Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-04-17
A Square Game.

henry JuCKSOn anu OndTles 1871, DJIn
colored, were arrested by Lieutenant
Kline, and brought up in the police court
yesterday, Jackson for practicing trick
game and Fish for being known theft.
The prosecuting witness was Rev. Will
liam A. Taylor, n middle.aged colored
preacher from Clermont county, upon
whom, according to his story, these young
men had attempted to practice their sim
full games, and failing in this, robbed him
of a sum of money after he had offered to
play them square game for from So To
$500 jackson and Fish entered a plea
of not guilty, and the Rev. Mr.. Taylor
was called to the stand. He was fine
type of the colored minister that we read
about, and took his place on the stand,
with his tile in his hand and an old-fash-
oned fur overcoat hanging over his arm
His clothes were shiny black, and his
spectacles were tied together behind with
a faded blue string. He was not at all
Disconnected by the attention he attracted
and gave his testimony in loud and
earnest tone of voice, as if delivering q
sermon.
"Ise proprietor of a rag.house, /" he be-
gan, IAN came to town wifi few rags to
sell, an met desc two young men at de
dump near de Little Miami depot"
"iou are also IL minister, | believe,
said Judge Wilson.
"Yes. sab; preach de gospel. Dat
man dah, pointing to jackson, stopped
me on de dump when was on my way to
see an ole white man about buyin some
rags, an said he had a little trick he
wanted to show me: 1t war some kin Of
game wld cards.
A number of square cards and string
were here produced, which the witness
identified as the same exhibited by Jack
son.
81 tole him., ;" continued the witness, "to
60 long; dat war church man, and
didn't know muffin bout cards. He IN
sisted dat should try it, an wanted me
to draw de string in de box an see if |
could catch it. tolc him again | war a
church man, an didn't want any truck
wid his game. Den dat man," pointing
to Fish, she KEN out from under de bridge,
an said it war easy, an dat | should try
it anyhow. He KEEP a comm up closer an
closer, an finally he put his hans on me,
an said it war an easy game when you
knowcd how. Den one of dem caught
hold of me, an de odder one" pointing
again to Fish. put his hans in my pocket
and took my money. Before dat dey talk
ed bout gettin me down over de dump,
an givin' me Il punch, an den takin' my
pocket book. Before dey took my money.
ley kept IL pcsterin me bout de game an
dat made me mad. tole dem If dey
mus hab game, if muffin but game
would satisfy dem, to come down on de
river bank, an would give dem squar
game for from s. to $500"
Prosecutor Murphy asked the witness if
that would not have conhicted with the
doctrine that he GXpOunded in the pulpit!
He hcSitatcd Il moment, and the court
came to his relief by answering that it
would not conflict if it were square
game, and that was the kind the witness
proposed to play.
Rev. Mr.. Taylor resumed his story, and
aas fast drawing the scene to the river
bank, where the square game was to be
played, but the court thought further de-
tails were unnecessary, and he was excus-
ed from the stand to make an affidavit
against Fish for petit larceny.
Major Travis, the colOred bmrister, APP
pcared for the defendants, and said that,
in his opinion, his clients ought not to be
held on the statement of the Rev. Mr..
Taylor, whom he recognized as gentleman
who had been in this court, under Judge
Lndcman, ON charge OF stealing chick
ems and was sent to the work-housc for
nine months. He swOre on that stand
then that his mind was affected, that it
came and went, and he wanted to bc sent
before the probate court, but the Judge
thought the work-housc would about fit
him.
Judge Wilson suggested that this was
a very unchristian way to talk about Il
minister, but the Majors Dutch was mp,
so to speak, and he continued to present
the Rev. Mr.. Taylor in Il somewhat unfa-
Norable hight.