The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-01-14
A PerspicuOus Witness.

The scene reported below occurred be
fore the Circuit Court of Pittsylvanis
county, Virginia, in the case of Common
wealth "a. Cassidy, on the charge of ma
licious stabbing.
The venue being empaneled and the
jury solemnly charged by the clerk, the
Commonwealth attorney called, in sup
port of the Indictment, the witness
Buck Briant, who, being solemnly
sworn the trtth to tell, testified as fol-
lows:
Question by the Commonwealth at.
torny-Tell all you know about the cut
ting of the prosecutor by Cassidy, the
prisoner at the bar.
Answer-Well, gentlemen, it was
election day; twas a dark, cloudy, wet
sort of drizzling day, and says to my
old woman, | believe l will 60 down to
Ringgold and 'posit my vote. And, says
my old woman to me, well, Buck, as it
is sort of dark, cloudy, wet sort of a
drizzly day, says she, hadn't you better
take the umbrill Says / to the old
woman, l 'spect / had better take the
umbrill. So took the umbrill and ad-
vance3 on down toward Ringgold and
when / got down thar Mr.. Cole coined,
and, said he, uncle Buck, have you seed
anything of neighbor Harris? Says l
to Mr.. Cole, for why? Says he, he has
got my umbrill.
The witness was here interrupted by
the court and told to confne himself to
the actual fray between the prisoner and
Cole, the prosecutor.
In answer to this the witness remarked,
in tone of indignant remonstrance:
Well, now, Mr.. Judge, you hold on,
for am sworn to tell the truth, and Pm
gwine to tell it my own way-so faint
worth while for you to say nothing about
it,"
Whereupon the Commonwealth at
torney, being anxious to get rid of the
witness upon any terms, told him to go
on and tell the story hisown way.
q" Well, l was going to say, twas Oh
election day: Buchanan and Filmo was
running for the legislature, and says 1 to
the old woman, believe Pllgo down to
Ringgold and 'posit my vote. Says my
old woman to me, says she, Buck, as it
is sort of dark, rainy, drizzly sort of
day, hadn'tyou better take yOnr UNI
brill ? says she. Says to my old woman,
l'spect had better take my umbrill
so l took the umbrill and advanced on
toward Ringg0ld until l arrived thar.
Well the first thing did when / got thar
was to take drink of Buchanan whisky,
which was monstrous good, and says / to |
myself, says l., old hoss, you feel better
now don't you? And while was ad-
vancing around Mr.. Cole, he came to me,
says he, uncle Buck, have you seen any
thing of old neighbor Harris? Says /, |
for why? Says he, the old man has got |
my umbrill. After awhile posted my
vote, and then Mr.. Cole and me advanced |
back toward home, and Mr.. Cole was
tighter than ever seed him. And so
we advanced till we got whar the road
and path forked, and We tuck the path,
as any other gentlemen would, and arter
advancing awhile we arriv to old neigh
Dor Harris sitting on a log with the UNI
brill on his arm, and about that time
Elijah Cassady (the prisoner) coined up,
and we advanced on till we arriv at
Elijah's house. Elijah is my nephew
and likewise my son-in-law. He married
my darter Jane, which is next to Sally.
Arter we had advanced to Elijah's house,
we stood in the yard awhile n jawin',
and presently two somebody's rid up on
4 horse, which was johnson and Whit
field, Cassidy behind; Whitfield and
Kiah was drunk, and he and Mr.. Cole
got TO cussin' one another about politix
and advanced into the house whar was
Elijah's wife, which is my darter ia ne.
Well arter jawin' awhile with 'em, my
nephew, says he, uncle Buck, let's go
aome. Says |, good, pop, so we pegged
,ut together. And there's all l know
bout the stabbing. for warn't there