The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-23
THE GRUMBLER.

| "Everythink goes wrong with me."-Mrs. Gum
| nudge.
The grumbler is very unpleasant individual,
yet every community has one or more, and it is
not plain that he is not a blessing very greatly
disguised. If in no other way, he may be a
blessing in that all with whom he comes in
contact religiousy cross themselves and Ia little
| pharasaically, perhaps) congratulate themselves
that they are not like him. In this way he may
| be the means of making others contented in a
measure His diagonal journey through the
| world must needs be at cross purposes with all
| that portion of the human family that is willing
| to take things as they come and believe, or
profess to believe, that it is not so bad world
after all. Zigzagging, ricocheting his tedious
| way to the grave that seems so far away to his
solicitous neighbors. he is parsonage that can
not be ignored. Chief of the Aduamtes, the
jeremiah of his time, he compes attention and
| spreads social dismay. STILL he may have his
uses, and the world might as we'll be good ma
| tured while tolerating him.
| The Grumbler noticed last week that Farmer.
Lockabill, of Montgomery county, had captured
three tramps in his house, and like the doughty
| tailor, who killed 'seven at blow" he had
| knocked them all down and bound them with
| thongs, being aided and abetted by his wife. IL
is further related that when they recovered their
| wits ne considerably gave them their choice
| being kind hearted man-whether they should
go to Jail and abide by the finding of the magis
trate, or submit to such fogging as he in his
| stern sense of justice, tempered with
| pity. might admin lister. Begued by his
smooth address, and not caring to face q term
in the States prison, they with one accord chose
| to be logged. Instead of tempering his wrath
with mercy, Farmer Lockabill is said to have
beaten the poor wretches until the blood flowed
| to their feet and gathered there in pool.
Their screams of agony, forced from them by
the awful torture they underwent, was heard far
and wide, and the neighbors Of the virtuous
| Lockabill gathered to see what was the matter.
| The decorating of the last tramp proceeded
| with in the presence of the gathered farmers,
| and lesson was written on the bloody, writing
| flesh of these fellows that they will
| not soon forget The general verdict seems to
be that he served them right and that they got
no more than they deserved. Perhaps but The
Grumbler wonders how any one can indorse
| such awful brutality. 1t is not written in the
| States enactments that thieves and burglars
shall be logged And if it were, the penalty
would hardly be hundred lashes we'll laid on
the bare back. Farmer Lockabill, broad
| shouldered. brawny wellfe man, certainly
could not have had much trouble in knocking
out even three half-starved, shad-bellied
| nomads such as these fellows must have
| BEEN That he did welLnigh beat
| their brains out is we'll attested. His fogging
| them, according to The Grumbler was simply
an exhibition of Drawn and cruelty that robbed
his prowess of all charm. Had he been a
merciful man he would not have gone to such
brutal length; had he been a just man. he would
have turned them over to the authorities and let
| them deal with them according to law and the
modes Of punishment prescribed by the wisdom
| of Christian civilization.
-
Without any idea of cruelty to smaller ami
| mails, The Grumbler would like to see Henri
Rochefort turned into the den of the British lion.
| The outcome would be something like an ee-
plant sitting down on mouse, but the result
would be all that could be asked The editor Of
the Intransgeanti is fy in the French ointment
and if he could be cot rid of in the manner
| indicated, the desire for the public good should
overcome any sentimental scruples. But the
| thing that vexes The Grumbler most is the fact
that this pestiferous fellow enjoys such wide
spread popularity among his felow-ctizens
| His papers have tho largest circulation of any
in the world. Possibly his very hatefulness
does this. Humanity is just perverse enough for
trick like this.
| It's too bad that Justice can't relieve her
bandaged eyes and lay down her scales long
enough to pick up a club and take a critical
walk through Dogberry Row. If the truth has
been told, some of her servants have been
"whacking up with the enemy They have
pockets in their togas, and if tho public is to
believe the story current at the city gates those
pockets are not empty. They have been seeking
their own. Some have, and some have not; and
those who have not get angry and swear like
Mississippi river pirates. All seem to be
wrong. 1t is reprehensible that an officer
chosen to administer the law should swear pro
fanely. 1t is much that they should
pervert justice, and make sure of their own
share of the spoi'e at the expense of the public
purse, while the guilty escape the full penalty of
their misdeeds. L. is a scandal that should not
be allowed to rest upon our courts of justice, TO
cripple their functions and impair the wholesome
effect of their decisions.
~
The Grumbler would like TO enter protest
against the honorable and altogether reliable
gentleman of Plercevile, this State, who says
that the monster snake that has been gliding
about the marsh country Of that region is
about ten inches thick and fifteen feet long. A
snake ten inches thick, if properly propogtioned,
and if it has not swallowed a buffalo within the
past day or two, should be not less than thirty
five feet in length. Now, to say that this In
diana production is but fifteen feet long suggests
the thought that, after all, it may not
be as big around as a beerkeg and capable
of swallowing a plug hat without bending the
brim. Scofers at a distance will at