The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-01-25
IT is ALL JUST THE SAME.
DIFFESENT NAMES FOR STEAL.
ING.

Bill ARD Writes u Chapter on the
Prevailing Sin of the Ninett enth
Oentury-The Darkey's Plea on the
Score of Foraging.
I have always contend ed that steal.
ing little things was the besettng sin
of the negro and was race trait.
And that cheating in a trade was Il
race trait in Jews and Gentiles. W.
white folks do not call 1t cheating, bu,
say he got the advantage Or he got the
Is generally got by deception Or u sup
preston of the truth. The negro
smooths his sin over by calling it tax
ing things just as our cook once saiC
to me when l complained about he,
stealing lard and flour and rice anc
such things: MIR. Mujor, dom
think you miss what 1 takes" Well
I didn't very much, for she never tooi
much &C q time, but 1T annoyed NE TO-
her to think she was fooling me wheI
she wasn't. But that same negro woul.
sit up all night with sick member
the family and WAS always good an,
kind to our children. Now the whit
man rarely steals anything and th
ucBfO dS IaFoly ChoaoS you III d tTauc.
Before the civil war the negroes mos.
frequent crime was stealing chickens
and he got 30 expert in that business
that a law was passed making it a
penal offense for anybody to buy
chickens from negro even though be
had raised them in his own yard. We
could buy foot mats and brOoms and
baskets, but we must not buy chickens.
Law or no law he continued his mid
night vocation, and If the command.
nent had said thou shalt pot co1et thy
neig hoUr's chickens il w"uid have
been all the same to him. First covet
and then steal WAS part OF his reii
gion.
was Illuminating about this because
l bought turkey yesterday FROM a
dered where he got 1t. didn ques-
tion him, for didu't want to hurt his
feelings. When l was In North Caro-.
lima friend told me about sn old
darkey who was on trial for stealing O
turkey and the proof was positive, and
yet he did not seem to be alarmed.
His lawyer was discouraged and said;
Uncle Jack, it looks like they hava
got you" "No dey ANT, Mas John
dey aint got mo YET and dey aint
agwine to get me. Tell you ho" it is,
Mae John. De jedge seten up dar was
my young master when de war broke
out and not gwine to send me to dc
pen. No, sir; he aint, he amt done
forget wha I know" But Mas John
had lost confidence, for he knew that
the Judge would do his duty and ex-
ecute the law. In short time the
trial was over and the Judge asked
Uncle Jack If he had anything to say
in extanuatiOn Of his crime
The old gray.headed man got up
with grunt and looking around upon
the spectators and then at the Judge
sad Muffin much, Mas Judge,
muffin much. Only dis you know all
about dat old war which we all got
whooped and you haint forgot how |
went oud wid you to de army for you
was a cappen and old master told me
to go long and take keer OF you, and
you knows l did de very bes' I coLld
for four mighty long years and how
one time you got wounded and | staid
by you ontell you WAS we'll again and
how anodor time you took the measles
and me, too, and stay by you and nus
cOtch me and got away In de night
and come back to you and how some
times you get out Of money and out oil
sumfen to cat all at de same time and
you call me up and say, Jack, you
mus go out d foragin' and get us sum
fin,' and 60 out late In de night and
bring you chickens and rostin'.. ears
and one time bring you a turkey, AMI
you neber AK me muffin about whar
got him and you mover Civ me any
money to buy him, did you. Mas Jedge
You call it foragin den, didn't you
Mas Jedge, and If 1t w-as foraging der
how cum 1T to be stealin' now ?"
BY tbis time the courtroom was con
vulsed with laughter and the juidt,
could not conceal his emotion, for hi
recollection of the old darkey's faith
fulness was revived afresh. He wiped
his brow aud his eyes, and said "Mr
Sheriff adjourn court. Uncle Jack, :
will pay for that turkey, but you mus
not do 30 any more. When you neet
anything you must come to me.
haven't forgot YOU" ..>
1t is amazing TO read our penltep
tiary reports where we learn tha
there are over 1000 negroes In tn
State and county chaingang6 who ar
there for stealing OF some kind. Mos
OF them are Of the new Issue who wer
never in slavery and majority hav
advanced under freedom from simpl
larceny to burglary. Chickens are to-
small game for tho modern darkey. On
OF my farm hands was sent there 70
two years, and was disgusted with hi
associates and said, II tell you wha
boss, dar ls some mean folks Ia d
chaingang. Fact is, dar. is some folk
lusG as mean In dar as dar Ia QUITE