The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-01-24
1T IS ALL ST THE SAME.
DIFFERENT NAMES FOR STEAL,
ING.

Bill Arp Writes Chapter on tn
Prevailing Sin "f the Ninet entl
Century-The Darkey's Plea on tn
Score OF ForaRinR.
nave always contended that steal
Ing little things was the besettlng sin
OF the negro and was race tr,,it
And that cheating In trade was ,
race trait In jews and Gentiles. w,
white folks do rot call it cheating, bu
say he got the advantage or he got the
best Of the bargain, but this advantage
Is generally got by deception or a SUP
preston Of the truth. The negro
smooths his sin over by calling it tuk
E ing things just rs our cook once said
to me when | complained ABOUT her
stealing lard and nour ard rice and
such things: Mr.. Major, | dom,
think you miss what [ takes" Well,
didn't very much, for she never took
much at u time, but it annoyed me for
her to think she was fOuling me when
she wasn't. But that same negro would
sit up all night with sick member OF
the family and was always good aud
KIDD to our children. Now the white
man rarely steals anything and the
negro rs rarely cheats you in q trade
Before the civil war the negroes most
frequent crime was stealing chickens
and he got 80 expert in that business
that law was passed making it a
penal otfcnse for anybody To buy
chickens from negro even though he
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, aud il The command
ment had said thou shalt not cOvet thy
neighSOrs chickens it w uld have
been all the same to him. First covet
and then steal was part of his reli
gion.
l was ruminating about this because
| bought turkey yesterday from
negro for very low price and l won
dered whele be got it. J dldn ques-
tion him, for | dldu't want 10 hurt his
feelings. When | was in North Caro-
lima u friend told me about an old
darkey who was on trial foe stealing a
turkey and the proof was positive, and
yet he did not seem to be alarmed.
His lawyer was discouraged and said,
u nce Jack, 1T looks like they have
got you" No dey airt, Mas John
dey aint got me yet aud dey aint
agwine TO get me. Tell you hoH 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 Amt done
forget wha l know" But Mas John
had lost confidence, for he knew that
the judge would do his duty and ex-
ecuto 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 grsy-ht AIDED man got up
with grunt and looking around upon
the spectators and then at the Judge
said 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 wild you to de army for you
was cappen and old master told me
to go long and take keer of you, and
you knows did de very bes' | could
for four mighty long years and how
one time you got wounded and | staid
by you ontell you was well 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 ana | got away in de night
and come back to you and how some.
times you get out OF money and out of
sumfen to eat all at de same time and
you call mo up and say, Jack, you
mus go out u foragin' and get US sum
fn,' and | go out late in de night and
bring you chickens and rOstin' ears
and ono time bring you a turkey, an
you neber ak me muffin about whar |
got him and you never Civ me any
money to buy him, did you, Mas Jedge.
You call 1t foragin' den, didn't you,
Mas Jedge, and II it was foraging den
how cum 1t to be stealth now ?"
BY this time the courtroom was con-
vulsed with laughter and the Judge
could not conceal his emotion, for his
recollection OF the old darkey's faith
fulness WAS revived afresh. He wiped
his brow and mis- eyes, and said "Mr.
Sheriff, adjourn court. Uncle Jack,
will pay for that turkey, but you must
not do 30 any more. When you need
anything you must come to me.
haven't forgot YOU"
1t is amazing to read our peniten-
tiary reports where we learn that
there are over 1000 negroes in the
State and county chaingangs who are
there for stealing OF some Kind. Most
OF them are OF the new issue who we're
never In slavery and q majority have
GdvaIced under freedom from simple
larceny to burglary. Chickens are 100
small game for the modem darkey. Ono
of my farm hands was sent there for
two years, and was disgusted with his
associates and said, 81 tell you what,
boss, dar 10 some mean folks ia de
chaingang. Fact is, dar is some folks
Just as mean In dar as dar Ia outen
dar.' Cobe says that Cuba is good
place to send the darkeys 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
fashioned negroes. They had rather
snatch 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 fox steal and
Judge Dooley believed that mean
whisky would. The old d.time lawyer
used to tell how he was broke OF TAX
Ing too much when he was on the
bench of the Northern circuit. A man
by name OF Sterrett kept dirty saloon
near the hotel and the judge patronized
him every morning before breakfast
and by court time was pretty mellow
One cold morning the mischievous
lawyers Borrowed half dozen silver
spoons from The inndlady OF the hote
and slipped them into the judges over
coat pocket. He never discovered
them until court adjourned for dinner