Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-22
Miseellaaeous 8eaaias.
POKER GAME SETTLED DISPUTE.
Bassett Got His Hundred, But Pearsal
Didn't Even Have Chance to Shoot
the Nepro.

Didn't Even Have Chance to Shoot
the Negro.
There's mo- n one way to look at
most things" remarked old man
lGreenlaw as he gazed through his
front window at small but ex-
tremely expeditions procession which
was passing up the street in front OF
his little saloon in Arkansas City.
There was certainly sufficient rea-
son for the interest he evidently felt
The procession consisted Of two per-
sons only, but what it lacked in num-
bers was more than made up by the
notable animation displayed by those
two and the intensity of emotion
which was operating to produce such
activity as is seldom to be observed
in creatures of the human species.
The van Of the procession was COM
posed of colored citizens who might
very probably have been a chattel be-
fore the war. 1t seemed likely that
In his present terror the change in his
status had been completely obliterat-
ed from his mind and that he had
lapsed into his former habit Of en-
tire Difference to the wishes Of white
citizens.
Therefore, inasmuch as the in
dubitable inclination of the individ-
ual who brought up the rear Of the
procession was to remove the citizens
in the van from off the face Of the
earth. the van was doing his best to
forestall any such violent methods
Of accomplishing the said removal, as
were plainly imminent by a system
of progression which could only be
described by the word flight.
! Rapidly as he moved, however, and
great was the advantage he had by
treason Of the start Of some fifteen
feet, his pursuer's manifest purpose
of overtaking him was so emphati-
cally urgent and his physical ability
was so great that there could be lit
tie doubt of his ultimate success
Therefore, after they had flashed past
old man Greenlaw's saloon and dis
appeared in the distance there was nc
question in the minds of those who
had seen them pass of the fate Of the
colored citizen.
Then after remarking as has al
|ready been noted, that there Is more
than one way of looking at most
things the old man continued: Mon
likely Joe Bassett'll come up with
that niger inside Of couple O. mile
an 'tain't liable TO- to be noways
healthy fo' the niger. TIL amt no
doubt but what the c'munityll be
purified heap long o. the wipn' out
o. one undesirable individjul, but
there's some question in my mind
whether Joe amt gettin' to be some
p'miskus.
FIN what I done heerd I reckon
there's some reason to s'picion the
niger O. stealin' mo- chickens n he'd
oughter. o. co'se a nigger'll steal
a chicken occasional an tn amt no
gre't harm did. but when he gets that
unreasonable t he's got to have
chicken every day an don't make no
d scrimination tween common barn.
yard hens an varable game cocks
o. co'se somepin has to be did. Now
tn amt nobody let on about losin'
no p'tic'lar high-priced stock s fur
8 I've heer'd. have they?"
1t appeared from the silence Of
those in the room that no one else
had heard of such calamity, and
the old man continued: There It's.
O. co'se the nigger'd oug ter be lick
| ed, but If Joe gets all het up chasin'
of him he's liable TO- to go some too
fur. TIL amt no sense in thinnin'
out tn niggers too much. There has
to be some on 'em in tn c'munity o
co'se.''
No one else in the room seemed to
| take any great interest in the matter,
though Jake Winterbottom and
Blaisdell both agreed that Bassett was
some headstrong when it came to
overcoming any resistance to his au-
| H. n,itt, cI, ,n,.iff A
silence followed and not until Bassett
himself entered the room was the
subject mentioned again.
Then the old man asked casually:
Did yo' kill the niger, Joe?"
Dunno" said the sheriff indiffer-
emily. II done beat him up consid-
able mo- n I would have did, on'y
the black varmint struck at me. I
reckon he'll come to, though, a'ter
SPELL"
Further comment on so trivial a
matter would have been unlikely had
not young man employed in the
local printing office entered the sa-
loon about that time. Saying moth
ing to anybody he proceeded in a
matter -of-course fashion to affiX to
the wall a placard on which appear
ed the legend: $500 reward for the
arrest and conviction of a negro nam
ed Washington Pottle. He's done
been stealing my hogs. j. NJ.
Biggs."
After the departure of the young
man Joe Bassett without undue haste
got up from his seat and read the
notice. Then he inquired II anybody
knew who this here Washington Pot
tie was, being evidently interested by
the announcement Of the reward.
III !,
great deliberation. II couldn't see
none too clear when you was passin'
| by here a spell ago. but that niger
you was chasin' looked some like a
passel o. Pottles what's done moved
into a cabin down blow my house.
Mebbe he was one on 'em, but / dunno
liz his names Washington
There it's" explained old man
Greenlaw as Bassett looked at the last
speaker in some confusion. "Yo' sure
be some hasty, Joe. Mo n likely yo'
done wasted a cool hundred long o
lettin' yo' temper get the best on yo'.
Stands to reason If the nigger's dead
yo' won't get no reward. 1 reckon it's
up to yo' to go back an see f yo' can't
fetch him to-"
Perceiving the practical character
Of this suggestion Rassett departed,
pul lelulieu III an iioui 'iiitS ~
the intelligence that nothing could be
found of the negro. He seemed un-
disturbed. however and remarked
that he reckoned one Pottle d do as
we'll as another s fur s the reward
was c'ncerned. And he demanded
further information from Mr.. Pearsall
concerning the passel O. Pottles he had
mentioned.
Don't see no reason f'r me to tell
yo' no mo-" observed Pearsall. Il
reckon was some foolish to say what
| done said. If there's a hundred to
he made Outen the POttleS [ reckon