Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-09-21
A MATCH

The whites Of Ray Thompson's eyes
were still in the ascendancy yesterday
morning when he assumed the witness
stand in recorders court to tell the
true story of how he looked down the
barrel of Ernest Barnes pistol, says
the Charlotte Observer Of Sunday.
Close observers also noted that Rays
raven-wined hued countenance still
showed splorches of gray in spots and
tina Rays hand denoted unsteadiness
when he held aloft the Book and swore
to adhere firmly to the truth. From
which the general deduction was
drawn that somebody's equilibrium
must have been strangely disturbed at
the intersection Of Caldwell and First
streets on Friday evening.
Jest so fur as l kin recillect,'
vouchsafed Ray as he pried himself
loose from a collar which evinced in
tentions of adhering to an ebony neck,
II amt never seen dat niger afore.
Leastwise not afore Friday night"
hastily corrected the witness. Il seen
MIN den all right
Il wuz standin' dere at Caldwell and
Fust long erbout nine, jest, projeck-
in wild some boys, when up comes dis
oClC lCllCls L "uH III ~ oo v w
de pickcher show, and it wuZn't long
after he cum, dat / knowed whit er
mistake I'd made by no goin' sooner.
He comes walkin' up ter me and he
SEE:
lis yer got er match?'
NAV, l amt got no match / SEE,
sorter careless like, not knownin' den
whut kind Nv er Niger he u
Nav, and you don't keer much
whether you gifts one, do you?' he
SEE, looking me in de eye.
mot Particular sez l. DE fact Is
dat maybe 1 got n on my pusson
right dis minnie, but dere amt no
strange niger kin say how he sees
me hurryin' none after it,
And den dis primer, runs er hand
back to er hip pocket an speaks right
slow, jest fer all de world like er fu-
neral.
would dissere hope you tall in
findin' lat match?' he SEE, and fore l
even looked. I knowed 1t would. An
en- when me and dat argument look
ed each other right in de face, I wuz
shore. Befoah, 1 wuz jest kiddin' him
rbout having dat match, cause so help
me. I amt toted er match in ten ycahs
being a chewah. Put when dc muZzle
NV dat gun growed and growed till 1t
looked like er water main, dere wuzn't
no doubt 1 knowed dere was bliged ter
be some fire erbout me somewheres.
In de linin' Nv my coat, I felt 1t, an
femme tell you jedge, dere amt never
been no operation whut come no.
where's round de one I formed gittin'
dat match outen de lining Nv dat coat,
jest so fur ez shorenuff speed ez con-
cerned. An jest ez I went ter hand
it ter him, it dropped outen my hand.
Cose I wuz sorter cited, spect, but 1t
dropped. An den de muzzle Nv dat
gun cum closer an closer, till it looked
like a smokestack and dat niger SEE
right slow an soft:
"'Would dissere hope you any in
findin' dat match?'
de place where dat match dropped
Is natcherlly de darkest on any street,
but desc fingers Of mine went to 1t
like 1t wuZ er magnetic an DEE wuz
needles. Den he lights er cigarette,
slow and deliberate, jest like he talk
ed. and seq:
"rNow, niger. maybe dissere will
teach you ter treat visitin' gemmen
frum Rock Hill wild noah respect
and den he thumps dat burnin' stick
in my face an walks erway, still slow,
like he had plenty Nv time.
Oats erbout all, ceptem dat dey
caught him. and you see as ez how l
amt quite got overen it,"
And then Recorder Jones imposed a
fine Of $25 and the costs upon the
"visitin' gemmen from Rock Hill"