Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-01-29
TnE sronY OF JosErk
ny A ,AorkLIS.
twmrrrs ron rur oolp lllL srvy.l


Of a large family Of children. principally
Of the male persuasion. His maiden
name was Jacob. but as the records OF
the county in which he lived were burnt
up in a FIRE which destroyed the Court
house, I am unable to give his other
nams-but il was probably Smith. 1t
happened to happen that old Jake SCI
moro store by his youngest son. whose
namo was Joe. than he did by all the
rest Of the boys, and he bought him a
suit Of store clothes. consisting Of plaid
pants, q yaller vest and q blue coat with
brass buttons; while his brothers were
obliged 10 content themselves with In
sey-woolssy garments, manufactured by
the women folks at home.
One day, when the other boys were
out in the hills herding the stock. the
old man sent Joe out to see that they
were not wasting their time playing
m~umblety peg. and when the boys saw
him coming they put up a job on him to
kill him and take his store clothes. But
one Of the brothers, whose name was
Rube, objected to committing fratrcide,
and proposd that they chuck Joe down
q shaft and 60 home and tell the old
man that he had been bitten by a rattle.
| snake, and that they had buried him
| out in the hills to save funeral expenses.
| So in accordance with the suggestion OF
Rlbe, they took Joo's store clothes. and
ehucked him into u shalt that had not
yet reached the water level.
While Joe was prospecting around the
bottom Of the shaft for u true assure
BONANZA, a PARTY Of lshnaelite prospec-
tors. headed by Adolph Sutro, came
along. aud the boys PROPOSED to sell
Joe. who was somewhat dark complec-
ted. TO the prospectors. who could take
him to the southern part Of the State,
which is called Egypt, and utilize him
ON a plantation; so they made a dicker
with Adolph. giving them Joseph in ex-
change for twenty silver sroshens, which
Jos's brother thought were twenty-five
cent pieces. -,
The bows went homo and told the old
man that Joseph had been hurried from
this terrestrial sphere by q raitlesnake'
but Old Jake was determined to have a
funeral. anyhow. so he put a lot OF gun
nv sacks around his loins, and paid q
Free Win Baptist preacher three dollars
and board, to preach a funeral sermon.
When the prospectors, who had
bought Joe, arrived in the southern part
OF the State OF Illinois. they sold him to
q man named Potiphar. who was Cap
tain Of the Guard in the State Prison.
under Lieutenant Governor Phsraoh.
Potiphar was pretty well fixed. as he
had made considerable money IN stocks.
and contracts for beef for the peniten.
,iary: and. Ms Joseph made himself
pretty handy about the house. Old Pot
| promised him tho position OF head
waiter. Potiphar had q wife. who. nc
| cording to all accounts. was q very I'M
| progressing sort Of Q person, having
had the smallpox. being bald.headed.
short Of q leg. and wearing %carbuncles
ON her nose. Joe didn't take kindly to
the old girl, from the first; but one day,
when sho broke q soup tursen, she
wanted him to lie with her, and say the
| cat did Ii. Joe had been raised with
the example Of George Washington CEN
stantly before his eyes, and he indlg-
nantly spurned the old woinan's proPo-
sition, and told her she could lie by hcr-
self. She got mad about il and deter
mined to get even on him. SO, one
day. when Joe was doing some chores
about the house, the old girl CREASED
the kitchen floor. aud when he came in
TO get q cold bite. no made u miss-lick
while trying to cut n tough chicken. and
slipping on tho grease. fell to the floor.
A he was falling. Mrs Potiphar made q
grab at his oponed-backed shirt, as
though to try to ave him; but the shirt
had been to the wash so often that IL
was somewhat tender. and Mrs. p. pos
ssssing q stout grip. the greater portion
Of the garment was left in her hand
when Joe became prostnted on the
floor. Joe cussed the old woman con-
sidenbly for tearing his shirt. and she
went before q Justice Of the Peace and
swors out a warrant charging him with
assault and battery and vulgar language,
presenting the piece Of the shirt as cir
cumstantial evidence. Joe Was too poor
10 employ counsel; 40 the Justice found
him guilty. and sentenced him To 100
DAYS in the County Jail.
After he had been In prison q short
time. they made him a trusty; and as
time hung heavy on his hands, he con-
elud.i 10 become A spiritual medium, so
that be could make n living without
work when he got out of Jail. One day
a fellow named Butler and a baker were
put in the Jug for being drunk and dis
orderly. and being allowed eXtrn allow
ancss OF mush for supper. they each
went to bed and dreamed dream. When
they aw1ke in the morning they were
powerful dry, and considerably e1er-
cissd about their dreams; and having
learned that Joe was n medium, they
consulted him about their dreams. He
told Butler that, in consideration Of this
being his first o~ffense, the Justice would
let him of in three days, on his PROM
ise OF good behavior In the future; but
as for the baker, the Board Of Pardons
would refuse his application, and he
would be hung in three DAYS from that
time. in accordance with the original
sentence. All these things came TO pass.