The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1860-11-28
DanieI.Webstor's Firatl case.

farmer. The vegetables ii his gard
suffered considerably rom the dspresstio
of woodchnck, whose hole aud hsblsa,;,
was near the premises Daniel. some 1,
cr twelve years, old. andhis brother Ezokie
had set steel trap and at last succeed;
n capturing The Irespasser. Ezekiel pr,
posed % Kill the animal; bu, Daniel locke
*l'h compassion upon the meek, dumb Car
'ive, and offered 70 let bin 70. The bcy
could no. agree. and czech appealed 10 theI
faihcr % decide the case.
We'll nay boys,' said the old.gentleman
n will be juiga. There 10 the prisoner
pointing % The woodchuck. "and ycu shal
be ne COUNSEL, anl plead the case for al.
against hip liie and liberty"
Ezekiel opened the case with strong AZ.
gument urging the mischieyoue nature ii the
crlminal, The great harm no had done. thai
much time and labor he'd been spen, II liz
IcsPiuFe, and now, II he was suffered "a live
and 80 a large, he would renew bis dcpre
dations, and be cunning enough not ID suf-
lfer himaelf o DO caught again, and that h.
Ought now !o.be put to death; that his skia
lwss of some value, and ghai make the mos,
Iof him they could, Il would not iepay han
'hs damage he had already done. His dr..
gument was ready, practical and 10 tic
point, and Of much greater length than our
limits will allow Us 10 occupy in relating thei
story.
The father locked with prido Oh his son.
who became distinguished jurist ii biz
manhood.
Nov. Daniel, it's your turn; rll hear
SHAT you've got 10 say.r
I wos his FIRST case. Daniel cav that Tie \
piea of his brother had sensIbly rfacred bis
la'lfr, the Jacgf. Az his large, brilliant.
black eyes looked .upuu, ihc son, iimid IL.
preston q ne animal. nnd as ha saw Nh
temble with fear IN it's narrow prison-house.
his hrar' sweled wiih pity, ana hc appealed.
WIN eloquent words, th.t he captive ,nipl,,
nrain 60 free. God, he sad hid m1dc tie
wooaohurk; he Faads him 10 i've, 20 enicv I
ihf bright Sunshine, the pure air, The nee I
htids and WOODS. God has moi made him or \
anything ln vain; The woodchuck has us h
nnch right ~ any oihef i:fira thing; IA was I
no' destructive animal. as lie fax III wolf
vnF; he simpY Ate FEW common veeets-
'ier. of which they hid plenty. ana could Il
veilsrare part; be destroyed nolhinr Y. ex. =
1cpt 'he liiile food he nesdcd d sustain bis Il
'nmbla life; and iha; lIlIe icod was a. sweet 4
hin, and ~ necessary 20 his existence. a. N
vac q ihcm the toci ou.iheir mothers 10 n
n. y
Ggi furnished their own food; Ir rare p
hrEo All they possessed; nrd wound they moi I
rnre litle iur ne dumb creature, vino Al
rally had A. much rieht u his small share u
Gsd's bounty ns tioy themselves hud IL NJ
isr por'icts Yea. more; the animal hat pl
ever violated me laws ~ his nature. Or tie
lws n God, n, man oflcn dij, But simply *
'll0wcd the simple instincfs he had receiy. n
! from The hands or The Creator OF nnit,
aings. Created BY Gtd'a hands. he had 4 "a
ght from God 20 life. 10 fooJ, % liberty ids
Nd they had no righ, io deprive him ofln
ihet lie alluded % Tic mute but earnest pc
lesdlngs of the animal tor th-t lite, us 81
vcci, ~ dear 70 him .s their own vas 10 az
lcm; ard The first judgement hey might nc
xper', 4 IL selfish cruelty ami cold hearted ub
ass, they 'c1k the lie they could not restore fe
rain. br
During ihis appeal, tcsfs siar,cd 10 tie cd IN
ar's tyes, and were last running down hiA co
lnburni checks. Every feeling or futh- ia
IL heart wac stirred w.hin bin; he saw tiis ly
lgtc greatness Of bis son before his eyes. az
ID he felt that God had blessed Linn aud reI
. children beyond tho lot OF common men. i
u pity and sympathy were awakened by
x eloquent words Of compassion and tho ma
rong appeal for mercy; and, forgetting Tho an
dgc in the man and the father he sprang ca
pm his chair. (while Daniel was in tho grI
idst OF his argument, without thinking WI
at he had alrcary won the case, and turn Ihe
9 70 his older son, dashing the tears from a 3
; eyes, he exclaimed:
''Zeke, Zeke, you lei that wocdchuck ror' mu
--------~-..-~n-~ .
OF The Jamaica people arc discussing
policy Of annexing that colony to Tho u.