The Broken Sword; Or, A Pictorial Page in Reconstruction

by D. Worthington

  CHAPTER XIX.

  THE CORONER'S INQUEST.

  The revolutionary iconoclasts had fully established their sway in theworst and most irritating forms; their resources, directed byirresponsible and offensive authority--controlling the fortunes, hopesand fate of all classes--ramified and extended throughout the South.Mountebanks sat in judgment upon the lives and liberties of a vanquishedpeople; everywhere violating all the guaranties of freedom. The alarmingvibrations of this unhallowed power were felt in every home. It was amatter of anxious and fearful thought, "What must be the result ofcollisions that are sure to come?" It were vain to threaten consequencesbadgered as the people were into passive submission by a power thatruled supreme--a power that was conducting its operations withunmeasured cruelty wherever the ill-starred Confederacy had raised itshated crest. Retaliation swift and sure pursued a few of the misguidednegroes whose black hands were upraised to smite the South. Now andthen, under the shadow of the citadel that was garrisoned by thepensioned slaves, the victims of the murderous knife or deadly bulletwould be found. Hence the South was the harvest field for thefunctionaries who delighted in the sudden visitations of Providence, andwho looked for the vultures upon circling pinions above the river ascouriers of cheering messages; in the language of the negroes, as the"sky sheruffs" who served due notice upon the oppressed taxpayers ofthis patronizing government of the freedmen.

  By a custom that obtained very generally in the South in the post-bellumdays, there was a division of offices inequitably made, however, betweenthe carpet-baggers and the negroes; and to the negroes was assignedamong others of inconsiderable revenue, the office of county coroner.This office for many generations before the war was a sinecure, but apictorial page now appears in the history of reconstruction,electrotyped in disgusting caricatures. The office of coroner wasconstructed out of a mediaeval original; it was both ancient andhonorable--a remnant of the feudal system that superseded other forms ofgovernment in Europe before and since the crusade. So considerable wereits revenues and dignity, that the lords chief justices of the King'sBench of England coveted and enjoyed its emoluments and title; and todescend from an antiquity so dignified and remote, from bewigged andbegowned lords justices to 15th amendment freedmen, was quite a sheerdescent. But reconstruction came with fantastical ideals; with its ownpeculiar and irritating forms and institutions, and the political fabricwas ludicrously inverted and the freedmen appeared to walk through theair on stilts.

  When post-mortem investigations were exceedingly rare in a county thatboasted of its healthfulness and its obedience to law, the per diem ofthe coroner was fixed by legislative enactment to ten dollars, withcertain enumerated charges, such as summoning, swearing and empanellingthe jury of inquest. But now there was an epidemic of accidental deathsin this phenomenal era. Among the negroes the most natural thing was todie--to die from exposure, from starvation, and sometimes from heroicdoses of manhood suffrage. They died in the river, in the creek, in thelowgrounds. Old Uncle Elijah Thorpe, the coroner, would sit moodily bythe hour on his dilapidated stoop, intently gazing into the firmamentabove him for the appearance of "de sky shurruff," and when the circlingscavengers of the country would flap and dip their pinions below thefringe of the cypresses that bordered the river, his spirits wouldrevive, and refreshing smiles would play hide and seek in the blackcaverns of his face.

  The old coroner like Judge Blackstock, appeared to be the "survival ofthe fittest." He had come out of the toils of slavery with his hair aswhite as the snow, and with lines in his black face as if a "new groundplow" had been running furrows into it. He was an old man when the greatguns were celebrating the emancipation of four million slaves. He was anold man when the bosses placed into his horny, gouty hand the electivefranchise. He was an old man when he looked out one night, when thestars were twinkling in the mid-heavens, and saw the luminary of freedomwith its bewildering corruscations. He was the advanced guard of thefreedmen who welcomed the agent of the bureau with waving of hats andclapping of resounding hands. He was the file leader of Laflin's blackreinforcements. When Elijah began to grow rich out of the spoils of hisoffice he observed in a confidential way to Laflin,

  "Ef de niggers keeps er gitten sassinated lak deys agwine on und dejurer don't gin out, dis heer Soufland is agwine ter be a sametary fromone eend to de tother; the buzzards is lak a passel ob rode hands ercummin und agwine," and then to disarm the carpet-bagger's cupidity hecontinued with a lugubrious cast of countenance, "By de time I gits derashuns from de kommissery und de sperrits fur de jurer dars a mityleetle spec left ob de poreseeds. De pay boss haint ekal to desponsuality of de offis."

