Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-04-04
miscellaneous.
THE PEOPLE VS.. ALIERTON.
A RICH COURT SCENE.

II II = y " II 4 "
At the last term of the Orange County Court,
New York the following tried upon
which the jury was addressed by the defendant
who had concluded 10 appear IN his own defence.
THE PEOPLE as. JAMES ALLERToN.-
This was a very interesting case, rendered
so from the fact that the defendant acted
/ as "bis own lawyer" on the trial, without
having the advantage of being one of the
legal fraternity His summing up" of
which we are able to give nearly verba-
tim report, with the exception Of the q act
ing" was decidedly rich, and afforded
much amusement for the legal gentlemen
present The defendant, who is small,
red haired, thin specimen of Yankee,
was indicted for an assault and battery on
one Mr. Dodder. The facts, as divulged
upon trial are briefly as follows: The de-
! fendant Is in the employ Of the Mongaup
| Valley, Forrestburg, and Port Jervis
Plank Road Company, toll lgatherer,
and resides upon the road, some miles
above Port Jervis He and the complain
ant Mr. Dodder, are near@neigb bors.
On a Sunday in February last. the de-
fendant saw the complainant in the act Of
beating his (defendant's) cows along the
highway, and, as an inducemcnt for him to
quit, hurled few stones at him, one of
which, as the complainant testified, struck
him on the back Of the neck.
The testimony being concluded, the
defendant addressed the jury as follows
Gentlemen ofthe J1tyy: l don't know
much about law, and since the trial has
been going on [ have concluded that [
ought to know little more. | ought to
apologize, perhaps. for appearing in my
own defence, and will do 50 by telling you
that | feed one lawyer and hired another
in this case, but they both come up miss
ing when ] need them most. l suppose L
might have secured the services of some of
these other limbs of the law" that | see
around me, but, having been cheated by
two of EN-, l concluded to 90 Ii on my
own hook" and here | am l want to
tell you, gentlemen, before | go further,
that it is not my fault that this case is
here taking up the time Of this honorable
court [ think you viii give me credit
for telling the truth when | say that 1t
ought to have been tried before Justice
of tie Peace, 1t being better adapted to
the capacities of such a court than of this
ore After this difficulty Dodder did get
a warrant for me from Squire Cuddebaek,
over in Deerpark He then charged that
had insulted him but five or six months
have freshened his recollection, and he
now says that | assaulted and battered
him. | believe there is some difference
! between the two charges. =
/ Dodder says he swore to the complaint
before Squire Cuddeback, and | leave it
/ for YOU to say whether he tells the truth
I now in saying that | battered him was
taken by constable before the Squire,
and either because the Justice was asham-
/ ed of what he had already done, or hadn't
time to atteI;d to it, | don't know which,
I it went down Two or three weeks after
that [ was arrested again, and, my wife
having been confined, l thought it best, as
/ dutiful husband, to be around hum, so |
got rid of it by giving security for my ap
pearance to court.
You know. gentlemen. that am in the
employ of the Mongaup Valley. Forrest
burg, and Port Jervis Plank Road Com
pany, as a gate keeper. This company
1t seems had sufficient confidence In my
integrity and honesty to place me in that
important station. aud even If l should
receive IS 900 and steal $500 of it,
that's between me and the company, aud
its none of Dodder's business Now, when
the company sent me up along this road
to collect tolls, this Dodder was one of the
inhabitants | found there IN the woods,
and | will say for him that be is very
fair specimen of the rest of the population.
But there isn't any of them that seem to
appreciate all the benefits of this plank
road
1t let out to civilization class of peo-
pie who never before realized the idea that
) there was such a thing as civilized lite
and this Dodder is one of them. 1t is q
fact that soon after 7 moved there. a young