Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-05-16

for larceny, and needed the services of
"lyar" to defend him. There was
no time to communicate the details of
the case, but they must be learned on
the way or the man might be tried,
sentenced and hung by Dutch justice
before his counsel got there.
Well, neither of the firm would
think of going, and Jack could not
leave his correspondence. | had new
er taken hand at a trial in my life,
but the "Dutchman' was so pathetic
in his earnestness, to have some one
accompany him, that | put on my
overcoat, picked up a couple of law
books and took my place in the sleigh.
The sleighing was splendid, the
horses strong and spirited, and we
flew over that six miles like the wind.
My Jehu could not talk much English,
and all | could understand from him
of the case was, that his friend, Peter
Stuben, was charged with stealing
some hams belonging to neighbor;
that the hams had been found in DOS
session of the accused (; and that a jury
had already been imp3nneled for his
trial-a brief interval only having at
last been granted to send to town for
"a lyar."
Arriving at cur point of destination,
we drew up before the hotel of the lit
tie village-a two-story frame structure
-fringed all around, just then, with
horses and sleighs, which were hitched
there in large numbers, while the own
ers thereof were upstairs, at the trial.
For the case had enlisted such general
interest throughout the township, that
the Justice had convened his court in
the large dancing-hall OF ballroom of
the tavern, in order to accommodate
the extraordinary numbers who We're
in attendance. If there is anything
that the ordinary rural Germans de-
light in, it is the excitement of
a civil or criminal trial, where
their countrymen are parties. Whether
it is through patriotic and neighborly
sympathy, or owing to a mania for the
dramatic display of a courtroom,
know not; but these people will flock
to trial from far and near, leaving
all their occupations for days, to wit
ness the settlement of a dispute which
does not perhaps involve the price of
bushel of potatoes. The Germans
are strong partisans, and very demon
strative in their feelings. The con-
testing litigants form around them
selves separate parties of sympathizers,
and of course treat their adherents
freely with the foaming seidels of
lager, so that an exciting trial is the
signal for holiday to this holiday
loving people.
/ found at once that my client,
Stuben, was "a hail fellow well met
among his comrades and quite popular
among his countrymen. This, too,
was shown by the general buzz and
stamping with which our entrance up
on the scene was greeted.
Pressing our way through the mass
of standing people, which nearly filled
the hall, we reached the august inner
circle of seats that surrounded the
magistrate, and were occupied by the
Jury and the more influential of the
village burghers. Here | was intro
duced to my client, robust, rubicund-
yisaged German, whose broad, good
humored face and mild blue eye be-
tokened anything but thief.
Not moment was allowed me for
consultation with him. Not the least
opportunity was youchsafed to ascer-
tain the line of defense necessary to
be adopted. or the character of the
testimony which could be produced to
sustain it. My appearance was the
signal for the first witness for the
prosecution to take the stand.
This witness swore that he was the
owner Of the hams in question, and
identified the property; for there the
swine-tiesh lay, two hams and two
shoulders, on a table. In all their
smoky and unctuous reality, the verita-
| BILE corpus deficit itself in court. He
also testified to finding the same in the
cellar of the prisoners house. On
| cross examination he said he knew the
hams by certain discolorations which
he pointed out, and which, he claimed,
had been produced by his own process
of curing.
Other witnesses Swore to seeing the
prisoner in the vicinity of the first
witness smoke-house after daIk; and
| still another to meeting him later
| during the same evening on the high
way, at which time he was going from
| the direction of said smoke-house to-
ward his own home, and carrying a
bag that appeared to contain hams.
Ny client listened to all this with a
sort of stolid interest, making no com
ment or protest upon or against any
thing that was said.
To me the chain of evidence seemed
simply appalling, and | looked upon
my clients Indifference as but the be-
| wildered despair of the OK in the
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