Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-07-15
NO.. 10.
Sold Into Bondage.

LEXINGTON, KY. June 2+.-A curl
ouS spectacle, and ono that strongly re,
minded one of old slave times. was
presented ut the Court House door to-
day. The occasion was the sale nj auc-
ton Of two colored men. convicted of
vagrancy At this term Of the Circuit
Court, and sentenced TO one years SER
vitude each. One Of the cattle-auct;-
oneerS, Col EdmondSon, was employed
TO cry the sale The men were put up
as i'll the olden times. The Mcguire
bond case was on trial in the court
room, but when the sound of the auc.
tioneerS voice was heard, there was 4
rush Of people 10 the outside. The
negroes 70 be sold were Henry Tucker,a
big yellow fellow, about S5 wears Of age.
six feet high, and weighing in the
neighhorhood of 500 pounds. and
Henry Dudley. a greasy, fat fellow, about
80 years of age, and notorious thief.
After those who had come to see our
sale ION business" had inspected the
points of the stock, the sale begun. The
old man was put up first He had
been pinched some, and his muscles
had been squeezed. and he looked as
though the era of slavery had returned
once more. He had sad that the
Democrats all along wanted to put
the niger back into slavery, and they
began on him. The first htd for him
was $40. Then ii slowly advanced 10
so, at which point it rested for awhile
Any advance on $50, gentleman, for
one years service? Why. bless N.Y.
soul, l recoliect the time when he'd
bring S50o,-a hale, and hearty old nig-
ger like him. Twenty, twenty TWENTY
rapidly spoken, amy advance on TWEEN
"? Go up and examine him, gentle
men. He's able To do good days
work yet, breaking rock, or breaking
hemp. or even working ON railroad
Look how sleek and fat he is, Look
at his arms and legs" At this time
Dudley looked rs melancholy rs if he
was going to he sent to the Mississippi
plantations Then Col Craig, repre-
senting the contractors on the Rig
Sandy Railroad, advanced the price.
satisfied with his inspection Then the
price slowly advanced under the iuSpir-
alton of the auctioueer until it reached
$34, when bidding ceased The auc-
tioneer cried, "All done; no advance?
Sold to Capt. Craig for $S4.
The next sale excited more interest.
Tucker had been sort of paramour
for years of Il low white woman. nam
ed Dolly Smasher," who had bank
account, and could buy him il She
wished. Tucker did not appear 10 he
very much afraid of his impending
fate; but he looked very sheepish nj
being exposed for sale, his get-up being
i'll contrast with his circumstances.
Capt. Cr&ig wanted him, too. and bid
on him. The bidding went from go
up to $50 rapidly. Then ittooL jump
to 800. The Captain stuck TO him,
and advanced until the price reached
Si12,50, ut which sum Henry Tucker
was knocked down to w. II. Harrison,
the street-sprinkler II was said, how
ever, by the Sheriff that the real pur-
chaser is dolly Smasher."
This is the first instance of sale for
vagrancy since the war The verdicts
of the juries in the cases of these men
have had salutary effect Many of
the colored loafers and some Of the
white ones have left the city or have
gone 10 work. At the present time
there is so much employment that
there is no excuse for idleness, and it
is understood that the eye of the law
has fallen upon some white men, who,
if they do not mind their ways, will
next experience what il is to he sold ut
auction