The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-18
soon TO Re FREED.
Career of Nicholas said, a Most Re-
markable Negro.

From the Chicago Times Herald.
There is soon to be released from the
state coal mines Of Alabama Nicholas
Said, one Of the most remarkable negroes
that ever felt the sting Of a masters lash.
Said drifted into Choctaw county. Ala
bana- In 1874. at time when ku-kluxism
was at its hight 1t was during the ex-
citing days when Ben Turner, a former
slave was attempting TO carve out a state
Of society to his own liking. The negroes
generally were much perturbed Many
were armed. and SO menacing did they be-
come that the whites were forced to band
tosether IN self-protection. 1t was the
Gay following the assassination of the en-
tire family of Blakely Bass at RIadon
springs that Said appeared upon the
scene. he came up from Mobile on a
Iomolgbee river steamboat He took In
the serious situation before he had re-
NAMED at Bladon twenty-four hours
somehow or other he quickly won the con-
Hoehce OF the whites. Intellectually, he
was so vastly superior to the others Of
his race that they At once became his will
ing listeners. Before he had been in the
county TWO weeks Turner had been hang
ca ana peace once more had come The
on. '''4'S
He had already won the highest es-
TEEN from the white citizens, for AZ was
ne VINO had brought about an under
standing between the two races that put
stop 10 assassination and house burn
ing. In little while he began teaching
a colored school, and in less than siS
months he had more than three hundred
pupils. OF his life prior to his arrival at
Biadon no one In that community knew
1nWfhanQ Sc =.
~ Ooyhood he had been captured In Africa
by Capt. Simpson, who belonged to the
British army, and that he had been made
BODY servant to the captain and had fol-
lowed him over all the civilized world.
OF his parents he claimed to know moth
ing, except that his father was one of the
south African chiefs. He showed marks
upon his body. which he said were the
signs of royalty. He said that Capt.
Simpson had died at the port of New Or
leans just as they we're preparing to sail
TO his African home. Thus being left
alone, he decided TO see more of America
before going back to his native land.
said was master of ten languages
His English was perfect, and tested In
Spanish, French and German IL was found
that he was equally as good in these. He
had dash about him that was fascinat-
ing. standing silently and erect. he look
ed as II master hand had carved the
figure from some piece OF black stone.
Except as to color he possessed none OF
the African features. His hair, while
black as the wing Of a crow, was straight
and OF silken Oneness. His facial fea-
lures were classical; his lips came square
ly together; his teeth were even and were
as white as pearls. Being a black man
and living among his race, to the whites
his carriage was IN contrast with the
others, refreshingly graceful and pleas
ant He was uniformly courteous and
possessed none of the evil habits Itch al
that time were characteristic of his kin.
He knew something Of political econo-
my had studied the principles Of law
possessed a smattering knowledge of
physio and had read much on religious
topics. / well remember the conspicuous
part he played in the campaign of 1876.
lie took the stump In behalf of the Tilden
electoral ticket. and preached to his less
ignorant fellowmen that the road to safe
ty and harmony between the races lay
in voting the democratic ticket. 1t was
determined to test Saids influence. So.
in that election there was a fair count
of the 1000 negro voters in the county.
less than 500 voted for Hayes. On The
stump he seemed as one inspired. HIs
sentences were short, clear-cut and logi-