Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-03-25
rnE MAx WHO IS ro DIE.
A LittIe Talk with the Doomed
CHARLES MOblnsom.

Charles Robinson, the negro who is tC
die ON April 10th, came to the door of hii
| cell when called on by GAzErrI
representative who paid flying visit to
New Castle yesterday afternoon.
"Just wait, bnss, till / eat my supper
and then I'll talk to you" he said, ther
dropping his curtain he devoted his at
tention to meal which smelled power.
fully of onions.
"Now Charley queried the newspaper
man when the prisoner had gotten out
side of the ediblas, shave you anything
to say to the public ?"
swell, no, boss nothing more'n have
said Iguess. They've got the wrong man
! never done the deed and I'll die inno-
cent"
Robinson went on to say that he was
born on 81. Patriek's- Day in the morning (;
he could not say in what year but he
'.had finished his SD year" on Wednes-
day. He was born slave on the farm of
a Mr.. Oubbage, on the road from SudIers-
vile to Church Hill, Queen Anne's
county, Nd, and remained in slavery up
to the issuance of the emancipation proc
lamation. Since then he had worked 'sall
over Delaware, {" having been at one time
in the employ of "Mr. Lobdell," this
city. he had never committed any crime,
though he had been arrested once before
and put in Jail for two weeks,
"but if I'd had ten dollars /
needn't have gene to Jail that
time," he said. He thought every
body he had worked for could give him
Mr.. Alfrees letter in Fridays EVERY
Etfts A..
we'll nnd he knows me, and 1 was sur
prised at his goin' agin' me; he oughtn't
to have done it while he had any doubts
about it, without he'd been dead sure l
was the man."
But he says he was sure; that he had
no doubts" urged Robinson's interlocu-
tor; remark which the prisoner accepted |
with shake of the head and protest of |
innocence.
The letter, however, was plainly dis
to Robinson, though he sue
ceeded in repressing outward show there
Of beyond saying: 81 hope the Lord will |
bless him ; he'll get his reward !" adding,
somewhat egnimatically, 'I don't wish
him no good luck"
~ hain't got no dependence on the
Governor doing nothin' for me-" he said,
when the subject of the petition referred
to elsewhere came up. "He mout reprieve
me, but hain't lookin' for it. They tried
me and sentenced me and I spect I've
got to die, but I'm ready to go when it's
the Lords will, and I b'lieve he knows
best, and what's His will is all for the
best"
tYou look for it all to be made right
then when you reach the other side ?"
"That's it, boss II do, he replied with
lnction.
'Now, boss, if I'd been the man what
done that deed, do you suppose I'd staid
around and let them catch me? It was
three weeks arter I'd heard of this thing
before they arrested me. l had all that
Time to get away, but said, no, hain't
done nothin' wrong and hain't goin' to
run away; so just staid around there
till they come and took me. II don't
stand to reason that if I'd been guilty I'd
have done that"
"You say they've got the wrong man
do you know who is the right MANI"
mo, boss, don't know nothin' bout
that"
The prisoner said that he was well
treated in the Jail that he got plenty to
eat and that the ministers of the town
came to see him occasionally.