The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-27
STOLE SACK OF FLOUR
CARRIED BEFORE THE MAYOR
HE TOLD A PITIFUL STORY.
LOST BOTH HANDS IN A SAWMIll
He Was Born in Caldwell County But Aftel
the War He Went to Alabama Where
He Was Hurt. Trying to
Get Work.

Perishing in city. Of plenty; dying
among Christian people for food; bread
all around him and not a morsel to eat
for three days.
That was the experience Of Sidney
Whittenberg, crippled negro who
came here the other day from the west
ern part Of the State. Never before,
perhaps,i in the history of Raleigh has such
o thing been true-iet us hope it never
Will be again. And certainly, that the
victim of such misfortune will not have
to commit crime to get the food TO keep
| life in his body.
| 1t all came out in the Mayors court
yesterday. Whittenberg is a tall, black
nego, but with a soft brown eye and
kindly face. He stood rather timidly,
with hat in hand, among the drunk and
ldisorderly" offenders before the mayor
yesterday morning. One would hardly
have noticed that there was an empty
sleeve on the left side and that the hand
holding the hat had only three fingers,
and that these were so crooked and
twisted as to be of little use. He kept
dropping behind the other prisoners i'll
have taken in these details at first, any
more than you would have noticed that
he was rather an old man and very
thinly clad.
What is your namep' asked the
mayor.
Sidney Whittenberg, sir" he replied
quietly, but in most respectful tones
and manner.
Sidney, you are charged here with
stealing sack of -four from Che store
of J. J. Harris; are you ready for trialY'
81 just want to say, Your Honor" AMI
he stepped forward as he spoke, that
/ was starving when l took it. l had not
tasted food for three days. They
stopped me before l got away. Somehow
l didn't expect to be allowed to carry it
off, but / was desperate. | tried to get
work, but I'm so crippled | can't do
much and so nobody would employ me.
| begged for food or money or clothes,
but nobody would give me anything.
saw the flour ON the floor and coulG
not resist the temptation to take it
anything, so that it was something to
eat. I'm not rogue, and | hope you'll
not be hard on me-"
This was the pitiful tale he told.
Later he related how he had been in the
western part of the State some three
months and had drifted on down here
from town to town, begging and trying
to get honest work.
But l can't do much and nobody
seems to want me about, though l do
the best / can to make myself useful.
haven't been inside a dwelling for three
months. I'm not fit to go into any re
spectacle place. I've got no clothes that
look decent or keep me warm, for /
have TO sleep in old houses or on the
ground"
The negro said he was a native OF
Caldwell county, having been born OH
the plantation Of Colman Payne, fifteen
miles from Lenoir, on December 2,
1876.
II have a young master now living at
Hickory. His name is Julius Payne. If l
could see him I'm sure he would help
me. / left Caldwell the second year af-
ter the war and have never been back
My wife died before / left and / have
no children. l went South from this
State, and thirteen years ago, in Ala
bama, while working in a sawmll, this
happened he showed the stump OF
his left arm, cut off between the wrist
and the elbow, and his right hand, twist
led and Scared up, with two fingers gone.
Since then he said he had been going
from place to place, working whenever
he could find anything he could do, and
begging when there was no work.
"Within the last year or two, times
seem to have got harder and its more
difficult for me to find anything to do.