Birmingham state herald., 1897-07-04

"Lemme tell you, boss, how to fool dem dogs. If you ebber gets to whar dar is water and vets yer feet you done loss dem dogs right dar; orsif you gets whar dar's a passle of cattle you'se got dem dogs faded. Sides, Ise got sumpen dat beats al dat; fixed fur trubble, kase 'spected dem dogs (pulling from his sack wooden tray about 10x5 inches, filled With a composition of lard, sulphur. black pepper and ammonia.) Dis stuff nebber failss (Rubssthe mixture on soles of his shoes.l #
 Let me try a little of your cunjer,' Samson I want to be on the safe side. Crake it and rub some on my shoe soles) no time to lose" s
 We soon came to the tree where the cooas are. supposed to have their den which I point out to Samson and tell him to pull off his coat and get to work. He hangs his coat on bush, lays his sacks to one side, splits in his hands and takes hoid of the axe and begins sizing up the tree. I take the lantern, which has not as yet been lighted, and move off sev- eral yards
 ''Bess, which CT way dug yer want it ter fall?"
 "To the right"
 Sam hits several licks and begins to think of the danger that confgronts him, and pausss without uttering a word. Strikes few times again. and stopping.
 
 "Hush-ee! boss, don't you hear sum- pen?"
 No, that's only a hog moving around"
 Chops again, but soon steps, and rsst- ing on his axe handle says: Boss. dis axe maks CT powerful lot of fuss" Chops again. Boss, don't like dis much; less gib it up Good Lord, boss don't lite dat lampi Boss, nebber could preach to dem folks no mo ef wuz kotched in dis. Say, boss, lets go home am kum sum udder time, kaze I ain't feeln' no good no how; Pse got misery in my
 'Go on, Sampson. can't give it up now. l didn t-come out here for fun; cut away" sam starts again cutting manfully, blowing and sweating. When the tree is cut about half down the club several strong srushes in on him, hollering at the top of their voice: What are you cut ting my trees for?" At same time shoot ing yolley of shots in the air I an- swer the voice that it is my business and return the fire when one of the club falls, eXclaiming he is sf ' and to kill the ras- calls. Sam does not wait to see the re- suit. but leaves the ax in tree, coat, hat and everything. It's no use to say how fast that nigger can run. but how fast did he run Small saplings were not noticed and "Oh, LoWdyr' he exclaimed at every leap. 1 did not see him again until about 10 o'clock next morning. Said he run to Five Mile creek and went a half mile up the creek and stood in the water up to his waist until morning pray ing all the time.
 Boss" he began, q prayed dat you might be spared I tells yer boss dey lack got me. Boss, have you heaSn who wuz shot?'
 No, Samson, but it is rumored that the party is at the undertakers and he was shot by the fellow at the tree. You see [ had no gun and when I hollered turned and ran away"
 " Fore God, boss, it wusn't me. You got me in dis trubble and must see me put. I E ain't got no money and whut will
 "T am going to stand by you Samson the best I can, and if you need money to leave town l will give it to you, and if you need a lawyer you shall have the best talent in the city. Come around this evening about 3 o'clock and in the meantime I will look around and see what happened, and if the man is dead and you have been spotted l will give you the money to leave town"
 'tThank you, boss, thank you. You am sartainly a gemmen. I will be here at 3 o'clock shore"
 The negro. returns at the hour named. and immediately on entering the office he is followed by an officer who lays his hand on Sams shoulder and turning to me says. MT. Jones died at o'clock and said that he recognized the party who did the.shooting as you, Sam 0urn- ing to the negre), besides your coat was found containing papers with your name on them."
 Sam makes a break from the officer and runs to the back door, where h. is met by another officer with a gun, who tells him he is also after him and wants him to appear before he coroner's jury. The negro is carried to the undertakr's, where Mir Jones is laid on a cooling board and large coffin alongside of him. The negro is asked by the officer if he recog- nizes the corpse.
 O. "YeS, I nose him
 "Whel did you see him last?'
 '.Erhout 1 clock yisterday even'."
 Do you know anything about the kill ing?''
 'sMe! No, surs boss. afn't had no mo to do wid de killin' ob dat man den you has. I ain't seed him"
 'fThs ax, is it yours?'
 "No, sur; I nebber did see dat axe; sides, rebber chops wood."
 This hat and lamp, are they yours?"
 No, sur; ain't none ob dem mine; dis is de onlyest hat got, an l nebber did hab dat lamp
 And this coat, is it yours?"
 "No, sur"
 'sThere are letters in it addressed to you"
 .Lemme see. Turn dat coat ober agin. boss. Yes, dat am my coat, for shore, but hainT had dat coat on in three days. I hang it on de fence de udder day, an some one shore stole dat coat. nose I ain't had it in three days"
 The negro Is now trembling like an aspin and the perspira tion is rolling from his face in drops as large as bsads. With woe-begone look on him, eyes restless and body shaking from head to foot, he says:
 q nebber had muffin to do wid it, an din't no muffin bout it; I air't b-en wid dat man an ain't seed him fur nigh on to a mont"
 At this iuncture a man steps in and says: You lie, nigger, you were the very man at that tree last right and you it was who shot my brother" and , repeats the whole story of the shooting and how it occurred ! At this the negro sees no hope, but straight conviction, and sets down in a chair with his face in his hands and groans. When he takes his hards from his face the supposs corpse walks cut in front and exclaims, Hello, Samson, hows coons?" and the coroner's jury is convulsed with laughter.
 At first it is not funny to Sampson, but his fright soon passes away and he be- ,,f o11i,, (,t.