The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1855-09-07
How Niddcr Uestbroog TOOK, the
sheriff.


ride through dreary pinewood country in
an eastern county, with Mr.. Stubs, its ShcT-
1 lf By the middle of the afternoon, we had
, exhausted as subjects of conversation, the
particular attachment case which brought Us
together, the political condition Of the coun-
try, the prospects of the growing crop, and
several matters of personal history. In fact,
We had run Quito use trte but expressive
mctaphor-when suddenly Mr.. Stubbs' eve
flashed, and a strange smile futtered across
his lip, as he remarked
81 havn't told you, Squire, believe, how
got ruined sarvin' the first process (the
Sheriff was not learned man, and occasion
ally did misplace the acecnt) that ever came
into my hands,
'No; let's have il" replied, turning half
round in the saddle; ''it cost YOU some mon
CIV, did it--your mistake 2"
''Ah,'' he calculated with sigh, ''it cost
heap-a heap"
This was said with the air OF much suffer
ing, and told him, if it awakened painful
emotions, he must not think of opening the
old wound, merely for my entertainment.
'slt's all over now" said he, ''and don't
mind tcllin' it," don't know how it was,
just Mt this moment caught sight Of shah
by fold of Grape around his hat, and could
brious expression, and the ''sarvin' of the
first process Anent that, We shall discoy-
cr something presently.
Mr.. Stubs proceeded
81 was Elected first Sheriff Of the county,
and at that time there weren't more'n three
or four hundred voters in it. To be sure, |
was right proud-it was such an honor, like"
''This is YOUR second term, then ?"
'lcs. had to miss term OF service
on account Of the law; but then | was dept
ty deputy under Stokes, and when his time
run out last, two years ago, WAS elected
again. But that amt telin' how got ruin
ated by that writ. Now it's reasonable TO
suppose that the first Of thing amt easy
to know rs the middle or the last. So when
the lawyer down at town made out the paper
ard put it in my hands ! was just a. bad non
plussed as ever YOU see"
"What sort Of writ was it 2"
"Nothn' but the common sort, (copias RESI-;
know en- now, Ikea book. IF had only
knowed 'em them" Here another deep
drawn sigh supplied the place of words.
II took the plaguy thing home, and call
ed in Bill Stokes (which was sheriff himself,
after that and Old Squire Lumpkin to coun-
sci me on it. We read it over three or four
times. 1t ordered me to take the body Of
Hannah Wcstbrook, ef to be found in my
county, and her safely to keep so that should
have her to answer before the judges at the
next Circuit, for n debt she owed; and
moren't that, it said ] was to dc it without
delay-and IL nas nigh on to fire months
till Court What was to do with her all
that time, and no sign Of jail in that coun-
ty?"
swell, it was hard looking case, but that
and tho r,,ybf hava
been served by leaving copy with the lady"
ooh, know that mighty we'll nor but
didn't know it then Besides, at the bot
tom Of the paper was writ ssNO bail" and |
know now that them words means no bail re-
CURED; but thought then it meant that cf
she was to offer the best security in the State,
| warn't to take it. And it was the construc-
ton that Stokes and Lumpkin both put upon
it; and the old Squire went so far rs to say,
Of he WAS sheriff he'd take that woman and
carry her home and lock her up in the small
70 I'm with himself and his wife, every night,
ontel Court came around.o
'srhat would have made it pretty safe.'
eyes," said Stubs; shut knowed that
wouldn't suit me, for my wife (that was them
was high tempered, and never could bear
strange people in the room. But, however,
after counsellin', got Stokes to go with me
and went up to the widder and told my bus
mess. She was mighty bad scared at first,
but when she got over that, she Pared and
pitched. should jist gin out and gone
home and resigned, but Stokes qdfeted her,
sayin' we could put her in jail, bat eff she
beh ared herself we'd only take her down to
my house and let her stay tell Court. Then
she turned into cryin' and beggin' me to take
her niger woman and keep for security for
the debt which was only something over o
hundred dollars, and the niger was likely
But looked in my paper and read it out to
her-to take the body Of Hannah Westbrook!'
s'Shc said she'd 60, and she had the old
roam horse saddcd up and while Stokes and
me were talkin' and not noticin', she mount
ed him and started of in lively cantcr, on
the Georgia end of the trail. We mounted
and gnlloped after hcr, and she hadn't got a
half aile before we had her. Then she cri-
ed and begged again but we put a plough
| line around her waist and held the end, and
after letting her give some directions to hor
niger l took her down to my house. Ny
wife treated her mighty civil, and every day
or two we'd let her 60 up home and look af-
| ter her consarns. So tine rolled ON until
about month before Court, and one dag
Stokes rid Up to the gate in powerful hurry,
and called me out"
"You'vc played thunder" said he.
ssIlow?n said |,
4.Wby think Of Mrs. Westbrook. It's NIL
wrong, aad she's sent word to the very law
yer that pat out that writ against her, and
has got two writs against you, one to turn her
loose, and t'other to make You pay twenty
thousand dollars for taking hers
81 shant serve 'em,'' said 1.
s'Makcs no odds. They've done appointed
kurrincr. (coroner) and he'll be up to-
morrow, soon as Mrs. Westbrook has u
chance to swear to something. You'd bet
ter look out"
"Well," said |, 81 reckon they've got you