The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-20

no: Martin himself comes back from
the dead TO haunt me- II don't seem Ike
dream. except that after ne goes 10y
I sort OF tall asleep and then wake up
suddenly With an awful feeling At my
heart and with the touch OF his fingers al
my throat He must have followed me
from the place where ! shot him down IN
the swamp 10 near where We lived did
not know that II was him then ! eniJ
knew that something uncertain and hke
light was after me. / walked eighty miles
that frss night, and for weeks and months
I vas hunted IKE a Wild animal That
something like a light was after me al
the time. bu; I: was a month before knew
what u was"
Bum made these statements IN matter
of-fact way His voice was low and al
ways wssI moduiafed. His fingers were
fastened in the barn, and there was no
sign OF nervousness about bis face OF
limbs A question started him in FUR
Their explanation
About a month after I killed Martin I
knew II was him that came back 70 me.
could see him as plain a. see you through
these bars He always came early In the
night, after had laid down to sleep. and
he always stayed all night. We had some
awful struggles. He always looked into
my face kind enough. but he kept reach
ing for my throat, and when he got mold
there he held onto 1t. He almost tore my
tongue out Of my head last Tuesday night
here IN my cell. The white fellow In ihe
next cell thought was going TO die. but
about o'clock In the morning l man.
aged 10 throw Martin on and shot him
again. Then was able to sleep the rest
Of the morning. but was very sore ana
my throat hurt me where he had tried 10
choke me. He only comes TO me now on
Tuesday nights. and we have very bad
nghf. You know, killed him on Tuesday
evening
Bunn.s words might Indicate insanity.
but few moments conversation with him
leads to q different conclusion. In his un-
educated state II Is hard for him TO dis
tinguish between cream and the mental
Authorizations which seize him and which
perhaps more intelligent person would
describe as nightmare" He speaks so
nationally and inteiligently OF other things
and Ia able to describe his mental state
with such clearness that II IL difficult TO
conclude that bordering over hts crime has
weakened him mentally. He tells OF fire.
quent attendance at camp meetings. and
his odd ideas are only those which are
held by hundreds Of uneducated Southern
negroes He was asked what he thought
would become Of him when he was taken
to Arkansas, and whether he gave HIM
self up under Tue impression that he would
be released from the persecution which
Martin subjected HIM to.
81 figure out that the killing ! did was
a hanging crime" he replied. Il don't
mind the hanging. II they will send my
trunk and my money to my wife in Ar
kansas. 1 have $50 and some clothes
and things In my trunk. and don't want
any Of IL spent for myself. II my things
are sent to my wife I don't mind what
the sheriff does. Ny father has $50 acres
Of land and my wife has our farm. which
II as big. but I don't want any money
spent. II they hang me 1t will be all
right. Perhaps they may take me from
the jail and shoot me. Then figure out
that Martin and ! will nave II out TO a
finish. You see. after they get through
with me ] will be in the same fix that
Martin II. and / guess they will let us
get together. and the best man will win
out. I'm not afraid Of him nor OK any
thing else. living or dead. amt like
some OF these niggefs who are afraid.
You see. he wears me out nowa while
am alive and he In dead. am helpless
to fight him on when he comes back to
me at night, and have to struggle with
him for long hours before l am permitted
to shoot him and end the struggle. When
am dead VIII have the same
chances at the thing, and am not
afraid OF the finish. wish we were
going to get together right now. I am
tired Of getting the worst OF II this way.
II II wearing ne out. I did not know
but that when I told about the killing
and gave myself up Martin would leave
rue alone. but he has come to me since
! have been locked up. so I guess he viii
keep coming every Tuesday until they
do with me what they want to do down
there
Bum was led 70 tell Of his early life on
the big Southern cotton plantations His
wording IN impossible of Imitation as are
the numerous quaint phrases which he
used When asked how old Martin was
he said. over poll" and seemed aston
ished when he had to explain that he
mean, he over * years OF age and
hence did not have to work out his poll
tax on the roads. He gave decidedly
Interesting account Of how he FIRST learn
ed tn work In the fields He told how
when hut n little pickan.nny he carried
water 10 the men I'm the fields, and made
himself useful about the big plantation
houses Later. he learned 10 nick cot
ton and To work I'm the fields He rrided
himself on hts ability rs work. and be-
came one OF the best rast-spli,ters I'm Cal
hn,,n county. Then a friend for whom
ne had worked wanted him 10 acquire
n homestead Of his own ard he t,,rnas
the project over In his mind until he de-
serminea Ia do AZ
He acquired. "a ~ thought, title TO some
tana. and then married a yellow girl from
neirhhorinr plantation. and started 10
improve II. He had crop az cotton H
rniscS corn and sugar cane or as ne
called H. raised sorghum" lie laid on,
nice little garden Mot near HIS cabin
and there ne grew garden truck ard small
vegetables for his table The old rahI,
was covered with cIamherin~ vines and
the place. from his dsscriutian must have
bern very picturesque Hts fro. cren ~
cotton was most successful one. ard n
WAS Sufficient IL pay for his land Bu. no
SAYS Martin, who livsi ~ the other end Of
the lane, which passed his little farm
could not bear IA see him prosper and
gent wanting IN t'ispoSse~s him Of the
land. He has a confused 'dsa OF The home
stead 'ass. and Il IS difficult 10 understand
INST what the transactions were between
RssE4 net H1~ a.