The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-03-06
Cousin Sally billiard.
WHO SHE WAS AND WHERE SHE HAILED
FROM.
Petersburg (Val News.

haslong been attributed by North Caro-
l1nlans, and doubt not honestly to the
late Hamilton C. Jones, of Salisbury, q
celebrated humorist, q distinguished law
yer, and for years the reporter of the
Supreme Court OF that State.
He was fellow of infinite jest, of
most excellent fancy" He has made lis
laugh " thousand times" but he acas NOT
the author of My Cousin Sally Dillard,' y
for l often heard it told more than sixty
years ago, and before the inimitable
| North CarOlinian was old enough to
relish joke, or to appreciate well con-
ceived tale.
-, BE it known, therefore, by every North
CarOlinlan and Virginian, and by, "all
the rest OF mankind, ;" that the late Rich
ard Claiborne, formerly of Dinwiddie
county, Va, Olived near " G unn's Hill. y
on the road leading from the courthouse
OF the said county, to Harper's, bridge,
on the NOttOway river, was the veritable
| author OF this celebrated narrative of q
! scene which is said to have been witness
sed in the old district court Of Bruns-
wick county, in this State, in which Judge
Tucker presided.
| Mr. Claiborne was an uncle of the faith
er OF your tOwnsman, DR.. J. Herbert
Claiborne, and was member of the bar
|
| OF the examination Of the witness who
afforded SO much merriment, on the Oc-
caslon which he has made memorable by
recital of the incident by which it was
distinguished. Ithappened in this wise ::
An individual was prosecuted in that
court for an assault with intent to kill
The witness In question was called on to
tell what he knew of the affair, and he
proceeded thus.
"Well, you see, there was treat gin
over at Capt Rce's, and my wife and
Cousin Sally billiard they wanted to go,
and nay wife she axes me, she did, if my
man Nose mought go along with her, for
there was a creek to cross on q log, and
my wife she never could walk O log in
her life, so she wanted me to let my man
Nose go, so as he could help her over
the log. And SO tells my wife, seeing
as how that my cousin Sally billiard was
going, | suppose that / must let nv man
Nose go, though the crap was powerfully
in the grass, which my man Nose was
foreman in the crap. So off they starts,
and whey gifts to the creek, my man Nose
he hopes my wife over the log; and my
cousin Sally billiard she offs with her
shoes and stockings, and ups with her
petticoat, and wades across
The judge becoming impatient at the
UA GlIC W ltuCSS, lutcIIuDL-
ed him by saying, "We do not care to
hear how your cousin Sally billiard cot
along, or whether they ever reached the
place at all. Tell us what you know of
the assault, and nothing else"
ooh, yes" said the witness.
"Well, sir" said the judge, proceed
with your statement and cOnfine it to the
circumstances of the ASSAULT
well, rs was telling an We, you see
there was a treat gin over at Capt. Rice's
and my cousin Sally billiard was at our
house,
"StOp, sirm said the judge, I" did not
tell you to cOntine your statement to the
circumstances of the assault 2"
Oh, yes, said the witness
We'll, SIR" continued the judge, "1et
us hear no more of yOur wife snd your
cousin Sally billiard. Begin at the COM
mencement of the assault, after you ar
rived at Capt. Rice's."
ness. well, as I was telling an We,
You see there was treat gin over at
Capt. Rice's and my cousin Sally DIllard
was ut our house."
" Sit down SIR" said the Judge, and
appealing to the attorney for the COM
mOnWealth, who had introduced the wit
ness, he told him that he thought it un-
reasonable that the time of the court
should be taken up by the testimony of
such a simpletOn, and that he would not
hear lum further. -.-...--...-.. '+......
May it please your honor" replied
the attorney, " regard the evidence of
t9ls witness as very important, and hope
that In justice to the commonwealth, you
viii allow him to proceed"
'sStand up," said the judge.n "Now,
sir, tell what you know of the assault |
and nothing else, and if you go on as
you have done, to say anything about |
your wife or your cousin Sally billiard, |
will send you to Jail for contempt of |
court. Begin, sir, and sap nothing of |
what occurred before you reached Capt. |
Rice's." -
cob, yes,n was the inevitable reply. |
Well, you see, as was telling an ye, |
there was treat gin over to Capt. Ricefs |
and cousin Sally billiard was at our
house. -
"sherif, "said the Judge, +" take that |
witness to jail.n
Here the commemorative attorney |
again interfered, and assured the court |
that he expected to prove by that wit |
ness o most important fact in connection |
with the assault, and one of which no |
other person who had been summoned |
knew any thing; nothing less, in short, |
than threat by the accused that he in |
tended to beat the injured mans brains
out when they should meet at Capt. Rice's |
treat. 1 think, sir, continued the at |
toFney, If you viii allow the witness to /
proceed in his own hoInely way, that he
will come to the point in a short time.n
think il mighty strange" said the
witness, that you made me come here I
TO tell you what know about the fight,
and won't let me tell yOu, NEITHER"
After further consultation between the t
court and the commonwealth attorney,
the former relaxed it's ruling, and once /
more ordered the witness to go on and
confine himself strictly to what occurred /
after he reached Capt, Rice's.
Oh, yes, replied the witness. Well,
you see, as I was q telling We" -flnd go-
ing through the thrice told taleD that
bis cousin Sally billiard was ut his house
that she and his wife wanted TO go to the I
treat; that his wife asked him to let
'smy man Mosea 60 to help her over the
log that his cousin billiard off with her
shoes and stockings, up with her petit
coat and Waded across the creek, he pro-
ceeded with Well, you see, we all got
over the creek and went straight along,
that Is as straight as the path would take
u.s. and got there, as nigh as I could Judge,
about half-after one in the afternoon
don you think it was about that time, +
Mr. gtupdiVant9 Which I Judge was
about that time Of day or thereabouts, &
cause my old horse Ball he won move d L
step to the ploW after he thinks twelve
o'clock has come and ! had just had /.
time 70 take him to water and feed him,