The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-08-27
81
JUsTEss OF THE PIECE,
No CREDIT FUR Law HERE.
Whiskey by the Drink or Gallun.

Dismounting, l picketed my horse in
the luxuriant grass q few rods from
this rude temple Of Justice and poor
whisky. and Joined the waiting crowd
in front. Here / learned that q young
cowboy had been accused of stealing
some stock from the rancher for whom
he had been working, and that be was
now to be examined upon the charge
and sent to the county seat for trial,
hung on the spot or discharged, as the
case may be. The judge was an old
mountaineer, who had been elected to fill
the position because the cabin in which
he lived and dispensed his villainous
whisky was the only suitable place In
that vicinity In which TO- hold q court.
When the hour designated for the
commencement of proceedings had ar
| rived, the Judge came to the door and
called ont: ssHo, yesi Ho, yesi Ho,
yes! This honor'ble court 10 now ready
for the tryin' of any cases that may
now be legally afore it.n
1 filed In with the crowd, where l
found Ibis Honor" seated upon a
rough three-legged stool at a dry goods
box, which was made to do duty as a
table.
The prisoner, n rather Unlocking
young fellow, was brought forward.
He gave his name as Dick Marsh; resi-
dence, Austin, Texas; age. %; occupa
these points In an old pocket memoran-
dun book, the judge said:
"Young man, ye stand arraigned at
this bar Of legal Justice charged with
havin' wilfully, feliciously an with
malice aforesaid, stealin'. takin' and
drivin' off six head % Texas steers,
branded A A on the left fore shoulder,
nine head % Cherokee yearlin's branded
c A on the left hip, an a sorrel Cayuse
pony bearin' the latter brand, an
drivin' them an disposin' of them to
the post butcher at the fort; the said
property bein' the goods an cattle %
Simon Crawford 20 the county % Car
bon, an territory % Wyoming in VIC
lation with an agin the statutes made
an purvided fur jes' SIGH cases. Are
you ready for trialP"
mo, ledge. yer homer; / want n
mouth-piece."
want a w'atpn
"a mouthpiece to chin fur me-a
law sharp, you know"
The Judge eyed him a moment stern
ly and said:
"I Dung man, lawyers air a luxury
we can't afford in these mountains, an
anyhow, If I'm correctly informed re-
gardin' the natur' % this case, a
PREAcHER'D DO yE MORE GOOD 80
jes' now than a hull regiment % law
yers. Yer liable to want some defense
afore an hour at a bar wharf sits a
jedge that never seed q lawyer. The
witnesses ill answer to their Names"
There were q number Of witnesses
and one at a time they stepped up and
gave their their testimony, making out
a very strong case against the prisoner.
In his own defense the d~efendent tes-
tilted that he had regarded the court as
an old BALI -headed idiot and the audi
ence as a pack of villains and cut
threats who were hungry for q hanging
bee, and he wished that a stroke of
lightning would happen along and wipe
out the whole mob. Evidence not ad-
mitted on the ground Of i%rrelevancy.
The court asked the audience If they
wanted the man, or II he should send
him In to the comfy seat to await the
action of the grand jury. Here arose a
lively discussion, some Of the crowd IA
voring q legal disposal of the case while
others called out for the rope. In the
heat Of the argument they withdrew to
the open air. and for half an hour the
air waxed decidedly sultry. At last
the lynchers won the day, and the rope
was hastily brought forth and prepared
for service. When all was ready for
work they turned to the door for their
man, but where was hep
He was seen turning q spur of the
mountains fully Q mile down the creek.
mounted on the constable's hoare, the
fastest nag Of the range.