The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-08

 ping up behind me so quietly, one day decided to say something to hin that l thought might cause him tC remain away.
 The day-shift custodian was busy downstairs making an in. spection of cells, when I happenec to glance over my shoulder and saw the big negro approaching cautiously
 Say, you" l faced quickly anc pointed finger at him-"I want you to quit that pussy-foot- ing around me; you scare me, and 1 have a bad heart"
 He stood gazing at me for a mo. ment.
 "A black heart, ye say?" he in. quired.
 My heart is weak. and I don, want you to slip up that way and scare me"
 And now you're a trying tt scarce me-" he observed.
 No, I'm not-Im Just asking you not to be so quiet yhen you come up here; and because they make me work so hard. I'd rather that you meet me when I'm down stairs some where rather than up hree. We could discuss things better then.
 He rolled hiss eyes about anc showed the whites of them in 6 glance upward. then he looked in- quiringly St me.
 We're s mechanic. ain't ye?" he asked
 NO, sir" I answered.
 "That's q machine. ain't it::" He indicated the typewriter.
 Yes"
 And you work with it7"
 Yes
 2 2 Q
 Then we're a mechanic-goodbye And he turned and started down the stairs.
 "Goodbye-and good luck" I re-
 You'll think good luck" he paused 8 few steps down to exclaim You'd ruther fer me to meet ye downstairs than here. and I'll prom ise ye now that I'll meet ye thar. Ii ain't right fer one mechanic to try to scare another n like you are a. he pointed large. pale-yellow blunt finger at me-''and don't ye try to fergit it either"
 When, during the rest of that day l would think of the insane glint 1T that big negro's eyes, 1t was a source of slight irritation and worry. That feeling wore off though, and within week the incident-of which I tolc no one-had about been forgotten later, however, that same happening was brought to mind again in an unexpected manner.
 In line with the trend of penology at that day, baseball teams had been organized in the prison and on Sat turdays and holidays the inmates played ball. There were at that time e, a1, ! T = ball There were at that time some secure harmony among them and tc give each one a square deal a regular schedule was made out. Moreover. { commission consisting of presi- dent, vice president and secretary was established. All disputes or mat ters pertaining to the sale or eX- change of players-and in fact many things too numerous to mention were submitted to that commission.
 I had been chosen as secretary O the commission. and the writing O decisions fell to me. A few day prior to the Saturday upon which had the experience of which I an a bout to tell. a controversy haC arisen between the managers of two clubs over the sale of a player. The matter came to us for settlement anc the three of us gave it the mos
 
 were well versed in baseball and w had the rule book on the side in ad dition to our own constitution. I Get a Command.
 The decision was duly made anc written out, but had not been posted as yet. But because it affected thu personnel of thes.two first playing clubs for that afternoon. we were asked to to make public the con tents of it: and I, who had been ou- upon the grounds in the back yard went back to my desk to secure the decision.
 AS might be readily understood. or occasions of that kind the cellhouses would be deserted. Unless prisoner was confined to his cell for some req tain to be on hand at the games,
 I entered the quiet cellhouse ano hastened up the two flights of stairs in front to the office, took the typed sheets from my desk and started back On the second floor a mar confined in cell at that end of the block asked me to give him a match did not smoke, consequently had nc but at his suggestion stepped into a cell next door to his, took a few matches from an' open box or the shelf over the door and handed them to him-then, explaining that couldn't stop to talk, l hurried on down to the lower floor. And there at the foot of the stairway on that lower floor I came face to face with the large yellow crazy negro.
 What ye got thar?" he inquired pointing at the papers in my hand
 Something for the ball players. I answered (starting to swing round the upright support and pass on to- ward the open doorway.
 Wait a minute"-and he took 8 firm hold of my arm with his ape like hand-"I want ye to examine this pipe here: I want to find out fer shore if we're mechanic"
 CHAPTER ss
 What pipe?" I asked, standing perfectly still and wondering what ought to dol could see the maniac gleam in the negros rolling eyes.
 This one right here" He indi- cated the large steam pipe that ex- tended along the wall on the floor one eye closed. If we're mechanic, wy all right; but if we're not-and f ye don't say what a mechanic would say about the pipe-w'y, yell never git up from thar alive-that's all"
 I hesitated.
 Cit down thar" he repeated in that same slow drawing voice pecu- liar to southern negroes. "or I'll have 10 hep ye down." And he drew from Inside his shirt front a short heavy plumbers wrench that he had got ten hold of Tn some way.
 As matter of plain truth I was till I was rendered as weak &s man just Up from a long spell of sickness. My weakness was the kind that comes in connection with combined fear and fearful an ger. I thought rapidly. Should I at tempt to jerk loose from the giant and run for the door? No, he was holding my arm already in a be- numbing grasp. and if I failed to free myself I would surely receive a blow from that wrench with all the superforce known to a mad man Just then I heard the fellow on the