, 1874-02-15
Richard Harper, the Official Loafar
Of Chicago.
lie Is Put Up for Sale and Bid OF
to the C0lored ToWn-Crier.
Subsequently He Sells His Body 10 Or.
Brainard for Dissection =.
But Finally Becomes One of the Lead.
ers in the Temperance
Movement,

Last mouth TIE TRIBUNE published IN inter.
| esting letter from Zerbina Eastman ESQ.,. giving
an account OF the sale OF colored man in Chi
cago in 1842, under what was then known IS the
''Back Laws Of this State. 4 few days ago.
reporter OF this paper happened to meet Judse
Cation, WHO waa citizen Of Chicago during ia
] early days, and, in the cou1ae Of conversation.
| asked him il Lie had seen this letter OF Mr. East
man. "Yes," said the Judge, *:and, If III,
| Eastman lad lived in Chicago ut sufficiently
early dag. he could have antedated this important
eyent eight yea1s."
Rcporter-How so?
Judge Caton--He could then hAvo given An
account OF what Was really the first sale Of =
human being in Chicago.
Raporter-What was it7
Judge Caton-In 1884 or 1885 there wore tvo
well-known characters in Chicago; ono wxs :
white man named
RICHARD HARPER.
He was we'll educated, and Was understood to be
OF a respectable family Of Marylaud but had be-
come diseipated and Ind enlisted Is \ common
soldier iu tue United States Army, and WAS st5~
toned at Green Bay, think. He proved to be
do nothing With him, aud at last, by the judg-
nnent Of q court-martial, he uAs drn1nmed out Of
| camp.
HAHrrs OF LIFE.
He soon nfter male his Appearance in Chicago
| where ha speedily became acquainted with
everybody, and, BY begging and CHOKING, man
aged to get little food aud great deal Of
whisky. and IS for lodging, pile Of shavings
or prairie hoy, indoors or ont, answered his
purpose, for ho was not particular about any Of
! the comforts Of life except whisky, while as to
that he WAS most particular about quantity.
The other noted character was
GEORGE WRITE,
stout, very b1aek negro. With voice which
might have answered in place Of = fog-whlstle.
he served As sort OF town-crier, and, when
proclaiming auctions snd the like. bis yoire
could be distinctly heard from WOLF Point to
Fort Dearborn. George Was Intelligent and
in any practicable way, and ras ambitious
Hithal.
HARPER OFFERED FOE SALE.
1t last some one complained OF Harper as
vagrant. There Was lawyer here 1t the time OF
the name Of Casey who WAS man Of brilliant
parts, but was very much addicted to hia cups. Ha
was employed to prosecute Harper for the "a
grancy. After the prosecution Has commenced,
Harper repaired to hi. Springs oaice to retain
him to defend, or at least to consult him on tho
subject. Tho client opened ths conference
thus;
Esquire Spring, can one vagraut sell another
yagrant under lava Of I1linols? ?" Judge Spring
said the 1ntonation and expression OF Haspar
WQeQ Q3 x8kHQ LIB Que4E1uu We1e hUsHlukoly LIZ
imitabla, and quite beyond description, and it
amused him greatly, and probably but faw who
wcre intimate with him but have heard him re-
late it.
The result Of tho trial Was tbs. harper wss de-
clared to be vasrant, and AZ such ha wxs con-
demned to DO sold BY Justice Of sha Peace for
thirty days. Tho sale Wac proclaimed by George
White with unusual gusto, as be paraded down
Water street and back, and then around tha
Point The Constable (James Reed, the eabi-
- rf3a I'D INV 81
The corner Of South Water and Franklin
streets, and, in the presence of nearly
all the men in the village, offered Inc
vagrant for sale. Although he e1patiated
upon Harper's learning, intelligence, and power
1u1 physique, and especially the handy knack ho
had Of putting whisky where it could not allure
the young from the paths OF sobrietY, ho could
get no bid, till at last George White bid quar-
ter, and said he would take the ns0 for better
or for worse and without warranty and, - there'
to George, for even at that day al men stood
alike before the law to purchase It such = sale-
CARRYING OFF TIE PURcHAaE-
After the sale Was over, George ordered ha
low mm, but before he could get his hand On
him Harper broke and 1an at speed which
would bare defed the pursuit. of the purchaser
had not the crowd inconyeniently got in hu
way, while pretending to hurry him o.
NO REFORMATION.
Harper WAS from necessity sober at the time,
and manifested in his looks, which shall never
forget, the most poignant modification as
the transaction, and really excited much
sympathy 1T the close, for be Was man OF mora
than ordinary talent and education, and, but for
his intenperance. WAS fully the peer Of anyons
present.
Harper was taken care Of in seclnsion for
some time, and without liquor, and hopes we're
oven entertained that the degrading transaction
had stung him 80 deeply that it would produce
permanent reformation. But alas he no 5000
er got into the street again, than his Old hao1s
returned, and lie was, il possible, wosse than
ever before So far aa know, this was ths drss
sale OF = man in Chicago.
The Reporter-Whas became OF Harper,
finally, Judge?
Judge Cefon-The latter cad Of the story is -
curious a. the beginning. He hung about tho
streets TOR some years, living AZ Of old, and ro-
for 1887 Az = loafer." He Was alvays drunk
when he could get whisky, and ready to DO an5-
thing to procure it, but with 3 constitution th.s
never broke down, notwithstanding III his a.
posurc, privatious, and dissipation
One very cold winters night. he found his ~
to Dr.. Brainard's Office aud begged for hea
= dollar, to get something to eat ~
h. he said be was ne; near1y ~ h;ia s;1,1s tne
and get drunk Immediately, and then he Hoala
lie out in the streets and freeze to death be1c.e
morning. He Strengthened himself up xta
dignity, and assured the Doctor that ha qo!19
misunderstood his case and that be proposes
lot ouly to be alive and well in tho noi1c'&
but to outive him in the end.
With the hope OF disgusting him with tus
1evolting proposition, tho Doctor plop3eaa
to give him = dollar for Geo
OF his body for dissection when ~
should die, assuring him that before tho noas
night he would be studying the effect ~tlch "a "a
excess OF whisky had on the human tissues. ~
his surprise, Harper closed with the pro2oaaau a
.. once; the deed WAS drawn With al due t".
uality, and executed by tho grantor Fl1n
flourish. Harper vas right. Although he gos
drunk that night he WAS as sound ~ eIes n .r tas
morning, and continued to live soma time ME-
in Chicago a. he had done before, cuEaang u
Latin as often aa IN Engliah the boys Who teA ~
him, for when half drunk be Ta& vain o. A'
c1aaaica.
APPEARA1cx n NEW PART
At last he disappeared from among us sac "
one knew how or where be went. And se ~ :i's
H1rper was forgotten In the a1citauent OF ~ no
growing city Till the world Was aroused oJ ~
formation Of the original Washington soaa'J ~
in 1883, by seven reformed drunka.1o..
whose eloqpeDce started \ temperance moqcm.1,
which spread with the 1spldlty sud ferfos "
nver thu xHhn1n cnuutrY. H41pal sN