FRANK BELL
     I WAS OWNED BY JOHNSON BELL AND BORN IN NEW ORLEANS, IN LOUISIANA.  ACCORDI
N' TO THE BILL OF SALE, I'M EIGHTY SIX YEARS OLD, AND MY MASTER WAS A FRENCHMAN
AND WAS REAL MEAN TO ME.  HE RUN SALOON AND KEPT BAD WOMEN.  I DON'T KNOW NOTHIN
G ABOUT MY FOLKS, IF I EVEN HAD ANY, 'CEPT MAMA.  THEY DONE TELL ME SHE WAS A BA
D WOMAN AND A FRENCH CREOLE.
     I wOKED-ROuND-MASTnR'S SjLOON,-KnPT EVnRYTHrNG lLEjNED uP AFTnR THEY'D HAV
E ALL NIGHT DRINKIN' PARTIES, MEN AND WOMEN.  I EARNED NICKELS TO TIP OFF WHERE
 TO GO, SO'S THEY COULD SOW WILD OATS.  I BURIED THE NICKELS UNDER ROCKS.  IF MA
STER DONE COTCH ME WITH MONEY, HE'D TAKE IT AND BEAT ME NEARLY TO DEATH.  ALL I
HAD TO EAT WAS OLD STUFF THOSE PEOPLE LEFT, ALL SCRAPS WHAT WAS LEFT.
     ONE TIME SOME BAD MEN COME TO MASTER'S AND GETS IN A S+OOTI)' SCR PE AND TH
EY WAS TWO MEN KILT.  I SURE DID RUN.  BUT MARSTER COTCH ME AND MAKE ME TAKE THE
M MEN TO THE RIVER AND TIE A WEIGHT ON THEM, SO THEY'D SINK AND THE LAW WOULDN'T
 GET HIM.
     THE CLOTHES I WORE WAS SOME MASTER'S OLD ONES.  THEY ALWAYS HAD HOLES IN TH
EM.  MASTER HE STAY DRUNK NEARLY ALL TIME, AND WAS MEAN TO HIS SLAVE.  I'M THE O
NLY ONE HE HAD, AND DIDN'T COST HIM NOTHING.  HE HAVE BILL OF SALE MADE, 'CAUSE
THE LAW SAY HE DONE STOLE ME WHEN I'M SMALL CHILD.  MASTER KEPT ME IN CHAINS SOM
ETIMES.  HE SHOT SEVERAL MEN.  I DIDN'T HAVE NO QUARTERS BUT STAYS ROUND THE PLA
CE AND THROW OLD SACK DOWN AND LAY THERE AND SLEEP.  I'M AFRAID TO RUN, 'COUSE M
ARSTER SAY HE'D HUNT ME AND KILL NIGGER.
     WHEN I'M ABOUT 17 I MARRIES A GAL WHILE MASTER ON DRUNK SPELL.  MASTER HE R
UN HER OFF, AND I SLIPS OFF AT NIGHT TO SEE HER, BUT HE FINDS IT OUT.  HE TAKES
A BIG LONG KNIFE AND CUTS HER HEAD PLUMB OFF, AND TIES A GREAT HEAVY WEIGHT TO H
ER AND MAKES ME THROW HER IN THE RIVER, THEN HE PUTS ME IN CHAINS AND EVERY NIGH
T HE COME GIVE ME A WHIPPIN' FOR A LONG TIME.
     WHEN WAR COME, MASTER SWEAR HE NOT GWINE FIGHT, BUT THE Yj KE S  H(Y3C  T R
ES NEW ORLEANS AND THROWS MASTER IN A PEN AND GUARDS HIM.  HE GETS A CHANCE AND
ESCAPES.
     WHEN WAR AM OVER HE WON'T FREE ME, SAYS I'M VALUABLE TO HIM rN HIS tRADE.
HE SAY, NIGGER, YOU'S SUPPOSED TO BE FREE BUT I'LL PAY YOU A DOLLAR A WEEK AND I
F YOU RUNS OFF I'LL KILL YOU.  SO HE MAKES ME DO LIKE BEFORE THE WAR, BUT GIVES
ME ABOUT A DOLLAR MONTH, 'STEAD WEEK.  HE SAYS I COST MORE'N I'M WORTH, BUT HE W
ON'T LET ME GO.  TIMES I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T DIE BEFORE I'M GROWED, SLEEPIN'
 ON THE GROUND, WINTER AND SUMMER, RAIN AND SNOW.  BUT NOT MUCH SNOW THERE.
     MASTER HELT ME LONG YEARS AFTER THE WAR.  IF ANYBODY GET  FTnRHHr*,HHE  OLD
 THEM I STAY 'CAUSE I WANTS TO STAY, BUT TOLD ME IF I LEFT HE'D KILL HIM ANOTHnR
 NIGGER.  I STAYED TILL HE GETS IN A DRUNK BRAWL ONE NIGHT WITH MEN AND WOMEN AN
D THEY GITS TO SHOOTIN' AND SOME KILT.  MASTER GOT KILT.
     THEN I'M LEFT TO LIVE OR DIE, SO I WANDERS FROM PLACE TO PLACE.  I NEjRLY S
TARVED TO DEATH BEFORE I'D LEAVE NEW ORLEANS, 'CAUSE I COULDN'T THINK MASTER AM
DEAD AND I AFRAID.  FINALLY I GETS UP NERVE TO LEAVE TOWN AND STAYS THE FIRST NI
GHT IN WHITE MAN'S BARN.  I NEVER SLEPT.  EVERY TIME I HEARS SOMETHING I JUMPS U
P AND MASTER BE STANDIN' THERE, LOOKIN' AT ME, BUT SOON'S I GET UP HE'D LEAVE.
     NEXT NIGHT I SLEPT OUT IN A HAY FIELD, AND MARSTER HE GET-RIGHT   POF A TR
EE AND START HOLLERIN' AT ME.  I NEVER STAYS IN THAT PLACE.  I GETS GONE FROM TH
AT PLACE.  I GETS BACK TO TOWN FAST AS MY LEGS CARRY ME.
     THEN I GETS LOCKED UP IN JAIL.  I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT FOR, NEVER DID KNOW.  ON
E THE MEN SAYS TO ME COME WITH HIM AND TAKES ME TO THE WOODS AND GIVES ME AN AX.
  I CUTS RAILS TILL I NEARLY FALLS, ALL WITH CHAIN LOCKED ROUND  FEETS, SO I lOU
LDN'T RUN OFF.  HE TURNS ME LOOSE AND I WANDERS AGAIN.  NEVER HAD A HOME.  WORKS
 FOR MEN LONG 'NOUGH TO GET FIFTY, SIXTY CENTS, THEN STARTS ROAMIN' AGArN,-LrKE
A STRAY DOG.
     AFTER LONG TIME I MARRIES FELINE GRAHAM.  THEN I HAS A HOME AND WE HAS A WH
ITE PREACHER MARRY US.  WE HAS ONE BOY AND HE FARMS AND I LIVES WITH HIM.  I WOR
KED AT SAWMILL AND FARMS ALL MY LIFE, BUT NEVER COULD MAKE MUCH MONEY.
     YOU KNOW, THE NIGGER WAS WILD TILL THE WHITE MAN MADE WHAT HE HAS OUT OF TH
E NIGGER.  HE DONE EDUCATE THEM REAL SMART.
   X   XXX