Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-15
HISTORY IN "BLACK."
The Origin of Familiar Phrases
 Written ill That Color.

Written in That Color.
 There are d good many "blacks" in the domestic life of Britain, says Lon don Answers. As a dictionary word, it has more meanings than any other word in common use.
 Anything dark or shady is labeled "black" verbally; and often the term is applied to the |" sullen'' and to the wicked Its recent adoption, mag1s- terially, in connection with the per petuaMy inebriated gives it quite an- other and wholly fresh meaning, which must find it's way into the dic- tionary in order to bring the word up to date. .
 In the reign of George I. the famous "Black act was passed Q122) to pun ish armed persons, locally termed "blacks" who roamed the country Ill little marauding groups, robbing war rens, fish ponds, cutting down plant tations. killing deer and doing other mischief similar to the depreda tons which were comitted in Ireland by the "Moonlighters. This ''black act'' is still in existence, and under it people convicted for sending anony nous let ters demanding money are sent to pfls- on.
 Alchemy witchcraft and practices of the occult all come under the deslg- nation of the "Black act'
 Perhaps you have never heard or the Black Assizes. In the year loos, during the assizes held at Oxford, an infection broke out among the prisoners who had been gathered together there from the adjacent country ana to"h districts, and the unknown disease spread so rapidly that it carried of the judges, the sheriffs and 3OO other per- sons whose business brought them 10 the assizes, besides reducing the num- Der of prisoners from seventy to twelve. That fatal catastrophe was and is de- scribed as the Black Assizes.
 The Black Book" is familiar term, but few know its exact meaning. 1t was a book kept in the treasury, Ill which was written the orders of the court.
 The "Black Flag in bygone days sign of the pirates and buccaneers who sailed the ocean wide; the Black Let ter' was the first name given to the printing types which was employed for the first time dn the fifteenth century, whilst the "Black Hand" was the name of a ferocious band of anarchists which infested Spain in 1883.
 There are many cid men who remem- etBlack F,riday'' in the city of London. On the 11th of May, 1886, the great banking firm of Oyerend, Courtney & Go stopped payment, causing conster- nation in city circles and throughout the entire country. The name, as de- scribed, was given to it then, ana the description holds good to-day.
 sRlackheath was once known as 'ssIhe Heath:" but when Wat Tyler, in 1881, and Jack Cade. with 10000 men, i'll 145O. and the Cornish rebels, in l4oo, and the Cornish rebels in 1497 and hand of outlaws in 17SO, followed Dy constantly repeated highway robberles' got associated with the famous Kentlsn retreat, it began to be known as the ''Black Heath."
 You know something by repute and reading of the ''Black Hole of Cal- -cutta A little British army was at- lacked by 10000 horse and foot, with 400 elephants and 146 British prisoners were cramped into a dungeon only eighteen feet square. They were only there for one night, and when the re- lief came the next morning, only tWen- ty-three of the 146 came out alive. 1 The "Black Museum" is that room at Scotland Yard which contains so many l relics connected with notorious past crimes and criminals, whilst "Biack Rod" is the official description Of the 1 lords messenger to the commons. There is the famous EfBlack Watch | who are either "suMen" nor wicked, nor shady" but fine battalion ot fighting men. nhey originally wore black tartans and hence were called ] Black Watch
 "Black Money is term you seldom hear, but base coin is so described in an old act of 1885.
 l s'Blackleg'' is a term which has for generations been applied to cheating l gamblers. s