New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-30
THE MYSTERY OF "BIG MATTn
A NEGRO WHO FOUND THAT FREFnov
ROBBED HIM OF ONE OF THE
JOYS OF LIFE.
From The Chicago Tlmes-TIerald.

strain In him that demanded just 80 much
freedom every six months Slaves aere not
given holidays when they thought they needed
rest Big Matt knew this fact AZ well as h
knew anything. He took his. When the M
seized him he disappeared. At the end o. three
weeks his longing for savagery would De sa;s.
| fed. He would come back then with a sheeDlsh
face. quietly take his whipping listen to ,hs
seedlings Of his wife and % back 10 work
| big Matt got genteness from his mothe.
who was Zanzibar woman and house ser.
want. The rowing blood was in him. h0seye.
and would not out lie was a mystery " rany
because he was never captured. though pursued
With yigor. II vas necessary 10 maintain Ia
discipline OF the plantation. and the best dou
obtanabe put behind him Always ~
| trail ended in the swamp, at point three,
quarters Of a mile from the furthest cultivated
land. The dogs faulted there. suddenly and abb
! solutely. They were cast about in every Il.
rection, but could not recover. His master
questioned him closely many times. bu, could
get no satisfaction. wen gifts dar" 10
would say. with mellow gufaW. rich and
true as the big string Of bass yioI. II ,a
melts. OATS v at does. Den elects mersef
| tergedder furder on"
Big Matt" ran away many times and was
whipped many times ard forgiven many tines
| His periodicals. became a recognized Thing.
They always followed by the fru.tleIs
| chase and the return u the weariei and lis.
gusted planters and dogs Yes. sub" Colonel
| Sails would say 10 some neighborng crony
| when the mint stood dark green Ia the TAN
glasses and the spoons tnklei on the rims
/ hes gone agln. Dogs folOHcg rlr As q haf
to the place near where | killed The 1s buck
an then went whimperng around Ike children
| | bieve they were afraid, sub, actually afraid
| He'll be back in three weeks. spose, rasged
| an dirty an hungry-tired Of Twin IN Lizards
an birds. What am t. DO? can tie uD thS
wuthess black rascal. sub. an strip his Wuth'
| less black hide off'n his wuthless black carclsS
but il does no good. Nobody will buy him
| I'll be pestercd with the vernin until h. ileS'
| Colonel Sails was hardly sincere In this. Ha
would not have taken 5000 for Matt which
his neighbors knew.
The time came when Big Matt" forced biz
way into the innermost chamber Of the Cooner1
| heart and abode therein black a. he was, 10
many and many a year "Pidgy wa thres
! years old. the newest conner into the "bg
house." and It's tyrannOus mistress. Her father
was rather an old man when she came ard
as is not tnfrequent with old men SO blessed, NJ
! belonged to her body and soul Colonel Sails
would arise II was said half a dozen times 10
| night and tiptOe 70 her cot and gaze upon h4
sleeping. All Of the other fruits OF his union
with Miss Ida" as the slaves called their M
| tress were a. dr0ss beside this child. 'PdgC
! had been told 20 keep away from the quar-
ters." and consequently went there whenev1
she could ape surveillance. She vas q
roasted In the ashes. and always found them
Aunt Mandy" who Vas favored on The cay
| in question, left her alone FOR a little spao
| while she gOssi ped with neishbor The CABIN
| in some way caught fir The flames spread
rapidly. Aunt Mandy" as Is the tme-honor9
custom Of her sex. jumIed eXctedly UP ana
down and screamed. Now and then 4 uny Gy
| came from the one As she groied bndlI
The interior Of that cabin vas blood req
when Big Matt" came bounding with The speee
and courage OF an army OF chiettalns ~
| hurled his huge form through the door. from
which the black smoke poured, and reappeareo
I'm an instant bearing "Pidgy" in his arms SD
bears a slight red scar upon her forehead 20 "a
day The slave was burned about the arms ana
legs and Miss Ida nursed him. When ne go
out Of bed he was formally manumitted To
Colonel called him a "wuthless rascar nom
force Of habit, but his voice treInoled ana az
hand shook he gave him the paper wnica
recited that he vas freeman ana tod the ~
son why.
Now. IL Is a remarkable thing that this son q
West Coas, kingling did not kno" "ha' 70 =
with bis liberty. When his perici as
around he ran away To his disgust NOBODY
followed him. He did not have - dodge possr
bic witnesses OF his Hight. He did not nave
fool any dogs. He melted and collected hnseu
together again, but there was no reason tU ~
All Of the old zest gone from life " ne ieu
tempted to steal out from the 81 amp ana bS
for food II was given TO him freely. H. ceep
ing along the edge IF tbs swamp land ne va
detected by one Of The field hands the feiio.
called him fool Matt" and laughed at him ~
the end OF week he came IN. lie ~s ~
whipped Nobody asked him where ne hAa
been His wife, X is true, told him he "G
''brack ruffin." and refused TO give him GnhsS
but she came around In time Distinctly "
thought, freedom was failure
The next day he appeared before his iof'he
owner and volunteered TO clear up the riysteiy
OF his disappearance. He took me ou.S1
planter 10 the point where his trails hAh epoex
and showed him a massive rattan Nlh1 1ep 49,
ing from the limbs OF I'VE oah
thirty feet out from the trunk, ana us ehi ~aSS
clear ten feet from the ground. The great Az.
can sprung straight in the air, clutched me W
and clambered up IT, hand over hann' ~ 49,
ly as any sailor lie ieapea ton, '"s h,chmn
another Of its kind. and then TO hicAu~
For a Quarter Of a mile. forty feet above y
ground. and with All the sureness and inI -