The morning call., 1893-03-26

fully through the room when, without
word, he hit me on the head with a chair,
and that's all there is of it,"
Oats not so. sahl" exclaimed Hiram,
rising to his feet and wiping the blood from
his face with fragment of his tattered
shirt. Oats not SO, sab l know a mtg
gah's word amt wuff much in dis country,
an dat lie can't testOmty in de cOu' Is agin
white man. But | tell We for shoe. boss,
dat dat man an an0deT, who scOoted fru de
back doc when dey heerd a pistOi-shOt cat
in front, hit me in de head wiv sufhu as
hard as fern, and tried to hoP me an git
dere hans in my pockets; and wuen l got
loose bit one of 'em wiy a cheer; an Is
tellin' ye muffin but de Gods tTufe"
The niggeTs crsZy. replied the accused.
The idea of me- trying to rob ths old beg
gar"
LAS your stories don't seem to agree, I'll
have 10 take you both to the Lookup" said
the officer. Then turning TO me, he con-
timed:
Did you fire the pistol2"
Yes"
did you see the row?"
"a part of it,"
What part"
81 saw this old negro struggling with two
white men, who left him and hurried 20 the
back door when thew heard the shot"
Then you think the niger told the
truth?"
without the shadow of a doubt" 1
then gave the officer my name and address.
II guess you've got the straight of it," he
said. Il know where TO find you If you re
wanted" he continued to Hiram. Come
with me" and he grssped the other by the
arm and led him out into the street.
ut was pow'ful good In you, sab, to stan
up for an ole cullud man like me, an l
shan't forget H." Tears mingled with the
blood on the old mans face as he spoke.
Il did not stand UP especially for you,
Uncle Hiram, but for the truth, which was
| in your favor. But how about that cut on
| your forehead? Its not as bad as it looks" /;
| and, finding nothing better at hand. used
| part of one of his shirt-sleeves as a pad.
and tied my handkerchief around his head
| The patrolman did not reach the Lookup
| with his prisoner. l was not surprised to
! hear that he had escaped, for / knew that
| an ounce or two would loosen the grip of
| the most resolute Of the city's guardians
| | did not see Hiram for more than a week
| after the assault upon him. Not knowing
! where / roomed he went to the Times office
| TO return my handkerchief. After that |
| met him frequently. He seemed to nut
| himself in my way, and was dis posed to ask
| questions which he did not wish Others to
| overhear.
One Sunday afternoon I stroled out to
| American River and had just seated myself
| in a bit OF shade on the bank when Hiram
| made his appearance. lie must have fol-
| lowed me. EXcusiDg himself for intruding
| he said he wanted 10 tell me something Of
| his troubles and then ask me two or three
| questions, which he hoped | would he good
| enough 10 answer. "You printin' office
| folks seems to know everything better'n a
| lawyer" he explained, IAN | don't b'lieve
| you'd fool a igersnt ole black man like me. I"
Seating himself in the nndergrowth near
| me, Hiram related the simple story Of his
| life. 1t was tOnchinR recital, such only as
| an honest, faithful and kind hearted slave
| could have given. He could have omitted
| nothing Of consequences. In conclusion, lie
| exhibited the written agreement of Tracy
| Sbattuck to accept a hundred dollars a
| month in full payment fer his services
| while he remained in California. He said
| he had paid the amount regularly for nearly
| year and half and in the meantime had
| saved pretty large sum for himself. ITO
| tell de trufe, sab. he added in a lower tone
| Us got a poOy good pile o. money an
| tingsdaps wuf money, an l don't want it
| tuck away f'Om me-"
| l commended his industry and told him
| that the money he had saved was his own
! and the law would protect him in its en-
NOW. dats jes' wat l wan ter know
| an talk about" returned Hiram eagerly.
Il wan ter know ef rs slave in Californy
| ell l kin be tuck back to Kalntuck by law ef
| | doan wan ter go; ef is bound ter pay
| Trace Shattuck hundred dolahs mumph,
| an ef anybody kin make me wo'k fur 'em
| heah or take away f0m me wat Is saved
| mp"
| told him that he was not a slave in Cali
| lorna, bnat as he hau been brought here
| by his owner he conld not be removed from
the State against his will; that his earnings
| were his own, and his late master was en-
| titled TO no part Of tham.
Had been able to look into the future,
and read the decision of the Supreme Court
| of the State six years later in the celebrated
| "Arehy" case, my assurance to Hiram that
he could not be removed from the State
| against his will might have been somewhat
| less positive; not. however, because the
| decision was just, but that 1t was an inter
pretation of the laws by the highest judicial
| authority in the common wealth.
| Charles A. Stoyall. the owner of the slave
| boy Archy, brought him to California from
| the State Of Mississippi iu 1855. Without
| the means, possibly without the desire. OF
! returning, S,Ovall taught school, purchased
| real property, exercised the privileges of an
elector. and bargained for and regularly re-
celved the earnings of Archy. In 1857 he
concluded to send 10 the boy back to one of
the Southern States and sell him. Arcby
op1e?ted and was arrested at the instance
| OF ms assumed master. The matter was
| orought before the courts on a writ OF
habeas corpus and the Supreme Court finally
| held that the boy was the property of Sto-
| vail, and might be returned to slavery
| The strange authority for this iude-
| ment was that Stovall did not en-
| ter the State for the purpose of
| residing there, but simply as q visitor and
| gentleman of leisure, in which case the boy
| did not pass from his control. 1t was not