- Van Morgan: Wanna do me a favor Mama?
- Mama Malone: Depends.
- Van Morgan: If I'm not back by dark, will you flip that last chair up?
- Mama Malone: What if you do get back?
- Van Morgan: Well, I'll just sit down and play me some cards - for money.
- Mama Malone: About time. A man don't work, he ain't respectable.
- Van Morgan: You've preached a lot of funerals around here lately. You got something new for this one?
- The Rev. Jonathan Rudd: The funeral is for the living, Mr. Morgan. I'll say what his folks want to hear: that Nick Evers was a good son, a good brother, a loyal friend and a respected citizen.
- Van Morgan: You think you won't gag on all that?
- [explaining why a murdered black man should be allowed to be buried in the graveyard with deceased whites]
- The Rev. Jonathan Rudd: Well, they all look alike to the worms.
- Van Morgan: You mean you came over 100 miles just to tell me that?
- Little George: I'd have come farther.