CHAPTER XVIIIThreemen sat around a table that evening in the office of Sheriff Parker in the court-house. The sheriff was one. Another was Commissioner Henry Lane. The third was Ed Stewart.The latter was talking.“Yep, after I talked to that nigger Williams, I rustled ‘round among the niggers on my place. At fust, they wouldn’t talk much. But I found a way to make ’em! By God, a taste of a horse-whip’ll make any of ’em open up! Found they’s only two niggers we got to worry ’bout. One’s this nigger doctor. The other’s my nigger Tom Tracy. She’ff, if you hear’n tell of an accident out to my place in the nex’ few days, you needn’t bother to come out to investigate. It’ll be se’f-defence. Tom Tracy’s goin’t come up on me with an open knife. I’m goin’ t’ shoot t’ save my life.”The three laughed at the good joke. The sheriff agreed not to bother. “Good riddance!” he commented.Stewart went on:“Now ‘bout this other nigger. He’s the brains of the whole thing. But we’ve got to be mighty careful, ’cause these other niggers thinks he some sort of a tin god. Ef they think he’s bumped off ’cause of these lodges he’s been organizing, they might raisehell. Ev’ry nigger out my way would go through hell ’n’ high water for him. Never seen ‘em think so much of another nigger befo’. Mos’ the time they’ll come and tell me ev’rythin’ that any them other niggers doin’. This nigger Harper’s got ‘em hoodooed or somethin’.”The sheriff broke into Stewart’s monologue in a complaining, reminiscent fashion:“Don’t know what’s gettin’ into the niggers nowadays. They ain’t like they useter be. Take this nigger’s daddy, f’r example. Old man Harper was as good a nigger’s I ever seen. If he met you on the street twenty times a day, he’d take off his hat ’n’ bow almos’ to the groun’ ev’ry time. But these new niggers, I can’t make heads nor tails of ‘em. Take that uppity nigger they burned this mornin’. Always goin’ ’round with a face on ’im like he’s swallowed a mess of crabapples. What if that Jim Archer did have a little fun with the nigger’s sister? ’Twon’t hurt a nigger wench none. Oughter be proud a white man wants her.”His voice took on at the next remark a tone of pained and outraged surprise.“Nigger gals gettin’ so nowadays they think they’re’s good as white women! And what ‘chu think that old fool Judge Stev’nson said t’ me to-day? Had the nerve t’ sayt’ me that he don’t blame that nigger Bob for killin’ Jim Archer!”He demanded of his companions in an almost ludicrous surprise: “What’s goin’t come of the South whenwhite menlike the judge say such things?Guess he’s gettin’ so old he’s kind of weak in the head! I tol’ him he’d better not say that to nobody else. Somethin’ might happen tohim!”“Damn Judge Stevenson!” broke in Stewart, anxious to get a chance to tell his story. “He alw’ys was a sort of ‘nigger-lover’ anyway!”Henry Lane spoke for the first time.“Reck’n the Gov’nor’d say anythin’ ‘bout this burnin’?” he asked in a tone that anticipated the answer.Parker laughed ironically.“What kin he do?” he demanded. He answered his own question. “Nothin’! Under the laws of Georgy, he can’t even sen’ a man down here to investigate unless he’s officially asked by citizens of th’ county! And who’s goin’ t’ ask him?” He laughed again. “If anybody’s fool enough to ask him, they’ll be havin’ a visit paid ‘em one of these nights! Reck’n we don’t need to bother none ’bout the Gov’non meddlin’ in our affairs,” he ended assuredly.“Le’s get back to this Harper nigger ’n’ quit all this foolin’ ’round,” Stewart demanded, irritably. “How’re we goin’ t’ settle him?” He added, after a pause: “Without stirrin’ up the niggers all over the county?”