o now.

"Master John did all the bossin' hisself. None of his niggers ever run
off 'cause he was too good for them to do that. I only got one whippin'
from him and it was for stealin' eggs from a hen's nest. My pappy was
carriage driver for Master. I didn't do much of the work when I was a
boy, jes' stayed round the house.

"Master John raised lots of cotton and after it was baled he hauled it
to Jefferson on ox wagons. I'd allus go with him, ridin' on top of the
bales. I'll never forgit how scared I was when we'd cross Black Cypress
on Roger's Ferryboat and it'd begin to rock.

"I don't remember much about the War. When it was over Master John calls
all his slaves together and says, 'You'se free now and you can go or
stay.' He told the men who wanted to leave they could have a wagon and
team, but most of them stayed. Pappy took a wagon and team and left but
mammy and us children stayed and lived with Master Ellington 'bout 15
years after the war was over.

"When I left Master John I moved to Jefferson and married Cora Benton
and we had three boys and two girls. While I was in Jefferson Sheriff
Vine goes to Cincinnati after Abe Rothchild, for killin' 'Diamond
Bessie.' Abe shot hisself in the forehead when he heared Sheriff Vine
was after him, but it didn't kill him. There was sho' some stirrin'
about when the sheriff fotch Abe back to Jefferson.

"Mr. Sam Brown was the jailer. Abe wouldn't eat the jail food and hired
me to bring his meals to him from the hotel. His cell was fixed up like
a hotel room, with a fine brussels rug and nice tables and chairs. He
kep' plenty of whiskey and beer to drink. He'd allus give me a drink
when I took his meals.

"I worked 37 years for Mr. Tom Armistead, who helped W.T. Crawford and
his brother defend Rothchild. Mr. Eppenstadt, he was mayor of Jefferson
then and acted as a go-between man in the case.

"Master Tom Armistead never married and I kep' house and cooked for him.
He give me lots of fine clothes. I bet I owned more fine shirts than any
nigger in Texas. He got me a job as porter in the Capitol at Austin
while he was senator. I was workin' there when they moved in the new
Capitol in 1888. They was gonna put on a big party and say all the
porters had to wear cutaway suits. I didn't have one, so the day 'fore
the party I goes over to Mr. Tom's room at the Bristol Hotel and git one
of his. I didn't know then it was a right new one he had made for the
party. When I goes back