The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-11-04

struck ht one Ot EN-, but says II was With
small switch. have proved that this switch
was pole about ten feet long and about
three inches across the butt end, and ] have
also proved that when he struck, the COW
fell. 1t is true my witness couldn't swear
that the stick hit her, he was so far of but
take the blow and the fall together and we
can guess the rest. If you, gentlemen,
should see me point gun at man and pull
the trigger, see the flash and hear the re-
port, and at the same time see the man drop,
think you would say that | shot him, al.
though you might not see the ball strike him.
Now, the fact is, gentlemen, that on Sun.
day was lying on my lounge in my house,
when my wife said to Inc that Doddcr was
chasing the cows. Jumped ur and pulled
on my boots and went out Of doors and saw
Dodder and the COWS coming up the road.
1t is true, he says, he was not driving them,
but he says he and the cows were both going
aloI 9 the road in one direction, and this was
as near as could get him to the cows or the
truth but i, is proved that the cows were
going ahead Of him, and lac was following af-
ter them striking at them with this little
swth ten feet long, three inches across the
but, and reckon you'll think nc was "dri
wing" them. sung out 10 him, "Dodder,
stopl" but he didn't obey my order, and ]
just threw stone in that direction, which
went about ten feet over his head, at the
same time going towards him, while he was
coming towards me. lie paid no attention,
and | sung out again, "Doddcr, stop y
Still he didn't mind me, and then just threw
another stone but on he came and on
went, and threw the third stone which he
says hit him in the back Of his neck, but
which think was rather strange, as We
were going towards each other as ast as We
could. But he never Stacked up, and by
this time We were within about eight feet OF
each other. halted and holercd at the top
of my voice, "Dodder, why in - don
you stop:' About then he did stop, and
| raised his ten foot switch as if to strike me,
/ | sang out, "Mr. Dodicr, look out! You
may wollop my cows, but if you wol'op nc
with that switchyo lwollup an animal thatl
| hook - 1lcrc the orator made an appropri
ate gesture of the head, as if in the act o
! hooking which was followed with tumultuou:
I shouts and laughter that continued seyera
/ minutes.)
Now, gentlemen, If you convict me, this
court can fine me $3.50 and jug Inc for 81,
months and, if you really think ought tc
/ be convicted of this assault, say SO, for an
in favor Of living up to the laws as long n'
, they are Laws, whether il is the Fugitive
| Slave Law, the Nebraska Bill, or the Excise
Laws ] will read you little law, howey
cr, which have just seen in book found
here; Cthc speaker here picked up law
. book and read as follows) Every man ha'
a right to defend himself from personal vic
lencc." Now, don't know whether that IL
law or not, but | find il in a law book. y
veteran member Of the bar, who was sit,inl
near the speaker remarked TO him that i
was good law. Well, gentlemen, here is al
old man, who looks as if he might know
something, and he says this is good law
Now If you viii tnra to Barbour something
page 500, you1l find that the same doctrin,
is applied TO cattle. Great laughter.
Therefore take il had right to defend M
cows against Dodder's tcn-foot switch
Why, gentlemen, nearly all my wealth is in
vested in them three cows, and you can
wonder that became n little excited when
saw Dodder switching them with his tcn-ioo
pole. | ain n poor man, and have large ia
milv, consisting of a wife aud sir children
which reckon - doing pretty well for a
]
Now, gentlemen, ] don't believe you'll
convict me after what ! have said but
YOU do, and this court fines me $3.50, shal
''rcpudiatc,' because "can't pay" And i
I'm juggcd for six months, why these bod
dcrs will have it all their own way up there
But, notwithstanding all this, am willing t'
risk myself in your hands, and if you thinl
ought to have st od by and not done any
thing when | saw Dodlcr hammcring my
cows, why then am gone in toll gait
and ALL
II is true ! am poor man, but not ;
mean one. The name of Allerton can b,
traced to the May Flower. When she land
ed the Pilgrims on plymouth Rock, amoni
the passengers was a widow, Mary Allerton
with four fatherlcss children, and ! am de
scendcd from that Puritan stock; ant
from that day to this there has never LIVED
an Al crton who hadn't Yankee spirit
enough to stop Doddcr from polling hi,
cows I'm done.
Here the laughing was exceedingly bois
ferrous, in which all parties participated, and
it was several minutes, despite the repeated
cries Of "Ordcr, order" by the court, be
fore order could be restored. Our eloquent
and usually unvanquishcd District Attorney
fearing to cope with So formidable an antag
ouist, merely remarked at is plain case,
&c, aud left it to the jury, who promptly
brought in verdict of "not guilty" H