Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-08-13
LETTER FROM sUT LOvINGOOD. Of
TENNESSEE.


The well known correspondent of the Nash
ones of that paper:
Jim H. tells US o good yarn about one
of our " shell-bark lawyers His client was
up on two small charges, frivolous cbaroes -
Shefi-bark designated them, (forging note
OF hand and stealing horse On running bis
eye over the jury, he didn't like their looks, so
he prepared an affidavit for continuance setting
forth the absence in Alabama of a princinal v;ts
ness he reads it in a wisper to the prisoner.
VINO, shaking his head, said, " Squire, can
swar 10 that ar dockymint." =. Why 2" "Kase
nat haimt true" Old She'll inflated and exploded
loud enough to be heard throughout the room.
nat forge note an steal boss, an can
s"ar 10 he! D-n such a squeamish stumick,
es that! I'm done with sich Internal fools .
And he left the conscientious one to his fate,
.
Now for Shell-Bark again. Showing what an
unexpected course a :" law CASE can take when
II tries itself. jim ThOmasOn was " he'd mn
lor taring down house, breaking the delft and
ningIn' an oman into a mill pond" The case
came up before two Justices of the Peace for n
mountain district Court was to be held in a
log school house in July. There was cloud of
witnesses and no cloud over the sun while the
prisoners guilt was quite clear, and old Shell
very cool After soft soaping the two old speeta-
cled gOurd-heads about their intelligence and
profound legal ability, he drew from his saddle
bags agreasy copy of Cobb" and read there
form that whar an emergency arose recurring
the temporary absence Of the defendant's S coun
sci not gwyne beyant four hours and fourteen
minlts, The counsel mOut demand Ito futher
the alnds oV Justce) that all parties to the case
should be put onder rule waitin' his rcturu. an
ei ne SAID peyant his time verdict was TO be
given against his client by the court while under
rule Nhereupon he claimed to have forgotten
d Dook-WouId be back in two hours-and de-
mahdeu the operation of the rule as to the court
witnesses and spectators. One of the court said
twould be powerful hot in the house. y
Very well, said old Shell, "we will 90 ont
In the dog fennel in the field" and ordered the
court 10 the shade of a persimmon tree the
witnesses under clump Of pines, the spectators
10 the shade OF blackberry thicket, the pris-
Oner on a stump, and the constable mounted a
mound In general charge Of the motley crowd,
eacn lot separated about forty yards from the
other. Old Shell mounted his horse, and as he
passed the stump he remarked to the prisoner:
Jlst es soon es the top of my hat sinks behind
yam nih, du you jistrun like hounds wer art,r
you, an mix yerself in that ar thcket an
never be seed in these parts agin, which order
was fully obeyed. The constable started in
chase, but bethought himself the prisoner was
put one party out of four, so he returned to
stand guard over the remaining three After
while the spectators broke in a crowd still il
was TWO 10 one, and he remained with the
court and the witnesses, and the last Old
She'll heard from him, there he was still in
| change of the ''eourt," exhorting him to .sstend
square up to his duty eff hit lasted till Gabriel
DioW d his horn" 1t is needless to add that
shell has not practiced before that court since,
Tor mas he been on that circuit. Old She'll is
prudent as well as sagacious.