The Southern herald., 1900-03-02
1T Is ALL THE SANE.
Bill Arp Writes q Chapter on the
Sin Of Stealing.
The Different Naaes for It-NegrOes
Take" white Nen "Get the Ad-
vanlaEe" Of one Another,
and Sc u Goes.


vantage" Of one Another,
and Sc u Goes.
I have always contended that steal
ing little things was the besetting sin
OF the negro and was race trait. And
that cheating in a trade was q race
trait in Jews and Gentiles. We white
folks do not call il cheating. but say
be got the advantage or he got the
best of the bargain, but this ad Tan
tage is generally goa by deception or
a suppression Of the truth. The negro
smooths bis sin over by calling it taxi
ing things-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. 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 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. Before the
civil war the negroes most frequent
crime was stealing chickens, and he
got so expert in that business that a
law was passed making it a penal Of
Tense for anybody to buy chickene
from negro, even though he raised
them in bis own yard. We could buy
foot mats and brooms and baskets. but
we must not buy chickens. Law or no
law, he continued bis midnight vo-
cation, and If the mandment had
said thou shalt not covet thy neigh
tors chickens it would have been ell
the same 10 him. First covet and
then steal was part of his religion. ]
was ruminating about this because ]
bought a turkey yesterday from ne
gro for a very low price and | won
dered where he got it. didn't ques-
tion him, for | didn't want to hurt his
feelings.
WheL | was in North Carolina a
friend told me about an old darky who
was on trial for stealing turkey and
The proof was positive, and yet he did
not seem to be alarmed. His lawyer
was discouraged and said: "Unsie
Jack. Il looks like they have got you
mo, dey amt. Mas John; 6ey ain't
got me yet and dey amt agwine tC
get me. Tell you how it is, Mas joan
lie jedge seten up dar was my young
master when de war broke out and
he's not gwine to send me to de pen,
No. shr. he amt; he amt done forget
wha ! know" But Mas John had lost
confidence, for he knew that the judge
would do bis duty and execute the
Jaw. In short time the trial was
over end the judge asked Uncle Jack
If he rad anything to say in extenua-
tion of his crime. The old gray-headed
man got up with grunt, and, look
ing around upon the spectators and
then at the judge, said: "Nuflin' much,
Mas Judge, muffin much. Only dis,
you know all about dat old war which
we all got whoopcd, and you hain't
forgot how | went oud wild 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 ! 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 and got away in de night and
come back 10 you, and how sometimes
you get out of money and out Of
sumfen TO eat all at de same time and
Won call me up and say: Jack, you
mus go out a foragin' and get us
sumfn', and go out late in de night
and bring you chickens and rostin
ears. and one time | bring you a tur-
key, and you neber ak me muffin about
whar ] got him. did you, Mas Jedge
You call it foragin' den, didn't you
Mas Jcdge. and if it was foragin' den
bow cum it to be stealin' 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 darky's faith.
fulness 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 is amazing to read our peniten
tiary reports, where we learn that
there are over 1000 negroes in the
ttate and county chain gangs who are
there for stealing of some kind. Most
Of them are of the new issue who
we're never in slavery, and a majority
have advanced under freedom from
simple larceny to burglary. Chickens
are too small game for the modern
darky. One of my farm hands was
sent there for two years, and was dis
gusted with bis associates and said
81 tell you what, boss, dar is some
mean folks in de chain gang. Fact is
1ar is some folks just as mean in dar
- dar is outen dar." Cobe says that
Cuba is a good place to send the dar.
kles TO, for the trees are small and
the chickens roost low but the new
negroes don't seem to banker afteI
chickens like the old-fashioned ne.
groes. They had rather snatch lady's
poeketbOok and run. It Is astonishing
how many chances they will take to
get something for nothing, and will
take the risk of arrest and punish
ment, and yet have never heard Of
one being turned out of church fol
stealing.
War will make white folks steal, and
Judge Dooley believed that mean
whisky would. The old-time lawyer