The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-09-10
A Domestic Tragedy.

Last summer while the writer was In
Amelia County, Virginia, the following
incident occurred. Illustrative of the
philosophical manner In which negroes
accept the DEGREES of Providence. Anne
liza, It will be remembered, is one OF
the black counties. The negroes occu-
Ply most of tho old hOmesteads, and are
| given over to ignorance and supersti-
ton. The Wigwanl. the old Harrison
/ place, house well known in Virginia,
is surrounded on every side by hordes
of negroes, who own small tracts OF
land, and farm them. One of these
settlements is at ''the Lodge" once the
| property of Mr.. Robert Archer, a dis
tinguished Virginian gentleman of the
old regime, now, with all his descend
ants, dead and gone My hostess and
was peeling peaches on the broad
veranda, when Mary Caesar, the dairy
maid, appeared.
Miss Anna, gimme piece o. light
bread, please, marin"
who is sick, MaryP" said Mrs. H,
light bread being luxury reserved for
the i'll negroes.
''Sister Rose Archer, marm."
All colored people claim the frater-
nal relation, whether there is any in
reality or not, if they are members of
tho same church, or have experienced
a change"
''Why. thought Rose Archer lived
in Richmond. What is the matter with
herP''
Mary's large greasy countenance,
which rivalleda 6ombazine dress for
blackness, fairly shone.
''Well, Miss Anna, you member Sis
Rose was married to INK Crutch Henry
Archer's son Willum, on dey moved
fun de Lodge to Richmond. Bout
three week ago Sis Rose en- Willum he'd
o fight bout some'in', en- Sis Rose hit
Willum Archer or lick on do head wild
a stick er wood, en- it kilt him, it pintly
did. Willum Archer always was a
sickly niger. Wcll, Miss Anna, she
done all she could, en- gin him er fun
eral, en- den, bein' ez she was OidCter,
en- pore, she como up to dc Lodge to
stay here longer Willum's daddy en-
nanny. INK Crutch Henry were
mighty 'tlicted 'bOuten Willum being
kilt, cause he wero dc onlicst son whar
he had, but Sis Rose say she gwine dar
to be all de company she ken for Will
um's folks"
The peach knife fell Mrs. H,
though schooled to Amelia eccentrici-
ties, stood transfixed. Then she gasp
cd:
land Williams father and mother
let her stay there after killing their on
ly sOn?'
miss Anna" said Mary. in a pecu-
liarly soothing voice, "Unk Crutch
Henry done ak Rose buck um she como
to kill Willum Archer, en- Sis Rose say
she dom s'SOl0 buck tsnI.''
This was Monday. Sunday afternoon
Mary re-appeared, an expression of
triumphant excitement in her eyes,
though her manner was as gentle and
deprecatOry as ever.
isis Rose Archer dead, Miss Anna"
she announced.
Dead When did she dieP"
Mary smOOthed her apron.
well, Tuesday mornin', Miss Anna,
Br'er Jeames Barksdale went to Court
House, en- dc sheriff sont Sis Rose word
to git ready, cause he was comm to
de Lodge Monday mornin' to git her
en- hang her for KILN of Willum Arch
or. En- Sis Rose say of dc sheriff were
comm to hang her, ez she were porely
anyway, 'ts00' Mt ruth 1OIbite TO git up, SO
she gC0IIle die. -
'tNOnsensep cried Mrs. H. .,As
If people could die when they chosel"
sis Rose done de-" said Mary,
stoutly ''She say 'tS0a'nE ruth sOhiIe
10 git APP jest 10 DC hanged, en- she die
last night, en- please, Miss Anna, lem
me go to do funeral. INK Crutch
Henry gwine gin her a mighty nice
buryin', bein' ez she was a Widder en-
Willum Archer was do onliest son he
he'd. ~ G. Cia6eu, Er Editors Drau1l
eT, HGrper's Magazine for September