The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-24


vanced as to his strange disappearance
In those days abolitionists from the north
went through the south from time to time
to instil into the negro minds
and hatred for their mas
tiers. 1t was believed that some of these
abolitionists had induced Henry to flee
with them to the north. Months passed
and as Henry did not return his master
considered him gone for good and seldom
gave his disappearance a thought
Henry Returns.
After Henry had been gone for many
months, near the close of a summers
day. he walked up to his masters door
The negroes of the plantation seeing him
fed screaming, believing 1t was Henry's
ghost they had seen in place Of Henry
himself. The master hearing the commo-
ton in the yard, ran TO the front door
and saw Henry standing there with a
slammed look on his face. For mo-
ment Mr.. Scott could not decide whether
to scold or to welcome HIM But Henry
was the first to speak, MARS Thomas
how much you done took fur me? I
wants ter buy mysef. Use a rich niggar,
! Is"
Mr. Scott laughed loudly over Henry s
question and said In a jocular tone OF
voice, "Well Henry you're pretty good
negro, even if you did cause me SO much
trouble by running away. / hardly think
could afford to take less taan $500 for
you"
The masters smile turned to a look of
surprise when Henry emptied the con-
tents of a sack, which he carried with
him. on the ground before his master
and said: Here hit am, Mars Thomas.
spec Use got moren dat much
When Mr.. Scott counted the money he
was surprised to find that there was
$1,000 and it was all in gold
Tel me where you have BEEN Henry
and how did you come by all this
money!" said Mr.. Scott
Henry's Strange Story.
well. you see Mars Thomas" COM
menced Henry, 81 war chopin cotton IN
de fiel dat day when up rode some white
folks and say to me. well, com long
here, Niger, | spec you'd bes' go wild
u.s. An TO de lord, Mars Thomas, afore
I knowed hit I'd done been stole an
carried off from de OF home l lobed so
well
Dem men carried me way off, l don't
know how fur when da sole me to a
gemans fur $1,000 Da got de money an
de mex day dem same mems come back
an stole me again. Da gin me $500 da
say, t. go without a fuss Da lowed DAT
dis was a good way of maxim money
an lowed da keep on Sellin Gle Niger
an keep on steelin OBJ him back agin.
"Well, Mars Thomas. dem mems sole
me 70 times an stole me back every
time ar cherry time da gin me $500, so da
say. Well, you's done seed whut ia
done gin his niggar.
Walks Back Home.
AT las we come to place da say wal
called Arl1amsaw, an l axed dem how
fur | wer frum home. an da say not sc
very fur. l got to studyin' how good
you'd been to me. Mars Thomas
didn't like out dar, no how, so l jes ruined
o. one night an walked all de way home
Hit seem to me like Thousand mile
or mo- An so here l is, Mars Thomas.
''You liant mad at me is you, Mars
Thomas? case | couldn't keep lebin home
Dem mems sho' dun stole dis niggar, Mars
Thomas.
Mr.. Scott had a studied look upor
his face. AT last he assured Henry
that he was not mad with him, and
keeping the promise that he had made
Henry at the outset of the converse
tion, allowed him to purchase ms free
dom fol $500. Mr.. Scott therefore gave
10 Henry the $500 that was left and I
written document which made Henry
free negro as long as he lived.
MurreI Was Leader.
And now comes the most interesting
part of the story. 1t was not long afte
this that Mr.. Scott obtained information
which proved without single doub
that the leader of the gang that stol
Henry was none other than the motto
rious John A. Murrel, the noted robber
OF. law and murderer. At the time lien
nv was stolen Murrel and his gang ha'
their rendezvous in the mountains o
Tennessee not far to the north of Mays
vile. They had been driven out OF Ten
nessee by the citizens of the neighbor
hood and were on their way to the littl
town of Roanoke, Ark, when they passed
the plantation of Mr.. Scott and stole hi
negro Henry.
After buying his freedom Henry re
naine3 with his own accord on his mas
ters plantation where he cultivated man!
a crop for himself and years afterward
died and was buried on ol mar
Thomas plantation" Henry was as de
voted to Mars Thomas when he wa
free as he was when lac was slave.