The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-29
WINDY BILLY HENDERSON.
Some Stories About Davidson's Unique
Citizen and Orator
Lexington Dispatch.)

Pages might be written about VIM,
Henderson, who must have been one
of the richest characters in the world.
A distinguished gentleman. who was
contemporary says Of him: "Col.
Bill Henderson was the rarest man
that ever lived" A few anecdotes
Will prove this assertion and viii
make manifest what manner of man
he was. At a sitting of court years
ago an old man named Joe Gordon
was being tried for stealing a sheep.
rs was his son also. The two had been
caught red handed, the old man hold
ing II torch While his son caught off
the sleeps head. 1t was midnight
when they committed the theft. Old
man Gordon was aged and decrepit
and very poor, nearly at the end of
his earthly pilgrimage. Col Bill was
a lawyer after a fashion and although
not connected with the case at all, he.
was in court and had heard the case
tried When the time arrived for thu
lawyers to make their spells, a bunch
of them thought TO have some run ana
prevailed upon the solicitor to let Col.
Henderson make the speech for the
State. Now. the colonel was easily
fattered and his consent to speak was
very readily given. This is what he
said: Gentlemen of the jury! Here's
old Joe Gordon, eighty years old, With
one foot in the grave and ready to go
to his long account, caught at mid.
night holding q torch so his son could
see how TO cut off a sleeps head l
am surprised, gentlemen Of the jury.
that they We're not more cautious. ="
And that was his speech for the State.
Col. Henderson's most magnificent
effort, however, one that is immortal
m % err ut all nv
body, was his grafton on the north
ern White Man and the Southern
White Man." delivered from his front
piazza here in Lexington on the night
Of the Fourth of July, 1868. The
Colonel was very patriotic. and on all
fourth of Julys appeared in public
with a United States flag thirty or for
ty feet long. On this particular oc-
casion, after participating in the eX-
ercises of the day, he had retired to
his mansion. when all the negroes of
the place gathered in front of his
house. He came out and addressed
them thus:
My Colored Friends: Before we
part tonight, | want to tell YOU about
the Northern white man and the
Southern white man. | will tell you
about the Northern white man first
When Christopher Columbus discover
ed America and landed on Plymouth
Rock, what did he do? He proclaim
ed liberty and union, now and forever,
one and inseparable, with respect to
race. color or previous condition of
serviude. AT the very same time, the
Southern white man landed down here
on Jeem's River in old Virginia and
what did he do? He adopted this
motto: sic semper tyrannis, the white
mans heel on the nigger's neck in
the brilin' sun. | bid you good night.
Those whose inclinations ran that
way used ia have a debating club here
and met once each week, to discuss
the topics of the day. One night
North Carolina figured in the question
under consideration, and Col. Hender-
son favored the club with a speech. in
which he Hkaped this grand old State
to locomotive. Sald ne. with arms
extended drampticaliy, MT PRESIDENT.
presently We Will seef-Noi'ii Cdfoilha