Word: besse
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...Bess is a Negro; He used to be better off than most South Carolina Negroes. He owned a good farm in Florence County. Some Negroes considered him lucky because he rented part of his land to some white trash named Collins and had his way with the Collins woman. She was about 45 years old and pretty trashy. But, she was white...
Other Negroes considered Ben Bess a black fool. He ought to have some sensibility about the folks he took up with, they said. Besides, fooling with white women never got a Negro anywhere but into trouble...
After he had had the Collins woman some time, Ben Bess went to jail for 30 years hard labor. That was in 1915. That trash, Frank Collins, hadn't minded at all about Ben Bess and the woman, until Ben Bess decided not to rent his land any more. Then Frank Collins brought the charge that has lynched many a nigger. The Collins woman, old Maude, backed him up. They said Ben Bess had raped...
Last month, Ben Bess got out of jail. Governor Richards pardoned him. The pardon was the result of Maude Collins' confession-now that she is 60 and expecting Death soon-that she had sworn falsely about Ben Bess...
...Bess came out of jail but he had no farm to go to. The lawyers had eaten that up long ago. Thirteen years at hard labor had aged and broken him. He had a bad cough. People sent him money and the Legislature will probably provide for him. But Governor Richards agreed that South Carolina's debt to Ben Bess is irreparable...