The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-07
STORY 0F MN
WITH | WIVES
Henry Wright, of Cleveland
and His Eventful Life
HIS FATHERS HISTORY
Reads Like a Dime Novel of
the Worst Sort
HIS FATHERS HISTORY

Cleveland, O.. June "A familiar char
scter in Lakewood is a very old negro
Henry Wright. who has been a resident
of the hamlet so long that he is almost
looked upon as Landmark in that To-
cality
"Old Henry Nobody knows how old
he is. not even himself. but guesses place
his years ali the way from eighty to over
one hundred years-was runaway Save
who located In Rockport township some
time during the first year of the civil war.
having come from a plantation in Giles
county, Louisiana. His home has been in
Lakewood ever since.
All Of the old folk OF the hamlet know
"Old Henry wen. anu the younger eie-
ment either know him or know Of him,
but none of them know anything of the
agec colored man but good. Henry all
his life has been a laborer. and during
the last forty-two years has worked for
many Of the old and prominent families
of Lakewood. IN his prime and until re-
cent years he was a splendid man to hire
for days work. His large frame and
mighty muscles, backed up with intelli-
geace, a CHEEKY and willing disposition.
snd,a good character, mace him laborer
who was much sought after
But now Henry is IN his declining years,
Most Of his strength is gone, his eyesight
is poor he is almost deaf. and his thin
hair and beard are white That once
straight and powerful form-he IS about
six feet two inches tails bent and Is
often subjected TO attacks Of rheum3-
tism. and his muscles gre sore and stiff
But th- old mans Willingness 10 work IS
still there, and work he does, the best
that he can do. whenever his physical
ailments win permit him. And "Old
Henry" viii always have work to do as
long as he lives and wants it, for num-
Der Of the wealthy men of Lakewood, who
have employed him of and on for the
last forty-two years. respect the old man.
and will help him all they can. When
the time comes when old Henry is
helpless, these same friends viii probably
see that he is well taken care OF till he
dies
But Henry Wright will doubtless never
be an object of charity, for this old Ne
gro who is thought by many persons 10
be at least one hundred years old, has
a bright eightecn-ycar-old son. Willie,
who for The last two years has earned
Sl.25 a day by laboring in a backyard.
And now viii be related the stTangcst
part of the old coiored mans history.
Wflie-s mother was a white woman. as
were all the other eleven wives that
"Old Henry had. il is claimed. There
seems to be a difference of opinion as to
the exact number Of wives that the Ne
gro has had since he lived IN Lakewood
Some Of the old residents. who know him
well. claim that the right number is
ewelve, while others who are just as well
Informed assert that the correct number
is only seven. BE that as it may, he IS
now A widower-a seven OF twelve times
vidower-his last wife having died sew
eral years ago.
It is hard to obtain authentic accounts
as to what became Of all of these wives,
but il is known that several Of them died,
and that he separated from some Of the
Others. In justice TO odd Henry II
should be stated that he was not Nor
mon. and that he never had more than
one wife at time.
Henry Wright has always lived in shan
tios in the woods of Roc1poTt township
since he came north. When he first ar
rived in Cleveland as an escaped slave, he
located in "a shanty in the woods on the
old West farm on Lorain road. Then
thirty-eight years ago he moved and built
another shanty on tho late Adam WaGar 5
farm. While living at this place he suf-
Tered an attack Of smallpox. Twelve
years ago he moved TO his present home
on the old Jessup farm.
This farm is now cut up into an allot-
nent known as the Mars Magyar allot
ment. Work on making street is now in
progress. and lots are being sold. "Old
Henry and his son have been notified
that they must vacate the land on which
they sguatted and ind new home as
soon as the land on which their quaint
little shanty and barn are located is
sold The shanty is located several hun
dred feet from billiard avenue and be-
tween that thcroughfare and Detroit
street
One of the prominent men Of Lakewood
FOR whom old Henry has worked at times
during the last forty years is John c.
Hall. and ne was working in the or
chard last week when q Cleveland Leader
J.
Yes" said Mr.. Hall to the Leader man.
q have known Old Henry for many
years. he came here during the war
and has been here ever since. He has
always been trustworthy and honorable.
Since I've known him he has been mar
ried 70 at least a dozen women. all white.
He vas a slave in the South before he
came here. He is quite queer and In
teresting old fellow. He's at work now
out in the orchard. and ii you can set him
TO talSing Dc can tel you some interesting
stories. Take his photograph I don [
really know just how he would regard
that but / don't think that he would
have any objections. The old man isn't
worth much as a laborer now. but keep
him employed about the place and pay
h mthe same IS used to-
Accompanied 10y Arthur Hall the Leader
reporter went 20 The orchard To interview
Henry. The old man leaned on his pick
and eyed the newspaper men suspicious;y
"a Arthur Eau shouted into his ear an
explanation o. the visit lie shook his
head back and forth and exclaimed:
NO sab. To. sab, They wants TO make
fun o. me and what All SAYS. and All
knows it. suttinly- Abs an old man and
All nebber done no ham 10 nobody. They
wants 10 make Fun o me.
NO they don't. they want 70 say some
thing nice aboat you They are gcins =
tell In the paper what a good man you
have always been and how the people
who know you thing good deal ~ you