Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-11-15
MtscelIuneons.
AN ESCAPADE IN THE WEST.
BY "THE UNKNOWN"

I sign wyself the unknown because like to
do 30 am unknown because choose to be;
yet have q name have friends and foes, have
been loved and hated, have been courted and
feared, but for wrong doing never detested.
have hunted buffaloes with the Indians of the
West and South, tracked the moose and the car.
rinoo of the far North on snow-shoes danced
fandangoes with the nut-brown senoritas of
Mexico, waltzed with the donnas of CASTLE,
drank beer with the students Of Baden, and
gambled over raw teefsteak, on foggy morn
ing, in smoky England.
I've served in the army and navy Of the Uni
ted States am an American from the top of
my head to the end of my toes have swapped
jack-knives with Yankee pedlar in Connect-
eut, practiced law in Illinois till the ague shook
my teeth loose, swapped horses with the South
srn frs-eatcrs in South Carolina, and been No.
l in Kentucky shooting match. I have CON-
manded sailing crafts on the ocean, and steamed
on the same-havs been shot, wounded, blown
up, and ,vas married once, the Lord forgive me
for the same! I'm thirty-two years old, ugly
as hedgehog, good-natured as hungry bear
with sore head, and-there's all you IL ever
know about mel don't care how curious you
are
To the incident About three or four years
ago-more or less-I was practicing law in Hi
nois on pretty large circuit. | WINS called upon
one day in my Office, in the town Of c., by
q pretty woman, who, not without tears, told
me that her husband had been arrested for horse
stealing. She wished to retain me on the de-
defense. l asked her why she did MT 60 to
Judge BE, an ex-senator of the United
States, whose Office was in the same town. Told
her was young hand at the bar, DO.
She mournfully said that he asked u retain
ing fee beyond her means, and besides did moi
want to touch the case, for her husband wal
suspected of belonging to an extensive band o
horse thieves and counrcrleters whose head
quarters were on Moores Prairie.
asked her to tell me the truth about tn,
matter, and if it was true that he did belong Il
such gang.
sAh, sir, said she, q better man at heart
than my George, never lived but heliked card
and drink, and drink, and | fear they hay
made him do what he never would have dom
had he not drank I'm afraid it can be provst
that he had the horse, but he did mt steal it
another did and passed it to him ...
did not like the case. knew there was
great dislike to the gang located where she nam
ee, and feared to risk the case before jury. Sh
seemed to observe my intention to refuse th
= case, and burst into tears.
10 never could see a woman weep without feel
Of ing like weak feel myself. If it had MT bee
D. for eyes frightened with "pearly tears" (bas
N the poet that made 'em come into fashion b
Il praising 'om,) I'd have never been caught in tn
t. lasso of matrimony. And my would-be ellen
N was pretty. The handkerchief that hid he
ID streaming eyes did MT hide her red, ripe lip
r.. and then her snowy bosom fell like white gu
h in gallo of wind at sea. could mt stand i
to I agreed to take the case she gave me all tt
particulars.
The gang, of which he was not a membe
had persuaded him to take the horse. He kne
the horse was stolen, and like fool acknow
edged it when arrested. Worse still-had trim
med the horse's name and tail to alter his a
pearance, and the prosecution could prove it.
The trial came on worked hard to get
jury of ignorant men, who had more heart ths
H. brains-who, if they could mt fathom the dep
c' of argument, or follow the labyrinthine MAJ
ho of the law, could feel for q young fellow in
'" bad scrape, who had weeping, pretty vii
- nearly broken-hearted, and quite distracted
50 Knowing the use of effect" told her to drt
ice in deep mourning, and to bring her little cher
'' of boy, curly-haired, and only three years ol
wv into court, and to sit us near her husband as t
'o officer would let her. ! tried that game once
q murder case, and weeping wife and sis
an made a jury render verdict against law, g
'ri dence, and thc judges charge, and saved q f