Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-10-31

uI III d NVuI ltuUHs
The dull mnnotonvof court proceedings
was enlivened one day recently in Wilkes.
barre, Pa, in the case Of the Common
wealth against DobsOn, in which the de-
fendant was a'cu ed of assault upon a
young lady named Heller, by kissing her
against her will The plaintiff complained
that Dobson, "by force of arms, mpIicr
arorrthought, and insligaled by the devil.
did then and there violently assault. way
lay" ETC. She told her story in plain,
straigh ghllorward kind of way. to the effect
that she was enjoying the evening breezes
while leaning over her father fence, and
that William DobSon came along, seized
her by the hands, and forcibly pulling her
over the palisade, committed the assault
for which she claimed redress ut the hands
Iof the law. a sister Of the complainant
testified that she did not see the alleged
mpr0prietv, because of the darkness, and
she being in another rart Of the yard, but
she heard IL kiss, or something that sound
ed like IL kiss, and knew that something
was going on.
Dobson claimed TIE privilege of being
his own witness, ard he told the part OF
the story omitted by Miss Heller and her
sister. He is = jolly specimen of an Eng
lishman. His narration of the occurrence
in which he had become involved runs as
follows:
Dobson-Ycr see, yer onors, l was
walking along singing, "What will the
arvesL be? -
Gen. Mccartney, Counsel for plaintiff,
disIosed to have some fun while confusing
the wilness) )-You were singing What
will the 'arvest be?' CLOSELY initiating the
intonaion Of the witness)
Dobson Every composcdlO Yes, sir,
What will the 'arvesL be? "
Gen. AcCartney-" What will the
'arvpst he?"
Dobson lunruilleD-" What will the
'arvest be?
Gen. McCarney-Wcll, 90 on. sir.
Dobson-Yer see, yer onoIs, was going
along, singing, "What will the 'arvest
be? " when heard Mary singing, "What
will the 'arvest be?"
Gen. McCmtney--She was singing
What will the 'arvrst be?"
BY this time there were decided eviden-
ces of merrimont all over the court room ;
but Dobson remained us imperturable us
though illciaIing ut II funeral
DOhson- Yes, sir, she was singing
What will the aryest be?" but not so
loud as | was, and | called out "Ilallo
Mary, are that you?' and she said it be.
| went up to the fence, and she said she
were hall halone, has her fl,hcr 'ad gone
to "class."
Gen. McCarlncy-Gone to class! What
did she mean hy that?
Dobson-Why, any fool knows what
=" class " means. Her father had gone to
class meeting, and left 'er hill halone.
We challed little, and then
Gen. McCartney-Well, you have heard
her testimony. You seized her, pulled
her over the fence and kissed her?
DobSon-No. That testimony is false.
We talked awhile, and she sort of leaned
hover the fence-like us if she wanted me
to-and just then Satan got the best of me,
and | kissed 'er right hon the mouth, |
found ont "Whal will the 'arvest be? !"
and | think she was II heasy prey.
Here the gravity Of the court. counsel
lor, and spectators gave way, and seldom
in u court of justice has there been such IL
scene of uncomfortable hloriousnesS.
Judge Harding f irly roared him self
hoar>e with laughter, and all business
was suspended for several minutes to al
low those in lhe court room to recover
their equanimity. Dobson was acquitted
of the charge Of assault, but must pay
half the cost of the suit as his share of the
'arveSt."