  These post-mortem inquiries, like all other functions of the time,presented most ridiculous contrasts. While the circling carrion crowswere looking for dead negroes in the river and swamps, the negro womenin the cabins and kitchens were watching the movements of the coroner;and whenever the public became advised "dat de corps ob humans was to besot upon" if the news came in the dead of the night, an outcry would gofrom cabin to cabin; dusky faces would appear at dirty windows and aninquiry in staccato from some sister would arouse her neighbour.

  "Oh! Sophia Ann, has yu heerd de news, or is yu pine blank ded? Decrowner has dun und put de saddle on ole 'sametary' und de saddle-bagsund de jimmyjon too, und agwine ter set on er corps fortwid."

  "Hush! sister Becky," would come the answer; "Aint you got anudder tackof hystericks;" and rayless jaundiced lights would appear in windows;then the screeching of fowls in the coops, then pots would simmer andboil; then little Bill would be jerked out of bed with the angryexclamation, "Fore de King, I believes dis heer yungun would sleep clarfroo de jedgment day und wudn't heer nary trumpet. Git outen heer yuBill und fetch dat ar steer und de kaart fore de door fortwid." And thenBill, yawning and gaping and grunting, and twisting his arms over hisblack head, would stagger with tangled feet to the stable and command,

  "Cum outen dis heer door ole Linkum fore I whacks yu ober de hed wid disheer palin." And then old Linkum would toss his head and start towardsBill with a boo--o-o and then back into his stall with another boo-oo,and then Maria would shout from the kitchen,

  "Yu Bill has yu und ole Linkum gone plum ter sleep? Why don't yu fetchdat aggrawating steer outen dar?" And then she would turn to pack awaythe pies and chickens in the basket, and then ole Linkum and Bill andMaria and "Ladybird," the ugly fice dog, would be reinforced upon theroad by a picturesque caravan. There would be women and children of allsizes, ages and conditions; then the hard cider carts, fakirs and piewomen, then the old parson and the deacons and the singing sisters, thenthe man with a hand organ and a monkey, then a score of yelping hounds,curs and fices, then the coroner in battered beaver and green goggles,astride his flopped-eared, flee-bitten mule, "ole Samitary," all withlaughter, jest and song hurrying to the scene of the catastrophe; whilethe poor misguided subjects of the investigation would be staring withgreat lack-lustre eyes into the sky.

  Upon this occasion the rising sun as he passed through the mist veiledhis face from a spectacle terribly ghastly. Four black corpses in silksand satins and tawdry lace, with upturned faces, lay rigid with a seasawmotion in the ooze and water; and a huge black object, like the back ofa leviathan with striped banners in his nostrils, dammed up the streamthat flowed with a sluggish current from the river. This then was theend of the carnival; the due return upon the writ of ejectment.

  What utopian dreams were whispered into ears into which the eddyingwaters were intoning a refrain! Shall the mistress of Ingleside descendinto this cold, forbidding flood with the keys of her broad domain, andplace them as a symbolical delivery of title into hands so rigid andnerveless, that never guarded its portals with one night's vigil? Shallthe officers of the law, under these broken arches, endorse a due returnupon the writ of ejectment? When we see the star spangled banner downthere, dyeing the waters as it seemed with blood, "with the Union" down,does it bind us to an allegiance to the powers that sent these outlawsupon their mission of assass
ination.

