The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-06-09

road in Georgia with s1.2S. While
riding in a coal car a big colored
brakeman robbed him of his cash,
In the North, he said, he lived like
a prince. All he had to do was to
ring the door bell and tell the kind
lady that he was poor colored man
driven from the South and out OF
work. The 'handout' was fine.
"All the tramps told me that they
avoided Buffalo. The experience OF
the mulatto tramp in that city was
particularly interesting. Two cops
held him up. He made bold bluff
that he was a native. He was asked
where he worked and gave a fictiti-
| Gus name as that of his employer.
Wien pressed to give his employer S
address the bluff failed. He was
| taken before Judge, who, he said,
did not look up from the paper on
which he was writing while he vas
on trial.
Thirty days. said the Judge.
"'But, may it please your Honor,
I would like to put up Defence
+ "'You can study out your defence
during the next thirty days in jail.
replied the Judge.
"The prisoner was taken Ito the
yard of the Jail and was told to re-
move a pile of scrap iron from one
corner of the jail to an opposite cor
nor. When the jailer reappeared he
complimented the prisoner on the
neatness of the job.
"'Now move it back to the cor
| ner where you took it from
Ready for an Autopsy.
my mulatto friend did as he was
instructed, and that was employment
for thirty days, moving that scrap
iron form one corner of the Jail yard
to another and then back again.
When he was released he made bee
line for the suburb, but was caught
by policeman and again taken be-
fore the same Judge, who was writ
ing. as before. .
"'Sixty days. said the Judge with
out glance at the prisoner.
"'But Judge said the tramp,
listen to me. You gave me thirty
days and told me to prepare my de-
fence
"'Sixty days. repeated the Judge.
"'The next time the tramp got out
of Buffalo without being caught. He
was next picked up in Washington
and put to work aPhot summer day
in a trench. He did not relish the
job and played possum. His punish
ment was solitary confinement in a
cell and a diet of bread and water.
He played possum for a week. One
day he heard his keeper tell the Jail
physician that there was dying
Niger in the cell, the number Of
which was his own.
"'The doctor came in said the
tramp. 4 played possum. He felt
my pulse. Then he listened if my
heart was beating.
Bring me my Instruments said,
the, doctor. The niger Is dying
and as I have got to perform an au-
topsy I will do it now
"I kept on playing possum, think
ing the doctor was only Joking. The
instruments were brought and the
doctor began to cut me open. l
didn't play possum any longer. 1
jumped up and gave yell that
scared the doctor out of his wits.
$50 help me Noses concluded
the tramp, If ever set my eyes on
that doctor again I will kill him
Atlanta's Juvenile Court.
"These and similar stories the
tramps told me. I stayed in New
Haven for time and went to At
lanta, where I began to practice law.
Incidentally I took part in all the So
cial and other activities 'rof the city.
led an epicure's life, wholly indif-
ferent to the wants and miseries Of
mankind. One day, while reading
one Of DR.. Haeckel's' books, I came
across this passage: If God is un-
movable, then what is worth know
ing?' That set me to thinging. l
went up to the State house, where
an investigation was being conducted
by Governor Northen and commit
tee of thirty. They were looking in
to the question of juvenile reforma-
ton. I was disgusted with the lack
of information on the subject. I was
about to leave when lull occurred in