Mrs. Yancy; she's dead now but she lived right here on Randolph Street
years ago. Well, one day when I wuz leaving Albert's house I met her on
the way from her school. 'Good evening, Mrs. Heard,' she says. 'How is
Mr. Albert?' I don't hardly know, I says, cause he don't get no better.
She looked at me kinda funny and said, don't you believe he's hurt?' Yes
mam, I said, I sho do. 'Well,' says she, 'I been wanting to say
something to you concerning this but I didn't know how you would take
it. If I tell you somewhere ter go will you go, and tell them I sent
you?' Yes mam, I will do anything if Albert can get better. 'All right
then', she says. 'Catch the Federal Prison car and get off at Butler
St.' In them days that car came down Forrest Ave. 'When you get to
Butler St.', she says, 'walk up to Clifton St. and go to such and such a
number. Knock on the door and a 'oman by the name of Mrs. Hirshpath will
come ter the door. Fore she let you in she go ask who sent you there;
when you tell 'er, she'll let you in. Now lemme tell you she keeps two
quarts of whisky all the time and you have ter drink a little with her;
sides that she cusses nearly every word she speaks; but don't let that
scare you; she will sho get your son up if it kin be done.' Sho nuff
that old 'oman did jest lak Mrs. Yancy said she would do. She had a
harsh voice and she spoke right snappy. When she let me in she said, sit
down. You lak whisky?' I said, well, I take a little dram sometimes.
'Well, here take some of this', she said. I poured a little bit and
drank it kinda lak I wuz afraid. She cursed and said 'I ain't go conjure
you. Drink it.' She got the cards and told me to cut 'em, so I did.
Looking at the cards, she said: 'You lak ter wait too long; they got him
marching to the cemetery. The poor thing! I'll fix those devils. (A
profane word was used instead of devils). He got a knot on his side,
ain't he?' Yes, Mam, I said. That 'oman told me everything that was
wrong with Albert and zackly how he acted. All at once she said; 'If
them d----d things had hatched in him it would a been too late. If you