Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-09-17
JOE WAS "?ESrERED,"
Didn't Know How He Got Out OF the
Vopxhouse.


VoSkhouse
Joe was stableman who supported
a family and thrived on salary of So
a week. says an exchange. Besides be-
ing 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 felton, and it was a
constant source of wonder to the boys
now he could whistle The Fatal Mar
riage' in his peculiar way. He was
| black, out 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 endeavored to
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 tb give
the money to the "Ole woman" as was
MS custom. But he did not reach home
that night. He was intercepted by
drunken crowd and in the fight which
ensued several policemen appeared and
arrested half dozen of the partici-
pants. Joe was among the number.
| did not see him for several days. and
when | CHANGED to meet him inquired
as to the outcome of the arrest
Did yo' know | was run in? Well,
OATS kerrec'. l suttenly was run in
Well twas like dis. l got my So on
dat Satday night. an was a-gwine
home. an when got down by Casey's
grocery dat gang down dere Red
Leary's gang, dey jumped on me, an
deg was fight. I suttenly did fight.
Dere amt no mistake about dat, but
dey begun it. 1t STAINS to reason dat
amt a-gwine to begin fight agin
six men at oncet. While we was a.
fghtin' de police come down on US and
cotch nearly ev'y one, an l was one
of EN-. Den dey loaded us into de
ton house an locked us up. l tot '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.
I'VE was took into de police cot an
one Of de policemen toll de judge all
about it, an said was a-fightin'. Den
de judge asked me if l was a-fghtin',
an | said yes, but dat dey began it.
Den de jedge-he's dat one what had
de viii Bill whiskers-he said it was
de fus time dat I had been down dere
an dat he would make it only IS or
fifteen days. He asked me if l had
IS an l said l did He said dat was
all right, to pay 1t an could 60.
But l said: No. sub; wants to go
to de workhouse.' He seemed to think
that was kinder strange, but he said if
| changed my mind l could pay de S.
an git out any time l wanted to. Yo'
see, what l thought was like this. l
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 l got out l might
not find any work, an she wouldn't
have no money.
We'll. went down to de workhousc
an got into my striped cloes an dey
put de chain on my laig. l stayed
dere half day an den somebody come
an said: Git outen here, an took de
chaln on. Den dey give ME back my
street cloes an l went away. was
mighty glad to git out, but was con-
siderable pestered how done it.
When l went home my wife was
dere an had dinner ready for me. l
asked her if she got de money all right
an she said yes, she did Den l toll
her how l was sent to de workhouse
an how got out an how l was pes
| tered kase l didn't know how I got
out
Den she laughed an said: Well,
yo's de foolishest black niger dat |
ever see. What yo' spose l was a.
gwine to do wild dat S5?'."