The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-10-02

Well sir, amt never been mixed
up in nothin' like that before nor
since, and don't intend to be agin,
but was hongry that night, in.
deed ! vast II was depression
times and was goin' down a Hun
dred Thirty-third street when an
other fellow what looks hungry
side-tracks me and says, Say bud
dy. you wanta make little jack?"
Sure" I says, "How?'
"Stickin' up guy" he says. "The
hrst white guy what comes out O.
one o these speaks and looks like
bucks. we gonna rgsb himv'
"Oh. no" says I.
"Oh, yes, we will" says this
other guy. Man, amt you hon
gry?" Didn't I see you down there
o. the charities today, not gettin'
nothin'-like me? You didn't get
o thing. did you? No! Well you
gotta take what you want, that's
al. reach out and take it," ne says,
Even il you are starvin. don't be
no fool. You must be in love with
white folks, or somethin.' Do you
think they care anything about
you?"
mo" I says.
"They sure don't ne says
sThese here rich white folks come
I'D 70 Harlem spendin' forty or
fifty bucks in these night clubs
ind speakeasies, and don't care
ro:hin' bout you and me out here
in the street. do they? Well. one
Ct ems gonna give ne some money
before he gets back home"
"What about the cops?"
FORGET THE COPS
Forget the cops" said the other
guy. Nov. listen. now. live
right here. sleep on the ash pile
back'a the furnace down in tho
basement Don't nobody never
come down there after dark They
let me stay here for keepin' the
furnace goin' at night. It's kind OF
fast house upstairs. you under
stand. Now. you grab this here
guy we pick out push hin down
70 the basemen. door. right here,
I'll pull him in and Well drag him
on back yonder 70 the furnace
room and rob him. money, watch.
clothes and all Then push him
out in the rear court, BY tha:
time vel, be long gone. Wba: YOU
say. boy"
Well. Sir. I'm tell.n' you was
70 tired and hungry and cold tia;
nigh. I didn't hardly know wha.
20 say. so said all right. and We
decided 70 do il. Looked like %
me bout tina; time Hundred Th!r-
ty-third street was just work!n'
with people taxis cru!sin'. white
folks from downtown lookin' for
hot spots.
I. were Just about midnight.
This guys front basement door
was right near the door O. the
Rufus Bar. where that woman sings
them blues ofays is crazy about
AND 1T HAPPENED
And we'll sir! Just what We
wanted 70 happen happened rlch:
on A big party o white folks in
1Irs and things came down the
street. They musta parked Their
Car on Lenox. cause they wasn't in
10 taxi. They was walk.n' in the
snow. And just when they 20;
right by US. one o them white WON.
en- says Edward" she sad. "Oh
oarlin.' don, you know left my
purse and cigarettes and compact
II the car Please 60 and ask the
chauffeur 10 give EN- 10 YOU" And
they went on in the Rufus. The
boy started toward Lenox again.
Well, sir. Edward never did get
back no more that evenin' 20 the
Rufus Bar. No. pal. uh-hum'
Cause We nabbed him. When he
came back down the street in his
evenin' clothes and all. with a
swell black ovcrcoat on that
wished had. jus, a-tippin' 50 as
rot 20 slip up and fall on the snow.
] grabbed him. Before he could
say Jack Robinson pulled him
down the steps 10 the basement door
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