Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-11-17
ALL1NGToN's PLEA.

"Gentlemen of the Jury: This is the
first time was ever in such pickle-never
did l before appear before jury of my
country. This Mr.. Dodder has brought
me here, and l have to appeal to you, not
knowing whether you are Woody Heads,
Silver Greys, Hard Shells or Soft Shells.
Yet think this Dodder will find out be-
fore am through that l am harder she'll
than be imagined.
81 don't know much bout law and since
the trial has been going on have conclud-
ed that 1 ought to know little more. l
ought to apologize, perhaps, for appearing
in my own defence, and will do so by tell
ing you, that l feed one lawyer, and hired
another, in this case, but they both come
up missing when l need them most. I sup
pose might have secured the services Of
some of these other limbs of the law that
l see around me, but having been cheated
by two of 'em, l concluded to 60 it "on
my own hook, " and here l am want
to tell you gentlemen, before | 60 farther,
that it is not my fault that this case is here,
taking up the time of this honorable court
l think you will give me credit for telling
the truth, when l say it ought to have been
tried before Justice of the Peace, it be-
ing better adapted to the capacities ofsuch
a court than this one After this difficulty,
Dodder did get a warrant for me from
Squire Cuddeback, over in Deerpark. He
then charged that had assaulted him, but
Eve or six mouths has freshened bis recol-
lection, and he now says that assaulted
and battered him. l believe there is some
difference between the charges. Dodder
says he swore to the compliant before
Squire Cuddeback, and l leave it for you
to say whether he tells the truth now in
saying that l battered him. l was taken
by constable before the Squire, and
either because the Justice was ashamed Of
what he had already done, or hadn't time
to attend to it, don't know wLich,it went
down. Two or three weeks after that
was arrested again, and my wife having
been confined, l thought it best, as duti-
full husband, to be around hum, SO l got
rid of it by giving security for my appear
ance to Court.
"You know, gentlemen, that am in
the employ Of the Mongaup Valley, For
restburg & Port Jesvis Plankroad Compa-
ny, as gate-keeper. This company it
seems had sufficient confidence in my in
tesrity and honesty to place me in that
important station, and even if l should re-
ceive s. 900 and steal 81 800 of it, that's
between me aud the Company, and its
none of Dodder's business. Now when
the Company sent me up along this road
to collect tolls, this Dodder was one of the
inhabitants I found there in the Goods, and
will say for him that he is very fair
specimen of the rest of the population
But there isn't any Of them, that seem to
appreciate all the benefits of tEis Plank
road.
at let out to civilization class of people
who never before had the idea there was
such a thing as civilized life, and this
Dodder is one Of them. 1t is fact that
soon after moved up there, young wo
man, sixteen years old, cum down out Of
the mountains on the plank road, one day,
and she had never been out before. She
fairly seemed surprised to see ,rhite man,
and after asking few questions went back
into the woods. This Dodder was my
nearest neighbor, and good deal nearer
than wanted him, and hadn't been
there long before l heard that he had been
lying about me to one of the directors, and
soon found out that he wanted to get his
son, who was swsrn here against me. in