Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-02-02
wish you to state distinctly who began il. ;


Peter .humbly, as he smoothed the crown OF
his hat. sI'd like to know av wise, an
a unders.andin' jiEtleman like yerself, ii ye
can tell me when two dark clouds come
thegither, an strike lightnin, which of the
two sthruck firstI
| This is no answer. Clouds cannot be
compared with two parties OF drunken men.
q think the answer quite pertinent;' said
| the attorney for the defence with smile,
| for both clouds and men appear to have
been charged with the fluid
'.Ah, ha!' said Mr.. Bi5ulous, nodding
signif :antly at Peter; 'Ah, ha! the man is
no fool see!'
I'd be sorry to contradict yer expari-
encs,' said Peter smoothly; an sure I'd
like to return the compliment, but for the
vartue Of me oalbp
sWhat kind of o piece Of road was it
where this affray took place;' seid the ut
torney angrily; was it straight or crookedP
'Natherally it it was as straight an pur.
tv peice of road as ye'd like to look at;
but circumstantially, it was as crooked as
jintleman that had lost his nipper,' said
Peter.
How do you make that out?
Shure twas the liquor that made the diff.
fer .,..-
oh! then, you confess to your party
having been drunk
dts my sarious opinion that it was them
Garman's that was batin about like wrack
at say; an that my frinds behaved them.
selves like dacent people, but its not aisey
to say
sWhen you were at Mcshane's did you
eat and drink!'
Sure sir; what did we go there for?-
Would ye have US starvin' wild the hunger,
on an occasion the likes Of that!
Certainly not-of course, certainly not.
Now please to tell the jury what the re-
freshments consisted of
'Lashin's OF attn and dhrinkin,' said PEI
ter boldly
'Neyer mind the eating, what kind Of
drink had you?'
sPoteen;' said Peter, vivid the ihrue fla.
your Of the pate about it,
sPoteen! Poteen' said the lawyer as if.
affecting ignorance of the liquor. 'Pray
Mr.. Mulrooney will you oblige me by ex>
planning what Poteen is?'
sArrah!' said Peter, slyly casting his
eyes at the rubicund nose of his queslioner
-sAs if ye didn' know?'
The prosecuting attorney, with his OBJ.
noxious nasal organ growing redder and
redder, turned to the Bench and gesticula>
ted vehemently. Whet he said could not
be heard amid the storm Of laughter.
Silence!' shouted the crier.
Witness said the judge, absolutely
'sner.iag in the effort 10 maintain becom.
ing gsavI.y.@sssF f.nessy asbass seahneszhszalss
lowed any longer. What is the reason
you evade direct reply to the question?
Answer him; he must be answered;
'Troth, sir, Til do tina: thing. The
raison2 Sure | supposed it was maxim
fun of me he was.'
'Why should you suppose lhatl' said the
Attorney iercely.
sBekase, as looked at yer Veshuvius
Of nose, | thought ye must be we'll &C.
quainted with the crater
The judges fell back and exploded; the
prosecuting attorney sunk into chair as il
a Ten pound shot had fallen suddenly upon
his head; the auditors were almost purple
in the face, and there stood Peter, looking
oil about him with sort of enquiring won.
der upon his face, as if utterly unconscious
of any cause for such noisy outbreak.
Have you done with the witness enquir.
ed the counsel for the de(ence?'
Let him go;' said the attorney sharply.
4 can do nothing with him.
Peters eyes now fairly twinkled. As
he left the box, he drew down the corners
of his mouth with the most sovereign cons
tempt.
eAugh!' he muttered. 1t 'ud take a
dozen little red nosed men TO bate Pether
Mulrooney, ayther wild the tongue or the
eh;lo)ab | dosa bo ,hinkin ..' -.