Old Josh, in: Jes' a Damn Nigger
Old Josh, in:
Jes’ a Damn Nigger
1884
Josh is feeding one of the horses some grass out behind the barn,
With Silas, and Toby from the Smiley Plantation comes
Up to talk to Josh about the trial down in Ozark,
And the hanging of Amos by several hooligans…
Josh: I been down Ozark to da trial today. It been some er dem white folk who killin’ Amos.
Toby: Who you see?
Josh: Two of ‘em.
Toby: Dere been seven of ‘em, but dey ain’ have but two, dey ain’ tryin’ to find dem haw?
Silas: Why I know who dey is, everyone does paw, ain’ dey murderers too?
Josh: Dere’ more reason dan one boy.
Silas: Wuh reason dey say?
Josh: Dey dont say, cuz dey dont want too, so you keep your nose out of it boy!
Toby: To de judge we is just niggers. Amos—a good man— when a nigger is kilt, it aint no big thing. I like to see dat de criminal git his punishment, but da judge I bet bein’ light in punishment of dem white boys.
Josh: I been to de trial, but dere ain’ no trial.
Toby: Well, I been to de court an’ I know how it is, an’ Amos been a good friend to de white folk?
Silas: Paw and Amos dey been raise up together. Dey been friend ever since dey been chillum.
Toby: An’ dey hang Amos cuz dey is drunk and wild boys.
Silas: How come dey kilt Amos paw?
Josh: Dey say he take a white boy and throw him off his hoss, when dey seven boys run on through Shanty Town, and one boy tried to rape a girl, and old Amos stopped him. But you got to know Silas, in de first place, a nigger was kilt, if-in he was a white man, dey hang him fer that, fer anything. Deys boys even plead guilty to manslaughter. I sees da jury have a little conscience, and dey give dem boys two-years in prison, or they fear a great cry ‘bout by us niggers. Amos he jes’ a poor helpless nigger, and they do a-heap er talk for two years in prison.
Toby: Why da court so lenient?
Josh: Fools like us is one reason. Toby, I ask you a question: who been kilt, an’ who de judge, and who de jury? Now brother, who is de sheriff, an’ da police? An’ dey all says: jes a nigger—a damn nigger, that all he is.
Story No: 418 (Episode No: 85) 6-20-2009
Jes’ a Damn Nigger
1884
Josh is feeding one of the horses some grass out behind the barn,
With Silas, and Toby from the Smiley Plantation comes
Up to talk to Josh about the trial down in Ozark,
And the hanging of Amos by several hooligans…
Josh: I been down Ozark to da trial today. It been some er dem white folk who killin’ Amos.
Toby: Who you see?
Josh: Two of ‘em.
Toby: Dere been seven of ‘em, but dey ain’ have but two, dey ain’ tryin’ to find dem haw?
Silas: Why I know who dey is, everyone does paw, ain’ dey murderers too?
Josh: Dere’ more reason dan one boy.
Silas: Wuh reason dey say?
Josh: Dey dont say, cuz dey dont want too, so you keep your nose out of it boy!
Toby: To de judge we is just niggers. Amos—a good man— when a nigger is kilt, it aint no big thing. I like to see dat de criminal git his punishment, but da judge I bet bein’ light in punishment of dem white boys.
Josh: I been to de trial, but dere ain’ no trial.
Toby: Well, I been to de court an’ I know how it is, an’ Amos been a good friend to de white folk?
Silas: Paw and Amos dey been raise up together. Dey been friend ever since dey been chillum.
Toby: An’ dey hang Amos cuz dey is drunk and wild boys.
Silas: How come dey kilt Amos paw?
Josh: Dey say he take a white boy and throw him off his hoss, when dey seven boys run on through Shanty Town, and one boy tried to rape a girl, and old Amos stopped him. But you got to know Silas, in de first place, a nigger was kilt, if-in he was a white man, dey hang him fer that, fer anything. Deys boys even plead guilty to manslaughter. I sees da jury have a little conscience, and dey give dem boys two-years in prison, or they fear a great cry ‘bout by us niggers. Amos he jes’ a poor helpless nigger, and they do a-heap er talk for two years in prison.
Toby: Why da court so lenient?
Josh: Fools like us is one reason. Toby, I ask you a question: who been kilt, an’ who de judge, and who de jury? Now brother, who is de sheriff, an’ da police? An’ dey all says: jes a nigger—a damn nigger, that all he is.
Story No: 418 (Episode No: 85) 6-20-2009
posted by Dennis and Rosa Siluk at 11:11 PM
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