The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-01-18
IT IS ALL THE SAME
Bill Arp Writes a Chapter on The Sin
Of Stealing.
DIFFERENT NAMES FOR 1T.
Negroes Take" White Aeu ..Oet
the Advantage of One Another, and
So IL Gees.

trait in Jews and Gentiles. We white
folks DC not call IL cheating, but say
he got the advantage or he got the
best % the bargain. bat this adpea-
tsge IS generally got by deception or \
suppression Of tie truth. The negro
smooths his sin over by calling Il TAX
Ing thin2s-just as our cook once said
TO me when / complained about her
stealing lard and -four and rice and
such things: Mr.. Major. don't think
you miss what | takes" Well. ] dlda't
Very much. ior she never took much at
time. but It annoyed me for her 10
think she was fooling me when she
wasn't. But that same negro would
sit UP all night 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 a trade.
EesoTe the civil war the negroes most
/ frequent crime was stealing chickens
and he get SO expert in that business
| that a law was passed making IL a
/ penal oflense for anybody TO buy
! chickens from negro even though he
I had raised them in his own yard. We
could buy foo: mats and broJnis and
/ baskets, but we must not buy chick
ems. Law or no law. he cc1tnuc1 his
midnight vocation. and II the COM
mandment had said thou shalt not
rovet thy neighbor's chickens il would
have been all the same 10 him. First
coyet and then steal was part Of his
religion. | was Illuminating about this
because ! bought a turkey yesterday
from a negro for very low price and
/ wondered whore he got It, / didn't
question him. for didn't want 10
hurt his feelings. When was in North
Carolina friend told me about IN old
darky who was on trial for stealing a
turkey and the proof was positive. aud
yet ne did not seem 20 be alarmed. His
lawyer Was discouraged and said.
Uncle Jack. IL looks like they have
got you" NO. dey airt. Mas John;
dey amt got me yet and dev aint
agwinc to get me. Tell you how IL is.
Mas John. lie jedge seten up d2r was
my young master when dc war brok 2
out and not gwine TO sand me to lie
pan. No, sif: he a!nt. he aint done for
get wha / knew" But Mas John had
lost confidence. for he knew that the
Judge would do his duty and execute
the law. II a short time the trial Was
over arl the judge asked Uncle JACK
i. he had anything 10 say in extenna-
tian Of his crime. The old gray-he AIDED
man got up with a grunt and look
ing around upon the spectators and
then a: the Judge said: Muffin much
Mas Judge. muffin much. Only dis. you
know ell about dat old war which We
|. all got whooped and you haint forgo.
how went out wild you TO de army fo.
you was a cappen and old master told
me to go long and take keer of yol
and you knows ! did de very bes'
could for four mighty long years anu
how one time you got wounded ard
, staid by you ontell you was well again
ard how anoder time you took the
measles ard ne. too. and ] stay by yor
and nus you and how 2noder time den
| yankees cotch me and / got away ir
. de night and ccme back TO you anf
how sometimes you get o1t OF none,
and out OF sumfen to cat all - d'
same time and you call me up and say
:, Jack, you mus 90 out forsgin' and
get us sumfin'. and go cut late in d
night and bring you chicken and ros
tin ears and one time / bring you {
turkey. and you neber AK me muffin
about whar / got him and You nevc
Civ me any money to buy him, an'
ycu, Mas Jedge. You call IL foragia
den, Didn't you. Mas Jedge. and IL
was foragin den how cum IL TO b
stealin' now?"
We soldiers didn't steal much dur
: ing the civil war. but sometimes VI
- were scrslv temuted and fell. Some
times we got awful tired of salt mea
and longed for a change OF diet re
member that when we camped pea
Orange courthouse there was lovel.
little shote that took up where ou
, horses were tethered- IL belonged TO
! cross old man who lived On q Nil
nearby s-1 Major Aver rode up ther
one evening and tried 10 buy IL TIL
J old man refused in an insoient manne:
a for he was a union man man and wa
4 mad because our army had camped o
his land and was cutting his timber
Cartain Cothrsn was a good shot Wit
q pistol and was proud OF his skill. an
so the next evening Major Aver be
Il him a quarter that he couldn't shoe
{ that pigs eye out. He took the DC
n and won. and our faithful servsnt tt
5 dressed and baked Il. and we feastet
The old man came prowl!ng ercun
every day hunting for that pig. and
!, was harder to lie out o. IL than IL va
= 10 steal II. But the mosnirg We brok
camp We sent Tip Up there and pa
the OLD woman two dollars and q'isett
!. our conscience. A fat shots was slmo
: irresistible One tine George Burne
and Tom Aver killed one under sim
lar circumstances and sent a q uart'
y to our mess. The old man missed Z
II hog in dre time. and when he Inquire
= G. Burnett IL they had sem IL aroun
Burnett whispered 10 him that CA
p tain Stillwelrs mess bad fresh pig n
l. dinner yesterday but he musten 70
+ who tcld him. I belonged TO Stilwell
e. mezs and the first thing We knew ca
c-ysl YeisSr had us summoned bgfo
n him to be tried on charge or stealth
"a the old mans pig. II was a kind
- mock trial and resulted IN convictii
- Burnett Lyer. and they had TO pay q
;, the pig. But I am pleased 10 say OF ol
9 confederate soliiers that ! never kne
n case C fiag-ant or cruel robbery
al nillage. nor did ever know OF b
10 one instance of a soldier violating Il
-scred rights OF mans family.
renterv;lJs Tho Louisiana Tigers.
el they were called. committed a sham
y, full outrage in the country nearby Al
20 were Immediately arrested aod tr.
- that evening ard shot the next nin-nii
" at sunrise. Old Joe Jchoston beat lyr
law out Of sight when he had a 81
csse. There are various kinds o. stei
T. ;rg. but most aggravating to write
,es .or the press is the stealing by {
press. Two fr,ends-cne n Birmin
y Nsm and the other in Los Argell
= ~,lisornia-bave recently cent I
'opies OF .aDers publ'sic~f in III,
= >wns in which the ssid paDers h
1oied from the CHICAGO Ir--r-Oce
he letter wrote for the corstitu.i
about Pelzer. Soath Ca-oii,a- Ny "a,