Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-04-17
A Family Fight.

The VS. and the F-s are the
two principal families in Northeast
Georgia, and it is a popular superstition
that a man born here is nearly or re-
motely connected with one of these two
families. As is usually the case, the
W-s are jealous of the F-s, and
the F-s make war on the VS..
If W and a F. get into a quar-
rel, others are embroiled, and personal
dispute oftentimes assumes mammoth
proportions before it is definitely set
tied. They tell very good story at
Dahlonega of this popularity. Circuit
Court was in session and an F was
on the bench. The court and county
officers were about equally divided
among the two families. The court
house in Dahlonega is arranged with
the courtroom in the second story, the
first floor being used as offices for the
county officials. A wide hallway runs
through the building and two flights of
stairs connect the first floor with the
courtroom. Court was in session, and
the room was packed. A noise and
hubbub in the hall below arrested the
attention of judge, jury, attorneys and
spectators. Curses and loud words
were plainly heard. Ii was evident
fight was going on.
''Mr. Sheriff" commanded the judge,
"take those disOrderly parties into Gus
tody and bring them up here. | will
teach them TO have proper respect for
this honorable court.
Thus directed the sheriff left the room,
but did not return. The tumult waxed
louder and the quarrel was evidently
increasing instead of decreasing. Occa-
sionally pistol shot was heard. Sew
eral of the spectators and one or two of
the attorneys left the room- The judge
looked around and espying a deputy
sheriff directed him TO hasten TO the
assistance of his chief. lie went, but
did not return. The coroner was sent;
he, too, remained below. The uproar
grew louder and the reports of pistols
more frequent. a constable, two bail
ifs, another deputy sheriff and the clerk
of the court were in turn commanded to
preserve the peace and uphold the dig
nifty of the court. Not one of these
officials returned, and the room was
nearly cleared of attorneys and specta-
tors, while the ''twelve good men and
true" twisted uneasily on their bench
in the jury box. The face of the honor
able court became crimson with shame
and anger: and as the solicitor general
laid down his books and prepared to
leave the room he dismissed the jury,
and coming down eff the bench was
heard to remark that '-he'd see if this
court was TO be treated with contempt :"
Flushed with q consciousness of the
great indignity being offered his wor
shipful person by the rioters below, his
honor fastened down stairs. A crowd
was surging up and down the hall, mad
with passion. Pistols were brandished,
bowie-knives flashed and the air was
heavy with smoke and curses. Pausing
for a moment on the stairway, .he bet
ter to survey the field of battle, the
honorable judge suddenly threw off his
official robe, pulled murderous seven-
shooter from his belt, and with the cry
of ''Give 'em HI boysw jumped into
the crowd and lost his official identity
in the general crush. The F-s and
the VS. were at war, and not until
the latter party was at last yanquished
did the judge return to his bench.