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Navasota Items
The military arrested J.F. Whitney, deputy sheriff, for mistreating a
colored woman. He is now under a $500 bond for his appearance before
the district court. We hear a number of complaints in every community
of bad treatment of the whites towards the blacks; and in our opinion,
the Freedmen's Bureau should not have been discontinued so soon. We
will, however, do just by saying that the number of whites who are
disposed to deal fairly with the blacks is greater than the number which
still manifest prejudice and bitterness against them. A colored child
pitched head foremost into a tub of water, a day or two since, and was
drowned. From Capt. Headberg we learn that a colored man is lying dead
near the ferry on the Brazos River, having been shot by some unknown
person.
Houston Union, 10 May 1869, page 1
Washington County
The Banner reports a Negro being bitten by a rattlesnake while in the
woods. The bite was upon the forefinger of the left hand. He
immediately seized an ax and severed the finger from the hand.
Dallas Weekly Herald, 9 June 1877, page 2
The Brenham Jail
A Negro in the Brenham jail got the devil in him and amused himself by
roaring most lustily. He was quieted by the introduction of an iron bar
into his mouth.
Dallas Weekly Herald, 13 October 1877, page 4
Drunk in Public
Washington County - A Negro named Parson Stamps, a devout follower of
Bacchas, went around Brenham smashing signs and got scooped by the
cops.
Dallas Weekly Herald, 15 December 1877, page 4
°Sin Killer" Griffin at Calvert
Calvert, Tex., Feb. 28 -Rev. J.H. Griffin, the Negro evangelist,
better know as °Sin Killer" Griffin, is here. He is arranging for a
big revival meeting to be held in Calvert, beginning March 15.
The Daily Express (San Antonio), 2 March 1903, page 5
A Negro's Good Advice
Wright Cuney is a Texas Negro and a federal office holder. He made a
speech at the colored people's fair at Navasota, Texas, last Saturday,
in which he gave them some very sound advice. He advised his hearers
that the only way to get more money is to get more industry, more
energy, raise more cotton, more corn, more wheat, more stock and more
big yellow sweet potatoes. He said he would like to see them all have
money, but he did not want to see them look to the government for it.
The Biloxi Herald (Biloxi, MS), 31 October 1891, page 2
Negress, 110, Dies at Bryan
Bryan, Texas, April 12 - °Aunt" Vinnie Benson, 110, died here
yesterday.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 April 1917, page 1
A Novel Wedding
Yesterday one of the most novel weddings on record occurred in Bryan,
and was a source of much amusement to the few who caught on in time to
see the fun. The ceremony was performed in Robertson & Zimmerman's
blacksmith shop by Squire J.M. Zimmerman and the high contracting
parties were Lee Spurlock, a very black young Negro, and Josephine
Freeman, a comely °yaller gal," both of whom came all the way from
Madisonville for the expressed purpose of getting married. The bride
was dressed in a dark calico and wore a bonnet. The groom looked cool,
happy and very original in an undershirt and trousers, surmounted by a
black wool hat. He was absolutely guiltless of a top shirt, and seemed
very much pleased when the crowd made up the money after the ceremony,
and escorting the happy couple to Saunders & Johnson's, bought and
presented a shirt to him. At this juncture somebody suggested that the
groom should kiss the bride before the crowd to pay for the gift. He
tried to beg off but it wouldn't go, and finally made a dive under her
bonnet and planted a rousing smack squarely on her lips and the crowd
fairly roared. Then Mr. J.W. Johnson, who likes to push a good thing
along, filled the hearts of the dusky pair to overflowing with happiness
by giving them a big watermelon for a bridal present, and the smile on
the groom's face spread around until its edges med and lapped over on
the back of his neck. The happy couple returned to Madisonville
yesterday afternoon.
Bryan Daily Eagle, 1 July 1896, page 4