied. "I'ee
been to 500 my young massa. Dey
got him in dar."
"For what {
For muffin in Gods world, boss,
bu. dat he is Dmocrat P'
ode they charge him with any
crime -
"Norc dat he, nor I known on"
"What - exclaimed, "doesn't he
know what he i, put III Jail for %
"No sab, dat he don't. AM Il
knows dat the boy is an innocent o.
Ku kluxlng US you is, or [. All do
niggers willswur dat"
elf there is nothing against him, =,
why DONE they let him go?'
ode Lord only knows boss: he re-
| Piled in the most earnest and mourn.
full manner. "Dey say dey gwiue to
keep 'em oil derc till way on to Christ
mas times"
GLOW long has your mas:or been
I'M Jail -
1.-Two weeks an better"
"And don't know what he was put
in Jail for 2"
"No more nor you, nor l." the old
manr"plie.' shaking bis head.
elias he no trial, nor hearing Q!
any kind r.
"No, sab, Layin' in jill, boos,
and no chance Civ him o olarin'
hissclf -
"That is too bad. Is he married Z"
"Nly young massa married : Ha
ha, ha. No boss He's picked him out
him out o Jail he's g"ino fur her /;
but he's got mother. Since old
masters dead, NY young boss is her
sole inder rcndcncc She's left all alone
at home now am sh/'s ish distracted
cons arnipg Of his takin' off and lodg-
mcnt III jail. | Incver spected to sec
de day when my young boss would be
put in Jail, an fur muffin under Gods
SUM-" said the old man, with eyes
dimmel with tears of comminglcd
sorrow and indignation.
swell, what do you think Of all
this business, anyhow, old man 7" said
"Ah, boss, don't think much of it,
"What, are you not glad that the
ku klux, the prosecutors of your
race, are being caught and put in
| Jail 2"
"No, boss, l amt glad. De Ku-
Kluxes ncbcr trouble me. / never
steal muffin. | nebcr burn nobody's
barn. | ncbcr march about de ooun.
try wid Scott's melisb, wild muskcts,
and drums, an Gags, trying to 'timi-
date dc white folks. Some % do color
cd people say dey are glad dat de
white men am put in Jail or drive o.
de country. But l amt. 1t hurts
me to see 80 many young men in Jail
down dar, huddlcd together like hogs
iu'. pen--driv about like cattle-an'
by dere own color, too ! White men
trcatiu' white men in dat way, is
more dan [ can understood. Drops
big as buckshot come up into my eyes
cbcry time looks at dat jsil, wild my
young boss Gagged in dcre like ho was
Il bear !"
Here the good old African made a
pause, after which he said, with an
urgency of tone that bespoke the sin.
ccrity of his words
"Ah, boss, if was dc President OF
dc United States I'd die before I'd
let my own people be crammed
in jail dis way by 80, an kept
dere widout a hearin ? I'D stop this
I'd set things to rights -
| bade the earnest old negro good
bye, and passed on to the gloomy Jail
where Ku Klnx prisoners were "hud
died together like hogs in pen, an
driv' about like cattle" | tount
tho prisoners guarded by soldiers a
though they were oaptives of war
There was the dark, dreary LOOKING
building, with its grated windows ane
forbidding aspect. There I behelt
: the sad faces Of many an unfortunate
! victim Of Radical persecution peerinf
wistfully through the iron bars, long