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Story
July 21, 1907
The Cairo Bulletin
Cairo, Alexander County County, Illinois
What is this article about?
In Southern Georgia, an old negro preacher's fat possum is stolen overnight. At a revival, he confronts mourner Jim, whose confessed 'worse' sins lead to the revelation that Jim stole the possum, enraging the preacher to threaten skinning him.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
SOUNDS DEPTHS OF INFAMY.
Negro Preacher Finds a Crime Which He Cannot Forgive.
An old negro preacher of Southern Georgia had been given a fine, fat possum by some of his admirers and was keeping it in a barrel, feeding it heavily to increase its weight. He had decided to have it killed the next day, when, to his rage, it was stolen in the night.
Shortly afterward a revival meeting was being held and among those who went up to the mourner's bench was a certain very black Jim and his grief seemed inconsolable.
"Dat's all right, mah brudder!" the old man shouted. "Don' matter whut yo' done, de good Lawd gwine fergibe you!"
"But Ah's been powerful mean," Jim declared, weeping.
"Is yo' stole chickens?" the old man demanded.
"Oh, wuss 'en dat!"
"Good Lawd! He'p dis po' niggah!" the old preacher entreated. "Is ye used a razor?"
"Wuss dan dat!"
"Is yo'—yo' ain't done killed anybody?"
"Wuss dan dat!"
"Den hyah's whar we tangle!" the old man shouted, throwing aside his coat. "De good Lawd kin fergibe yo' ef he wants ter, but Ah's gwine skin yo' alive! Yo's de varmint dat stole mah possum!"
—New York Herald.
Negro Preacher Finds a Crime Which He Cannot Forgive.
An old negro preacher of Southern Georgia had been given a fine, fat possum by some of his admirers and was keeping it in a barrel, feeding it heavily to increase its weight. He had decided to have it killed the next day, when, to his rage, it was stolen in the night.
Shortly afterward a revival meeting was being held and among those who went up to the mourner's bench was a certain very black Jim and his grief seemed inconsolable.
"Dat's all right, mah brudder!" the old man shouted. "Don' matter whut yo' done, de good Lawd gwine fergibe you!"
"But Ah's been powerful mean," Jim declared, weeping.
"Is yo' stole chickens?" the old man demanded.
"Oh, wuss 'en dat!"
"Good Lawd! He'p dis po' niggah!" the old preacher entreated. "Is ye used a razor?"
"Wuss dan dat!"
"Is yo'—yo' ain't done killed anybody?"
"Wuss dan dat!"
"Den hyah's whar we tangle!" the old man shouted, throwing aside his coat. "De good Lawd kin fergibe yo' ef he wants ter, but Ah's gwine skin yo' alive! Yo's de varmint dat stole mah possum!"
—New York Herald.
What sub-type of article is it?
Crime Story
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Crime Punishment
Deception
What keywords are associated?
Possum Theft
Revival Meeting
Preacher Confrontation
Negro Preacher
Stolen Possum
What entities or persons were involved?
Old Negro Preacher
Jim
Where did it happen?
Southern Georgia
Story Details
Key Persons
Old Negro Preacher
Jim
Location
Southern Georgia
Story Details
An old negro preacher's prized possum is stolen; at a revival meeting, he confronts the weeping thief Jim, who admits to a worse crime than stealing chickens or using a razor, revealing himself as the possum thief, prompting the preacher to threaten to skin him alive.