Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-09-04
A TRYING SHAVE.
Harasaing Experience Of Drummer wss
Had lIelped Lynch . Negro.

HarasainG Experienoe Of Drummer VINO
Had Helped Lynch Negro
Here is the story the travelling
man toll Conductor Quiggle on the
cars while travelling between Har-
rishnre and Williamsport. Said the
travelling man: II was down south
Oh business trip some months ago
and did pretty fair business for
that section. One evening got
into town where expected to do
some trading. and after having sup
per sat on the hotel vernnda smok-
ing when l noticed Il crowd coming
down the street and there was con-
siderable excitement apparent. AS
the crowd drew near saw it was Il
lynching party. About 100 men had
a rope and they were hurrying along
a colored man who had been caught
red handed in some crime for which
lynching is the penalty in that Sec
ton 1t was Il wild, crazy mob that
had the man, and I'll never tell you
what impelled me, but l jumped up
and won't along, catching hold Of
the rope as l ran. A mile below the
town the end Of the rope was thrown
over the limb of II tree and the col
ored man was strung up and the end
of the rope fastened. Then those
who had revolvers took turns at fir
ing shots into the dangling corpse.
1.-The next morning after had
breakfast went out for walk and
passed u barber shop. l needed
shave and I went in and took seat
in the char. The barber was col
Ored man, and I recall now that he
looked ut me in peculiar way as /
entered the shop, but it did not im=
press me at the time. He lathered
me in a slow, deliberate way, and
then he got out his razors, stropped
one of them carefully and prepared
to shave me. AS he drew the razor
down over my right cheek he re-
marked, You is stranger in dish
yere town, isn't you, suha' Yes
! said, i came last night I saw
you last night he remarked.
Where was r. asked. You had
hold Of the rope when you passed
dish place. r.
my heart sank down to my shoes
andIgave myself upto silent prayer.
This man had me ut his mercy.
He could have cut my throat with
one swish of his razor, and he knew
it and knew it. I saw you again.
he said. 'W-w-wheres' l asked.
Down at de hangin. You had hold
of de rope down dere too Yves
l gasped. l thought sure my time
had come, and that he was just
playing with me as cat plays with
mouse, and that he was secretly
enjoying my terror previous to CIV
ing me final stroke. But he calmly
went on shaving mo, and as he
rounded up the stubble ON the chin
he remarked; You is fromd de no til,
sub, where do colo'ed man has his
rights, sub. You ought to know
bettah dan to hang pore colo'ed
man down in dish yere part of the
country where he don git no trial
And that ended the conversation.
I never wanted to run 80 badly in
my life, but l was powerless, and l
was weak as IL baby until he got
through. When he had used his
whisk Oh me, gave him a quarter
and told him to keep the change and
left the shop. Say, il you ever hear
Of me mixing into a lynching bee
again you want to have me placed in
an asylum. That taught Inc les
son. How did know that the man
shaving me was not u relative of the
MAN that was lynched? 1t might
have been his brother and he would
not have dared to open his mouth.
That time hunted trouble and
found barrels of it. "-Harrisburg
Telegram.