Butte record., 1856-12-20

wont to hoard all his wealth.
'The devil the rascal, the villair
the thief.-the knave, dog
the wretch were among the choice
epithets bestowed upon the concoctol
of this artful seheme-this personifel
of the devil, to draw off the attention
from his ncfarious doings. But his
successes were not of long duration,
for the trick becoming noised abroae
among the burgomasters, he was de-
tected in the attempt of perpctrating a
similar farce in distant part of the
country, and was alter some time Civ
en- chase to, captured, and safely housed
under lock and key.
Now came the day of trial. Mine
host was duly summoned, with the rest
who witnessed the first exploit. The
grave burgomeister had smoked his last
pipe, combed his best wig, adjusted his
wbitest cravat, and took his seat on
the bench accordingly. A description
of his person was thus recorded in the
police sheet: Age, about sixty; nose,
very long tip of it red; eyes, hair,
teeth and face, fiery red hands and
legs, long and thin, said hands of "A
blood-red color dress, all red, even
to his tooth-pick and pipe.'
The worthy bench laughed outright, t,
on reading the description, and survey
ing his innocent looking victim.
Bring forth the accused,' pompous>
ly spoke the presiding man of the law
The ponderous prison door yielded
to the authorized bar and nd-bot-drawer;
and in walked-a little fat, squat,
swarthy, snub-noscd dwarf, dressed in
bright blue. All, except his hat (of
conical shape was blue his beard,
his hands, his teeth, his lips, all blue,
as if he had been born and brought up
in the Indigo business from his infan-
cy.
why, how's this ? said the presi-
dent. This is totally different man
from what is here described. Did you
search the prisoner, and take record
of it, on his committal, officer =
why, yes, your worship's homer !;
every part of him, and in presence of
the goaler.'
The goaler corroborated the officer.
He had, that very morning, whilst CIV
ing him his breakfast, seen him, with
his very own eyes, attired all in red.
Search him again, before u.s. said
the worthless. l warrant US, he will not
escape our vigilance. We were not
BON yesterday. We havo seen better
tricks thau this. Go you into his cell,
and examine that narrowly, and bring
what you may find there
The cell was narrowly searched, and
not a vestige of apparel of any descrip.
ton found The culprit was stripped
to his skin, which they discovered to
be of an indigo blue color, and which
must have been stained some time pre-
viously, as it resisted all efforts to make
it of IL natural appearance.
The president scratched his bald
pate under his wig, the clerks bit their
pens. The other burgomeisters, in
deep thoughts, allowed their chins to
rest upon their bosoms, and closed
their eyes for meditation.
"Mcasure the prisoners beight.'
bawied out the aforesaid functionary.
-Four feet eight, said the officer.
Read the height mentioned in the
Indictment said the clerk. His wor.
ship will then compare the two
six feet five,' was the response.
'Ahem ah-ah-hem Oh, pull
his legs, they may be composed of ca
outchoue l knew sailor once who
had two wooden legs, and he could
make them longer or shorter, at his
convenience
The doctor reported all regular and
natural.
Pull his nose, | venture to suggest,
with all due respect said the clerk,
turning round to the Bench.
well, yes-no that can't be made
of India rubber, Brother Blum,' jo-
cosely ventured the presiding nagis-
trate, at which the whole Bench oon-
descended to laugh.
Here each man of law turned to his
neighbor and engaged in solemn con-
ference for the space of five minutes.
Fellow, what have you to say for
yourself'' at last ejaculated the mag
istrate.
I'm not the man, croaked the cul-
prit, in hoarse tone.
What does he say he's not man
Then who are you. pray' The devil l
suppose.
If | were, you can't sustain this
charge against me. You have failed
in your identity.
Identity! Who can identify the de-
vii, 1 should like to know?
Your worship, 1 can, ventured the
schoolmastcr.
Who answers, Let him stand forth
and take the oath. Now, what do
you know about the devil
| saw him at #**t*, on the night in
question, and smelt his sulphur. |
thought, at one time, it was only
thief's trick; but, seeing him deliver
ed into custody, with my own eyes, as
red as boiled lobster, and coming cut
of it as blue as an unboiled one, 1 am
irresistibly led to the conclusion that
he was, and is, one and the same devil,
and no other.