  Joshua was very wretched when he heard of the horrifying disaster thatoverreached the human beagles that were pursuing their quarry soheartlessly. Old negroes like Joshua and Ned were fast becomingdisillusioned; they had danced attendance to Laflin and his pamperedslaves when they were desperately hungry; they had marched and countermarched, when from sheer weakness they could scarcely keep step to thefife and drum; they had seen the hollow pageantry; had heard thediscordant fanfares from brazen trumpets; the mockery of commands to"fall in" and to "fall out;" indeed they had been lashed to thetreadmill of fatiguing servitude when there wasn't a bazaar or asutler's shop into which they could enter and beg a morsel of bread; andwhen they "broke ranks" there wasn't a ration of meat or flourdistributed to the old hulks that were to all intents and purposes outof commission. Joshua felt that all the events and catastrophes of thismortal life were in some mysterious way the annotations of Sacred Writ,and hence as he clothed himself in the spic-span homespun garments thatAlice had given him, he said to his wife,

  "Now eff I kin ever find my old bever, und my specks, I'm agwine to axMiss Alice what de scriptur says erbout dis insurreckshun. Cording to mymembrance when de Mallyskites flung ole Farro outen de charryot into desea, dat Fillisten ginril was imitating Ellick in his devilishness;haint dat scriptur, Hannah?"

  Hannah looked up from her wash-board with earnestness and with just asuggestion of temper as she observed:

  "Whicherway in de scriptur duz yu find dat passage? Cordin to mymembrance dare want none of dem charryots in dem deys epsepting Lijah's,und hit warn't hitched to no hosses."

  As Joshua was going toward the mansion he said to himself, "Dey isagwine to spishun ole marsa wid killing dem niggers, und den de werryole harrykin is gwine to brake loose in dis plantashun. Grate Jarryko!Ef it cums to de wursest me und Ned und Clarsy und Hanna is agwine tostan twixt him und dem twell de eend."

  It appears to be exclusively the prerogative of women to be the burdenbearers for others; assuredly this virtue was heroically exercised bythe beautiful girl, whose heart was all sympathy for the misguidedwretches. Not one thought, not a care, for her poor, defenceless self;all for the negroes who were drunken upon the lees of reconstruction,the poor slaves of a power they dared not oppose.

  "Uncle Joshua," she asked in tears "Have you heard the sad fate of Aleckand Ephraim?"

  "Yes, marm, I dun und heerd de news dis mornin fo sun up, und I'mmissurble fur yer und ole marsa, missis. Dis werry sassinashun cum to mymembrunce las nite twixt lebben 'clock und day, und when hit wuz fustnorated er roun, I ses ter Hanner, sez I, Dar now! I spishuned dat werryaxydent wuz ergwine ter happ'n. Und Hanner she ups und sez, sez she,'How cum yer node mo dan tuther humans? Is yer er possel ur a wangel?'Und den I upped und tole her, und hit cum erbout in disser fashun,missis: A bitter sadness lay upon my piller las nite, yung missis, undway in de shank o' de nite I seed yo precious mammy, und she wur erweepin lak her po hart wud brake, und I sed to her, sez I, 'Ole missis,haint dat yu?' Und den she smoled one leetle smole, und den she sed,sez she, 'Ole nigger, I'm so missurble, for my dear husbun und mypreshus child are in danger; won't yu help em?' Und den she pinted herlily finger down de appenu toards de crick, and den I heerd her say, sezshe, 'Rite dare is whar de niggers is ergwine ter kill my po dears;' undden she banished lak a sperret outen my site. Fo Gawd, yung missis, demdar wurds sont a shower ob isickles all ober me."

  This simple, affecting narrative chilled the heart of poor Alice, too,and her grief became as frigid as if smitten by polar frosts.

  Oh, what would Alice give for the reign of peace, of law in this Idumeaof the South! "Why prepare these watery sepulchres for the freedmenwhose hopes have been built upon their delusive pledges? Why starve anddrown them as if they were vermin, without aspirations and withoutsouls? Who can excel these authors of misrule in the fine art ofassassination?" she asked.

  Clarissa stood at the side of her young mistress, whilst Joshua, as ifby inspiration, was narrating the vision of the night. She wastransfixed with terror, and shaking from head to foot she exclaimed:

  "Bress Gawd! dis is de eend ob hit all--fust cums de belliun, den dehosses und de charryot, den def!"

