Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-02-01

hnOeS LOOKING DOW u on a potatO7nlIl3 > ne
didn't propose to offer scarcely any
proof; and that little was by way of set
of-tongue against tongue according to
the statute in such case, made and proyi-
ded he hoped the Court would examine
the law for himself. Here the Squire
unrolled long account against Phillsta,
measuring some three feet. and held it up
to the Squire and iury.) This, he said,
was a reg'lar statement of the slanderous
words used by Philista Filkins agin' Cha
rity Beadle for the last three years, with
the damages annexed; everything had
been itemized, and kept in tip-top style !;
all in black and white, just as it happen
ed. Sie was about reading this formida-
Bile instrument when Ike objected.
That can't be did in this 'ere Court"
exclaimed Ike; e the light of civiviiza-
ton has shed itself little too thick for
Aat This Court might just as we'll try
to swallow a chesnut-burr, or a cat-tail
foremost, as to get such proposition a
down its throat"
Squire LongBow said he'd "never
heer'd of such law-yet the question
was new to him"
Laid down in all the law books of
the nineteenth century !'' exclaimed Sile,
"and never heard ont"
Never did"
"Why," continued Sile, 6" the statute
allows set-of where it is of the same ma
tur' Of the action. This you see is SLAM
der agin' SANDER"
Z" True" replied the Squire.
"True, did you say !'' exclaimed Ike.
" You say the statute does allow slander
to be set off ; our statutc-that statute
that learned by heart before knew my
A B C's-you old bass-wood headed
SOM. But the Squire stopped Ike just
at this time. "We will decide tile ques-
ton first" he said. g The Court have
made no decision yet
Squire Longbow was in trouble. He
smoked furiously He examined the sta
tutcs, looked over his docket, but lie did
not seem to get any light. Finally a
lucky thought struck him. He saw old
Mr.. Brown in the crowd, who had the re-
putation of having once been Justice in
the State of New York. The Squire
arose and beckoned to him, and both re-
tired to an adjoining room. After about
a half an hour the Squire returned, and
took his scat, and delivered his opinion.
Here it is:
After an examination Of all the p'ints
both for and agin' the lowing of a set off
in which the Court didn't leave no stone
unturncd to get at justice, having ran
sacked some half-dozen Of books from
end to end, and noted down everything
that nnvwise bore on the subject recol-
Letting as the Court well doz, what the
great Story, who's now dead and gone,
done, and writ about this very thing, { for
we must be lowed to inform this assem-
bly, that we read Story in our Juvenile
years;) having done this. AMI refreshing
orr minds with the testimony; and keep
er liberty and RICHTER speech, back ards
and for ards-for have as gool u right
to talk agin' You, as you have to talk
agin' me-knowing, as the Court doz,
how much blood has been shed cause
folks wcrn't lowed to talk as they pleas
cd making all natur groan, the Court is
of the opinion that the set-off must be let
in; and such is also Squire Browns opin-
ion, and no body will contradict that, I
EnoW."
Je-Aos- phat !" groancd out Ike,
drawing one of his very longest breaths.
8. The Great Je-n1i.ma Wilkinson and so
that is law, arter all There's my hat,
Squire" Ike continued, as he arose and
reached it out to him; "and you shall
have my gdlluseS as soon as can get At
'cm.'
The Squire said g the dignity Of the
Court must be preserved"
"Of course it must !' replied Ike
who was growing philosophical over the
opinion of the Squire There amt no
friction on my gudgeons now l always
gins in to regular opinions, delivered up
on consideration I was just thinking,
though, Squire, that as their bill is so
much the longest, and as the parties are
both here, Charity had better let her
tongue loose upon my client, end take the
balance out on the spot"
The Squire said, ''the cause must go
on.' Sile read his set-of, made up of
slaudcrous words alleged to have been
used damages, lifty dollars and calling
Charity herself, upon the principle, as he
| said, " that it was book account, and
her books were evidence and her books
having been lost, the paper which he
held, and which was true coPy-for he
made it himSelf-was the next best evil
dence all of which Cherity would swear
to, straight along"
The Court admitted Charity, and she
swore the ses-of through, and some fifty
dollars more and she was going on at
horse-race speed, when Siie stopped her
BEFORE as he told her, ''she swore the
cause beyond the jurisdiction of the ma
gistrate.''
The evidence closed Midnight had
set in, and the cause was yet to be sum
med up.
they were limited to half an hour each.
! Ike opened the argument, and suet an I