“De nex’ Frid’y night Walter walked right into dat bar-room ag’in.  Mr. Dabbs say, “What you doin’ here, Nigger?” Walter say, “You ’member what you done to me tonight one week?” An’ he say, “Well, what’s to it?” Den Walter say, “Well, I come to settle wid you.”  Mr. Dabbs say, “Let me see if I can’t hurry you up some,” an’ he retch[FN:  reached] his han’ back his han’ to his hip.  But ’fore he could draw[FN:  draw his gun] out, Walter done run back to de door.  Dey were a chinaberry tree close to de door an’ Walter got b’hin’ it an’ fired a pistol.  Mr. Dabbs were hit wid his arm a-layin’ ‘crost de counter wid his pistol in his han’.

“‘Me an’ Mr. Ed (’cause he were de jailor), we put him on a mattress in de room back o’ de bar.  An’ he died dat night.  De word jus’ kinda got’ roun’ dat some of de Chisolm crowd done killed Mr. Gully’s clerk.

“‘Walter run off to Memphis.  Mr. Gully were pursuin’ after ’im to ketch ‘im.  Walter sho’ got tired of him pursuin’ after ’im.  Dat were de evidence Walter give out ‘fore dey put de rope on his neck an’ start him on his way to de gallows, but twant nobody dere to put it down jus’ lak it were.

“‘Mr. Sinclair were sheriff by dis time, an’ my young marster an’ me went wid ’im to git Walter to take ’im to de gallows.  Mr. Sinclair say, “Ed, you goin’ to de jail-house now?  Here’s a ha’f pint o’ whiskey.  Give it to Walter, make ’im happy, den if he talk too much, nobody will b’lieve it.”  Mr. Ed say, “Come on, Sambo, go wid me.”  He retched down an’ got a han’ful o’ goobers an’ put ’em in his pocket.  We were eatin’ ’em on de way down to de jail-house.  He say, “Walter, Mr. Sinclair done sent you a dram.”  Walter say, “Mr. McAllum, I see you an’ Sam eatin’ peanuts comin’ along.  Jus’ you give me a han’ful an’ I’ll eat dem on de way to de gallows.  I don’t want no whiskey.”

“‘Den us got on de wagon. (I can see Walter now, standin’ dere wid his cap on de back o’ his head ready to pull down over his eyes after he git dere.) Dey were a pow’ful crowd ‘roun’ dat wagon.

“‘Den come a rider from Scooba, pull a paper from his pocket, an’ han’ it to Mr. Sinclair.  He read it an’ say,” Let de people go on to de gallows.  De wagon turn ‘roun’ an’ go back to de jail.”  De Gov’nor had stopped de hangin’ ’til de case were ‘vestigated. (De people standin’ dere a-waitin’ for Walter to be hung didn’ know what were de matter.)

“‘Dey placed Walter back in jail an’ his coffin ‘long wid’ im.  De lawyers would visit ’im to git his testimony.  Dey’d show ’im his coffin all ready an’ ask him did he do dis killin’ or not.  Dey want ’im to say he were hired to do it.  Dey fixed it all up.  Twant nobody to tell jus’ how it were.’

“I were married by dis time to Laura.  She were de nurse maid to Mr. J.H.  Currie.  She’s been dead twenty years, now.  When de Curries come to Meridian to live, dey give me charge o’ dey plantation.  I were de leader an’ stayed an’ worked de plantation for’ em.  Dey been livin’ in Meridian twelve years.  I’s married now to dey cook.