West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-03-29
WEST VIRGINIA FREEMAN.
REMINISCENCE.
From the Old River Farm.
Our First Case.
Trial OF the Boy That Cut. the
"Sarvice" Tree

1t was long ago, before the days
ID harvesters, we were reaplng on
The Old River Farm, in the Nine
Acre Field, next the Sugar Camp:
A shower came up and we sheltered
under an outrageous sugar tree.
There were some twelve or fifteen
Of us, reapers, sheaf-gatherers and
Shockers.
Now, so it was, that favorite
-.sarvice"ibush in an old field on
Buffalo, on the back end of the
farm, had been cut down for its de-
licious berries, a short time before,
and the matter coming up, the inn
sortant and anxious inquiry was:
Who could the trespasser be?
Suspicion pointing to one of the
reapers, one 'Zaias Pasco, it was sug-
gested that he be arrested for the
.afIense, and be put on trial at once.
The idea took shape a1asta,ater.
! regular court was organized in a
jjiiffy, with judge, jury and all nee
,,ssary official appurtenances.
Tl,noch, was Judge, Oke, States At
ia11ney, Dan, Clerk, with Ant'ny
Lowell, as Sheriff, Perry, as Jailer,
and so on.
There, sheltered from the rain,
under the big sugar-tree, with the
august Judge perched atop the
worm fence, with the trunk of the
tree serving as the rustic back of
His Honor's judicial chair or bench
rs you like, the trial proceeded in
7aue form.
'Zaias was promptly arrested and
:arraigned, and at first seemed to
enjoy the situation, and essayed to
play his part in the jovial farce, as
he was disposed to take it, in ajovial
way. But the Court, with pom
.aerous dignity, promptly sup
pressed all levity, by commanding:
Sheriff, keep order IN Court" And
with the Sheriff's stern "Silence IN
Court" the fence-corner bar and jul
rv-box was, in moment, as silent
and solemn as a Coroner's inquest.
,Zaias now grew concerned and
anxious ands inquired what he
should do. Being advised by a
4riend and solemnly admonished
by His Honor, that it would be
well for him to secure the services
eaf counsel, the now alarmed pris-
amer selected ourself to take charge
If his case, and see that he obtained
f,stice.
That's the way we understood it
gaen, and we served our client to
she best of our ability in that be-
half, although we have since learn
+ed that most prisoners employ
counsel to help them to escape JUS
t3ce
By permission of the Court, we
took our client apart for consulta
eion. We succeeded in gaining
4sis implicit confidence at once
something cry essential to salts
Eactory management of a Grimm
al case, and seeing he was much
a,erturbed, we comforted him with
The assuring advice to throw him
self entirely into the hands of his
Attorney, and all would be well
But uhat must l do?' he asked, af
ser bit, "naust l tell you all abou1
APR.
Why, of course" we advised
him, that's the very best thing
Won can do. 1t would be perfect
fslly to deny cutting the 'sarvice
bush before such a court as this, .
From the beginning of this pri-
~Nate interview we were deeply i'm
pressed with the plastic nature we
bad in charge. His child-like sim
plicity and confding pliability
aouched US to the heart, and had it
ss,,t been that of all the boys on the
1arm, We were possibly the chief
asst mourner for that precious "sar-
vice bush, we are quite sure our
ap-springing sympathy for our
eonfding client, would have COM
s,alled US to have reversed our. tao
ties by advising him to plead "not
guilty" and making stalwart
SIGHT in his behalf. AS it was, we
sxsadily obtained from poor 'Zaias a
fall confession with all desired
8acts in reference to accomplices.
EfEg,;s aooa tho forn,alitv of the fri