  "Stop rite dar! Stop rite dar, Clarsy! Nary nudder wurd," exclaimedJoshua with emphasis. "Don't de scriptur say how dat whot is ergwine tercum is ergwine ter cum? Und ef hit haint er gwine ter cum hit haintergwine ter cum; why, in cose; ef me und Ned hez ary grane ob spishunerbout Miss Alice und ole marser, me und him is ergwine to uprare abarrykade rite at de grate house, und dey will be drib back lak deMallyskites. Yu jess hole yer gripe upon Proverdense und grace, Clarsy,und den we kin fling de charryots und de hosses in de creek agen, undole marser und yung missis will be saved."

  "Grate king!" replied Clarissa, still greatly alarmed. "Yu mout ez welluprare dat barrykade rite now; kase when dem niggers sees dese droundedcorpses er see-sawin in de creek, day is ergwine ter cum down on dishear grate house same ez de yaller flies on dem pided steers out yanderin de mash."

  "Yu is too brash, sister," replied Joshua. "I haint ergwine ter hab demdebbils spishunin dat dar's a trap sot fo I gits hit sot. When de moongits back yander hind de trees hit will be sot, und I aims fur yu terpull de trigger."

  "Oh, my king!" blurted out Clarissa, as she wrung her hands, "und sposinhit don't go off ur nuffin; den whot? Dis heer po nigger wud immytatewun ob dem sojers dat wuz dug outen de krater way ole Mars Jon got hisdef wound. Ef dat ar trap is sot its bleeged ter be upsot by sumbodydat's got mo ambishun agen his kuller dan I is, yu heers my racket!"exclaimed Clarissa in great excitement.

  Joshua was the first to interview the dead bandits. I can see himsquatted upon his haunches with palsied finger pointed at the fishy eyesexclaiming;

  "Dar now square Wiggins jess see what yu is fotched up agen at las. Idun und tole yu so; now haint yu dun und dun it er trying to skeer olemarser outen de grate house; mout heb node yu was ergwine to gitobertook by sum jedgment ur udder. I don't spishun nuffin else dat fodis devilish konstruckshun is dun wid, dare haint ergwine to be er livenigger in de Nunited States; und de biggerty niggers like yu und Efrumis ergwine to mak hit wusser fur tuther fokeses. Yu dun und dun dewussest fing yu ebber dun in yo born days, when yu sot down in dat darekerrige wid all dem flags er flying at de hine eend lak er sho nuffsurkuss; und deres yo po innosen wife er follerin yu backards undfurrards lak yu was ole Farro kommandin de yurth, er lying down daresame as a drownded warmint in de crick, und her po leetle yunguns cryingmammy! mammy! und all dun und dun kase yu started a hullyberlo erboutole marser's plantashun; wurf mo den all de dratted niggers big undleetle on de top side of de yurth; und kase yu fotched ole Shurmun'sarmy wid dare muskits in de ded ob de nite to tak ole marser und yungmissis ded er live. I nebber seed er nigger lak yu play biggerty dat degood Lord didn't slam to de yurth wid his jedgments. Pend 'pon it deLord is gwine to git de under holt ebery time." And all the time Alecklay with great lack-lustre eyes staring and grinning at Joshua. "Und yuis down dare too Efrum wid dem yaller upperlips, pine plank lak de sunflowers in de jam of Hanna's gyarden er bobbin up und down same as akildee in de mash; und boff of yu er smokin in de tarnel hell farr. Undall cum erbout kase dere's too much freedum in de lan. I nebber seed adrounded nigger fore de bellion fell in all my born days, and now yerkaint fro yer hook in de crick fur a catfish yer aint skeered yu moutgit tangled up wid a drounded nigger."

  Joshua paused to wipe the perspiration from his face with his raggedcoat sleeve, and the great black crowd moved as by a common impulse tothe brink of the stream and gazed with a contrariety of emotions uponthe drowned negroes. The goggle eyed coroner with his beaver in his handstepped a little to the front and commanded attention.

  "Breddin," he said, "dars a time to live und dars a time to die, und efI must spaciate upon def befo dis conjugation I mout say dat he cums ina heap aways und a heap er fashuns; den agin he cums when he hedn'tought ter cum. He cum dis time when he hedn't ought ter cum und he hesflung de hole goverment out of jint."

