The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-17
WHO OWNS THERED
AND GREEN WAGON
Sam Logan, Blind Negro, Says
He Paid for It
A PRETTY DARK CASE
ThundereIoud Of Witnesses Rises Up
In the Circuit court-Did SANS
Lawyer Get That $1o7-Judge
Coleman Wants to Know.
4 PRETTY DARK CASE

When the case of Logan against Strick-
land was called for trial before Judge
Coleman in the circuit court yesterday af
ternoon. a cloud of witnesses rose up in
the back portion of the room and swore
that in the evidence given by them they
would tell the truth. the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, so help them
God
1t was not only a cloud but thunder
cloud. Judge Coleman had seldom if ever
seen so many negroes appearing as wit
resses in his long service on the bench.
Il don't know anything about this
case" said the Judge in an aside, but
I'm inclined to think it is a pretty dark
one"
1t was and 1t wasn't, Sam Logan, the
plaintiff was as black as the blacklist
negro that ever swan In the Congo
Sans mother, who appeared as a witness
for her boy was, if possible, a shade
darker than Ebony. A score of the plain
tiffs corn field countrymen and country
women also lent sombre background
to the picture. Strickland, the defen-
dant, however, was a white man, and
there was one white witness in the per
son of a woman, who seemed to be less
at home in a court room IMAM at O.
prayer meeting
Sam was suing Strickland for the owner
ship of wagon. The bed of the wagon
was painted green. the wheels and gear
ing had a splash of RED. AT least that Is
what Sam said they had.
When it comes to colors, however, Sam
doesn't speak "as one having authority"
Sam happens to be blind
When the trial began Sans mother
led Sam cropping to the stand. Then
Sans lawyer tried to get Sam to tell all
Sam knew about a green and red wagon
that used to be Strickland later got to
be Sans, and at length by some devious
course got back into Stricklands hands.
Sam said the wagon was his. He'd
done bought it, from Mr.. Strickland for
IS, fixed it up and then he'd tuck hit
down ter Mister Striekland's ter git him
ter raypar hit" Sam said the defendant
had kept the wagon and wouldn't let him
have it unless Sam paid $40. They come
fer him to rest him. and as he hadn't
ever been to Jail and 'niyer he'd caused
nobody no trouble nohow," he paid
Strickland the $40. Sam had to borrow
the money from his mother to pay it,
but he paid 1t just the same, he said.
Then the old woman took the stand
and corroborated Sans story in crude
style. After she'd done paid de So" she
made up her mind there wes something
wrong and struck out for town ter hev
de law on Mr.. Stricklin. She made
Strickland fork over $40, but she dis
membered" whether she got the $40 or not.
Your lawyer probably got It," suggest
ed Judge Coleman
Half of 1t, your honor SAID Sans
lawyer. "Only half of it,
The old negro woman went on with her
story.
The trial of the case will continue this
morning. Nobody has any idea when it
will end Twenty witnesses are yet to
be heard from and all of them, like
Sam and Sans mother, belong to the
"Sah?' who, me-" class of negro wit
nesses.
Looks TO me-" said Judge Coleman
when court adjourned yesterday, that
this case is going to knock Jaundyce VS..
Jaundyce' out Of sight and out of mem
ory."
The amount involved N the suit is
something like S..