The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-12-04

Of them, It is a fact that after I came u
there young woman, sixteen years old. cul
down out Of the mountains On the Plank -ro rs
enc day, and she bad never been out lbefor
She fairly seemed surprised to see w1sis. ma
and after asking 4 few questions went sbac
into the woods This Dodder was my. ne,
] rest neighbor, and a good deal bearer than
wanted him, and hadn't been there Ion
before heard thathe had been lying abot
me to one of the.direotors,. and 4 soon foun
out that he wanted, to get his son, who wa
sworn here agains. me, in my place. But
hash ! done it yet, and if you5don't convict m
reckon he won't very soon z asas ess
It won't take long to dispose of Dodde
No. 2. He testiGes that he saw me thro,
three stones At his father, and saw the col
man dodge" On GROSS examination he say
he was in his own house II. the moods, and ha,
Eto look over hill twenty feet high, and ais
over three slab.fesees and two stone walls
We'll if he tells the truth; all that Iswish il
that I had young Dodder's eyes, ) He is Ger
ftainly remarkable boy, and can I deny hi.
| s.faahsr. pig swan saAss'insl 1sli'2 137a 'a6fs
~ am willing TO sdiAisshat I don wrong in
throwing stones al Dodde snd this county
particularly for it. The doctors tell us, that
there are two causes for all diseases, prodis.
position and excitability. II think it was Tie
latter cause that moved meoto stone Dodder.
l therefore confess my guilt of the as
sault, but the battery IelcnyA and if you
find me guilty of. the battery 4 / will appeal
to the Court Of high Heaven itself before 4
will submit to it.
pa Nov, gentlemen, you saw Nj. Dodder ana
heard him swear upon me. I asked him a
great many questions; and was sorry to hear
him answer ~ he did. III might have asked
him more. questions-I might have asked him
if be didn't kill my cat, and if he didn't
stone my chickens, because :hsy trespassed in
his woods, where actually Gle rocks are 80
thick that the cats can ifnd their way up
thre' them; but thenI knew he would deny
It, and it would ,grieve me to hear him. BE
admits that he was driving my three COWS up
the road and that he struck at one Of EN-,
but says it was With small switch. T have
proved that this switch was 4 pole about 10
feet long, and about two inches across the
butt end, and have also proved that when he
struck, the con teN It is true my witness
couldn't swear that the stick hit her, he was
SO far OF, but take the blow and the fall to-
gether, and we can guess the rest. IF you,
gentlemen, should see me point = gun at
man, and pull the Trucker, see the fash and
hear the report aud At the same time see the |
man drop, I think you would say that I shot
him, although you might not see the ball |
strike him.
Now the faot is, gentleman, that Sunday, / |
was lying on my lounge in my house, when |
my wifs said that Dodder was chasing INV
COWS. Ijunped up and pulled on my boots
and went out Of doors, and saw Dodder and
the COWS coming up the road It is true
he says he wasn't driving them, but, says he
and the COWS we're gciag along the road in one
direction, and this was u near. as could get
him 70 the COWS essto the truth !; but it Is
proreds that the COWS were going along ahead
Of him, and that he vas following aialsr~thsm
striking at them With his little switch, ten I
feet long, and two inches across the butt, aud |
reckon you'll think he vas driving" them. |
Isung out to him :.Isris!.a SifNis agsl
o "Dodder, stop" but he didn't mind my or
der, and just threw stone in thst direc-
ton, which went IL feet over his head at |
the !. same time going toward him. He paid |
no attention, and sung out again "Dod- /
der, stop p Still he didn't mind me. and |
then / just threw another stone but, on he
came, and on I went. and I threw third
stone, which he says hit him on the back of
the neck, but which I think is rather strange,
- we were going toward each other as fast al
we could go. But Es never Stacked up, and
by this time we were within eight feet of
each other. I halted, and hallood at the top
of my voice: "Doddsr, Why in the h--l don't
you stopP About then he did stop and raise
his ten foot switch, as if to strike me. i sang
out: "Mr. Dodder, look out you may whal-
lop my COWS, but if you whallop' me with that
switch, you'll whallop an animal that will
hook = Here the orator made an appro-
pirate gesture of the head, az 10 the act of
hooking, which was followed with tumultu-
Gus shouts and laughter, that continued sever
al minutes. alaal55sE bq. 87i.fsi'.ios a'a
Now, Gentlemen, if you convict me, this
Court can fine me $3.50 and jug me for six
months, and if you really think I ought to
be convicted Of this assault, say 80. forsIe am
in favor Of living upgt6 the laws, as long as
they are laws, whether it is the Fugitive Slave
law, the Nebraska bill, or the Excise laws, I
will read you little law, however, which I
have just seen in book / found here-G
speaker picked up a law book and read as
follows Sc Every man has a right to de-
fend himself from personal violence" Nov
don't know whether that is law Or not, but
find it in a law book, "a veteran member of
the bar who was sitting near the speaker re-
marked to him that it was good law Well,1
gentlemen, here is an old man who looks as
if he might know something, and he says
It's good law. Now, if you will turn to Bar
bour, somewhere on page 399, you'll find
that the same doctrine is applied to cattle
{ great laughter:l Therefore had right to
defend my cows agsiak Dedder's ten foot
switch. Why, gent Pen, nearly all my
wealth is invested IN them three COWS, and
you can't wonder that became a little exct
ted when I saw Dodder switching them with
his ten foot pole. am poor man and have
a large family, consisting Of = wife and sir
which reokonis doing very well
for so small man as I am, and [ could not
afford to let Dodder kill my cows! sa9
Now, gentlemen, I don't believe you'll con-
vict me, after what have said But if you
do and this Court ines me $3.50, I shall ire
pudiate," because "can't pay" And if I'm
r y. D