Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-08-06
Joe DiggOry'S Law-Suit---An what he
went TO Bedlam for.

Mr.. Joseph Diggory was a well-to.do citi-
zen Of Shamboro, who did a great deal Of
good without making any great fuss about il.
lie did not belong to any Missionary or BIZ
bic Societies, and, if the truth must be told,
not even TO a Church. But when he paid a
workman, which lie always loved to do in
hard silver money, he was very apt to add a
nice little bit from his pork-barrel, or some
thing good from his garden. Hence, though
rough in his manners, he passed for a right
clever fellow among the poor. But he was a
terrible man when reused, and he once did
get rosssd. A superstitious, priest-ridden,
lazy, shiftless neighbor stole some of his
sheep, pretending that they broke into his
field and he thought they were his though
he himself let them in. What was worse,
he kept doing the same or like things year
after year. At last Mr.. Diggory consulted a
lawyer as 10 what could be done 10 get re-
dress, and how much it would cost. The
lawyer told him the trespasses were Of such
a nature, it would cost about two thousand
dollars to conduct suits TO successful issues
on them all, the law appertaining to such
cases being full of mountainous heaps of
words and difficult passages. This was no.
thing to Diggory, who was really worth a
pretty plum. He would get something out
OF Snubbs, the trespasser, whose farm and
traps, were worth at least a thousand dollars.
Diggory thought he would go at him. To
be sure, the damage that Snubbs had done
did not amount 10 more than 800. But
there was no living by him he would be al
ways trespassing. Two thousand dollars in
the law would be nothing, if it would stop
him, and then the credit he would get with
the neighbors for abating such IA nuisance
would be something. "Very well, Mr.. Law
YER" said Mr.. Diggory, :" only want to be
satisfied on one point and III 90 ahead and
give you the job. Will it put a stop to his
tricks if get tho easel"
That is impossible TO say replied Mr..
Counsellor Prolixity. "Tho law will not
allow him TO be incarcerated, much less ex.
ecuted /; you will simply enter and take pos
session Of his effects, and the effect of this
undeniably may be to place him under the
considerably enhanced necessity of commit
ing similar or increased depredations. But
it is undoubtedly the intention of the law to
afford you a remedy. and the law you know
is but another name for the perfection of rea-
son. Whatever may be the value of the
remedy in your individual case as compared
with the cost, it is Of immense value in the
general; indeed, society would be dissolved
without It.. You see you stand on a great
general principle, Mr.. Diggory, and tho law
will make you triumphant
Hang the remedy, general principle. and
triumph together, thought Diggory, il the
fellows tricks are to be made worse by them.
And after parting with a V on the spot for
the learned advice, he went off without
ordering asuit.
swell, now," said Joe Diggory to him
ealf Uhpp he not hama anil tnrnal he h.y
mare into his clover field, and took a look
over upon the miserable farm of Snubbs, "Ill
spend the So, 1000, but I'll do it by a law Of
my own making, if they put mo in the In
sane Hospital for it,"
He went right over to Snubb's, who was
half frightened out of his wits to sea him, for
he knew he had been all the forenoon at the
lawyers. "Hullo Snubbs," says he, "Irs
hard bringing such a farm as yourn TO with
out capitalism machinery, aint it :"
Well" says Snubbs, Il reckon it is
midlin'."
"Snubbs, | see how it is with you you
want better plows, cultivators and TOOLS
You want a thrashing machine, and a saw
mill, and a good many Of the patent fxins, to
encourage your boys to work. Old Squire
Probe saws a lawsuit TO settle the difference
between us would cost me So, 900. But he
can't guarantee that you would be any better
for that. So, with your leave, I'll lay out
that money on your farm in a saw-mill, which
will enable you to fence it, and tools to till
it, and make you a present of 'em, and leave
it to your honor TO do by me as you see fit
But you are joking or crazy" said
Snubbs."
"Not the former, any how" said Diego
ry. And he was not, for he spent the money
as he said, made an honest man and an eter-
nal friend Of his enemy-but in doing SO, Of
course, he was crazy, which offence he Sz-