“An’ they ain’t all we got to look out for,” added Sheriff Parker. “They’s some white folks ’round here who’ll kick up a stink if we ain’t careful.” “Who’ll do that?” asked Stewart contemptuously. “Judge Stev’nson can’t do it all by hisse’f.” “Well, there’s him an old Baird an’ Fred Griswold. An’ then the one’s mos’ likely to raise the mos’ fuss is Roy Ewing. He thinks a lot of that nigger lately for some reas’n. Ain’t been able t’ figger it out as yet, but he sets a heap by him.” He scratched his head in an abstracted manner. “Tol me over t’ the sto’ yestiddy that this Harper’s a fine type of nigger t’ have ‘round Central City ’n’ that we oughter encourage other niggers to be like him.”“Another one gettin’ ol and weak-minded befo’ his time!” was Stewart’s comment. “But I want t’ know if we’re goin’ to sit here all night talkin’ ‘bout things that’s goin’ t’ keep us from punishin’ this nigger or if we’re goin’ to get down to business. Fust thing we know, we’ll be ‘lectin’ this nigger mayer the town!” His sarcasm was thinly veiled, if veiled at all. Parker and Lane showed by the sudden flush on their faces that the shot had reached its mark.“You don’t have to be so cantankerous ’bout it, Ed.” Parker showed in his voice, as well as on his face, that he didn’t particularly care for Stewart’s brand of irony. “You know we’re jus’ as anxious as you to get rid of him. But we got to be careful. You live out in the country ‘n’ you don’t know the situation here in town like me ‘n’ Henry.”He sat meditatively for a time. Stewart fidgeted in his chair, and Henry Lane sat lost in thought. Parker suddenly sat up eagerly.“I got it!” he exclaimed. The others looked at him inquiringly.“We’ll fix it so’s we can say that Harper insulted a white woman!”His companions looked slightly disappointed and doubtful.“How’re you goin’ t’ do that?” asked Lane. “This nigger, as fur’s I can see, since he been back’s been stayin’ out where he b’longs in the nigger section. Only time he comes over this way’s when he comes to the bank or the sto’ or here to th’ court-house. That’s one thing I can say in his fav’r! Bein’in France ain’t sp’iled him none so fur’s white women’s concerned. If he ran around with them Frog women, he never tried any of it ’round here.”“It ain’t necessary for him to bother with white women in Central City for us to put that on ’im,” Parker declared defensively. “Nearly all white folks ev’n up No’th b’lieves that ev’ry time a nigger’s lynched down this a way, its ’cause he’s raped a white woman.” His manner became triumphant. “Here’s how we’ll fix it.”The three men, although they were alone in the dark court-house and there was none to hear, drew their chairs together. Their heads were close for more than ten minutes, while they talked excitedly together. Occasionally there would be a low burst of laughter—again an oath. At last Stewart rose, took a paper-bound book from the desk, copied for some time from it, and left the court-house.The next morning each of fifteen “white, Protestant, Gentile” citizens of Central City received a letter. There was no writing of any sort on the envelope save their names and addresses. They were of ordinary quality such as can be purchased at fivecents a package in any cheap stationery store. In it was a letter typed on plain paper, of a quality to match the cheapness of the envelope. There was no printing of any sort on the letter, nor was it addressed other than: “Dear Sir.” It read:“DEAR SIR:“You have been chosen, as one known to be loyal, brave, and discreet, to meet a situation affecting the welfare of the Nation, the State, and the Community. You are hereby commanded to be present at the time and place and date given on the enclosed card.“Be wise! Be discreet! Discuss this with no one! Fail not!“THE COMMITTEE.”There was a plain card enclosed, also of cheap and easily obtained quality, on which was typed a date, time, and place. …Mirabile dictu, each of the fifteen recipients of this cryptic missive was a Ku Klux Klansman. …
Threemen sat around a table that evening in the office of Sheriff Parker in the court-house. The sheriff was one. Another was Commissioner Henry Lane. The third was Ed Stewart.
The latter was talking.
