The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-09-05
RAG jim.
BY e. ~. Dreux
A Story of Antebellum Days
In the South.

IN a space of time utterly inoommensu-
rate with the Importance of the event. The
far suburban jewellers had been startled by
sudden wild yells, heavily running feet,
pistol shots and demands for surrender,
indicating the hot pursuit OF criminal.
Then they saw from their doors confused
mass Of black and white humanity strug-
Cling and fighting. Bold, strong and
alert, the negro had kept six men at bay,
had wounded two and killed tho best DO
liceman on the force, who cried as he fell:
"Take himi Never mind me'' The in
stant's wagering would have given tho
hunted man his chance had not Rag Jim
dropped his scales and jumped on him
from his cart. A final shot entered jim 8
thigh, but that he knew 1t is doubtful, so
full was he Of strange, overmastcring
passion.
NOW got you wey bin want'n you
dis long time, " he pants. "Who kill Jedge
Long In de Massassipp You know, en- you
gotter tell.
'Hellop cries the officer with the hand
cuffs, himself Mississippian. He is so
COMPOUNDED that another officer steps up to
do the Handwriting.
"Wait, for Gods sakei" says the other
excitedly. "Give Rag Jim chance
Well close up to prevent an escape But
those two niggers know something, and
we must know it too.
"That's all right enough. But hand
cuff him now we've got him."
"You can't know niggers very well.
Once In tho clutches Of tho law, he'll turn
sulky and won't confess to save his own
life. But now, believe Rag Jim will get
it out of him. Not REGULAR OF course it
isn't, but when you've been policeman as
long as I have, you'll find many ways to
nab criminal"
The two negroes arc struggling at their
very feet, totally oblivious to everything
save each other. Both arc stronger than
the common run of men; but, desperately
as the murderer battles, there is some-
thing memorable In the motive of his as.
sailant that gives him an advantage,
wounded as he Is Now Rag Jim is atop,
and his ponderous fists descend with such
fury and rapidity that fear for his own
life has driven every other consideration
from the criminals mind.
"Who kill ledge Long2" Is the accom-
paniment of each blow. "You neber git
up fun yere tel you ans me dat En- l
know quick ez you speak wedder you tell
me troof or lie Member me OH dc wit
ness stanp could tell all, but de ve'y
lick dat kill UNI. You ready T. tellp'
"Yass; doan hit mo no mo-. done it.
I kill Jedge Long. I swear t do it W ep
he saunt me up TO- ten years"
With wave Of a great black hand, Rag
Jim calls tho spectators TO witness.
"Tell all bout 1t. l track you fur ez
'Possum Swamp. Wat you do denf"
II went on after 'possum, en- zee
Jedge Long in dere, huntin vanilla TO- he !
t'bacca. slip up benin um en- kill um."
Zone mo- wud; how you kill um?"
"Dess lax kill 'possum; how else you
speck me T. do it?" And, strange as it
may sound, there is the pride Of the ex-
pert in the agony Of his voice.
The officer shudders, for hs knows how |
the ricefeld hands slaughter an opossum.
Placing the sharply whitfield end Of a.
stout stick at the creatures throat, and
his own heavy foot at the other end he
then takes the forepaws in his hands and
breaks the neck by one powerful and sol
entiflo jerk. Less than five years ago
Georgia negro named Sanders slew his
wife in the same manner. In the mean
time the triple murderer Is secured. But
Rag Jim docs not rise.
Why, he is wounded That last shot
must have struck him. Hereto the
crowd of colorcd people standing around
-"attend to him, some of you. III leave
word at the hospital"
They hasten away with the prisoner and
the dead. The only whites left are the
Mississippian and wild eyed woman at
the gate in front of which all this has GO.
Cured. Tho officer looks at Rag Jim's
hurt-an ugly flesh wound-and Is not
surprised to see the strength now slipping
from him.
"Whcre's his home?' he asks, kissing,
but meets only sullen, scowling glances.
"Ef he got home, ain SEQ it, one
replies. EN- eff he had, you reckon We
all gwine tech dat niggah?'
Because he helped arrest another mig
ger, eh? See here, every one of you knows
tho prisoner to be criminal of the dcop.
est dye There isn't man here who ISM
afraid of him, though Of his own color.
Didn't Rag Jim do exactly right? Come,
now. Wouldn't he have done right if the
man had been whittier"
Who dat try'n' T. medger dc black man
oohn by do w'te man bushel2" asks old
Aunt Kate, street preacher, crowding to
the front. Coon dog ain got no smeller
TO postum. Wen you SEQ turkey buzz
zard dut (dirt) he own ness2 Wen mock N
bird fight de hawk, dc hawk warn do I'D
der hawks eff he kin; he ain hepp ketch
dln."
"Listen to the hooking bird'' croaks
the parrot on the woman's shoulder, thus
reminded Of his favorite song.
"Oh, Lnwd, dere's anodder parrot deb
BILL says Rag Jim, looking that way with
every symptom of extreme terror. I'm dat
family, too, wey dey done huff meanness
long time ago. Missus, you better choke
um TO no do mo- mischief"
"De voice O. dc Lawd speak, by he ]
creeter!' exclaims Aunt kate, astonished {
ut this unexpected backing up, while her 6
hearers eye the accomplished bird with f
doubt and distrust, for the southern me-
yroos arc as firm believers in the satanic 6
origin of the parrot as of the occult power t
If graveyard rabbits foot or the efficacy !
IF a hbation OF whisky poured In u ceme- t
cry road to keep off the ghosts. |
Traitor to you own race You gwine f
lay deere, en- do buzzards pick you clean G
1efo air colored ham ris you up. Youss a
1l,.n w Mt WIN aaip npdp--tpbp vor, br,,d