Mose was an African-American man who worked in the boiler room at a cotton gin in the town of Layton Junction. He was a slender man with prominent lips.
After seeing suspicious activity at the railroad yard late at night, Mose reported his sighting to the town Marshal Wilkie Wilkinson at a local all-night diner.
Notes[]
- Mose addressed the Marshal as "Wilke", possibly as a result of his lazy speech habits.
- Mose's depiction was consistent with the stereotypical portrayal of African-American laborers in American popular culture of the era. Later readers may find the broad stereotype to be unflattering and offensive.
- A character similar to Mose appeared in 1939 during the case of "Whip" Chute. Since that story was set in a different part of the country, it is unlikely that they are meant to be the same character.
1939 character similar to Mose.