Following the color line : $b An account of Negro citizenship in the American democracy
History
Following the color line : $b An account of Negro citizenship in the American democracy
African Americans; United States -- Race relations
Another case shows one of the strange relationships which grow out of
Southern conditions. An old white man, much agitated and very pale, was
brought before the judge. With him came a much younger, comely appearing
woman. Both were well dressed and looked respectable--so much so, indeed,
that there was a stir of interest and curiosity among the spectators. Why
had they been arrested? As they stood in front of the judge's desk, the
old man hung his head, but the woman looked up with such an expression,
tearless and tragic, as I hope I shall not have to see again.
"What's the charge?" asked the judge.
"Adultery," said the officer.
The woman winced, the old man did not look up.
The judge glanced from one to the other in surprise.
"Why don't you get married?" he asked.
"The woman," said the officer, "is a nigger."
She was as white as I am, probably an octoroon; I could not have
distinguished her from a white person, and she deceived even the
experienced eye of the judge.
"Is that so?" asked the judge.
The man continued to hang his head, the woman looked up; neither said a
word. It then came out that they had lived together as man and wife for
many years and that they had children nearly grown. One of the girls--and
a very bright, ambitious girl--as I learned later, was a student in
Atlanta University, a Negro college, where she was supported by her
father, who made good wages as a telegraph operator. Some neighbour had
complained and the man and woman were arrested.
"Is this all true?" asked the judge.
Neither said a word.
"You can't marry under the Georgia law," said the judge; "I'll have to
bind you over for trial in the county court."
They were led back to the prisoners' rooms. A few minutes later the
bailiff came out quickly and said to the judge:
"The old man has fallen in a faint."
Not long afterward they half led, half carried him out across the court
room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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