The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-05
UNC' ALBERT FREE
A Little Too Good" But
Liquor Charge Fails.
The Prosecuting Witnesses Were Of
Such Character That the Mayor
Dismissed Case Against AlIeg-
ed Blind Tiger.

noon was enacted melodrama brim-
ming with heart interest" the parties
concerned being Albert Woodson,
charged with the illegal sale of liquor,
three characters we'll Injured to May
or's court trials, Williams in the play
and a black and dripping host OF
friends of the defendant who. at the
end, bore triumphant virtue out into
the wet while the whole room smiled
Its pleasure at the outcome.
The teStimonv of the prosecuting
witnesses was black with perjury and
malice: that of the defense a tribe too
white with the emphasis of good NOR
ais. But the viilany of the one So
much outweighed the hypocrisy of the
other that Albert's pre-eminent purity
was taken by the crowd almost with
out discount for the sake of the con-
traSt.
According to Winnie Parker, u
Dutty-faced coon built like seXtant
and grlnning like a sick possum, ana
Bette Davis a large glum woman OF
u sickly yellow who pouted continually
at adverse testimony, old man Albert
was the Spring-mecca of the thirsty
for large and bibulous section. In
fact Uncle Albert was a sinner who
cashed in his foresight with municipal
pIOltS dl the expense OF MS Improve
dent neighborS. In his humble home
they said. whiskey flowed for all VINO
had the price and knew the combi-
nation In fact, Uncle Albert was of
Sunday morning as honey in the honey
comb. Both of these witnesses had
often bought of Uncle Albert, particu-
larry on last Sunday and Saturday
night and the Sunday before that
Uncle Albert, however, would not do
50 spoke the pouting Bette Davis
tor despite his years he had youns
and wicked neart Else why did he
first put Bette to sleep with his
booze and then attempt to take ne
money? These things and more dio
Winnie and Bette put Won Uncle
Albert who sat beside his counsel
with worried light in his small BLACK
eyes at the evidences of human de-
pravitv disclosed.
So spoke they and so spoke also a
dignified negro who lisped ond looked
with unfeigned cynicism II on the
world from eyes lidded wickedly like
those of spoon Butler And Uncle AL
bert listened as he gasped again at the
display of such uncleanness in the
truth.
Then came Daniel Gill for the de-
Tense and in a twinkling. Uncle AL
bert changed from an evil dispenser
of bad liquor at a high price to ven
his days at work and his Sundays in
political and religious discussions with
him. Daniel, the two OF them sitting
peacefully on the back-doorstep of the
house in which they shared apart
ments.
AS for the women who had testi-
fled. Daniel had never seen either of
them about Uncle Albert's room Oh
more than two occasions and then they
had bought no liquor. (Here Bette
Davis pouted ana whistled with a toss
of her head. Bette Davis had come
to Uncle Albert's house twice on Sat
urday night and again on Sunday
morning and she had "cuSsed most
disgraceful''-so disgracefully that he,
Daniel. who did nothing but work and
sleep and talk politics and religion
with Uncle Daniel on Sundays an0
who had wife and two boys so high
and so high" whose morals he wished
to protect, had ordered her away from
the house. and was artistically cursed
for his pains.
There was similar testimony from
sport ebony negro with a Roosevelt
mustache and the look of the Presi-
dent at Peace Congress who testified
in a similar vein. rolled white eye
balls of horror at the ceiling at the
suggestion that he knew the pr"secut-
ing women This gentleman was Frank
Wyatt and he had called on Uncle AL
bert Sunday morning and heard Bet
tic Davis ask him to give her drink
which he refused.
Den she commenced to not exactly
cuss. but she used such language dat
] just ups and walks away widou,
even opening my mout.' and Frank
again rolled Whitley pious ewes at the
ceiling.
And then came Uncle Albert him
self. who looks like a ~inger-caked
Iii Hung Chang with iron grey beard
and mustache. AS he talks his mouth
is red and toothless cave from which
issue aged words and. at times of ex-
element a blood red tongue that
forks out between his black lips like
a flash of flame.
'Yassir." said Albert. 81 wuz TO
home cookin' wnen somebody comes
and knocks on my door an SEE
come in" SEE /. iist like day-'come
i'm An den dat yaller CONAN over
thar she come in and she SEE, 'AainL
Won cookin' sumpin fresh. Unc AL
hertz An [ SEE yes l wuz cookin'
some sausage and why doant you go
an buy you some yittals. Al den
she done lay ri"ht down on de bed
wild her feet on he floor and goes right
To sleep. An / done cook my supper
and eat fust an den | walked her UP
and give her some sausage and she
say dat darned Lunsford amt give
her red cent and | says what ne dohe
wild all his monev and she says she
doan't know an she doan't give "a
and Albert waved his hand for failure
Cf consent to pronounce the word
From such a connected story as the
above it finally appeared from the
testimony of Albert that the Davis
woman had returned Sunday morninS
and seen Il haif-nint of whiskey o.I
his mantel.
Dat jest set her on fire." said Al
bert, ard when he would not share
with her she had taken his lookinG
glass which had been giving him by
dat old man what died. and his
leather pocket look and Zone of desc
Fere tooth brusaNs what cost twenty
five cent what you does dis way Wild
and Albert drew a finger across his
toothless mouth-and stamped them
al upon the floor Thereupon Albert
had pushed her from the door ana
hid his money in the clock and she
had come back and gone to hunting
around among his things and gotten
so warm after the money that he had
grabbed it from the clock and put I
in his shoe.
AS for his business Albert avouched
that he worked for white folks for Is
y