&nb
sp; "Und I specks de boss will be bleeged ter mak a signment ob de assets ofNorth Caliny. Fur de lans sake," exclaimed Joshua, "let me git wunmoufful ef she's agwine to bust." Without noting the interruption,however, the coroner proceeded:

  "I'm agwine ter ax brudder Skyles de slidin elder to lead us all inprayer, und ter bless de Lord dat de crowner und jurer is rite heer tosympathize with our bereaved friends in the bonds of iniquity."

  Aleck and his ill fated friends were still sea-sawing in the water andafter the prayer the man with the hand organ and the monkey began toplay in squeaky, stridulous tones "The girl I left behind me."

  Joshua the octogenarian, was among the men who were chosen upon thejury.

  "Now den what is yer gemman gwine ter side erbout dese droundedcorpses?" asked the coroner. There was a long painful pause when a veryvenerable negro confronted the coroner with this enquiry;

  "I rises to a question ob pribilige sar. I wishes to quire, ef a crowbarmout be er witniss in his own beharf, sar?"

  "Sartanly sar, sartanly," answered the coroner:

  "How is yer agwine to swar hit?" he continued.

  "Now yer oversizes my siggassity sar; yer axes pine blank" said thecoroner, raising his spectacles with great dignity, "'How dis jurer isagwine to swar a crowbar;' is dat hit?"

  "Yas sar," replied the negro.

  "What sez yer gemman ob de jurer to dis qustun," asked the coroner.After laying their heads together, a juror pompously observed.

  "Dat he hed seed a horg crost questuned in de kote, und he convicted deprisner."

  "Were he a white man?" the jury asked.

  "No sar, dat time de prisoner was a cullud gemman sar."

  "Aye, Aye," they exclaimed in chorus.

  "Und de nex time I seed a pare of galluses convict a prisner."

  "Was he a cullud gemman?" again they asked.

  "No sar, he were a po white man."

  "Jess so, Jess so," they again exclaimed with infinite satisfaction.

  "Fetch dat crowbar in heer und tell where yer git him," said thecoroner.

  "I scovered him under de bridge," the negro answered.

  "Whose name is dat, sar?' the coroner asked pointing to the letters J.W. S. chiseled into the iron handle.

  "Haint dat Semo's name?" he again asked.

  "It ar" answered a juror.

  "Constable," the coroner stormed with wrath, "Yer fech dat white man fome, ded er live, und summuns de possy common ta ters to go wid yer sar.Und bredden," he continued, "we'll pass de jimmyjon und tak a swipewhile wee's erwaiting fur de prisner."

  Clarissa looked out of the kitchen window and descried the negroconstable and his posse advancing rapidly toward the mansion. With herhands just out of the kneaded flour she ran frantically to her youngmistriss with the exclamation,

  "Lord have mercy, Miss Alice, yander cums ole Shermans army; deplantashun is black und blu wid niggers wid der muskits," "Oh, my Lordhave mussy on us."

  Alice though greatly alarmed, replied as calmly as possible,

  "Dont you know Clarissa, we have never harmed these people. Do you thinkthey will kill us in cold blood. Where is father? Come father, comeClarissa, we will go into the verandah and meet them, kindly face toface. Come, father, I know you are brave--and you are a Christian. Ifthey have come to murder us--there is but a pang and all will be over.In a moment we shall forget our griefs, our humiliations. Let us clasphands and die altogether."

  The negro constable observing the distress of the family and wishing forthe time being to avoid excitement, halted his gang at the gate andadvanced to the old man with his warrant.

  "Mr. Semo," said he, "Yer is scused of ferociously homisiden de corpsesin de crick und I'm sent to fetch yer to de crowner."

  "All right I will accompany you," the old man said with resignation.

  Poor Alice clung to her father's neck crying as if her heart wouldbreak, and spoke pleadingly to the negro.

  "May I not go with my father? May I not die with him? Oh, my dear, dearfather. I cannot bear the separation, the suspense. Please, please Mr.Constable let my father remain here and let me suffer and die for him."

