Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-07-31
Aumoruns department.
AN ARKANSAS JUSTICE.

AN ARKANSAS JUSTICE.
A few days ago one of the Ethiopian justi
ces of Crittenden county, Arkansas, was ar
rested for whipping his niece, and at last &C.
counts was in jail at Marion. This Arkansas
Justice is named Eden Brown, and is true
type of the old plantation negro. He is one
of the many ignorant persons to whose hands
the Radical prejudice Of the State has given
the administration of the law. Many interest.
ing and strangely ludicrous stories are related
of this legal celebrity, who knows not one let.
ter of the alphabet. His court house is his
own log cabin, an humble shanty, eight by
ten, with door so low that every person enter
ing is compelled to bow with cautious dignity
lest his head suffer the consequences. Around
this old log cabin may be seen hundreds of
free colored American citizens A glimpse
of the interior would cause any person to
laugh. The ceiling is we'll ornamented with
meat suspended with buskin strings Owing
to his intellectual ignorance, the squire usually
asks some white person to fill the Office of
clerk: whose duties are somewhat like unto
those of the kings privy counselor.
Some time since white laborer wanted to
sue out writ of attachment on a lot of cord
wood belonging to debtor, and was first re-
quired to hand over SIS to the squire. The
trial commenced, but was interrupted by the
plaintiff "Hold on dar, Mr.. Clerk, go on
dar wild de court / knows de law" thundered
he squire.
The witness proceeded, but was again in
terrupted by the plaintiff with an oath, as he
saw the case was going against him. "Dar,
dar, now," cried the Justice, "hold on dar
fine him another dollar, Mr.. Clerk, for tempt
Of court"
Another witness commenced, but he, too,
was interrupted by the plaintiff, who said :
"D-n your court to the bottom of the Mis-
sisssipp" This was too much for the squire.
He arose, and with insulted dignity remark.
ed: "What you talking about? Now, Use
got Jurisdiction all over dis Decentralization,
Hopefeld, Little Rock, and hell"
Plaintif-Hold on now, Mr.. Judge, you
yourself is cursing. Fine him, Mr.. Clerk.
J.P.-Didn't cuss nohow, Mr.. Clerk.
P.-Let the-case 20 to-then.
j. P.-Pay up, pay up your costs, dei, for
'tempts.
P.-What do owe?
j. P.-Three dollars.
P.-For what? .
j. P.-'Case you cussed three times.
P.-You cussed once. call on the clerk
to fine you one dollar.
P-Look a here, white man, when did
cuss.
P.-When you said Little Rock and hell
J. P.-Don't care, I didn't git it all out,
for I was chawin' terbacker. I went to say
Helenah.
P.-But you said hell.
j. P.-All right Mr.. Clerk, take dollar
off dare for set off, and now you pay two
dollars to dis court for tempt.
About two months ago negro man man.
aged to get a colored neighbor drunk, and du.
ring his absence hired boy to steal the in
toxicated mans wife. Upon recovering his
senses, the bereaved husband, armed with a
shot gun, found his wife, and was returning
with her, when the abductor sprang from be-
hind tree and beat the unfortunate man Sc
verely, knocking out several teeth and Sitting
his upper lip. For this, the negro, Jack
Smith, was arrested, and the trial commenced,
clever young white man acting as clerk.
'Squire-Read dat to de prisoner, Mr..
Clerk, handing him the warrant of arrest.
Cerk-Read what?
S.-Dar is de law, scriptum and unscript-
UNI, in de book.
C.-Havent you digest of the laws?
S.-Whats dat? You's quizzing dis just
ice for de drinks
C.-The laws of Arkansas
S.-Dey is all 'mended by de Constitution
an dc Fourth of July.
C.-What is the man arrested for?
- l..
in de fust degree of manhood.
Gle hasn't killed anybody, for there's
the man sitting on the bed
S.-For robbery from de person, den.
C-What did he steal?
S.-Steal? Dat black niggers wife over
dare.
C.-What are you going to do with him q?
S.-Jail him, NV course Oar is de book
read dat?
Give got nothing to do with the book
where is the warrant? I want it so as to
make out the mittimus.
S.-Here, Jim, you black constable, bring
dat writ! Dat nigga's bound to 60 to Jail.
axed him yesterday to help my wagon out
of de mudhole, and he passed on.
The writ was brought in by the constable,
and it was actually "vote of thanks" ten
dered two gentlemen, for surveying swamp
lands, by the Legislature of Arkansas.
The Judge, however, said to the prisoner,
"See here, makes dis sentence for my judg-
ment; l finds you ten thousand dollars bail,
or five thousand dollars, or you goes to de
penitentiary and works at hard toll"
The clerk was unable to make out the NIT
timus because he had no warrant. The pris-
oner was closely guarded for two days by halt
a dozen negroes, and sent to the jail at Ma.
rion The jailor would not receive the pris.
oner because there was no mittimus, and the
guards, knowing they would receive their
pay, left him. Ofcourse he is still at liber,
ty.-Memphis appeal.
THE NEGRO AND THE MULE.-The fol,
lowing anecdote, finely illustrative ofthe char,
acteristics of two denizens of the South, we
find in the Editors Drawer of Harper's Mag.
azine:
"The negro and mule (writes a friend in
Clinton Touisiana ! are insena rahle oononon.