The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-02
Interesting Lettar from Perry Coun.
ty.
AUGUSTA, PERRY COUNTY, MISS. |

AUGUSTA, PERRY COUNTY, MISS. I
June IS, 1884. !
EDITORS CLARION: The Circuit Cour
of Perry county commenced on Monday
10th, and that event, with its incidents
has drawn together the "body of the
county," consisting of grand and petit
jurors, litigants and witnesses. 1t has
also attracted large number of lawyers
from various points, from the Sea
coast to Meridian. The dockets, both
civil and criminal, are quite large.
There are nine attachment suits against
merchants and several have been removed
by the plaintiffs to the United States
Court, because attaching plaintiffs have
better foothold and locus stdndi, in the
United States court. Of course there is
meat and pdbulum in these cases, and
that is what lawyers delight in.
The grand jury is in session, grinding
out indictments as fast as the District
Attorneys paper-mill can furnish them.
Nearly all of the Indictments are for
petty misdemeanOrs, such as violations
Of the revenue law, of the Sunday law,
gaming and carrying weapons concealed
--as they call it in country partGnce,
packing weapons" Several of the
revenue indictments are for selling the
spirituous liquors alleged to be contained
in "Parker's bitters," and 'Garry Owen
bitters." The finding of such indict-
ments indicates that the temperance
wave has struck Perry county. Only
one civil case has yet been tried. 1t Is
widely known as the "mule.case," and
has stirred the county from center to
circumference. 1t has been pending
for four years, and had one mistrial
at former term. 1t occupied a day
and half and was desperately contested
on both sides, indicating that there was
a great deal of dninus in the case, out
side Of the money involved. 1t was the
case of James s. Eaton against James
s. Barnett, and was an action on the
case for negligence of defendant, as the
keeper of a public ferry, in drowning
plaintiffs mules, while attempting to
cross the ferry. The case was handled
for plaintiff by Ben Lane POsey and
Tobias Huddleston, and for the defend
ant by Thomas I. Ford and j. z. Carter.
The jury found for plaintiff, and assessed
the damages at $500, for two mules.
The result gives general satisfaction,
and it will probably have a beneficial
effect, in warning the keepers of public
ferries that they are liable to all duties
and hazards of common carriers" and
making them more careful in the per-
fornnance of their duties.
The outlook for law in this county
is good. The dockets are growing rapid
", and the growing town of Hattiesburg
and the Northeastern Railroad will fur
nish much material for further business
The county of Perry is a county of
unmixed and various vocations. Its
interests are grazing, cattle and sheep,
saw-iogs and small farming. The log
business is q very large one. They 20
down Leaf river and Dog river TO Moss
Point, and are the principal source of
supply for the great mills at Moss Point.
The log men and merchants here are
more or less caught in the great "De-
smet" failure. The crops in this coun-
ty are good, and the people are cheer
full.
Augusta is a very old, but a very
diminutive village, on the east bank Of
Leaf river. The soil is sandy, and. its
principal inhabitants, numerically speak
ing, are myriads Of industrious heas-
lively, active and exceedingly attentive
to visiting strangers. Its human inhab-
itants are kind, hospitable and intelli-
gent. The hospitable citizen at whose
house I am lodging, has in his family
six youthful Confederate Generals-that
is, he has six sons, who severally bear
fhe following familiar names: Joe
Johnston, Forrest, Stewart, Morgan, Zol-
Hcotfer and Hardee.
In the early days Of Mississippi,
Augusta was the great land headanar-
tiers, and contained the United States
Land Office. One Of the historical mon
uments of the county, il the gibbet on
which james Copeland, the head devil
Of the famous Copeland clan, was
hanged. He was hanged ii 1851, and
the galloWs on which he made his last
dance, is still standing near the road, IL
Augusta, and in ! good state Of pfeseF-
walton. That clan was 4 terrible one
in its day, and Perry county il entitled
To the credit Of crushing Il out
4 have now exhausted All the topics
which \ can raise up ia this remote And 4
rural VILLAGE. OC0AsI0NAD
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