Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-03-04
DISAPPOINTED AN EDITOR.
How an Obstinate Colored Man Got the
Best of White Folks.

Best of white Folks.
| sat talking with the editor of
Southern weekly paper when tele-
gram was handed him, and after he
had read it he handed it TO me. 1t
was from Il town seven miles away,
and read: I'VE have caught the Mig
ger; he hangs tonight, Boys will
wait for you to come over"
You see" explained the editor,
they have got the nigger who shot at
Col. Dunbar over in Cassville. and
they won't wait to take the law on
him. | reckon I'll have to 90 over,
and I'd like to have you go along"
was agreed, and horse and bug
CIV were brought around and we set
out. When we reached the town it
was about 9 o'clock in the evening, and
the prisoner was being guarded in a
vacant room. There were about sew
entv-fve excited citizens around the
place. and a noosed rope had already
been thrown over the limb of shade
tree near by. We were duly welcom-
ed, and were accorded the privilege
of an interview with the prisoner. We
found him in somewhat anxious
frame of mind, but cool enough to an
swer all questions.
"Now, then" began the editor, rs he
pulled out his notebook, what name
10 you 90 by, and what part of the
country do you hail FROM"
look, heah, replied the man, "dOan'
yo' folks make no mistake about dis!
Ize not de pusson yo' want | nebber
dun shot at nobody. My name am
Peter White, an TIE dun libed in Glen
dale ODER ten Vars. Everybody ober
dar knows me-"
Have you made any mistaken" ask
ed the editor of the constable.
why, | reckon not. They fetched
him in and said he was the nigger we
wanted. Can't be no mistake, of
| co'se."
"Yo' jest send to Mars James, Mars
Taylor, Mars Thompson or anybody
else ober dar, an dcy1l tell yo' all
about me-" protested the man.
"Do you deny shooting at Col. Dun
bar?"
"Of co'se, does. didn't eben h'ar
about it. | was huntin' hogs in de
woods fur Mars John Greenfield when
dey cotched me. Doan' you dun make
no mistake!"
| isfied that a mistake had been made.
Then Glendale man arrived and set
tied the matter. They had got the
wrong man.
"Look here, boy" said the editor,
when the truth came out, Give driven
seven miles to see you lynched."
eyes sah but | can't help it."
"These men spent all day to get you,
and the rope is all ready"
Il know it, but rze innocent"
"Havcn't YOU ever killed man,
ssolen mule or fired 81 gun? Come,
now, own up like man
"Nebber, sah," firmly replied the
prisoner.
"Cant YOU remember of ever doing
anything for which YOU ought to be
hung" softly inquired the editor
mo sab, | can't"
This. YOU must know. is 4 great
| disappointment to me and my friend
! here We shall have our drive of
fourteen miles for nothing, and was
intending to make at least two col
umns of the affair. 1t seems too
! bad"
Eyes, sab but | nebber dun it,"
"And you protest against being
hung?'
81 does, sab"
"You must have at least done some
thing for which you ought to be
Standardization cotton, run off a hog
or something of that sort?"
mo, sab; | nehber did"
Its drive of fourtceen miles, you
know, and the roads are bad"
Eyes sab; but you'll hey to 'scuse
me dis time"
well" said the editor, as we got up
to 90, I'm sorry things have turned
out this way, but | can't see that any
| body is to blame"
We got into the buggy and started
back. We had gone a mile or SO be-
fore the silence was broken. Then the
editor said:
THAT just shows you how Internal
ly obstinate a niger can be when he
makes up his mind to it and wants
to get the better of white man.
| ". I. Uer0Ld.