Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-06-26
The negroes eyed him as if meditating
a mutiny.
Hold up your right hands, Numbered
his honor
SWORN IN--TuE INQUEST.

j 1nuIlnN.
Hold up your right hands," Numbered
his honor
SWORN IN--TnE INQUEST.
The colored men hesitated. Then one
black hand was slowly raised in the air.
The others followed it like the dumb
blackbirds Of a shooting gallery. The
Justice repeated the oath. but his hearers
remained dumb.
Say we do" he shouted.
1--WE do echoed the trembling negroes
Lower your hands," commanded the
Justice, and the blackbirds dropped from
their perches. The jury then squatted up
on the furze about the dead man. They
were cowed, but not convinced that every
thing was right.
Gentlemen" spoke the Justice after all
had squatted, you are now sworn to per-
form the functions of the law. The law is
explicit in its definition of the duties of a
Coroner's jury. The law prescribes that
testimony shall be taken. In this case
that is a mere matter Of form, for you your
selves were witnesses of the death of this
man. The law, however, requires that you
shall carefully weigh the evidence, ascer-
tain how the man died, who he was, and
so on. This you will do by virtue of your
oaths as jurors"
The witnesses were then produced.-
Their evidence was ytrJ clear. Ephraim
had gone into the water with the inten-
ton Of making an honest dollar by diving
for ParsOn Blacks tools. While his COM
panions watched him from the bank of the
stream, he sank, and was not seen again
until his body was grappled and drawn
ashore. The jury eagerly listened to all
that was said, but asked no questions
They were evidently afraid of the Justice,
and looked upon the whole thing as sort
Of NoudOu ceremony. His honor summed
up by saying: "Gentlemen, you will now
retire, and after carefully weighing the
testimony return with verdict"
THE JOLLY MoCKING BIRDS.
The jury withdrew to the scrub. Their
voices were soon heard above the music of
the mocking birds who had gathered in
the trees about them. The negroes were
having hot dispute, and the birds SEEM
ed to be enjoying the scene. In a few
minutes one Of the colored men returned.
He told the Justice that the jury had sent
him for the testimony.
"Pshaw - exclaimed Sutton. II haven't
got the testimony. You heard the evidence,
and have got all there is of it. There is
no more testimony"
The black man shook his head, and re-
Joined his fellows in the scrub. Within
three minutes, however, he reappeared.
EFF de jury don't got de testimony how
de debbil dejury done gwine to weigh it?'
he asked
Weigh it in your minds" screamed the
almost frantic htstioar-.i -. l...-1 H .lc
evidence, and it's your place to decide up
on II, not mine"
Back went the dumbfounded iuryman
The hooking birds pitched in with renew
ed energy, but the voices of the disputing
Jurors were still heard above their shrin
whistling. At last the noise partly died
away, and the jury were seen picking their
way through the palmetto scrub They
approached his Honor and asked permi.-
sion to examine the body. He assented,
and Ephraim was Thoroughly overhauled.
They felt of his pulse put their ears to his
heart, turned an old jack knife and sever
al nickels out of his pocket and locked
in his mouth. Done gone said the iu-
ryman with the fsh-line belt. and all again
retired to the scrub.
THE FIRST VERDICT.
They We're gone but few seconds On
their return Justice Sutton pulled a blank
book and pencil from his pocket, and pre-
pared to record the verdict.
well, gentlemen" he said, ''have YOU
found u verdict in this case 2"
Yes, sab" was the reply
What is it ?" asked his Honor, wettine
the end of his pencil.
DE wardict am dat de cullered man am
dead, an dat he had no business out dab
on de watau."
: Good God" exclaimed Sutton. rs
l that all ?"
Dat am de wardick," was the answer.
, Now look here" Sutton broke out
For Gods sake, what's the matter with
you: Haven't you got common sense 3
Any cursed fool knows the man is dead
He was out in the water, was caught by
cramps, and drowned. It's as plain as the
nose on your face. The law makes it your
duty to ascertain the cause of his death -
, You haven't even found out his name Go
back and bring in a common sense verdict,
or I'll fine every mothers son of you. The
man was caught by cramps, and drowned
That's all there is Of the case
THE LAST VERDICT.
The terrified jury walked back to the
scrub and the jolly mock ing birds greet
ed them with a new food of melody
They were out nearly twenty minutes. JUS
tice Sutton, book and pencil in hand, i'm
patiently waited their return. The wealth
er was hot, and the negroes came out of
the brush with streaming faces. They had
had a hard time. They brought in the
following verdict:
DE cullered man am dead His name
it am Ephraim Jenkins. The cause of his
death it am crabs. Crabs done caught
him, an he am drownded'
If the poles of a magnetic battery had
been applied to Sutton's temples he could
not have been more excited Oh your
stupid souls he cried. Did you ever
hear ola crab big enough to catch mig
ger?"
Hole on dab, Judge" broke in one of
the jurymen. Dat ali am your wardicF.
You done tolc de jury dat de crabs caught
Eph., and he am drownded"
Grabs be DID, shrieked his Honor.
Il said cramps. Get away from here quick
or I'll put fine on every man of you.-
Hope | may be shot if l ever put another
niger on jury"
The colored men sloped, and Sutton fix
ed up the verdict to suit himself. They
had intended to fine the clergyman $40 for
dropping the tools in the river, s'because,''
said they, ''us ought to make de money
well as de Judge" Up to this hour thew