"nobody but us chickens" 1909

[Sam Clements]

Fred Shapiro wanted to know of early uses of this phrase.

Barry found 1937.

Using Newspaperarchive,  and the search phrase "but us chickens" I found

27 March, 1909  _The Daily Northwestern_ (Oshkosh, WI) pg.5 col 5

<<...and it is expected that for a week things will be as snug as they were with the darky, whose master hearing a rumpus in the chicken coop one night, went to it and called out sternly--"Who'se there?" and the reply came back "Nobody but us chickens massa." >>

SC