The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1908-08-29
THE GENERALS
TERM OF OFFICE
By MONTGOMERY 3. PICKETT
Copyright, BY shortstory Pub. CO..

county. Clashes between whites aud
blacks had1 been frequent, and race
Jar seemed imminent. Some OF the
&eneral's closest friends had con.
WINGED him that he. better than any
one else perhaps. might handle the
situation
Mother" the general said one
evening, looking az her somewhat ap.
prehensiyely through his shaggy eye.
brows. there seems but one thing TO
do. and that is TO run for sheriff at
this falls election"
But general" she protested. you
are too old; you could never stand
the hard work and exposure BE.
side" and she abruptly stopped. ear
nestly regarding him through misty
eyes. she remembered what the doc
tor had said about his heart. and how
important II was that he be spared
all excitement and fatigue
But the general was determined and
hfs election was practically unani.
nous, even the negroes, some OF them
his former slaves, forgetting party
animosities. and voting for "Marse
Gen'el," as they had called him since
the war.
Shortly before his election, one OF
his old house servants, a negro named
Sam Washington, had been convicted
and sentenced TO death for the murder
OF the editor OF the town newspaper.
which had long been loud In it's de-
nunciation OF negroes In general:
Sans conviction was a sMprise to
many OF those who knew him. He
had been Woodworking, sober and re-
spectful, with a clean record I'm the
past. But he had been the last per
soA seen TO enter the Office OF the
Clarion on the night that the editor,
working late and alone, had been shot
down His trial was brief, despite the
efforts OF clever young attorney
whom the general induced TO defend
him. He made no denial OF having
gone TO the newspaper office on the
evening In question, but claimed he
went TO warn and not TO harm the ed
itor. Cross-examination failed to
shake his plain. simple story that he
had CHANGED TO learn that the crime
was 10 be committed. and went at once
TO tell the editor of his danger, but
he had only laughed and told him TO
clear out" He also admitted that he
knew who the guilty person was. but
refused 20 name the man. The fact
that Nose Jones, commonly known as
- bad niger" and who had married
L ..to 40 Hfou afe ehs,
murder did not seem TO be noticed by
the angry townspeople. who had first
organized for lynching. and then
cooled down 10 a persistent clamor
that Sam Washington be hung-as an
example He was sentenced TO death
on evidence wholly circumstantial. but
almost any evidence against a negro
is sometimes good enough when race
prejudice has reached a fever heat.
Sans lawyer promptly moved for
new trial. which was denied. and his
friends had no money 20 carry the
case through the higher courts. II
was then that the general. full OF con-
fdence. went TO the governor to inter
cede, but without avail. The governor
was sorry, but the man had been
properly tried and convicted; crime
amongst negroes was rapidly increas-
ing, and he was unwilling TO interfere
for even 80 distinguished a gentleman
as the general.
Governor" he finally said. may |
tell you an incident which occurred so
years agof II was on the evening OF
my wedding After the ceremony my
bride and | had led the cotillon. Later
| took her TO the veranda where, out
side the railing were gathered a num-
Der OF the family servants. hoping 10
catch glimpse OF the scene within.
For few moments left her 90 bring
glass Of punch; returning | saw that
In response Co the merry greetings
inside, she had stepped TO the door
way: just then candle fell from the
side wall to her feet, and In an instant
her clothes, OF the light and ample
KIDD that ladies' wore in those days,
we're ablaze. II all happened I'm mo-
ments time. Those about her were
young and seemed stunned with
fright. | rushed toward her. but, with
the usual impulse to run. she darted
back to the veranda. whore stronger
and quicker arms than mine caught
her. A negro had sprang over the rail-
ing and was fighting the fire. which
had spread alarmlngly through her
draperies, With bare hands and arms
he extinguished the names-and she
only slightly injured. but the man was
pitiably burned. Governor" he con.
tInued, his voice full OF feeling that
negro was Sam Washington. my body
servaRt When the war came. he fol-
wed me through II all, and bore
n dead bodies OF my boys from the
!. battlefield. II was from his trembling
lips first learned they were dead
know every impulse Of this mans
heart, governor. and | beg you will
believe me. sir, he IL innocent Of any
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