Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-06-16
A FEARLESS JUDGE.
Lively keeoiIeerioas Of q Q1Aiss and Orig
fnsi Character,

Lively keeolI<ertoas Of q Quaint and Orig
issi Character.
Judge Noah smith, = citizen Of Jeffe>
con county, who died recently In hin
7sth year, was, IN many respects. re-
markabie man, writes Louisville fGa-
correspondent Of the Atlanta Constitu-
ton Ills educational opportunities
were very limited. and he never read
books or papers "a much extent, but
was close listener and read nes thor
oughly. His native mother wit" or
shrewdness and good sense born in him.
were Of very high order; and 1t was his
delight 20 associate with the noble and
intelligent, and this coupled with his
natural good sense made him eoUversant
with the current topics of the day and .
very interesting associate 20 the most
cultured that he came In contact with.
A more honest man in principle never
lived; and his goodness OF heart kept
under control his fiery temper, and
made him kind and eonsiderate under
the greatest provocations- As illustra-
tons. viii mention. that coming one
evening from the mill below him no
espied runaway slave close 10 the road
behind tree. He Intercepted him
master without permission He told
the negro that he must go home with
him, but the former, who was very
strongly built and armed with q huge
club. replied with al oath that he had
started TO Augusta and would go
there" and walked OF. When about
sixty yards distant the judge emptied
seemed To make no impression as the
shot were small. After, tho second fire
the negro went staggering along as il
mortally wounded. though not q soli-
tary shot had pierced his skin 1t was
all sham for o purpose. II was get
ting dark and the Judge couldn't bear
the idea Of the Negroes dying in the
woods without attention, so he jumped
from his saddle and pursued him.
The latter retreated until he reached
. pond studded with black gums. He
now turned upon the Judge. throwing
water and mud in his face to confuse
him As soon as he was in reach the
latter dubbed his gun and struck him .
blow which he parted with his club.
He drew his gun back to strike a sec
ond blow when it hitched to limb be-
hind him, and while trying to extricate
it the negro brought his club down on
top of his head with all his power.
which nearly proved fatal, adding: Il
reckon you will go now" The judge
replied: II will for short time," and
went reeling out of the pond.
AS soon as he reached home he bound
up the wound and sent after q pack OF
hounds. When it came he joined In the
chase and that night the negro was
brought TO bay in thicket in Richmond
county and fought iuriously a. he
could not reasonably hope for mercy.
Several men present armed with clubs
and pistols wanted to kill him on the
spot, but tho judge interceded and saved
his life. The next day he gave him a
moderate whipping and returned him tc
his owner.
Upon another occasion he came upon
q runaway who was slashing his favor
lite hounds To pieces with scythe blade.
He knocked the weapon out of his hand
captured him and offered him no fur
Their violence.
He seemed to be an entire stranger tc
fear in everything outside Of religion.
saw him one day in hunt, when an
old buck bad just been jumped by a
fleet pack of hounds-and had nearly a
mile the start of him-make an effort to
head him. There was only one stand
four miles away. The judge took his
hat and bride reins in one hand and
double-barrel in the other and went, as
hard as his horse could stave, uphill and
downhill and over bridges the entire
distance. But the buck came out two
huddred yards ahead. 1t was the grand.
est man and buck race upon recordl II
makes my nerves Jingle 10 think Of II
even now.