“Yep, after I talked to that nigger Williams, I rustled ‘round among the niggers on my place. At fust, they wouldn’t talk much. But I found a way to make ’em! By God, a taste of a horse-whip’ll make any of ’em open up! Found they’s only two niggers we got to worry ’bout. One’s this nigger doctor. The other’s my nigger Tom Tracy. She’ff, if you hear’n tell of an accident out to my place in the nex’ few days, you needn’t bother to come out to investigate. It’ll be se’f-defence. Tom Tracy’s goin’t come up on me with an open knife. I’m goin’ t’ shoot t’ save my life.”
The three laughed at the good joke. The sheriff agreed not to bother. “Good riddance!” he commented.
Stewart went on:
“Now ‘bout this other nigger. He’s the brains of the whole thing. But we’ve got to be mighty careful, ’cause these other niggers thinks he some sort of a tin god. Ef they think he’s bumped off ’cause of these lodges he’s been organizing, they might raisehell. Ev’ry nigger out my way would go through hell ’n’ high water for him. Never seen ‘em think so much of another nigger befo’. Mos’ the time they’ll come and tell me ev’rythin’ that any them other niggers doin’. This nigger Harper’s got ‘em hoodooed or somethin’.”
The sheriff broke into Stewart’s monologue in a complaining, reminiscent fashion:
“Don’t know what’s gettin’ into the niggers nowadays. They ain’t like they useter be. Take this nigger’s daddy, f’r example. Old man Harper was as good a nigger’s I ever seen. If he met you on the street twenty times a day, he’d take off his hat ’n’ bow almos’ to the groun’ ev’ry time. But these new niggers, I can’t make heads nor tails of ‘em. Take that uppity nigger they burned this mornin’. Always goin’ ’round with a face on ’im like he’s swallowed a mess of crabapples. What if that Jim Archer did have a little fun with the nigger’s sister? ’Twon’t hurt a nigger wench none. Oughter be proud a white man wants her.”
His voice took on at the next remark a tone of pained and outraged surprise.
“Nigger gals gettin’ so nowadays they think they’re’s good as white women! And what ‘chu think that old fool Judge Stev’nson said t’ me to-day? Had the nerve t’ sayt’ me that he don’t blame that nigger Bob for killin’ Jim Archer!”
He demanded of his companions in an almost ludicrous surprise: “What’s goin’t come of the South whenwhite menlike the judge say such things?Guess he’s gettin’ so old he’s kind of weak in the head! I tol’ him he’d better not say that to nobody else. Somethin’ might happen tohim!”
“Damn Judge Stevenson!” broke in Stewart, anxious to get a chance to tell his story. “He alw’ys was a sort of ‘nigger-lover’ anyway!”
Henry Lane spoke for the first time.
“Reck’n the Gov’nor’d say anythin’ ‘bout this burnin’?” he asked in a tone that anticipated the answer.
Parker laughed ironically.
“What kin he do?” he demanded. He answered his own question. “Nothin’! Under the laws of Georgy, he can’t even sen’ a man down here to investigate unless he’s officially asked by citizens of th’ county! And who’s goin’ t’ ask him?” He laughed again. “If anybody’s fool enough to ask him, they’ll be havin’ a visit paid ‘em one of these nights! Reck’n we don’t need to bother none ’bout the Gov’non meddlin’ in our affairs,” he ended assuredly.
“Le’s get back to this Harper nigger ’n’ quit all this foolin’ ’round,” Stewart demanded, irritably. “How’re we goin’ t’ settle him?” He added, after a pause: “Without stirrin’ up the niggers all over the county?”
