The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1907-08-03

sing by the n1Pn DOard wall tnat en-
closed the rock pile where prisoners
were required to work out their fines
| heard women's voices and went to thu
officer in charge of these prisoners ant
asked who was in there and if there
were any white women. l knew tha
the negro women were in there for sra
zor toting" almost without number
There was no news in that.
eyes," said the officer, 'fwe have one
get a good item about her. Come in
; and see her."
She was pecking away listlessly, as
though she had neither heart nor soul
in life; that all the brightness had gone
out of it. 1t was a pitiful picture.
sat down by her and asked her to let me
peck the rocks to pieces awhile, while
she rested. We had some merriment
over my awkwardness in the new role,
but hammered away and encouraged
her to talk, and in a little while had her
story. She did tailor work, carrying
her sewing home with her to wretched
room. Her husband was a dissipated
man and did uot like to work, but rather
! spend his time with convivial compan-
ions who had more time to talk to him
than his wife could spare. Among his
associates was dissolute woman, on
whom he spent all the money he could
get hold of above that which he drank.
He brought her home with him, until
his wife, on one occasion, exasperated
beyond endurance, when he came in
cursing and abusing her and this woman
joined him, picked up burning lamp
and hurled it at the couple. They ran
screaming, and the officer on the beat
came in just as the couple was escaping
and arrested the outraged wife, and she
was taken to Jail and locked up, and the
charge of assault and battery was placed
against her. Her husband and the po-
liceman sustained the charge, and she
was sent to the rock pile for thirty days.
She had been there ten days when
called, but that was her last day.
| followed this little woman up for a
number of years. She was granted a
divorce from her husband and after
wards married again an honest, hard
working young man, and the last knew
of them they were living happily in a
little cottage. They during this time
became Christians and joined the church
of which was a member. The graft
tude of this woman for friendship ex-
tended to her in her darkest hour is
something to be coveted by any one.
One morning at / o'clock shooting
was reported in negro quarter. / was
sent to get the account, The doctor ar
rived at the home of the wounded man
about the same time / did. 1t was a
frosty winter night, and the one room
tenement had in it red-hot stove close
to the wounded mans bed, and the only
lamp was a small coal oil one with a
chimney so smoky that it shed only a
dim light. The doctor put on his white
apron, rolled up his sleeves and pro-
ceeded to make the necessary prepara-
tions for attending the patient. The
negro was mortally wounded. He had
been shot in the abdomen with a shot
gun loaded with slugs. 1t was an ugly,
ragged wound, and the liver and intes-
tines had been perforated, necessitating
a long and painful operation. There
was nothing for me to do but hold the
light for the surgeon. Did faint? No;
of course not. 1t was no time to faint,
did my duty, and when it was all over,
was exceedingly glad to get out into
the fresh air, away from the combined
odors of blood, the anaesthetic and the
descendant of Ham. The Office was a
mile away, and in short time had
turned my copy in and did not delay the
paper.
On another occasion some one gave
me tip on a murder that had been
COuliuiitC0 uluC lullCS 0OWu e1ilQ dCEOSs
the Mississippi river. asked permis-
sion of the city editor to he late, if need
be, at the staff meeting. Very early in
the morning engaged a man to row me
to the place, a logging camp. There
were several families living there, and ]
engaged the women in conversation ant
incidentally inquired about the mur.
dered man. Yes; he had been there
but that on last Saturday he with an
other had gone to Memphis, and they
had been drinking and that he fell ou
of the skiff and was drowned.
| Are you kin to Mr." was asked
me several times. MOI I was not kin
but knew people who had known him
OF course, was Interested in every
thing there was about the camp ant
kept both men and women talking
Little BY little the whole story came out