Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-02-16
A Thrilling Incident.


ern Railway. AT Oshkosh wo were joined by a
delegation Of lawyers on their way to Madison,
the capitol, 10 attond tho Legislature, then in
session. They were all men Of moro than
usual intellect and of cxccptionable character
Two were exjudges Of the circuit court, and
ono had seen chairman of the Young Mems
Christian Association. The party found seats
wero over and the news duly discussed, they
began to look about for means to while away The
time. After awhile somc ono proposed game
of cards. No sooner said than done. Two
seats were turned apart SO as to face each other,
o cushion improviscd for table, and three Of
our lawyers, including the chairman of the
Young Mems Christian Association and Chi
cago runner on good terms with them, were soon
deep in the mysteries OF n game of cuchrc.
/ was surprised to see Christian gentlemen
md judges Of Observation-Disclosures Of society,
makers of public sentiment, lawgivcrs for
great State, directors of public morals, supposed
to be public cxcmplars Of all that is good and
guides to the young-thus setting publicly their
seal of approval to most dangerous and evil
practice. To be sure they played for stakes no
higher than the cigars for the party. But it
seems to me that in the eyes Of all discreet per-
sons this does not change the act nor lessen the
danger of lis example, but rather hcightcns it,
as from tho less to The greater is the invariable
course of crime. But did not intend to mo-
ralize on paper, but was about to say that, while
! was filled with such thoughts as these, one of
the party grew tired of the game, aud our re-
naming judge was ivitcd 10 take his place.
saw the blood rount in an honest blush Of dis
approval to h,s manly face, and ho hesitate, and
drew. But the game Ind become interesting
and his excited companions urged him.
"Come, judge, take !.ald, .hcy cried, ,wc
cant 60 on without you"
So the judge rose slowly from his scat in
wardly condcmning the act, rs evidently saw,
md stepping forward took q seat among The
players and tho game went on.
l had noticed an old lady in scat 10 the
rear of tho players, who had gotten on board at
hIcnasha, believe. Gray and bent with age
shc had sat abashed, and with eyes closed
seemed asleep most Of the time, until the train
stopping at Oshkosh, took on board the COM
pany Of lawyers. She then underwent n
change and beoumo greatly interested in the
company, looking often from one to another, as
If sho recognized them all, or was trying to
recall their faces. When the game Of crd;
was started sho became very restless, wouil
hitch about uneasily in her seat, take up the
hem Of her faded apron and ncrvously bite the
threads. Once or twice thought she wiped her
tears under her 'shaG CT bonnet" but could not
tell. She acted so strangely that became moro
interested in her than in the players. and
watched her closely Sho got up after liuc
aud tottered forward, holding on to the seats rs
Bhe passed. She brushed against Judge 1900
in passing, but he had become Interested in the
game and did not notice her. Rcnohing the
water tank at last she drank cup OF wateranI
took seat near the door, with her back to the
players But sho did not long remain there.
Rising again with difficulty she tottcrcd back
toward her former seat, but reaching the players
shc passed directly in front Of them, and now,
greatly excited, threw bac.; her bonnet from her
face and LOOKED around the company. Her nc
ton at once arrested their attention. and pausing
In their play they looked up inquiringly Gaz
ing directly in tho face Of Judge -- she snid,
"Do You know mo. Judgc?"
''No, mother, l don't remcmber you,n said
the Judge, pleasantly. "Whcrc have We mcl?'
"My name is Smith," said she. IL was with
my poor boy three days, off and on, in the
court room at Oshkosh, when he was tried for
robbing somebody, and you arc tho same man
that sent him to prison for ten years and he
died there last June"
All faces were now sobcred and the passcn-
gcrs began 10 gather around and stand up all
over the Cur TO listen and see what was going
on She did not give the Judge time to ansvS cr
her, but becoming moro and more excited, she
went on:
''Ho was good boy, if you did send him to
prison. lie help us clean tho farm, and when
father was too sick and died he done all the
work and We was getting along righ, smart till
he took to going to town and got to playing
keards and drinking, md then some how he
didn't ike TO work after that, but used to stay
out often till morning, and then he'd sleep 80
late and couldn't wake him when | knowcd
he'd been out 80 late he night aforc And then
the farm kinder run down, and then We lost the
team: ono Of them got killed when he'd been o
town ono awful cold night. lie slaid late and
suppose they had got cold sandn out and got
skccred and broke loose and run most home
but ran agln the fence and stake run into Gnc
OF 'em, aud when we found IL next mornin it
was dead and the other was slandin' under the
shed. And so, after awhile ho c0axcd me to
let him sell the farm and buy house and lot in
the village. aud hc'd work at carpenter work
And so did, rs We couldn't do nothin' on the
farm. But he grew worse than ever and aftcr
awhile couldn't get any work aud wouldn't do
anything but gamble and drink all the time. [
used to do everything l could 10 get him TO
quit and be good industrious boy again, but
no used 10 get mad after awhile. and once he
struck me, and then in the morning found he
had what little money was left OF The farm and
had run off, After that got along as well MS
| could cleanin' houses for folks and washn',
but didn't hear nothing Of him for four or five
years. but when he got arrested and was took
up 10 Oshkosh for trial, he writ to me-"
BY this time there was not dry eye in the
oar and tho cards had disappeared. The old
lady herself was weeping silently and spcnking
in snatcscs. But recovering herself, shc went
on:
"Bnt what could 40? sold the house and
lot to got money to hire q lawyer, and believe
lie is here somewhere Cooking around). Dyes,
there he is, Mr.. -" pointing 10 n lawyer who
had not taken part in the play "And this is
the man, l am sure. who argued again him. .
pointing to the District Attorney. "And you,
Judge, sent him to prison fer ten years; sposc
it was right, for the poor boy told me he did rob
the bank But he must have been drunk, for
they had been playing keards and drinking al
night. But dear, it seems to me kinder Ms
though if ho hadn't got to playing kcards he
might have been alive yet. But when used to
tell him II was wrong and bad TO play, he used