Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-30
JOE WAS PES T1EK e D
He Didn't Know How He Got Out of the
Workhouse
He Was in a Fight and Did His Share
With the Inevitable
f:.E
Result.

Joe was a stablernan, who supported d
family and thrived on a salary OF nVe DOL
lars week. Besides being GOOD man III
his profession, he was of immense import
ance in the eyes of the small boys Oh the
neighborhood. In the summer evenings
when work was finished, he would SIT under
the stunted peach tree and play on the ac-
Gordon and sing. His ghost stories were
marvels of fiction, and it was COTS IAN.
source of wonder to the boys how ne couio
whistle the Fatal Marriage in his pecu-
liar way. He was black, but they were MS
friends.
The gentleman who employed Joe sold his
horses, and the stableman was conse-
quently deprived of an occupation. he nad
received warning of the contemplated
change. and had endeavored to secure an
other place, but without success "nen
Saturday evening came Joe was handed
five dollars, and he started toward ms
home near the dump to give the money 70
the "ole woman as was his custom. bul
he did not reach home that night. he was
intercepted by drunken crowd, and IN the
fight which eEsued several policemen ap-
peared and arrested half dozen or the
participants. Joe was among the NUMBER;
1 did not see him for several days, and
when l CHANGED to meet him inquired as 10
the outcome of the arrest
There Was n Fight.
"Did yo' know I was run in? Well, dats
kerrec'. I Suttenly was run in. We'll, twas
like dis. I got my five dollars on dat
Satday night an was a-gwine home, an
when l got down by Casey's grocery, dat
gang down dere, Red Leary's gang, dey
jumped on me, an dey was a fight. 1
suttenly did fight. Dere amt no mistake
about dat, but dey begun it, 1t stan 10
reason dat l amt a-gwine to begin hght
a
fightin' de police come down on us ana
cotch nearly evy one, an l was one or
'em. Den dey loaded us into de hurry-up
wagon and took us to de station house an
locked US up. l tor 'em dat it wasn't right
fer me to be locked up, but dey KEEP me all
night. an in de mornin' all Of US was TOOK
down town in de van.
I've was took into de police cot. an one
of de policemen tor de jedge all about it.,
an said / was a-fightsn'. Den de Jedge
asked me If l was a-tightin' an SAID yes,
but dat dey began it. Den de jedge-he' s
dat one what had de wiz Bill whiskers-
he said it was de fus' time dat had been
down deere an dat he would make 1t only
five dollars or fifteen days. He asked me
had 1 five dollars, an l said l did. He
said dat was all right, to pay 1t an l could
go.
but I said No sub, I wants to go to de
workhouse.' He seemed to think that was
kinder strange, but he said If l changed
my mind / could pay de five dollars an git
thought was like this. 1 had been lookin'
fer work for two weeks an couldn't git
any. an Gey wasn't any money al home;
so l thought / might jus as well send dat
five dollars to my ole woman. kase If got
out 1 might not find any work, an she
wouldn't have no money.
\ Touch Of Human Nature.
well, l went down to de workhouse an
got into my striped clo'es, an dey put de
chain on my laig. I stayed dere half a
day, an den somebody come an said Git
outen here an took de chain off. Den dey
give me back my street clothes an l went
away. l was mighty glad to git out, but
1 was considerable pestered how done it.
when l went home my wife was dere,
an had dinner ready for me. 1 asked her
if she got de money all right, an she said
yes she did. Den I toll her how 1 was
sent to de workhouse an how l got out,
an how l was pestered kase 1 didn't know
how / got out
Den she laughed an said: Well. yo's de
foolishcst black niger dat ever see. What
yo' s'pose / was a-gwine to do wild dat five
dollars?'"