Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-02-11
AMERICAN ORGAN.


Some years since professional business threw me
into the company, for long days ride through
dreary pine wood country, in an eastern county
with Mr.. Stubs, its sheriff
BY the middle Of the afternoon we had exhaust
ed, as subjects of conversation the particular at
tachment case which brought us together, the po-
ltical condition of the country, the prospects Of
the growing crop, and several matters Of personal
history. In fact we had run QUITO use a trite
bat expressive metaphor-when suddenly Mr..
Stubbss eye flashed, and strange Smile fitted
across his lip as he remarked
81 haven't told you Squire, believe, how got
ruined servin' the first process" 1.-THE sheriff
not learned man, and occasionally did misplace
the accent, "that came into my hand"
"No, let's have it." / replied, turning round in
the saddle, 1T cost you some money, did it-you
mistake
"Ah" he calculated with a sigh, cit cost a
heap--a heapW
This was said with the air of much suffering
and told him if il awakened painful emotions he
must not think of opening the old wound merely
for my entertainment.
''It's all over now" he said, and don't mind
telln' it,"
/ don't know how IL was, just at this moment
caught sight of shabby fold Of Grape around his
hat and could not help associating il with sigh,
the lugnbrous expression and the " sarvin' of the
process" Enough that we shall discover some.
thing presently.
Mr.. Stubs proceeded:
was 1ected the first sheriff of the county, and
Mt that time there were MT more n three or four
hundred voters in ii. To be sure, / was right
proud, it was such an honor, like"
Yes; l had to miss one term of service ac
count of the law, but then was deputy deputy
under Stokes and when his time out at last,
two years ago, was lected again. But that amt
tellin' how got ruined by writ. Now it's reason
able to suppose that the first of thing amt so
- Al -. n IL u. -
the lawyer down at town made out the paper and
put It into my hands, was just as bad onplussed
AS ever you see." rasH
'fWhat sort of writ was il "
'Nothin' but the common sort ~capias res
know 'em now like book. Ef had only knowd
'cm thenn
Here another deop-drawn sigh supplied the
q took the paguey thing home, and called
in Bill Stokes, (which Sheriff himself, after
that and old Squire LuInpkin to counsel me on
it. We read it over three or four times. Ii or
dered me to take the body of Hannah Westbrook,
if to be found in my county, and her safely to keep
so that should have her to answer before the
Judges of the next circuit, for debt she owed ;
and more'n that, 1T said was to do it without de-
lay-and it was nigh on five months till court !!
What was to do with her all that time, and no
sign Of a jail in that 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, know that very well now, but 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 thought
then that it meant that if she was to offer the best
security in the State warnt to take H. And it
was the construction that Stokes and Lumpkin
both put on it; and the old Squire went 80 far as
as to say, eff he was Sheriff he'd take that woman
and carry her home and lock her up in small
room with himself and his wife every night ont
court came around"
That would have made it pretty SAFE
YES" said Stubs; but l knoyed that
wouldn' suit me, for my wife THAT was thel) was
iigh-tempered, and never could bear strange peo-
pie in the room. But, however, after counsellin',
got Stokes to SO with me, and / went up to the
wilder and told my business. She was mighty bad
scared at first, but when she got over that she
r'ared and pitched. should Just gin out and
gone home and resigned, but Stokes quieted her.
sayin we could put her in Jail, but eff she behaved
herself, we'd only take her down to my house and
let her stay till court. Then she turned into cryin
and begin me to take her niger woman and keep
her Tor security for the debt, which was only
thing over one hundred dollars and the niger was
likely. But looked in my paper and read it out
to her-to take the body of Hannah Westbrook !"
She said she'd 60, and she had the old roam
horse saddled up, and while Stokes and me were
started off in lively canter on the Georgia end of
the track 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
apiow-line round her waist and held the end, and
after lettin her give directions to her Niger
took her down to my house. My wife treated her
mighty CIVIL and every day or two we'd let her go
up hum and look after the consarns, So time rolled
on till about month before court, and one day
Stokes rode up to the gate in powerful hurry, and
called me out" r
You've played thunder" said he.
How ?" said l. t
"Why think of Mrs. Westbrook It's all wrong.
and she's sent word down to the very lawyer that
put out that writ against her and g got two
against you; one to make you turn her loose, and
tother to make you pay twenty thousand dollars
for takn' herl"
81 shan't serve 'em" says l.
Makes no odds. They've done appointed a
kurriner (coroner), and he'll be up tomorrow,
soon as Mrs. Westbrook has chance to swear to
sonlethin'.n
You'd better look outl"
" Wei" said + I" l reckon they've got you too.
You was along and help to do it."
"oh, yes" says he, but they've got me for a
witness!n
81 said no more but walked right into the
house, and there found the wilder lookin' mighty
pleased and told her she was free to go, and ask
cd her pardon, and should MT charge her any
board, and / hoped she'd come and see my old
woman, and so on and so forth"
She went suppose"
She did, and the Kurriner come, and he show
ed me how TO serve writ by copy shall never
forget it. She took me into court and there
weren't nothin' done the first time. Before the
next court my old woman died. and that upserged
everything. What with her dyin' and the suit, ]
thought would go crazy, to be sure"
But you didn't"
"No, bore it as well as l could, and just be-