Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-06-29
An Awkward Predlcamcnt.

ner, enjoying the glorious climate of
southern Idaho in early autumn, when
the btutf Judge halted his wiry little
mustang with more than ordinary
abruptness, and bent a penetrating
gaze across the divide toward long
since deserted camp, now oyergrown
with brush, and with scarce roof
remaining upon the decaying cabins.
What's the matter. Judge?" ]
asked, fearing that the jurist had
spied a lurking foe among the ruins
of one of the cabins.
For moment the judge made no.
answer, but gradually smile broke
over his wcather-beaten features, and
something very like chuckle came
from beneath the mass OF gray whis-
kers that hid his mouth.
do you see that little cabin with
hagpole planted before the door!
he asked, in return.
Certainly"
There's where | tried the most ex-
citing case / ever had in my life, and
where, although i cleared my client,
| was myself sentenced to about the
worst punishment, short OF hanging,
that can be inflicted upon free man.
My curiosity was at once aroused,
for ! knew that the Judge had passed
through many unique experiences
during the early days of the territory,
when wild beasts and wilder men
fought each other, and when law and
order were unknown.
Therefore ! pressed him to tell me
the story Of his adventure in the old
log cabin.
1T was back in g." began the
judge, "twentY years ago now, and
twenty years work great change IN
mining camp. | had just arrived
from my home in Massachusetts,, and
was the most pronounced sort Of a
Ienderfoot' that you could scare up
In hundred miles OF Banner Camp.
But | attended strictly TO the claim
was working, with more faith than
success, and managed to steer clear
OF any rough experiences,
"Although had been admitted to
/ the bar in ms native State, and had
put in some time waiting for the
practice that never came, was en-.
tircly ignorant OF the laws aud rules
that the miners had adopted for the
purposes Of mutual protection; and
that was the source Of my trouble.
Among my acquaintance was a
good.natured, hulking Yankee, named
Japhet Smith, who was always in q
scrape; but there was not a mite OF
harm in him.
Il was not surprised, when ] came
into camp one evening to hear that
Japhet was 10 the hands of the Nigi
lantes, and that he was going 70 bc
tried for some misdoing or other.
ut was just his luck to get into
trouble for some other fellows crime
So | walked over to that cabin there
and dropped in to hear what the
trouble was. II seems that a miner
had missed ane rifle from his cabin
and that the gun had been found II
Japhet's cabin. Ii looked like clear
case OF gone up for Japhet
HE was scared TO death, and asked
permission to speak TO me. The pres
ident of the Vigilantes saw no reason
why he should not be accorded tha
privilege, and we were allowed 3,
step outside the door for a moment
while two of the committee kept III
covered with their six.shooters,
"'For the good Lords sake get ms
out OF this scrape, Robbinsl" pleaded
the poor fellow, for am as innocen
as the babe unborn. I left the cabir
with old man Bunker last night, anC
haven't been back since,
al went to find old man Bunker, il
order to establish an alibi for tn,
poor fellow, and while was gone tbs
court just went right ahead and triet
and convicted their man, and whel
I pot Incl, the miner who had beer