The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-15
A WILD, WESTERN TRIAL..
In Which the Prisoner is Found
Not Guilty and Cautioned Not
to Repeat the Offence.

to Repeat the Offence.
lin which the prisoner is found not
guilty, but read a moral lecture.
When l reached Testers Crossroads it
was to find the score or SO of people COM
prising the hamlet very much excited,
and their numbers had been re-enforced
by a dozen or more farmers, who had
come in on mules and in OK carts, got
accommodations at LETTERS, and in a few
minutes Mrs. LETTERS had posted me as to
the cause of the excitement.
"Thar's gwine to be the powerfulest
law suit nobody ever hearn tell of" she
explained. 'sThar's gwine ter be as many
as ten witnesses, and the lawyers will
CAB, and the squar' will boss everybody,
and it viii be the excitingest time we ever
had. I'm SO glad you got yere in time"
The squar', who lived a mile out of the
hamlet, took dinner with us; also the
lawyers, both Of whom had made a ride
Of fifteen miles in the interest Of their
respective clients. The squar' was on his
dignity, and the lawyers We're looked up
to with all the reverence and respect due
the president of the United States.
School was dismissed that the trial might
take place in the school house, and when
we all found seats the place was packed
When the case was stated Thomas An
drews, a "squat farmer" was charged
with having stolen killed and converted
to his own use n hog belonging to and
the lawful property of William Aims
worth, another '.squat farmer" The
squar' opened his own court as follows:
"Hear ye and look yere! This court
ar now open fur bizness, and it's agin
the law to fuss or triie. Them niggers
and all others is warned to be powerful
quiet, and if airy pnrson be in contempt
he will git the full extent of the law.
Hank Stoyin, kick that ar big dog of
your'n outer DOORS"
The prosecutor then charged the pris-
oner with having. between the 9th and
Goth of the month, stolen, killed and
eaten, in whole or in part, one hog be-
longing to the plaintiff, and described as
black and white, 2 years old, weight 115
to 100 pounds, and in good health and
fair condition. He was followed by the
other lawyer, who denied the charge in
toto, and intimated that he would prove
a conspiracy to down the defendant, to
the injury of his name and fame as an
honest citizen of the commonwealth. The
plaintiff was put on the stand, and when
told to go ahead, he said:
81 know that he 'un stole my hog, and
! wanter see him sent ter prison"
why do you suspect him of stealing
the hog?'
"Hain't he shiftless and oneryr'
ais that why you suspected him?'
sit ar. And I know the hog went
over his way the last I seed Of him"
The plaintiff hadn't made out much,
but he had a witness who swore that he
ate fresh pork at Andrews cabin on the
18th, He also saw hog bristles and hoofs
on the ground neal the cabin.
"You declare that or your oath, do
your
"Sartin, I've got to tell it as it was,
though Tom and ! hev always jiggered
(got along) without a word"
A second witness swore that he called
at Andrews cabin on the 10Th and the
wife had fresh pork in kettle. He asked
If Tom had been killing, and she seemed
confused and did not reply. That was
the case for the prosecution. It looked
slim in one sense, and yet everybody
knew that Andrews was a shiftless, sus-
picious character, not above hog steal.
ing. When the opposing counsel got
hold of the plaintiff he asked:
"Was this hog ranging the countryf"
eyes, he was loosely about and
around"
event where he pleased, didn't he?"
stReckon he did"
well. how do you know he is dead
How far have you hunted for him:"
"Three miles,"
"But he may be alive and well and foul
miles away"
Couldn't be. Tom Andrews killed
him"
"That's only your suspicion. Can you
swear that that hog isn't home this very
minute:%
"Mebbe he ar. but I shan't dun give
I'M
The witness who had sworn to eating
pork at Andrews table was asked:
"Can you tell pork from a 2-year-old
hog from pig meat?'
"No, sah."
dare you swear that the meat you
ate that day wasn't coon or bear meatT''
"Reckon twas pork"
eyes. you reckon, but do you know it
was?"
"Dasn't dun sw'ar any harder, sah."
The second witness was also tangled
up on cross-examination, and hen An
drews was put on the stand.
"Tom, did you ever see this hog In
question:" asked his lawyer.
"Lawd, no"
"How long since you had any fresh
pork at your house!"
"Almost befo' the wah, sah."
"What meat did Miner eat there that
dayY" ~
"Coon, sah."
"What about those bristles and hoofs
he says he sawT'
Tom produced a small package and
opened it and displayed the four feet of
a coon and a handful of hair. He ad-
mitted on cross-examination that he was
onery, but he claimed to be honest.