The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-08-27
LAW AND LEGERDEMAIN.
BY AN OLD LAWYER.

The incident / am about to relate oc-
Cured twenty years ago III Pennsylva'
mia. The little village of s., III
our county, had acquired population
of several hundred it had a store, a
postoffice, two churches, schoolhouse,
and several shops. The people of that
quiet little hamlet were prosperous and
happy yes, happy i'll their ignorance OF
what was necessary for their own well
fare and the public good. For SO
strangely benighted were they that, as
vet, they had no licensed hotel TO spread
It's legalized blessings around, as the
deadly pestilential dew falls on some of
the countries of the burning zone. For
years this little village had nestled
among the fertile fields of Western Penn
sylvania, and, SO far rs the records of
our criminal court showed its existence
was unknown at the county seat, for no
criminal case had ever been "sent up y
from its low-abiding precincts. But the
march of improvement and Christian en-
lightenment is ever onward and upward.
There came an enterprising man, and,
unfortunately for the little village, he
was man of good moral character, y
and therefore fit recipient for the favors
of the court. He proposed to purchase
a corner-lot in the place, and erect there
on a fine hotel The good, staid, and
sober old burghers of the town were in
ecstasies over the contemplated great
improvement it was just what was
New York, and the price of village lots
went up with a bound.
Time passed on the hotel was com
pleted, furnished, and was to be opened
on the Odd day of February. An APP
plication had been made for license,
and, if it was granted, the proprietor
proposed to give grand free ball on the
night of the opening, at which time the
well-stocked bar was to be so free that
those who attended could sin without
money and without price, he well know
ing that the seed thus sown would III
time yield him an abundant harvest,
though the gathering might leave behind
the barren stubble-tield of drunkenness
and crime.
OF course the license was granted.
The proprietor was, as have said, I'M
fortunately man of good moral charac-
ter and temperate habits. Deacon A.
of the Baptist church class-leader b,
of the Methodist church Elder G., OF
the L. p. church Doctor ID, Squire +,
and a number of lesser lights of the So
,ciety of the village signed the certificate
of the proprietor's good character, be-
lieving that all that was required to make
the little town happy and prosperous the
rest of their days was legalized place
to commence to manufacture drunkards,
and, as it was the only manufacturing
establishment of any kind i'll that sec-
ton OF the country, all were overjoyed
when the news came that the glorious
prercgative to sell whisky was granted to
the proprietor of the " United States
Hotel" at $.
Time, bearing in its womb the future
Joys and sorrows of men, moved on f; the
22d day of February came at last, and
all the lads and lasses for miles around
were there. The bar was open and free
and
There was sound of revery by night.
There was row in the bar-room free
whisky had ended in free fight, as
usual, and one Henry D., the son of 0
widow, who lived mile or two from the
place, had, in fit of drunken frenzy,
with his naked hands struck stand OF
glasses that stood on the counter and
dashed I'll EN- on the floor. The broken
glass had cut his hand severely. One
of his companions, William W., had
taken from Henry's pocket white silk
pocket handkerchief, and, wrapping il
around his bleeding hand, tied the cor.
ner ends together. The young man left
the hotel with several others, and was al
home in the morning, but he was sc
drunk that he forgot the important fact
that he had taken young lady to the
dance until he was reminded of it i'll
somewhat emphatic manner by tn,
young lady herself the next day, sh,
being mt that time an inmate of his
mothers house.
William W., who tied the handker
chief around Henry's bleeding hand
was the owner of small store tina
stood near the canal His stock o
goods consisted of coarse clothing, usual
ly worn by boatmen, and a general as
sortment of boat supplies. He was (
man of low associations and bad repute
His store was the nightly resort of boat
men and roughs, who live along tin,
water thoroughfares of the country, anC
those ladies who do the "cuisine" OF
board the floating palaces of our canals
That night William was at the dance un
ill nearly daylight. In the morning h,