The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-12-19
dait and 9nulor.


vvusin caliy blllara Vutuone.
The scene reported below occurred some
years ago before the circuit court Of Pitt
sylvania county, Va, in the case Of the
Commonwealth VS.. Cassady, on charge
of malicious stabbing. The yenire being
impanneled and the jury solemnly charged
BY the clerk, the commonwealth attorney
called, in support Of Che indictment, the
witness, Buck Briant, who, being solemnIy
sworn the truth to tell, testified as fol-
lows:
Question by the commonwealth attor-
ney-TeII all you know about the cutting
Of the prosecutor by Cassidy, the prisoner
at the bar.
Answer-Well, gentlemen, il was elec-
tion day; twas dark, cloudy, wet sort Of
a drizzly day, and says | to my old woman,
says !, | believe | will go down to Ring
gold and posit my vote. And says my old
woman to me, says she, well, Buck, as Ii is a
sort Of dark, cloudy, wet sort of drizzly
day, says she, hadn'tyou better take the um-
brill Says to the old woman, | 'spect
! had better take the umbrill. So I took
the umbrill and advanced on down TO-
wards Ringgold; and when | got down
thar Mr.. Cole coined, and says he, to me,
says he, Uncle Buck, have you seed any
thing Of neighbor Harris Says / to Mr..
Cole, For why2 Says he, He's got my
umbrilI.
The witness was here interrupted by
the court and told to conRne himself to
the actual fray between the prisoner and
Cele, the prosecutor. In answer TO this
the witness remarked, in tone Of indfg-
nant remonstrance:
Well now, Mr. Judge, you hold on,
for / am sworn to tell the truth, and I'm
gwine to tell it my own way--so faint
worth while for you TO osay nothin' about it.
Whereupon the commonwealth attor.
ney, being anxious to get rid of the wit.
ness upon any terms, told him to 60 on
and tell the story his own way.
Well, as | was going on to say, twas on
election day; Buchanan and Filmo was
running for the Legislature, and says I tc
my old woman, says !, / believe I'll 60
down to Ringgold and 'posit my vote,
Says my old woman to me, saysshe, Buck,
as it is sort of a dark, rainy. drizzly sort
Of a day hadn't you better take your um-
bril- ? says she. Says to my old woman,
| 'spect ! had better take my umbrill 50
/ took the umbrill aud advanced on to-
ward Ringgold until / arriv thar Well,
the first thing l did when / got thar was
to take drink Of Buchanan whisky,
which was monstrous good, and says to
myself, says |, old Hoss you feel better
now don't you? And while was adj
vancing around, Mr.. Cole, he came to ME,
and says he, to me, says he, Uncle Buck,
have you seen anything Of old neighbor
Harris? Says I for wliye Says he, the old
cock has got my umbrill AFTER d while
/ posted my vote and then Mr.. Cole and
me advanced back towards home, and Mr.
Cole was tighter than / ever seed. And
so We advanced till we got whar the road
and the path forked, and we tuck the path,
as any other gentlemen would, and arter
advancing awhile we arriv to our neigh
Dor Harris who was settin on log
with the umbrill onto his arm, and about
that time Elijah Cassidy (the prisoner)
coined up, and we advanced on till we
arriv at Elijah's house. Elijah is my
neffew and likewise my son-in-law. He
married my darter Jane, which is next to
Sally. AFTER we had advanced TO Elijah's
house, we stood in the yard awhile jaw
ing, aud presently two somebody's rid up
on horse, which was johnson and Whit
field, Cassidy behind; Whitfield and Kiah
Cassidy being the same. Kiahwas drunk,
and he and Mr.. Cole got to cussin one an
other about politix and I advanced into
the house whar was EIJah's wife, which Is
my darter Jane. Well, arter jawin awhile
with EN-, my little neifev, says he, Uncle
Buck, lets 50 home, Says |, good pop,
80 we peggcd out together, Well, | got
home and was eating supper, when Elijah
arriv, and says he to me, says he, Uncle
Buck, I've killed a man. Says ], heh--l
you have. And that's all | know about
the stabbing, for | warn't therei'