Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-02-22
Humor. of the Law In Mississippi.

The Memphis Pos. is responsible Tor
the following:
Our Lagrange contributor happened
TO be down in Tippah county, Missis-
sippi, u few weeks ago, in just the right
time to attend q bull trial, and sends us
an account of the same. A freedman
had shot the bull for continually break
ing into his fields. The Court was
opened by the oailiT, a wrinkled corn
cracker, who never kept still long
enough to have his clothes htted-a
nervous, jerking sort Of mortal, who
spoke faster than two men could THINK.
The Squire took his seat among the
LAWYERS, who were busily engaged col
oring cob pipes and splitting with con-
siderable alacrity. The Court room
was u school-housc, entirely devoted TO
| Courts, school meetings, etc.
The plaintiff was u Squire OF the
neirhborhood, who entered and pleaded
his own case. The defendant was q
freedman, who had engaged the ser
vices of the smartest lawyer in Tippah.
When everything was ready, the
Squire was sworn at tell the truth
and nothing but the truth" after which
he commenced his case. He said he
could prove by Jeems Hunt that the
bull war not u breechy oxen; that he
did not tar down fences nur break rails.
Nick's fence wal no more than two feet
and q half high whar the oxen got into
the ~pea-patch and foddcr-stacG. He
measured the fence whar the bull got
in, and it only came up to his w%aistband;
il war not n lawful fence, and nobody
could prove that it war. He had read
the law, and he found no place in 1t
what justified the shooting OF u oxeni
il war a crime to shoot. 1t war as plain
as open and shet, aud no Court could
decide otherwise if it had any sense,
and if Nick did not tell the truth when
he was sworn, he would 'cut his liver
out, Court or no Court, the rascally
black villain
After this cxcitable peroration the
bully Squire sat down to hear the de-
Tense. The bailitf took q drink OF Da-
mons diamond whisky. The Court and
LAWYERS re-flled their corn.cob pipes,
and settled back to hear the other side.
Jecms, rs black as marking ink, with
his wool tied up in long spikes, testified
| that the bull was shot in the near eye,
| which put it clean out, but he didn't
know ferzactly whether he couldn't pull
as much as ever. He didn't know that
he war q breachy beast until Nick told
him so.
Counsel-How much does it damage
the bull?
Witness-Couldn't say ferzactly, but
he might get the oder eye put out be-
case he can't see when youse gwine to
cut him ober dc head.
Couusel-Was the pea patch damaged
much?
Witness-'Peared like right smart Of
peas was gone.
Counsei-was the foddcr-stack torn
down any,
wi,ness-Right smart Of fodder was
torn loose.
Counsel-How much fodder do You
think was missing?
Witness-Right smart.
Court-Did you see any tracks around
the stack?
Witness-Right smart of tracks.
Court-What kind Of tracks, Jeems?
Witness-Horsc tracks, sab.
Court-Mr. Grizzle, call in the other
witness.
The other witness was the daughter
of Nick. She testified that the son OF
the Squire said it was his bull, and his
father had nothing to do with it. Here
the Court interrupted with the remark
that 'the Squire told him that his son
was running the place, consequently
the Squire had no right to sue because
the property was not his, .but his sons,
by right of possession
Before our correspondent left 1t was
agreed to leave the case to two men, on
the recommendation Of the Court. Thus
90 law matters in Tippah.