Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-05-16
SAM JONES ONTHE NEGRO
He Says God Made the Niger and
Man Invented the Mule.
Uncle Ben's Ku Klux Experiences. The
Darkey's Opinion of "Dat Man
you Calls Cod"

tne brother In Black. In the line of
character Sketches" there is no more
faithful subject than he.
Born, bred and buttered among the
colored brethern, know them as they
are, and no man can know the negro
unless he has been acquainted with
them from his infancy up. 4
l learned much about the negro in
my childhood days from my old black
nanny and the little negro children
that played with us day after day.
Superstition is Unborn with the negro,
hence he is very religious character.
don't say that many of them are
plous, for man can be very religious
and not much pious, and very pious
without much religion.
The negro has conscience. 1t does
not hurt him 80 much when he does a
wrong, but it lashes and pains him
when he gets caught in wrong doing.
To illustrate:
good old negro preacher one Sun
day morning was preaching on the
eternal punishment of the wicked and
In the midst of his fervent and fervid
sermon, he said:
Brethren, no longer than last night,
some negro come and stole the last two
chickens me and my old woman had.
l believe that negro is in this house
this minute, and l hereby and hereon
consisn him to everlasting punishment,
and the decree has gone forth"
Early next morning one of his
parishioners came to his front door
with two chickens in his hand and
said:
"Parson, here is your chickens"
Dem amt my chickens, child ;"
said the parsOn.
II knows they ain t, said the parish
ioner, your chickens was eat up fore
de cree went forth, and last night
arter l went to bed my conscience hurt
me 80 l couldn't sleep wink until l
went over to Mars Bob Proctor's and
got you two more in the place of them.
Here, pasture, take these chickens and
take that cree back"
Of course he left the parson with a
conscience void of offense
The negro's superstitions make him
an easy prey to deception in religi gious
circles. was preaching once at Tren-
ton, Tenn, when there came to my
room kindly looking old negro
preacher, well along in years. He in.
troduced himself as "Uncle Ben, !" a
Methodist preacher, and said:
Brother Jones, friend told me to
come and give you my ku klux expert
ence, and said you would be interested
in that. -----
Let us have it Bro. Ben," said to
him.
Well" he said, sit was shortly
after the war, just about the time {
went to preaching. / was pastor of a
circuit in this county, preaching TO
four churches. was at Oak Grove
church when the ku klux notified me
to desist from preaching the gospel.
sent them word that the message of the
Lord was upon me and must preach,
and did keep on preaching. They
sent me word again to desist, but told
them like Paul, / counts not my life
dear unto myself So one night down
at Oak Grove church, had preached
one of the most powerfulest kind of a
sermon in this distracted meeting and
there was a whole heap of mourners
coming to the altar, and at about 10
O'Clock | said, While we sing the
next hymn the officers of this church
will raise the mourners.' They were
dead mourners.
Dead mourners!" exclaimed.
Yes, sir; they were dead mourners,
and when they tried to raise them they
took them up in the middle and their
heels and head both hung down. They
was dead, and about that time some
body at the door halloed 'ku klux!'
Fore God, every mourner raise their
self and they all ran out of the church
and the ku klux stood in the door and
bowed at them as they ran out. Them
ku kiux had horns, and when all of
the people was out of the church de
ku klux took me down into de woods
and beat me mighty nj to death. l
told them they just as we'll finish the
old men, but they lowed if l preached
any more they would finish me.
80 den went up to Sister Brow n s.
and just as l come in the house, while
the moon was shining, Sister Browns
gal seed me coming. She was one of
the dead mourners, and she lowed:
Ma, ma, ma, ma, yon comes Uncle
Ben!'
"Old Sister Brown she jumped out
in the yard and just halloed and
danced and said, 'Hallelujahl l knowed
Uncle Ben, if you was servant OF the
Lord you would be Daniel in the
lions den, and they couldn't hurt
YOU
II said: They did though. They
beat me mighty nj to death
And tell you, Brother Jones, from
dat day to dis is never had any conf
Npnra in daaA ,,,a....,.,,- ,,o..o. L.,