The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-23
I HUMAN PUZZLE 3
t,A Chicago Negro Who Can Neither
Talk, Nor Hear, Nor Read
Nor Write.
Despite All These Handicaps He
Keeps Fully Informed as to
Current Events.
Chicago Inter Ocean.

enlgmat1c characters ever smut Delllnu tlIe
bars in Chicago. - -..--4. F.. ..@.. =,
Psychologists are unable to fathom
'The Dummy" prosecutors fear to sem
tence him. and those who see him daily
halt at deciding whether he is an ire
sponsible idiot or bright, sensible fell
low. e... -
1.-The Dummy cannot talk nor hear nor
read nor write. He shot and killed two
men in a Polk street barber shop last
April and jury recently sentenced him
to serve fourteen years in the penlten-
tiary. But sentence has not been passed
upon the convicted man.
The prisoner is a colored man. Perhaps
he is forty years old. No one knows his
exact age. His victims were colored men
one Of them a barber and the other a
patron. Around the shop 1.-The Dummy
worked as porter and bootblack. His right
name Is Bessett Rolooger.
Rolooger is not only a puzzle; he Is
the cause of much worry to those who
prosecuted him and to the Judge who
heard the case. They want to be right.
They cannot understand 'The Dummy.
or, if they do understand him, they are
fearful Of being wrong.
The court is in a quandary The de-
fense was hung on the contention that
the colored man Is an IDIOT. The other
side declares he is an unusually bright
NEGRO. The latter declares he is perfectly
cognizant Of all that goes on about him;
that he knows right from wrong. and un-
derstands the workings of justice. Yet
they qualify their declarations, admitting
that the man himself is a puzzle.
Since the Indictment on a murder
charge nearly a year ago no trouble has
been spared to procure every bit of infor-
nation that would throw any light on
the case. The life Of 1.-THE Dummy has
been traced back for a score Of years,
but the evidence cleaned only makes the
man all the more a puzzle. ,-+
On April 20 Of last year Rolooger shot
and killed Robinson, the owner of the
barber shop where "the Dummy was en-
fployed, and Jefferson. The tragedy fol-
lowed the dismissal of Rolooger from his
position as porter
After the arrest of "The Dummy an
attempt was made to have him released
1hro habeas corpus proceedings the con-
tention being that he was Irresponsible
This failed, and the coored man was later
tried before Judge McEwen, convicted and
sentenced to fourteen years in the peni-
tentiary. Then came the trouble.
How was this mute, who was absolutely
ignorant of the sign language. commonly
employed by the deaf and dumb, to be
made to realize his fate. Until he can
be made to understand he canont be sent
to the penitentiary. The judge wants to
be absolutely certain he is right. ..-t
The prosecutors are not yet satisfied
over the case. There is one man who has
known "The Dummy for years. He has
not been found as yet, but it is likely the
passing of sentence will be deferred until
this one person can be located. That per-
son knows. whether the colored Fellow Is
intelligent or simple.
Before, during. and since the trial OF
Rolooger, Assistant States Attorney
Frank l.. Barnett has spent day after
day trying to fathom the mystery Of '"The
Dummy The prosecutor is now con-
vinced Rolooger is intelligent as the or
dinary person.. Many incidents of his ca
reer have been brought to light to mark
him as an unusual person.
'"The Dummy was not born a mute
He lost his senses of hearing and power
of speech thru illness during childhood
probably when he was 6 or years old
Nothing definite is known Of his life, how
ever before he was 20 or 81 years Of age
1t is supposed he was born i'll Kentucky
According to the information cleaned b.
Mr.. Barnett "The Dummy was first EN-
ployed in Cincinnati as a brakeman in tn
railroad yards in the Ohio city. Late
he owned and conducted a small restauran
there, and afterwards owned and manage
several bootbla ok stands. From Cincin
natl he went to Louisville, KY, and thes
worked a boothack and as a porte
about various saloons. From Louisville h
came to Chicago fifteen years ago.
1t is since he came to Chicago that hi
ond sight, has developed. He has bee
known about the neighborhood on tn
South Side where he worked as an un
usually bright negro, says Mr.. Barnet
He always dressed well, attended strictl
to his own business, and worked hare
>, He has never been known to beg or stes
and has often showed his temper whe
anyone offered to aid him with gifts
money.
1.-THE Dummy is gambler Of such ski
that he often proved the undoing of thos
who played against him. He. could cOur
money faster than them, was known g
the king Of crap Shooters and there we
not a card he did not know. He was be-
ter versed In current news than the avel
age man.
And yet there exists some doubt as
what disposition shall be made of mir
His action, or rather his inaction, in cou
convinced the jury he was a respdnsib
person. A motion for. a new trial will |
made on the grounds that Rolooger is n
responsible. -. o..
Mr. Barnett does not believe that Rolo
ger can read, yet he knew what was goil
on in the sporting world. He could II
hear others talk, but he would tell the
in his own sign language what was goil
on. a....'
This sign language stood RoIooger
good stead at all times. Once he enter
a saloon on the South Side where a nur
ber Of men were Shooting craps Re
ooger walked up to the table and la
down a nickel when he should have Ia
down 25 cents. The dice turned in /
favor, and he pushed aside the other pla
ers and raked in all the money, So in a
The men tried to explain this to ROloogt
but he feigned to believe he was entitl
to the money, which he placed in l
pocket. He left the saloon and the othe
followed but he pretended not to unde
stand what they wanted. "
When gambling. Rolooger was oft
quarresome If he did not see instant
why the other men We're entitled to t
money they won he would not allow the
to take it. This trait Of ..the DUNN
caused the owners of gambling places
bar him from gambling. II
There are a few persons who unde
stand every sign Rolooger makes.
fact, he can make his. wants known
any one. He does not know single lett
of the deaf and dumb alphabet, but
can talk with his own hands more ra
idly than any wel1-d drilled user of the re
ular sign language.
If Rolooger wants to speak to a WON
he passes his hands down from his he
over his shoulders to indicate he means
person with long hair. If it is a man
means he catches both lapels of his co
If he wishes to indicate white man
points to any white object. He has
signal sign for almost every noun.
BY watching the lips Of persons spea
ing, Rolooger is able to learn of what tn
are talking, Mr.. Barnett says. If this
true, 1t will not be difficult to pass ser