The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
a STORY OF SLAVERY DA rs.
How Three white Men Whippea All the NeEroe.
nj an indignation Meeting.

Ht an AndiGuntion Meeting.
CHARLESTON. Nov. Eth the days Of
slavery" said an old soldier. the worst trouble
we used to havo was in keeping the negroes at
home. You know in those days a negro was not
allowed to leave his masters plantation with.
out n written pass. When this rule was vic.
lated the offender was liable to the most severe
punishment. This punishment was admins
tered with a long whip on the slaves bare back.
Fifty lashes vas the regulation punishment for
a slaves running away.
There Is one incident that / will never for
get. ] was living near Pendleton. in this State.
and the slaves around there were thick. Near
the village was Samuel Mavericks largo plan
tation. Maverick. by the way, was the grand
father of the Mayor-elect of New York. Late
one afternoon l heard that about 100 negroes
had congregated near Mr.. Mavericks. in a
dense wood. to hold some kind of indignation
meeting. Gatherings of the kind in those days
were not frequent. from the fact that the slaves
had some idea of the punishment that would
accrue when they were discovered. In the wood
Of which / speak was n small one-room cabin.
The rumor was that the negroes were to meet
at the cabin.
My purpose was to get two men to JON me,
surround the cabin, and whip the slaves. Two
friends willingly went with me, and we arrived
near the edge of the wood about dark. Our
horses were fastened in n clump of bushes, and
we crept toward the cabin. All the negroes
were in the house. They never took the pre-.
caution to place a guard on duty, because they
did not believe they could ever DO found. We
easily surrounded the house. One man was
sent to watch the lone window. while the other
and ! went to tho door.
THE negroes were having n high old time.
They y, were ,nsir discussing 9.ssnSd a recent whipping, when
from a hard taskmaster for q very light offence.
Just as the Indignation proceeding was at its
hInhnAt | AhnVAn nnan the hnnR nnI alinpAl -
Ny friend followed SH' to p pPe ?S1t amy amy Of s" tRe mem en-;
escaping; Our presence had the effect OF STAN:
could not have surprised them more. One biz
bnck danced up to me. but | gave him a swing
paralyzed. No other attempt was made to raise
II told the crowd that had to whip every
man. IL caused a storm, but tho men had 10
with a pistol l took the slaves out one at n time
The woods echoed with the cries OF pain. though
II maze nar, little ans difference; was tire red out with
To- The hem, man &"a at ni tse d & sPe to ' aet as t exe tash %war
Finally, the last man was pulled from the cabin.
and when he was whipped we started home.
home. I'VE could Still hear their, cries as they
whipping had it's goo1 result. however, and
that wa the last Indignation meeting in that
thought, He was the old fellow, Jack Burt.
VINO used To play the fddlc Mt the dances and
for that reason l did not want to hurt him. On
making an Investigation ! found that he had
brought his violin along and had it carefully
hidden near tho cabin. ordered him to get il
and play while ! whipped. This he at first ro.
fused to do. but ! told him 300 lashes would re-
suit IL he refused. or course Jack had to play.
He drew his how through a chunk OF rosin and
made his violin hum while the voices OF the cry
Ing darkies kept timo weirdly, Every man who
was whipped cursed the fiddler. though the
fiddler patted his foot on tho grass and seemed
deaf to the Rroans. II was about the most pc.
cnliar combination that a man ever saw, but il
pleased Jack and my two friends.
Twenty years later ] WAS driving along tho
road near home one day when l was ovcrtaken
by a negro on II mule. He called me by name.
and asked II remembered him. ! told him that
l could not place his dusky face. / did not say
anything about he song YOU hear now about All
coOns looking alike. for II was not known then.
The negro told me that he was in the cabin thai
night, aud that ! did not whip him. i could moi
believe this. lilo explained the matter, how,
ever. by saying that he 'clum up de chimley.
and | guess he told tho truth. Anyway, / was
glhd of IL. twenty Yenra lRtCr.'