Word: doored
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...roaring cold morning in Scottsboro, Ala. when a truck full of "bad niggers" snorted through the streets and slithered out on an icy road north from town. Scottsboro whites knew they were "bad niggers" because heavy steel mesh sheathed the sides of the truck and its back door was locked. "Good nigger'' convicts going out to work the roads ride in ordinary trucks, not cages...
Inside the truck, as it jolted out of town, 22 shivering blackamoors convicted of burglary, manslaughter and assorted felonies lurched and jounced on their benches. As the truck careened, a five-gallon can of gasoline and a big drum just inside the rear door gurgled, churned and occasionally slopped over. Rivulets of gasoline made crazy patterns over the pitching floor. But the cold was worse than the jouncing. Finally a big black buck named Henry pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, held a match to it, dropped it on the floor, holding out his pale palms to warm...
...jouncing cage came to a halt. There were running steps outside, a jingle of keys, a clang as the rear doors were opened. "Jump out, you fools! Jump!" cried a voice. The whites of 44 eyes shone in the fire glare as they looked back into a solid wall of flames. Two dark figures staggered back, lurched through the door, fell on the road outside, afire from head to foot. Two white guards rolled them into the snow-filled ditch to put them out. Then the drum of gasoline went up. . . . When a prison official arrived on the scene...
Thence, by the warden's office who after these many years still thinks I be one of the maintenance department; and thence into the main corridor which so early in the morning is colored in many stained lights; and beautiful it is! Whereupon, no sooner out the door I was much surprised to meet Mr. Durant and was sore at my heart lest he come for the rent; but no, he did come only to see how the workman progressed...
...editorial competition offers training in writing, chance of exerting considerable influence in the College; it also opens the door to investigation into many college subjects...