The Washburn leader., 1915-08-27
A WISE
JUDGE
By OSCAR cox

| When the war between the states
ended. and the colored man was en-
tiowed with citizenship q grave re
sponsibility was placed upon him Tor
which he wasn't prepared. In one OF
those regions where the negroes were
very numerous and white men very
few one Of the former found himself
in possession of a Justices court.
The makeup Of this dispensary OF
justice was somewhat crude. A judge
was found who had done the cleaning
of the courthouse, q prosecuting attor-
ney in one who had belonged to law
yer, but for counsel no one could be
obtained except a few darkfes who had
been tried for various offenses and had
by observing lawyers methods picked
up here and there bits Of court routine.
Moses Doggett, late the property OF
Colonel Redfeld Doggett, was the
Judge before whom negro with no
other name, so far as was known, than
Pete was brought on charge of hav-
ing i'll treated his wife, Susan. She as
| the principal witness was called to the
stand.
''Tell the cou't wha' Pete gone done
to you," said the judge.
"Pete he de mos good fo' nuttin mig
ger in de state of Alabama. Now he
got free he t'ink he hain't got nottin'
to do but sit out in de sun an sleep.
l says to Pete. Cit up an go to wo'k.
How yo' spec desc chil'n gwine to git
anything to eat eff yo' don't earn not
tin'Y Pete he say: 4 hain't got no
wo'k. Yo' go on wild de washin', an
l TAX it to do owner an bring back
de pay l jist pick up rollin' pin,
an split it on he skull"
"Yo' honah," said the defendants
counsel, II thought it was Pete mis-
treated Susan, not Susan, mistreated
Pete"
"Yo', Pete," said the Judge, "yo' take
de stan an tell de cot yo' side oh de
question:
Pete obeyed the order and stood roll
ing his eyes about till admonished to
speak in his defense of the charge
made by his wife.
"Hain't got no wife," he said.
"Hain't got no wife? How dat?'
ma wife, Chloe, wha' married fus'
down in Louisiana, air de only wife l
| got. When l was sold an separated
from her an de chil'n ma heart was
broke. De mex year l married one OBJ
de nigger women belongin' to ma new
marster."
"Yo' didn't get no divo'ce FROM yo'
fus' wife?" asked the defendants coun-
sci.
II didn't get no divo'ce. jest mar
ried ag'in. Two years arter dat ma
marster lose a cotton crop an We was
all sold out, me an ma wife bein' sold
to different marsters. Den I married
anudder wife,
"An' yo' didn't get no divo'ce from
de second wife?" asked Pete's counsel.
mo, sab. I didn't get no divo'ce
from de second wife. didn't keer 70
no divo'ce from none OBJ 'em. Ma
heart was true to ma fus' wife, Chloe" "
How many wives have you got?''
asked the prosecuting attorney, with
a view to condensing this diftuse state.
ment.
II don't know. had de bad luck
to change marsters mighty often, an
every time was sold married a new
wife,"
''Is Susan de las'?"
"Sue, she de las"
"Yo' honah," said defendants coun.
sci, II ask TO- de discha'ge OBJ de pris.
oner ON de groun' dat he couldn't mis-
treat he wife when he hafn't married
to de wife he mistreated."
How many husbands have you
had, Susan?" asked the Judge.
II got one in Mobile, anudder In New
| Orleans an anudder somewha' In SOul
Carolina"
How do you know they are in those
places7''
II don't. l married 'em dar."
The Judge looked up at the boards
which constituted the ceiling In mute
deliberation. He was grave looking
old darky and In his heart aimed to
be just. But the problem was how
to be just legally. The two in this case
seemed incompatible.
DE persecutin' attorney will sum up
an de counsel To- de prisoner will sum
up, den de cou't will glib her decision -
Il hain't got nuthin' to say" said the
prosecutor. "'cept dat Pete won't w0'k.
an his wife an chin am starvin'.
lie cou't oughter make him wo'k or 60
to JAIL
"An' amt got nuthin' to say" said
the prisoners lawyer, "'cept dat in de
| fus' place Sue an Pete hain't married,
Pete bein' true to Chloe, somewha' in
de souf. In de secon' place, it want
Pete dat mistreated Sue, but Sue mis-
treated Pete when she split de rollin'
pin on his head"
The Judge again looked at the boards
above, rolled his eyes and finally gave
his decision.
DE new law Of marriage among us
niggers since he Emancipation procla-
nation am different from de ole law.
Under de new law Sue am Pete's wife,
an he boun' to TAX keer OBJ her an de
chillun. De cou't derefo' decides dat
Il sA~AH