The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-08-15
JOE WAS "PEsTERED."
Did..t Know How Ne Got Out of the
Workhouse.

I
workhouse
Joe was a stableman who supported
a family and thrived on salary OF IS
week, says an exchange Besides be-
| ing a good man In his profession, he
was of immense importance In the eyes
OF the small boys in the neighborhood.
In the summer evenings. when work
was finished, he would sit under the
stunted peach tree and play on the
accordion and sing. His ghost stories
were marvels OF fiction. and IL was a
constant source of wonder to the boys
how he could whistle THE Fatal Mar
riage" in his peculiar way. He was
black, but they were his friends. The
gentleman who employed Joe sold his
horses and the stableman was conse-
quently deprived OF an occupation. He
had received warning OF the contem-
plated change and had endeayored 10
secure another place. but without sue
cess. When Saturday evening came
Joe was handed s. and he started to-
ward his home near the dump to give
the money TO the "ole woman" as was
his custom. But he did not reach home
that night He was intercepted by a
drunken crowd and in the fight which
ensued several policemen appeared and
arrested half a dozen OF the partici-
pants. Joe was among the number.
| did not see him for several days, and
when I CHANGED to meet him inquired
as TO the outcome OF the arrest.
did yo' know was run in? Well.
dat's kerrec. suttenly was run In.
Well. twas like dis. / got my IS on
dat Sat'day night. an was a-gwine
home, an when I got down by Casey's
grocery dat gang down dere, Red
Leary's gang. dey jumped on me. an
dey was a fight. I suttenly did fight.
Dere amt no mistake about dat, but
dey begun IT, II STAINS to reason dat
| amt a-gwine to begin a fight agin
six men at oncet. While we was a
fghtin' de police come down on us and
cotch nearly ev'y one, an was one
of EN-. Den dey loaded us into de
hurry-up wagon and took us to de sta
ton house an locked us up. toll '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 downtown in
de van.
Eve was took into de police cot an
one of de policemen toll de judge all
about 1t, an said l was a-fghtin'. Den
de judge asked me II | was a-fightin'.
an | said yes. but dat dey began 1t.
Den de jedge-he's dat one what had
de vii Bill whiskers-he said 1t was
de fus' time dat l had been down dere
an dat he would make IL only s. or
fifteen days. He asked me II ! had
S. an / said | did. He said dat was
all right, to pay it an | could go.
but / said; No, sub; | wants to go
to de workhouse' He seemed to think
that was kinder strange, but he said If
| changed my mind could pay de S.
an git out any time | wanted to. Yo'
see, what | thought was like this.
had been lookin' for work for two
weeks an couldn't git any, an dey
wasn't any money at home. so thought
| might jus as well send dat s. to my
ole woman, kase If got out l might
not find any work, an she wouldn't
have no money.
We'll, | went down to de workhouse
an got into my striped clo'es an dey
put de chain on my laig. / stayed
dere half a day an den somebody come
an said: Git outen here, an took de
chain of. Den dey give me back my |
street clo'es an | went away. | was
mighty glad to git out. but was con-
siderable pestered how / done II.
When | went home my wife was
dere an had dinner ready for me. I |
asked her If she got dc money all right
an she said yes, she did. Den | tor |
her how | was sent to de workhouse'
an how | got out an how was pes
tered kase | didn't know how | got
out.
Den she laughed an said: Well
yo's de foolishest black niger dat |
ever see. What yo' s'pose l was q,
n Il xss1