The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-01
UNCLE ZEKE.
A Sketch of a Court-Scene Before His
Honor, Mayor Russ.

A Sketch of a Court-Scene Before His
Honor, Mayor Russ.
Charge: ''Disorderly conduct"
The old negro had seen better days.
He stood before his Honor, Mayor
Russ, gnarled and knotted and twisted.
His limbs had that sinuous, hickory
twist, with a dark bronze polish that
suggested toughness. For there was LITTLE
of flesh about him, but big bones-that
reserve-force of longlivers that makes a
last stand after all the rest
of the forces of the body
have taken fight. SO the old man
stood over three-score and ten, with eye
lids close together-a mere whitish
| thread of color between-sleezy eyerlids
that had been starved of their plump
juices of primer years.
Whats dat you say, my young mars
teri" Chats the way he addressed his
Honor-for the old man was stranger to
arrangements, If he was ODD ''Yaas,
sab. l AK white folks for money in de
streets after | play de banjo and sing
| fun"
At this stage of the proceedings his
Honor's off ear moved visibly, which
/ came as a SeIll-SenSdUlOn 10 tUe OtIeT
culprits awaiting their turns.
What did he say his name was?"
asked his Honor.
'Ezckekiel Turner" answered the old
| man.
Uncle Zeke, continued his Honor,
| did you say you We're playing the
banjo?''
"Yaas, boss, dat's it, sab, yaas, sab, de
| banjo, boss"
His Honor's ear above-referrred to
| now quivered slightly.
| Where is your banjo?'
Hits down stars, sab, down i'll de
cell. sah.''
well. Uncle Zeke, suppose you bring
that banjo up here, and let me see just
what kind of disorder you were guilty
of'-and the next case was call mean
| while.
| Uncle Zekes walk was not over-steady
after his climb up the stairs, as he rock
ed hame-legged toward his Honor with
the banjo.
well, stand up there. now, and show
me just what you did"
| There was quite crowd about the bar
but they pressed back. and left Uncle
Zeke in the middle of a circle, and stand
| ing in front of His Honor. Then there
| was IL pause of silence, as the old man
ran the thick crust of his thumb over the
strings while the dry glazey knuckles OF
| the other hand Rugged the neck of the old
| instrument.
| His Honor's other ear had caught the
movement and under his desk his fat
left leg was trying to hide itself as If
ashamed of marking time in its official
| capacity.
| Uncle Zeke? His face was up in the
| air. Were his eyes sleazy? Does cham
payne show up fiat when it is stirred
| The lids of the old eyes had risen slowly
and let out light-a sort of cabin-light
| like that which throbbed once down thu
| side of the hill just outside of the fence
of the great house under thin moon
| And his face ?-the color of dark
cracklins, and unguently-wrinkled like
cracklin's. The feelings chased over il
sometimes like flaws of wind over al
| autumn inlet. sometimes like the tende!
| flush that on some strange spring days
make afternoons look like mornings. The
words kept step in the place of feet that
| tried to:
My gal, my gal she's a mighty fine gal
She am de gal fur me-" etc.
| Sure enough it was breakdown, and
one could almost hear the Fluctuations OF
| sandscrape, and see the arms-akimbo-
| chasseZ.
| Dat was one oh 'em, boss
The full fiorid face of his honor was a
| trifle more fiorid. He was silent a
corner of his mouth where some tobacco
juice had gathered during the recital.
Il thought once, could play the banjo
| Uncle Zelle," remarked his Honor, after
a long breath and with quite an emphasis
on the 81" Not another word was
spoken. There was moments pause.
| Uncle Zeke looked into his Honor's eyes
''and they understood"
| Turning about, the old man struggled
| toward the door, his feet could be heard
picking their way uncertainty down the
| stairs.
AS his Honor walked along the shaded
street toward home that afternoon, he
looked into a big yard where there
was a portico full of laughing listeners,
| and heard an old negro man with banjo
| accompaniment singing as follows:
'Nigger drink de t'other mans whiskey,
An make a mighty fuss;
But when election day do come
He votes for Marster Russ