The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-03
WAS A SLAVE TILL 1893.
TOUCHING CONFIDENCE or AN OLD
NEGRO IN MS MASTER.
He Claims That Tie Remained in the
Ihraldom on the Promise That He
Was to Receive n Home-A suit,

BRISTOL. TENN. Feb. Especial
4, may seem increditable that man
should live in a state Of servitude I'm this
land for more than quarter OF CEN
fury after the emancipation OF the ne
groes by the war; but Anderson WHIT
aker. an OLD negro Of Scott county. Va
can verify the truth OF the statement
that at least one negro ala not AVIAN
himself OF the proclamation OF freedom,
but remained In a state OF serVitude III
the death OF his old master IN 1870 d
perlod OF more than twenty,eight ye@ NC :
after he might have been os'o onotheP ''''
Inc story has been brought OUT III !"
law suit in 1ne Circuit Court ol 90 ~
county, and which is now peheinb ~ 20
appeal In the Supreme Coui Oh tiio The
Inc tale has in II an element Oh tio
oafhptir-a simpIe-Dlnded negro" i"l''
and the alleged faithiessness OF the De,i re
fclary of his lfe'S toll; II il!ustIdtes md
simplicity Of the negro chaIaCSe' ,ri
fhe abiding confidence IN de orc NO IL
exhibited by many o. them eve" :"
day.
THE OLD MANS STORY.
Anderson Whitaker was aia ~ 49, w.
NV an old man named Nathan WHITAKER,
in Scott county, Va. men IN Cid
of the war manumittea ,he nJe ~Hni,ned
man whitaker was an inNalid, tol.t,,ea
10 his bed the most OF the tihc VIII |"
severe case of intiamnatory lheui'i" ,'oi on.
and Anderson was his nurse anu bouS
servant The old man did hot want . ~
ssve M his trusted and faithtul nurse
and so he proposed TO Anderson thet IL
he would remain with him gust as I've
was during the rest OF ms ne thaI ~;
Nathan would give him mouse anu
some land and other property When ne
died Anderson was "a simple ana trust
full young darkey, reared In the PACK
woods, knowing nothing else IMAM "
obey ode master" and knowing nothing
OF The world and it's ways. He had a
comfortable home. plenty TO eat ana
wear. and he concluded TO toreso the
sweets of freedom and remain as ne
was until the old mans death, Wnlcn
might be expected at any Time tilcS
The old man was quite feeble ana hS1
long been afflicted with rheumatism 90
he remained at the old nome. WoIhi,nE
inst as he had done all his lie, doih@
The chores about the house. ana Wheh
ne could leave the house. working oh
the farm. ,,.,,,.,.o. d,od
md Anderson's long period OF serVItu!n.e
was ended. He had grown 10 be Iule
an old man. and fully expected 10 nave
enough from his old master .Stass0 ~
keep him IN comfort the ,,I resi 20 70 him i'm
DAYS as IL had never occurred 10 MN
10 doubt that the contract IN wIlGh ne
SO implicitly relied would be violated:
But Anderson learned Just as n iatSo
others had done, when IL was 700 !aee
10 be of any benefit to him. that promises
and performances sometimes lie very lar
apart .,.,.,, .bo,
n developed AT the old mans death that
the contract or agreement uhuer WHICH,
the old darkey had spent the best years
Of his life i'm the servitude OF another
was not in writing; and eitfer ihrouRn
forgetfulness or design. Nathan NhltakeI
did not carry cut his promise Sc 10 o,, a,S
ed and read Anderson found ont that
ne bad been remembered. indeed but A9t
10 the extent he had expected; for an
worth perhaps thirty dollars. No house.
10 land. no remuneration for his more
than a quarter centurys toll and cure
for his old master. and he found mat
in life 10 earn his daily bread by such
work as he could find TO 30.
CASE THROWN OUT OF COURT
The old man brooded over the mat-
ter for some time. and at length reiated
mis- troubles to Captain j. Harvey WOOD
u well-knoWn attorney Oh inns neo"o ii
who undertook TO recover for the ora
darkey the wages he had 50 laboriuSly
earned. He entered suit In the circuit
Court Of Scott county against the heirs
tract under which the old darkey had
spent the most of his life in toll. and the
case came on for trial at the last term
of the court. ON various technical pleas
i, the-eate was thrown out OF court at the
cost of complaint. II was urged that Il
verbal contract could not bind where
real estate was concerned. and that An
derson Whitaker's claim was barred by
the statute of limitations. anyway. An
derson had the cost 10 pay. and thus was
poorer than ever. His attorney, how
ever, was so well satisfied of the justice
OF tie old mans claim, that he applied
TO the Supreme Court of the state for
an appeal to that tribunal. and the ap-
peal has been allowed. The case VIII
be heard at the next session of the Eu-
preme Court of Wytheville. IN juno next
and there are strong grounds for the be
lief that the decree OF the lower court
will be reversed and the old darkey be
allowed some remuneration for his care
of his old master
Anderson Whitaker is probably the last
of his race I'm the United States to OBJ
tain his freedom, for he was virtually
slave TIL August, 1893