The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-21

little things was the besetting sin of the
negro and was a race trait. And that
cheating in a trade was race trait i'll
Jews and Gentiles We white folks do
not call it cheating, but say he got the
advantage or he got the best of the bar
gain, but this advantage is generally got
by deception or a suppression of the truth.
The negro smooths his sin over by call
ing it taking things-just as our cook
once said to me when l complained about
her stealing lard and flour and rice and
such things: Mr.. Major, / don't think
you miss what / takes Well / didn t
very much, for she never took much at
a time, but it annoyed me for her TO
think she was fooling me when she
wasn't. But that same negro would sit
up all might with a sick member of the
family and was always good and kind
TO our children. Now the white man
rarely steals anything and the negro as
rarely cheats you in trade. Before the
Civil War the negroes most frequent
crime was stealing chikens and they got
so expert in that business that a law was
passed making it penal offense for any
body to buy chickens from a negro even
though he had raised them III his own
yard. We could buy foot mats and
broOInS and baskets, but we must not buy
chickens. Law or no law, he continued
his midnight vocation, and if the conn
mandment had said thou shalt not covet
thy neighbours chickens it would have
been all the same to him. First covet
and then steal was part of his religion. i
was Illuminating about this because /
bought turkey yesterday from Il negro
for a very low price and | wondered
where he got ii. | didn't question him,
fer / didn't want to hurt his feelings.
When was i'm North Carolina a friend
told me about an old darby who was on
trial for stealing a turkey and the proof
was positive, ard yet he did not seem to
be alarmed. His lawyer was discourag
ed and said, Uncle Jack, it looks like
they have got YOU" mo, dey amt, Mas
John; dey amt got me yet and dey aint
agwine to get me. Tell you how it is,
Mas John. De jedge seten, up dar
was my young master when de war
broke out and not gwine to send me to de
pen. No, sir; he aint he don't forget
wha' ] know" But Mas john had lost
confidence, for he knew that the judge
would do his duty and execute the law.
In a short time the trial was over and
the judge asked Uncle Jack if he had
anything to say in eXtenuation of his
crime. The old gray-headed man got up
with a grunt and looking around upon
the spectators and them at the judge
said: Muffin much, Mas Judge, muffin
much. Only dis, you know all about dat
old war when we all got whooPed and
you haint forgot how l went cut wild
you to de army for you was a cappen
and old master told me to go long and
4oI-r l. - In. ri
de very bes' l could for four mighty long
years and how one time you got wounded
and l staid by you ontell you was wei
again and how anoder time you took the
measles and me, too, and | stay by You
and nus you and how anoder time dem
Yankees cotch me and l got away in de
might and come back to you and how
sometimes you get out of money and out
of sumfen to eat at de same time and
you call me UP and say Jack, you mus
go out a GIN and get US sllmfn', and
] go out late in de might and bring you
chickens and roastin' ears and one time |
bring you Il turkey, and you neber AK
me muffin about whar / got him and you
never Civ ME any money to buy him, did
you, Mrs Jedge? You call it foragn'
den, didn't you, Mas Jedge, and if it
was fOraging den how cum it to be
stealth now?'
by this time the courtroom was con-
vulsed with laughter and the judge could
mot conceal his emotion, for his recollec-
sion of the old darky's faithfulness was
revived afreSh. He wiped his brow and
his eyes, and said: Mr.. Sheriff, adjourn
court. Uncle Jack, / will pay for that
turkey, but you must not do so any more.
When you need anything YOU must come
to me- | haven't forgot you
1t lis amazing to read our penitentiary
reports where we learn that there are
over 1000 negroes in the State and cou1l-
ty chaingangs who are there for stealing
Of some kind Most of them are of the
new issue who were never in slavery and
u majority have advanced under freedom
from simple larceny to burglary. Chick
ems are too small game for the modern
darby. One of my farm hands was sent
there for two years, and was Disguised
with his associates and said, Il tell you
what. boss, dar is some mean folks in
de chaingangs. Fact is, dar is some folks
just as mean in dar as dar is Outen dar."
Gobe says that Cuba is a good place tc
send the darkys to, for the trees are
small and the chickens roOst low, but
the new negroes don't seem to banker
after chickens like the old-faslrioned ne
groes. They had rather snatch a lady's |
pocketbook and run. 1t is astonishing |
how many chances they will take to get
something for nothing, and will take the /
risk of arrest and punishment and yet |
have never heard of one being turned |
out Of church for stealing.
War will make white folks steal and
Judge Dooley believed that mean whisky
would. The old-time lawyer used to tell
how he was broke of taking too much
when he was ON the bench of the North ;
ern circuit A man by name of Sterrett /
kept dirty saloon near the hotel and the
judge patronized him every morning be-
fore breakfast and by court time was
pretty mellow. One cold morning the mis-
chievous lawyers borrowed half a dozen
silver spoons from the landlady of the
hotel and slipped them into the judges
overcoat pocket, He never discovered
them until court adjourned for dinner
and was dreadfully puzzled and perpleX-
cd. He recognized the spoons, for they
had his landlady's mark and were ancient
heirlooms in her family. He sent for her
to come to his room and gave them back
-