  "Oh my daughter, my child," petulantly cried the old man, "this will notdo." "Dry your tears my dear child and be assured that the coronercannot do me harm. If he shall find me guilty, I shall remain in jailonly to-morrow. The court convenes on Monday next when I shall bedischarged and return home. Give me a kiss now, and remember dear, thatyour father is safe: Good-bye, God bless you."

  As Joshua, a juror, saw the feeble old man with great effort advancingwith the negro posse, he began to shed tears and covered his furrowedface with his old beaver:

  "Po Mars Jon," he sobbed audibly, "Has it cum to dis, scusing thebestest man in de kentry wid foroshus homosiden. Marser, yu shall habjestice. I'll stan twix yer und def. Yu know'd nuffin about dismassacre, jess ez innerson ob dis scusation ez a baby--ebery bit undgrane."

  "Constable," asked the coroner, "fetch me dat crowbar und de prisner.""Now den, dis heer crowbar is a witnis agin yer, Mr. Semo, what has yergot to say agin dis scusation sar?"

  The Colonel replied with dignity, "I have not seen it before in twelvemonths, I am sure."

  "How cum dis heer crowbar under de bridge, how cum de bridge fell downund how cum dem fokses drounded, answer me dat?" sharply answered thecoroner.

  "I cannot tell sir, I know nothing whatever about the matter, and----"

  "Boss Crowner," interrupted Joshua, "does yer sposing dat ar crowbar wasde cashun ob dat dar drounen? Answer me dat fust. I aint agwine ter soton no man dat aint gilty. Diss heer bisniss is ticklish bisniss, I tellyer dat rite now, und we is all sworn ter find out whedder dat crowbarkilt dose fokses ur whedder dey kilt deyselves. Now yer look er heer,when dis heer gang cum down dat rode a rasin und a hollering lak wildpanters, dey want a noticing nuffin und dat ole bridge hez been shacklyund cranksided for a mont, und der horses cummin a prancing und ergallupin wid all dem flags a flying mout er knowed sumfin was agwine togib way, und ef I wotes ter hang eny body it is agwine to be de oberseerob de rode, taint agwine to be ole marser. Ef I wotes, I says ef Iwotes, I am agwine ter clar ole marser ob dis heer terble scusashun undI am reddy ter wote rite now. I got a plenty ob munny und a plenty obgood wittles, too, und I haint agwine to grunt und root roun dekommissery lak a horg nudder, wid de ole flag a twisted ober de back lakde tail ob a chiken rooster. Marser Jon shall hab jestis ef I hab to goouten dese Nunited States fur it. Mout as well be sarchin fur fleas on acatfish ez fer jestis in dis kote. I move dis honerble kote to turn olemarser Jon loose, und I call for de wote rite now."

  This speech of the old negro seemed, as it were, the gift of an oracle.It grappled with a great subject of principle. Joshua was indeed animmune, having nothing to fear from the negroes, on account of hisextreme old age and enjoying the trust of the Colonel and his daughter.

  He looked up at the flag as he concluded, as it seemed to him just nowto be overcast with the murky vapors of oppression, and pointing hisbony finger toward its scarlet-veined folds, exclaimed with the pathos,the spirit of an orator of nature,

  "De grate Lawd forbid dat yore stripes, 'Ole Glory,' shall be washed inde blood ob my ole marser. I welcomed yu in de Souf when I seed yuchassayin in de wild storm; I bowed my ole hed to yu when yu flung yostorry crown toards de hebens; I've marched backards und farrards, tiredunto def, when yu led de rigiment, und felt dere wuz power und pride undpeace under yo stripes und under yo storrs; und when hongry und starvingfur bread, I flung my ole bever in de air und cheered fur de flag ob deNunion. I lubs my ole marser ez I lubs yu, 'Ole Glory' und he mus notdie--he shall not die; ef de blood of Ellick und Efrum wuz upon his hansund upon his soul ez thick ez de mud upon dare gyarments."

  Suffice it to say that in the opinion of the jury John W. Seymour hadcommitted the murder alleged in the warrant and was committed to thecommon jail for the unbailable capital crime.