Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-02-21

I6uCQ q llttIe' 'cOuSaFQ 9lOulQ ever come Oe-
fore an Orange county jury. 1t was not
my wish. L was taken up once before,
and he only swore TO an assault; but three
months thinking has put the battery to it.
l acknowledge the assault, but am JUS
tilted, for he was assaulting my COW. He
has tried to pick quarrel with me ever
since l went TO the gate. He stones my
cows, my chickens. and can't stand H..
[ threw the stones; [ admit it-6rst, fl-
teen feet to the right, then over his head,
and when saw the COW fall as he knock
ed her down, then did shave him, but
didn't hit him, and that ain all, I'll prove
it; and | ask you farmers, if you would
not do the same thing l can prove that
he Knocked her down, by my brother"
Defendants, brother was then called
and stated that it was Sunday when the
occurrence happened; saw complainant
Dodder, running after and striking at de.
Eendanl's cows; saw him strike and one
fall; can; say he strutk her; defendant
ran out aud halloed to him; did not mind;
defendant threw stones; none hit him;
| went out, and when came up to Dodder
he said defendant had thrown stones at
MIN, but he managed by jumpin5 and
lodging not TO have any hit him.
the testimony here closed.
The defendant then proceeded to sum
| up the cause. lis honor dropped his pen,
The jury leaned forward, the members OF
lie bar were noddiug and wnking across
% Que another, and a universal tiUtering
Pervaded the room. He commenced and
lis sharp, shriil voice drowned all else.
"Gentlemen of the Jury-This is the
first time | was ever in such pickle
never did before appear before a ury If
any country This Mr.. Dodder has brought
me here, and l have to appeal to you no.
knowing whether you are Wooily Heads,
Silver Greys, Hard Shells or Soft Shells
Yet think this Dodder will find out be-
fore 1 am through that am harder
shell than he imagined.
You know, gentlemen, that | am in the
employ Of the Mongsup Valley, Forrest
burg nd Point Jervis Plank Road Com
pany, as a gate keeper. This Company,
it seems, had confidence in my integrity
and honesty to place me in halimportaDt
station. and even if l should receive So,
900 and steal $500 out of it, that's be
tween Ele and the Company, and its none
of Dodder's business. Now, when the
Company sent me up along this road to
collect tolls, THIS Dodaer was one of the
inhabitants / found there an tie aVoodS, and !
will say for him that he is very fair spe
.cjmen of the rest of lhe population. But
there isn't any OF them that seem to ap
preciate all the benetts of this plank road.
1t LET out to civilization class of people
who never before hud the idea there was
sach thing AS civilized lie, and this Dol
der IS one Of lAem. 1t is fact that soon
after moved up there, young woman,
sixteen years DID, cum dowu out Of the
mountains on the plank road one day. and
she had never been out before. She fair
ly seemed surprized to see wliits man.
and after asking few questions. went
back into the woods. This Dodder was
my nearest neighbor, and good dea
nearer than 1 wanted him, for l had nj
been there long before heard that he had
heen lying about me to one Of the direc-
| tors, and soon found out that he wanted
to get his son, who has sworn against me,
in my place. But he hasn't done it yet,
and if you don't convict me, l reckon he
won't very soon.
1t won. take long to dispose of Dod-
der No. 2. He tes!i6es that he saw me-
throw three stones at his father, and saw
'thc old man dodge" On cross exam-
nation he says tina. be was in his own
house in the moods, and had 20 look over
hill twenty feet high, and also over throe
slab fences and TWO stone walls. Well
il he tells the truth, all l wish is shat had
young Dodder's eyes. He is certainly a re-
markable boy, and can't denv his father
! ;lI;p 10 al, 49, 7
in throwing stones at Dodder, and I apo
Oyize to all the world. and this country
particularly, for IT, The doctors ;ell rs
,herc are TWO causes for all diseases, pre-
disposition and cxcitsbility. think it
WAS the latter cause that moved me TO
stone Dodder.
1 therefore confess myself guilty OF the
assault but the battery deny! and il
you find me- guil,y of the battery. will
! appeal from the decision to the Court ot
lhigh Heaven itself, before ! will submit.
to it.
Now, gentlemen. you saw Mr.. DodIey
and heard him swear upon ms. | asked
him great many questions, and was
sorry to hear him answer as he did,
might have asked him more questIons-I
might have asked him if he didn't kill ny
cat, and if he didn't stone my chicken.
because they trespassed in his woods.
whore actually the rocks are so thick tha'
shs cats can; fnd their way up through
| hem Sui l then knew he would den.
III, AMI ii would grieTe me to near him
lie Admits that he was driving my thr-,
cows np the road. and that he struck at
'em but says 1t was with small switch.
I have proved tha, this switch was pole
about zen feet long. and about two inches
across the butt end, and have also pro
we'd that when he struck, the coo fell. Il