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So you’re going to Fayetteville to see Miss Adeline? I remember Miss Adeline (the Adeline Blakely of another Arkansas interview with slaves). She worked for your pappy’s brother didn’t she. Yes, I knowed her well. I liked her. Yes miss, I’m sort of tired. It’s hard to think. And I can’t move about much. But I got my home and I got my wife and we’re comfortable. Thank you.” Interviewer’s note: I left him sitting and rocking gently in a home-made hickory stationary swing eyes half closed looking out across his yard and basking in the warm sunshine of late afternoon. Howard County Claridy, George Washington Age: 84 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Interviewer: Willie Allen 2 July 1937 [OK: 76–78] I was bo’n in Centerpoint, Howard County, Arkansas, October 5, 1853, so dey tell me; dat’s all I know’d ’cep’ what dey tell me for the truth. Well,it’s kinda surprise for someone to come around to talk to me.I never gits to talk to anybody much; folks don’t care nothing bout me; dey all calls me de drunkard, gambler, horse thief and murderer. I’se been practically all dem things too. I’se been a wicked man ever since my first wife died. I confessed religion in 1863 and lived like a gentleman until de death of my wife; den I felt lak everything I had was gone so I jes started getting drunk, gambling and raising hell. I’se never fooled with any woman to mount to nothin since my wife died; I jes get drunk, gambled and forgot about de women. I’ve made lots o’ money gambling and selling whiskey. I’ve seed de time when I would write a check for five thousand dollars any day. Cose I ain’t got nothin’ now. Jes lak I made it I let it get away from me, jes dat quick. I got in jail once bout some whiskey. I had a fellow to build me a barn right dere on dat corner , (1st and Central) and underneath dat barn I had him to build a place for me to hide my whiskey. I done good business for a long time den I decided to have me a house build so got dis same fellow dat built de barn to figger wid 161 Lankfordtext:Lankford / Final Pages 7/14/09 10:06 AM Page 161 me on de house. Well, he knew I had plenty money so he tried to skin me, so I got a nudder fellow and he figured de house three hundred dollars cheaper. Well,I let him build it for me.Now here’s what happened: dat other low down rat, jes cause I wouldn’t let him skin me out o’my money he went to the sheriff ’s office and told him about dis place he built fo me to keep my whiskey. Well, de sheriff come out dere and began to look around fo de stuff and when he found de place, it was locked in. He told me to unlock it and he would tare de place up,pore out de whiskey,and let me go.Cose you know I was lak most Niggers would be wid a little money; I cussed him out, told him dat was my place and he better not put his damn hand on it. He didn’t say a word; he jes went back got some mo fellows and dey come dere, broke dat place open and carried away seven hundred and seventy-five dollars worth of whiskey for me. Well dey put me in jail and I stayed dere one hundred and fifteen days. It cost me a lot o’ money to keep from going to the peniteniary. I gave old Norman Pruitt nigh five thousand dollars to get me out of it. Ah! kid, I tell yo I am George Washington Claridy; I’se been into a little o’ everything; I know de ropes. Cose dey call me a murderer, but I ain’t never killed nobody. Dey jes put dat on to it case I’se such a wicked fellow. I ain’t no count now. I’se such a wicked fellow. I ain’t no count now. I jes drag around; I don’t ask nobody fo nothin’. I ain’t never asked anybody for a dime in my life. I gits a little $21...

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