The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-20
Correspondence of the New York SUM-
a BLACK COsOvEH's JURY.
Scenes IN tho Land OF MOrISing Birds
and Honey.

NEW SMYRNA, Fla, May !.
Some time ago one Black, muatto
clergyman, lost overheard bag of tools
while sailing up Spruce creek, a tributary
OF the Halifax river. Among the blacks
Black was an important parsonage. lie
preached with great JUNCTION, collected Il
hatful of small stamps once week, did
an occasional job of carpcntering and was
the only negro on the eastern coast of
Florida south Of St. Augustine owning a
boiled shirt The loss of his tools was a
serious misfortune. He could not give
them up without cndeavoring to recover
them. So reward of one dollar was Of
iered for their return. The news spread
among the settlements, and negroes focked
to the shore of Spruce creek. They stripped
and began to dive for the lost articles.
The water was so deep that they found it
difficult to bring up bottom. Convinced
that the chances were agalns. them. all
but one gave up the search. This one was
good swimmer, known rs Ephraim
HE fAlE VI ItpI LIDkAlM.
The plucky fellow spent several hours
in the wafer bat finally caught cramp
and was drowned before his comrades
could rescue him They recovered the
body and were about to bury It near the
beach, when the circumstances came to the
cars of Justice Sutton, an appontee of the
carpet-bag governor. Now in Florida the
duties of corouels dcyolve upon justices of
the peace at the rate cf ten dollars per
| corpse payable in state or county scrip.
Justice Sutton went for his ten dollars with
the vn of q Twelfth war;, politician. lie
ordered tn inquest Material for II jury
WAS under his nose, and he utilized it,
After the corpse was drawn up under the
palmettoes, Ephraim's black comrades
were cmpancled Ii was an odd jury.
One was without shirt, another without
coat, third destitute OF Il hat, and &
fourth minus half of his pantaloons
There was not pair O! suspenders in the
whole party. Three Wore cowhde brG
gaus, without stockings the Others were
barefoot All we're greatly alarmed at tht
action of the justice They loudly pro
claimed their innocence, and begged To bt
let off
Compose yourselves, gentlemen, sale
Mr.. Sutton. You are not prisoners, bu
American citizens called upon to tuiill ;
duty which you owe to society
Somebody done tclc you Il mighty lie
Judge" interposed one of the astonisheC
negroes. I'VE nchbCr owe no 'sety nuf
fin. Don't owe nobody muffin. Mus b'
some odder cullud mems sides we '
"Oh, good Loid.' exclaimed the justice
you're not on llial. You are Jury,
coroners jury. You are to he sworn in
and do the best you can under the circuu
stances. Nobody cares whether YOU ow
anybody anything or not.
FEW SIMPLE QUESTIONS
The frightened negroes were more tta
reassured by this explanation, They begl'
to assume an air of importance.
"As have no Bible at hand, the jus
tice continued, you will be compelled t
affirm. Hold up your right hands
Gam dat all zactly right, judge p aske
one of the proposed juymen, whose Wor
sers were held in place by an old ti-l-lin,
Certainly its right" replied Sulior
"Why not?'
cam it 'cordin to de law ?" was the he,
question cause 'ccptin' 1t amnt 'cordil
to de law W. cullud gemmcns done don
hab muffin to do wild dis yah murder.
"Why, good Lord mani exclaimed Il
justice, "who said 1t was a murder; r.
eIybody can see it that its nothing bat a
accident"
"Well, den" concluded the questone
"why you done made all dis yah fussi
= for p
ut isn't me-, the justice answcre,
Its the law The law directs me to en-
Z panel a jury, That jury mus, hear II
evidence, retire, find ont who the dead ma
is and how he came by his death, and +
turn verdict in accordance with the fact
Can't You see?'
Il WHERE THE COLORED MAN OoMEs IN.
The Justice was warming up, The n
groes looked as though they wanted
know all about il before they were swol
in.
"How much You gwine to git for d
yah job, judge q asked another of the i
= tipient jurymen
1.-The law allows me ten dollars 81
Mr.. Sutton. 'But that has nothing to {
with your duties in the case, Your cour
is explicitly laid down by the law
The negroes conferred together for
few moments. Justice Sutton was Decor
ing impatient, when one of them stepp,
over the corpse and asked him "whar I
cullud man came in.
"What do YOU meanf' asked the 4
founded civil officer
"De law done gwine for to drop ten do
lars tor you,' said the sapient ncgr
"What de law done gwine for 10 drop f
we?"
"The law regards your work rs du
you owe to yourselves and society, Al