Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-02-01
From the Knickerbocl1cr Magazine.
\ COURT SCENE AT TPUDDLEFORD.


From the Knickerbockcr Magazine.
a COURT SCENE AT TPUDDLEFORD.
FROM THE PUDDLEFoRD PAPERS.
1t was now nearly dark, when the
Court convened again. The trial Of the
cause Filkius Us. Beadle, was again re-
sumed.
Seth Bolles was called. Seth was a
broad backed double listed fellow, with q
blazing red face, and he chewed tobacco
continually. He was about two-thirds
over the bay and didn't care for all the
| Filkinses or BeadIes in the world.
"Know Filkins and Beadle 90 inquired
Ike.
Know 'em thunder, yes"
Chow long %
{" Ever sin the year one.''
"Ever heard Beadle say anything about
Filkins 90
" Heardhcr say she thought she run'd
too much arter Elk Timberlake."
" Anything, Seth, about Filkins' cha
ractcr %
! " Now, what do you 'spose l know
/ about FiIkin5' character? Much as l
can DO to look arter my own wimmn."
But have you heard Beadle say any
thing about Filkins' character ?"
( Heard kcr say once she was a good
enough h-cr-sort-a body when she was a
mind ter be-"
"Anything else %
"Shan't answer, haint had my reg lar
fees paid as witness"
Squire Longbow informed Seth that he
must answer.
"Shnn't do it SO long as my name is
BoIls."
The Squire said he would commit him
If he didn't.
.h-c-w !'' drawIcd out Bolls stoop.
ing down, and putting his arms a-kimbo
rs he gave The Squire a lon5 look, rishI
in the eye.
" Order! orIcr!' exclaimed tho
Squire.
:" Whcw, whew whcw uo-uo-vo =
who's afraid OF Justice of the Peace p
screamed Seth, jumping up about Il foot
and squirting out gill; of tobaccoJulce'
= as he struck the floor.
Selh's fees were paid him at last, and the
question was again put, If he ever heard
Bcadle say anything else 20 and he said
:" lie ncver d;d;;" and thus ended Seth'S
testimony"
Miss Eunicc Grimes was next called
She came sailing forward and threw her.
self into the chair with kind of jerk
She took few sidoIong glances at CHAR
ty Bcadlc, which told plain enough that
she meant to make finish Of her in about
five minutes. She was vinegar-faced
old maid, and her head kept bobbing
and her body kept hitching; and now she
pulled her bonnet this way and now that
She finally went out of the fretting into
the languishing mood, and declared she
" Should die if fsomebody didn't get her a
glass OF water"
When she became composed, Ike in,
quircd if ''shc knew Charity Beadle %
" Yes, l know her to be an orful crit
ter"
"What has she done.''
"What hain't she She's lied about
me, and about Elder Dobbin's folks, and
said how that when the singing-masteI
boarded at our house she se'd lights in
the sitting-room till past three-thc orGu
critter."
But what have you heard her say
about Phi!ista FiIkins 90
''Oh everything that's bad. She
don't never say anything that's gooC
about nobody. She's alters talkin'.-
There amt nobody iu the settlement she
hain't slandercd. She even abused ole
Deacon Snipes' horse-the orful critter'
"But what did she say about Philista
Filkins ?'' asked Ike again.
"What do you want me to say she
said ? hain't got any doubt she called
her everything she could think on
Didn't she, Filisty ?" she continued, turn
ing her head toward the plaintiff.
i Philista nodded.
"Did she say she warn't no better thar
she ought to be 2"
/ Did she? well she did, and that yer.
few people were" ...
"Stop, stopH' exclaimed Ike. "yor
talk too fast l guess she didn't say al
= that. d r, r--r- g. 4, -. ..r.g4. .-...- .
, "She did, for Philsta told me, so ant
she wouldn't lie for the whole race Of Bea
! dies, ,rl,re.a rarf f.-t-.s...r .r..4
Squire ,LOngbow thought Eunice ha'
better retire, as she didn't seem to know
: much about the case. -.--....a. sl.... ,.7
She said she knew as much about it a
anybody; she want going to be abused
l trod upon; and no man was a man tha
5 would insult poor woman )" and burst
. ing into tears of rage, she twitched ou
of her chair and went sobbing away.
Philista closed, and Sile stated, in hi
opening to the Court, on the part OF tn
! defense, that this was a 'Littlc the smalles