Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-03-30

The Jury Did Not Believe that
Bill peItOu T00E II.


The Court of His Honor, Judge Har-
mon, drew well yesterday afternoon. The
average American citizen appreciates the
privileges of o Justice Court. He sniffs a
case in the air; he has the requisite
leisure, and he gets solid comfort gu, of 9
county chair. His business will not suffer
for his absence. His mind being at ease,
he becomes attached to his bearings, and
in sweet repose of spirit he takes in what
ever transpires, with solid comfort, and
digests it inwardly. The attraction is SO
great for him that he will even stand up
a half day to gaze upon the face Of the
unfortunate accused, and drink in the
burning eloquence of the bar. The
only thing wanting In "Pictur-
esque America" is q true sketch of our
ordinary Justice Courts in full session.
The crowd yesterday was, at least, all that
the Judges chamber could accommodate.
How Dickens would nave enjoyed gazing
upon some Of the wide-open countenances
that were therel
The daisy Of the curious throng was an
ancient skeleton, some six feet and o half
tall, split in two up to the chest. One leg
W6D tOGhCu III thO Ill hb6hAh vi oboh
that took in half the width Of the room,
and descended by the heel on the knee of
the other. There was no more expression
in the face OF this bony citizen thai there
was in the brogan which encased his heel
and shed its mud upon his clothes as the
case advanced.
William Pelton, ESQ.,, q colored gentle
| man, was on trial for the alleged stealing
| OF a quilt or bedspread from the dwelling
| of Judge Henry Rives. William had been
the Judges servant at the house for two
or three months. Several articles had
been missed, but the Judge did not place a
| high enough value OH any OF them to COM
| plain of the loss until he missed a bed
| spread made Of down. most Injurious
covering, as warm as three pair OF blank
cts and yet so light that It's weight was
scarcely felt. When it came, however, to
a surrender Of this comfort without price
and without knowledge OF its destination,
the Court ''emphatically bucked." He re-
ported the case to the officers, and they, or
one of them, swore out a complaint against
Pelton and put him in the cooler. Judge
Rives not consenting to take any part in
the prosecution of his servant except to
testify to his losses.
His and Mr.. Hazen's testimony was only
circumstantial, though very strong, and
as the possession OF the stolen property
could not be traced to the defendant, and
as there was a possibility that he might
not be the thief, the jury rendered a unani-
nous verdict Of not guilty. The darkie
told his story in a very simple and child
like way, and rather captured the heavy
citizens on the jury, headed by Colonel
Perry. IL toll de Jedge dat l never TUX
nuth'n. An / said to him, cause he's al
ways been good to ne: 'Jedge, I'll bet
YOU a new hat / never stole de spread.
You gifts me de hat if | amt guilty, and If
l is, | gifts de new hat for you, Jedge.'
The Judge did not take the bet. Probably
he felt he had lost already as much as he
could stand. or else he wasn't hunting
wagers Of that sort.
Lawyer Wines, for the defendant, made
a rafting speech Of about FIVE n
Before he finished the immoyable man
with the legs came near having an express
sion. His introduction startled the audi
ence. He charged the District Attorney,
Judge Davenport, with deliberate design
to pr, judice the jury against the accused
on account OF his color. This coming
from one black Republican orator and
turned loose in public upon another OF the
same politics, created a tlutter. The effect
that il might have on the coming election,
the possibility that the two prominent le-
gal gentlemen might contend for the col
ored vote at the primaries, was so exciting
that there is no telling to what extent the
disorder would have gone if Constable
Wallace had not put out the index finger
OF his horny hand, which was taken for a
gun.
Everybody waited for the reply Of Judge
Davenport to this damaging imputation
upon his regard for the Fourteenth Amend
ment; and his friends feared that he might
not be able to Withstand the shock and
place himself right with the colored con-
stituency. He rallied, though, and came
to the scratch smiling, with his hands
folded on his stomach. Everybody felt
hopeful for him when they observed him
so serene, but they got pale and hurried
away when they heard him exclaim in wild
accents: your insides are as black as his,
SIR"