more black talk. 1826; with some white talk

[George Thompson]

Two more examples, from the Police Court reports of the New-York American.
Still for what it's worth, and for the benefit of those interested

These speakers were not credits to their race.  But so few of us are, really.  Their speech is represented as a non-standard vernacular, but, as in my previous post, it doesn't show any characteristics now thought of a typical of AAVE.

        The People vs. Jacob Johnson. -- Benjamin Andrews testified that the prisoner took a vest from his shop door, was followed, and the property taken from him.
        The prisoner being asked by the Recorder why he took the vest, said -- Why you see I happened to be so unfortunate as to happen to take a fippeny worth of poor stuff that went up into my head and made me tipsy: so as I was coming along by this gentleman's shop, I seed the vest, and I liked the looks on't: so, then, I thought I would try it on, and see how it look'd on me, and then you know, when I got the money, I should know where to come and buy one.  Well, I had not more than got it on, when out comes the gentleman and called me a dammed black rascal, and said I was stealing.  Now I dont like to be called names; and I thought I would see if he would call me so again, and I trotted round the corner just to see if the gentleman would follow me, and I thought if he did I would make him prove that I was a rascal.  And then the first I knew, they took me prisoner, and lugg'd me up to the prison; and I was never so much astonished in my life, for I had no notion that I !
 was doi
ng any harm.  Verdict, guilty.
        N-Y American, February 25, 1826, p. 2, col. 3

        The People vs. John Price, a yellow man. -- John Williams, (very black,) sworn.  [He accuses Price of stealing his watch.]
        Prisoner.  May I ask the witness a few questions.
        Recorder.  Yes.
        Prisoner, (to witness.)  Did not you and I go together to gamble, in a house at the corner of Banker-street and little Chesnut-street?  Now speak the truth for once, and don't be swearing away my life.
        Witness.  No.  I never gambled with you, and never saw you until you asked me what o'clock it was.
        Prisoner.  Don't perjure yourself, I beg of you.  You can't deny that we went up and gambled together. -- You see, gentlemen, it was just so as I tell you; I beat him the long game and he lost; then we played three up and three off; says he I can make out; says I you can't; yes I can says he, and there's no use in playing it.  What'll you bet says I.  That pin'd him, for he had no more money  So he bet his watch. -- Well, you see he had the ace, and the jack, and the "tray," and I had the king, and the queen, and the ten spot; he throw'd down his ace, and I put on the ten spot; then he play'd the jack, and I put on the queen, made one trick for me, and I throw'd on the King and took his tray; and that fetch'd him and I got the watch.  Then he got mad and went off and took me up for stealing.
        Recorder (to the witness).  Is this story true?
        Witness.  Not a word of it.
        Verdict guilty.
        N-Y American, August 12, 1826, p. 2, col. 4

As a check of the Reporter's ear, here is a specimen of his handling of of a different type of AAVE, viz, Anglo-American Vernacular English:

        The People vs. John Carroll. [arrested for stealing thimbles]   ***  Prisoner.  Can I be allowed to speak?  Recorder.  Certainly.  Prisoner.  Then I'll tell how it happened.  I was going home and met a boy with the thimbles, and I asked him where he got 'em -- I know'd the boy, his name is Tom Daley, and he told me that he'd been carting, and every now and then out dropp'd a thimble from the cart; and he picked 'em up and put them on a string: then the ask'd me where he could sell 'em, and says I, I've got 16 pence in my pocket, if you'll take that, I'll buy 'em.  So he took the money, and I slung them over my shoulder, and was going home, when I come to a corner where there was a parcel of young men, & they began to joke men about the thimbles; and I thought it was all in the line of fun: then they hustled me about, and said I stole the thimbles; well, I supposed this was the New York way they'd got, and I did not bear it, on account of me being innocent of any thin!
 g, and
I left 'em -- and I had not gone far, and this young man came up, and said I must go to the police-office, and so I did, and he swore to just what he swears to now.  I've lived three years in the city, and paid taxes, and support a family, and sure if I was going to make a thief or a robber of myself, I would not go to begin with a few thimbles.  [guilty]
        N-Y American, August 11, 1826, p. 2, col. 4

I am likely not to find any more such stuff from this source.  One partner in the American bought out the other, in the summer of 1826, and I fear that it was the departing partner who thought that detailed accounts of transactions in police court was news that was fit to print.
A pity.  I may have to start doing my time-travelling in some different decade.

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.

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