Mexico Missouri message., 1905-04-27
FOR TIN CENTS.
An Old Darkey Is Sent to
Prison.

Macon, MO-, Aprll lJ.-Ihe
official town crier of Macon for the
last twenty-five years is now a fed
eral prisoner in ST. Louis. The ac-
quirement of ten cents in a way
the government declares unlawful
has shot the bars between him and
the world.
John Gardner, hackman, asked
Garland Bates the negro town crier
to get a half-pint of whiskey one
dry day. The town crier execut.
ed the commission but held back
ten cents of the change.
"What's that for9" asked the
hackman.
"Pse the middleman, l is," said
the town crier, "an' l alters gifts
mer fees"
Two policemen heard the re-
mark and communicated with the
federal authorities in st. Louis.
The latter went through their law
book and found that the old me-
gro's retention of ten cents on the
half-pint comes under the head of
retailing liquors without a govern
ment license, for which punish
ment is provided.
The United States marshal, Mr..
Daugherty, came to Ma con Tues
day and arrested the "middlcmOn."
The policemen and the hackman
told about the ten cents. The COM
missioner asked the defendant if
he had any witnesses.
A DEACON IN THE CHURCH,
mo sah," he said. Use a
deacon in the church, is an dat
will protect me-"
The commissioner smiled.
Did you do what these witnesses
said you didl" he asked.
The prisoner bent his head and
scratched his few remaining kinky
locks.
"I nevah 'sputes wild a GEM
men," hs said,"bu t if / did dat
must 'er bin orful drunk"
Twenty-Five years ago Gus Sau.
vinett, a merchant and auctioneer,
discovered Bates and his wonder
full voice. BY adding a large bell
to the combination he created and
animated advertisement which
people couldn't escape-they just
had to listen. In the early days
Of his career as town one
could sometimes understand what
Bates was bowling about, but with
the coming of years the old darkey
became indifferent to everything
except making the welkin ring.
From announcing auctions he de-
velOped into a general herald for all
sorts Of enterprises-public speak
ing, ice cream socials, bargain day
sales, lectures, theaters every
thing that wanted crowd. In his
me he it has kicked up more distur
bance than all the police court de.
PENDANTS put together. When Bates
was stalking around town with his
lungs aud his bell, the citizens un.
derstOod there were .doings of some
kind somewhere, but were misty
about the details. One day when
Bates vociferOus rhetoric was max
ing life tribulation to pedestrians
a stranger walked out into the
street and accOsted him:
JUST TO MAKE A NOISE.
my good fellow,w you please
tell me what you're saylng!"
"Lawzee, mani" exclaimed the
crier, Il amt saying nuthin' .Pse
jes hired ter make a noisep
Bates was born Louisville, Ky,
April 0, 1888. His mother, Hanna,
himself and IL span of mules were
sold, in a bunch. to Il Howard
county, Missouri planter some time
in the '40s. After the civil war
he married twice. He will tell you
with righteous indignation that. he
left his first wife because of her
indiscretions. He, uses another
term. The second time he was
married to Laura Braxton,a flight
cullud gal, down at Cairo" Bates
says she left him because he got SC
he cried sales in his sleep.
The shadow that hangs darkest
i'm The old town. criarls memorv ;s