Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-05-05


In local papers,
In the mouatain region of the State a
man named John Foster was recently
tried for assault and battery upon the
person of William Truitt The first wit
ness was one-eyed, rough-bearded man.
He was lame. He lost his missing eye
in fight This was his first appearance
in courthouse, although he locked to
be some sixty years of age. There seems
to have been an irreverent admixture of
the sacred and profane in the makeup
of his name, which was Jeremiah Buster.
AS he stood amid the crowd close OBJ
server might soon have discovered that
the whole scene was new to him. When
the prosecuting attorney called him to
the witness-stand he limped around the
railing of the bar and took his seat on
the stand. He gazed around him with
bewildered air, yet there was that in
his demeanor which showed that he had
not parted altogether with the self
assertion and independence character
istic of the jewellers in the mountains
He took in as much of the situation, per-
.haps, as one-eyed man could be reason
ably expected to do on his first appear
ance on the scene.
Prosecuting Attorney-"What is your
namep'
Witness (ejecting a stream of tobacco
juice on the f1Oor)-'Jeremiah Buster,
Squire. They ginerally call me Jerry,
for short"
Prosecuting Aaormey-"Well, Mr..
Buster"
WStness-Now, Squire. don't call me
Mr.: Buster, eff you please. I'm sildom
called that, and"
The Court-.Mr. Witness"
Witness-Now ledge, jes' call me
Jerry, eff you please. l amt used to
bein' called mister, and it sorter sounds
strange like. Jes' call"
The District Attorney here arose and
said that he felt satisfied the witness did
not mean to commit contempt of court,
but spoke thoughtlessly and from force
of habit. He hoped the Court would not
send witness to Jail, at least at that time,
as he was the only person by whom the
State could prove the offense charged
against the defendant in the indictment,
and the trial would, therefore, be sus-
pended. The Court replied: IF the
witness knew no better, it was time he
was learning, and he could not be broken
too soon of bad habit, if it had obtained
such control over him as to cause him to
violate all propriety."
District Attorney-'That is all true,
your Honor, but if the witness is sent to
Jail now shall be compelled to enter a
nOlle prosequi in the case and the trial
must be suspended, as this is my only
witness"
After some further difficulty in bring
Ing the witness to the point, the examina-
tion proceeded.
District Attorney-"Jerry, wero you
present in August last at Johnson's tam
yard when difficulty occurred between
the prisoner at the bar, John Foster, and
William Truittp If so. tell about it in
your own way"
Wttness-"Well, Squire, one night
thar was a turrible storm passed thrO'
our make of the woods and bowed down
a big poplar in the corner of the horse
lot and killed my speckled caf-"
District Anorney-"Never mind about
the calf"
Witness-"Well, Squire, I'll tell you.
Eff that storm hadn't ter blowed down
t1t LTtC Ou Iuc Cttl dDo hillCu IL, WOuloh Y
er skinned the cat, and eff l hadn't er
skinned the caf wouldn't er tuck its
hide to the lanyard, and eff l hadn't er
tuck the hide to the lanyard wouldn't
,er bin thar-now would Ip''
District Attorney-''Well, l suppose
not. Go on"
Witness -"And eff hadn't er bin thar
4 couldn't er seed nothin' to tell-now
could Up You see, Squire, you didn't
know what what was a-coming at
now did yerp"
District Attorney-"Well, 60 on"
WitneSs-''Well, arter 1 skinned the
CAT / kotch my old mare and carried the
hide over to the lanyard. When l got
there 1 seed Jack Foster a-sittin' down
by the rut of tree and Bill Truitt were
a-talkin' to him."
District AttOrney-''Well, what did
Truitt say to defendant FosterP'
Witness" Well, Squire, you see when
u rid up on my old mare, 1 seed Bill a.
ralkin', but 1 couldn't hear a word he
said, fur war hundred yards of when
fus' see 'em."
District Attorneu-Well, didn't you
get near enough to hear anything that
was saidP''
WStasess-"O yes, Squire"
District Attorney Swell, after you
got near enough to hear, what was
saidP"
WStness-"Well, Bill sed TO Jack thar
dpointing to the defendant) Il want you
to pay me the dollar you owe me"
District Anorney-"Well, was that all
that was saidp"
Witness-"O no, Squire, that warn't
all"
District attorney Gmpatiently)-
N.Well, please 60 on; tell oil that was
SaidD