The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-09-19

brook, if to be found in my county, and
her safely to keep SO that I should have
her to answer before the Judge at the
next Circuit, for debt she owed; and
more'n that, it said / was to do it without
delay-and it was then nigh on to .tiee
months till Court! What was I to do with
her all that time, and no sign of Jail in the
county?
"Well it was hard looking case, but
that was simply form, and the writ might
have been served by leaving copy with
the lady"
"Oh, I know that mighty well no,c,
but l didn't know it then. Besides, at
the bottom of the paper was writ, "No
ball." and know now that them words
mean no bail required; but 1 thought then
it meant that eff she was to offer the best
security in the State / warn't to take it.
And it was the consideration that Stokes
and Lumpkin both put upon it; and the
told Squire went so far as to say eff he
was Sheriff he'd take that woman, and
carry her home and lock her up in the
small room with himself and his wife,
every night of life, ontell the court come
around"
"That would have made it pretty safe. !"
eyes" said Stubbs; "but / knowed
that wouldn't suit me, for my wife (that
was then) was high tempered, and never
could bear strange people in the room.
But, however, after councellin',' I got
Stokes to go with me, and / went up to
the widder, and told her my bisness. She
was mighty bad scared at first but when
she got over that, she r'ared and pitched.
I should jist a gin out, and gone home,
but Stokes quieted her, sayin' we could
put her in Jail, but eff she 6ehared herself
we'd only take her down to my house, and
let her stay tell court. Then she turned
into cryin' and beggin' on me to take her
nigger woman, and keep her for security
for the debt, which was only something
over hundred dollars, and the niger
was likely. But I looked in my paper
and read it out to her-"to take the body
of Hannah Westbrookl"
"She said she'd go, and she had the
old roam horse saddled up, and while
Stokes and me was talkin' and not noticin',
she mounted him and started of in a
lively canter, on the Georgia end of the
trail We mounted and galloped after
her, and she hadn't got half mile before
we had her. Then she cried and begged
again, but we put plow line round her
waist and held the end, and after lettin'
her give some directions to her nigger,
1--WE took her down to my house. My wife
treated her mighty civil, and every day
or two we'd let her go up home and look
after her consarns. So time rolled on till
about month before court, and one day
Stokes rid up to the gate in powerful
hurry, and called me out.
"You've played thunder" said he.
i "How?n said l.
"Why, takin' of Mrs. Westbrook. 1t
is all wrong, and she's sent word down to
the very lawyer that put out that writ
against her, and's got out two against
you; one to make you turn her loose, and
t'other to make you pay twenty thousand
dollars for takin' her!'
"I shan't serve 'em," says l.
"Makes no Odds They've done ap-
pointed kurriner, (coroner) and he'll be
up tomorrow, soon as Mrs. Westbrook
has had chance to swear to somethin'
You'd better look out"
"Well," says I, "1 reckon they've got
you too. You was along and helped to
do it''
"Oh, yes," says he, "but they've gol
me for aoitraess!"
said no more, but walked straight into
the house, and there found the widow
lookin' mighty pleased, and told her she
was free to 60, and l asked her pardon
T shouldn't charge her any board, and ]
hoped she'd come and see my old woman
and so on, and so forth.
"She went, I suppose"
"She did, and the kurriner came; ano
he showed me how to serve writ by copy
/ shall never forget it. She took me into
Court and there weren't nothin' done
. with it the first time. Before next Cour
+ my old woman died, and that upsurget
!. everything. What with her dyin' and tn,
suit, thought would go crazy, to b,
sure"
o "But you didn't?"
\ "No, I bore it as we'll as 1 could, ant
just before court came along the lawyer
5 Jenkins-and says he to me, "I thinl
Iyou and my client, Mrs. Westbrook, coul,
compromise that case eff you was to tall
;. together about it." I hardly waited fo
him to leave, before I jumped on my hors
d and rode up to the widder's, "Widder,
$ says /, "ki's we settle that case 2"
it "She sorter laughed, and said may be
It "I'd give you a hundred dollars t.
It drop it," says I.
e "She frowned nightly, and said tina
# warn't the way she wanted to settle it.
r /" I'll give You t,oo," said I.
dI "She frowned worse than before, an
said that wasn't the way she wanted t
settle it.
IS Directly something came right int
l my mind. I seemed to see plain.
# i studied and considered Then 7 cleare,