The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-03-31
FLED R 0 THE LASH.
THoUGHTH HE WAS srILLA SLAVE


For q third of a century Wade Crowder, a
,oal-black negro, toiled on a plantation In
Mississippi under the impression that he was
a slave. 1t was only two weeks ago that he
81 mmmoned courage and made his escape
after thirty-five years which according to
his story were filed with hardship and mis-
cry. His body still bears the marks of the
lash, an instrument which he says is freely
used in the vicinity Of Grenad Miss, when
the negroes, who still think themselves
disobey the orders of the men they
call H. asters or speak of the time when they
Will be made free.
Unable to read or write. Crowder's mind
has been dwarfed by the treatment he has
received, yet he tells the story with a sim
plicity which seems to bear the stamp OF
truthfulness.
WIFE is SICK AT CAIRO.
Crowder arrived in this city last Friday in
"a box car. He was accompanied by his
daughter, IL years old, and both were suffer-
ing from exposure and lack of food. At Cal
70 Crowder's wife became so i'll he was forced
to leave her there. Members of their race
who befriended her tried to make Crowder
realize that he was safe there, but he feared
the man who had owned him so long and
SoitO = 4
at the home Of Samuel Moon, 5th and Com
mercial avenues, Cairo.
Upon reaching this city a home was pro-
vided for Crowder and his daughter at 1923
LaSalle street. Crowder went out to hunt
work and saw a white man who he thought
was following him. He insisted upon nov
ing and went to the home of Mrs. Anderson,
3O1s Dearborn street, but he left there yester-
day after a book agent called, taking with
him his little girl. Last night many of those
who had learned his story were searching
for him, but they failed to find him.
GIVES THE STORY OF HIS ESCAPE.
When Mrs. Anderson asked Crowder about
his escape he answered:
Just before I ran away somebody set fire
to some cotton, and they said l did it,. l
found out l was going TO be whipped In the
morning, so got, my. wife and girl and We
started out. We hid in a shed in Grenada
until the next night, when we got into a box
car. We had plenty to eat, but nothing
to drink. and we were. cold. AT every
station we thought we would be found and
taken back.
All of our people around Grenada think
they are slaves. When we went to town
somebody always went with us, and we did
MT dare speak to anybody. Sometimes on
the plantation we would talk about being
free some day, for we heard we were going
to be, but we were %Tnipped m II tine m most
every night, and all the hands on the plan
tation had to come. out and. see IT, They
killed one man by whipping him. II could
let them know down there they are free !
would. but can't write and they couldn't
read it If | could, even If they got the letter."
We were somewhat surprised, anus
ed and perfectly disguised when we
read the above aggregation of colossal
lies, including the head lines and
all. Why an editor of any respect
ability or intelligence should publish
such slush we car not see, except that
he was actuated by a malicious spirit
that takes iendish delight in villifying
and ~traducing the South. 1t is the
same old story; holding the South re-
sponsible for every thing bad concern
ing the negro. Though the colored
race is free, in every civilized country,
and the Yankees know it, yet, some
few of them pretend to believe that
there are still slaves ia the South. The
reporter OF The Chicago Record is
either an idiot Or a densely ignorant
creature, if not, his sole object was to
strengthen the prejudice against the
South already existing in many places
OF the North. That Wade Crowder is
a thief and a liar is we'll known in this
community. He is a repulsive looking
negro who sometimes has fits. He had
sense enough, however, to drum up
colored trade for Sair & Ginsberg, a
former firm here, and acted as porter
for several stores. Wade left here over
a year ego. He was convicted OF SELL
ing blind tiger whiskey, afterward
turned loose and told to leave here.
His stepdaughter did not leave Gre
NADIA until last December. All Of the
colored citizens of this place are indig-
nant that one OF their race should cast
such a reaectionsupon them as to de-
clare that they have not sense enough
to know they are free. Many laugh
heartily, and say that Wade shows
more sense than those Ysnkees-"he
is working them for all he can get GU,
Of Them" to quote several. 1t is all
stuff and nonsense about the negroes
around here, or anywhere else in the
South, not being able to read sand
write. OF course there are many who
cannot, but there are many who can
Wade Crowder once belonged to the
Crowder estate and lived for years or
the plantation of Capt. J. B. Crowder
who positively asserts that he nevel
struck him u lick in his life. We know
that he had all the privileges o! a free
man.
To sea an article like ,Crowder'
statement in The Chicago Record is
scathing reflection upon the intellect
| ual standard OF its readers.
AS a refutation Of what Wade Crow
der and the Record have to say, W,
copy the following from the Wiuona
Miss Advocate, March 9th. Thi
paper is owned, published and edite,
by a colored preacher, Rev. W. E
Mask, Presiding Elder Of his district
and one OF the best and most intelli
gent of his race in the State.
1--WE must ever remember that the negr