“An’ they ain’t all we got to look out for,” added Sheriff Parker. “They’s some white folks ’round here who’ll kick up a stink if we ain’t careful.” “Who’ll do that?” asked Stewart contemptuously. “Judge Stev’nson can’t do it all by hisse’f.” “Well, there’s him an old Baird an’ Fred Griswold. An’ then the one’s mos’ likely to raise the mos’ fuss is Roy Ewing. He thinks a lot of that nigger lately for some reas’n. Ain’t been able t’ figger it out as yet, but he sets a heap by him.” He scratched his head in an abstracted manner. “Tol me over t’ the sto’ yestiddy that this Harper’s a fine type of nigger t’ have ‘round Central City ’n’ that we oughter encourage other niggers to be like him.”
“Another one gettin’ ol and weak-minded befo’ his time!” was Stewart’s comment. “But I want t’ know if we’re goin’ to sit here all night talkin’ ‘bout things that’s goin’ t’ keep us from punishin’ this nigger or if we’re goin’ to get down to business. Fust thing we know, we’ll be ‘lectin’ this nigger mayer the town!” His sarcasm was thinly veiled, if veiled at all. Parker and Lane showed by the sudden flush on their faces that the shot had reached its mark.
“You don’t have to be so cantankerous ’bout it, Ed.” Parker showed in his voice, as well as on his face, that he didn’t particularly care for Stewart’s brand of irony. “You know we’re jus’ as anxious as you to get rid of him. But we got to be careful. You live out in the country ‘n’ you don’t know the situation here in town like me ‘n’ Henry.”
He sat meditatively for a time. Stewart fidgeted in his chair, and Henry Lane sat lost in thought. Parker suddenly sat up eagerly.
“I got it!” he exclaimed. The others looked at him inquiringly.
“We’ll fix it so’s we can say that Harper insulted a white woman!”
His companions looked slightly disappointed and doubtful.
“How’re you goin’ t’ do that?” asked Lane. “This nigger, as fur’s I can see, since he been back’s been stayin’ out where he b’longs in the nigger section. Only time he comes over this way’s when he comes to the bank or the sto’ or here to th’ court-house. That’s one thing I can say in his fav’r! Bein’in France ain’t sp’iled him none so fur’s white women’s concerned. If he ran around with them Frog women, he never tried any of it ’round here.”
“It ain’t necessary for him to bother with white women in Central City for us to put that on ’im,” Parker declared defensively. “Nearly all white folks ev’n up No’th b’lieves that ev’ry time a nigger’s lynched down this a way, its ’cause he’s raped a white woman.” His manner became triumphant. “Here’s how we’ll fix it.”
The three men, although they were alone in the dark court-house and there was none to hear, drew their chairs together. Their heads were close for more than ten minutes, while they talked excitedly together. Occasionally there would be a low burst of laughter—again an oath. At last Stewart rose, took a paper-bound book from the desk, copied for some time from it, and left the court-house.
The next morning each of fifteen “white, Protestant, Gentile” citizens of Central City received a letter. There was no writing of any sort on the envelope save their names and addresses. They were of ordinary quality such as can be purchased at fivecents a package in any cheap stationery store. In it was a letter typed on plain paper, of a quality to match the cheapness of the envelope. There was no printing of any sort on the letter, nor was it addressed other than: “Dear Sir.” It read:
“DEAR SIR:“You have been chosen, as one known to be loyal, brave, and discreet, to meet a situation affecting the welfare of the Nation, the State, and the Community. You are hereby commanded to be present at the time and place and date given on the enclosed card.“Be wise! Be discreet! Discuss this with no one! Fail not!“THE COMMITTEE.”
“DEAR SIR:
“You have been chosen, as one known to be loyal, brave, and discreet, to meet a situation affecting the welfare of the Nation, the State, and the Community. You are hereby commanded to be present at the time and place and date given on the enclosed card.
“Be wise! Be discreet! Discuss this with no one! Fail not!
“THE COMMITTEE.”
There was a plain card enclosed, also of cheap and easily obtained quality, on which was typed a date, time, and place. …
Mirabile dictu, each of the fifteen recipients of this cryptic missive was a Ku Klux Klansman. …