The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-11-28
TRIAL BY JUDGE.

IlOE utEtl oliAANNA " NANNh ttAOlAa IAAG
plank. 1 didn't know exactly what to
do at first, but finally decided to give
him fall instead Of bullet. Waiting
until he was midway between the win
dow and the tree, gave the end Of the
plank a shove and down he went, yell
ing in alright as he found himself 60
ing. He had scarcely struck the ground
when some one seized him. The house
was alarmed, everybody turned out, and
when got down the owner of the house
was standing guard over the man and
saying:
"Now, then, Jim Hivers, you un has
got yo'self into a powerful fussl Yo'un
has been tryin to git inter my cabin In
the night time to rob the stranger, an If
you un doan' dance high fur It l doan
want no mo meat.'
Wasn't a-tryin to git in" sulkly re-
piled jim
"Then what was you un doinP
"Arter apples
"Arter apples which hain't as big as
shucks mt this time O. var. Jim, yo is
bad-bad all the way up an down. I've
knowed it fur Vars, and I've knowed
that yo' would get cotched some day.
The cotchin has arroye."
"Cawu't prove 1t agin' me, calmly OBJ
served the prisoner.
you un just wait! I'm gwine to tie
yo' up till daylight and then take yo' be-
70 Squar Taylor"
jess meant to look in the winder,"
explained jim, who was evidently be
ginning to be alarmed.
"Oh, yesl We understand! Now
you uu come along to the smokehouse
and doau' try any tricks on mel"
Next morning he was regularly ar
rested on warrant charging him with
intent to enter and rob. The examina-
ton took place in the school house, and
the justice conducted it without any
lawyers to bother. When Jim was asked
to plead he replied:
Il jess didn't dun it, and I'll stick to
my fat if yo' hang mer'
"Then I'll enter plea Of not guilty"
said his honor, and he asked me to take
the stand. testified as related above,
but all was not smooth sailing. When /
stated that was aroused by noise Jim
put in:
"He un doan' dun say what sort of a
noise, squar'. Thars mo than fifty
kinds of noises, an he uns got to come
right down fine"
When I said that looked out of the
window and saw man in the tree he
interrupted with;
"Squar' Taylor, is you un gwine to put
that down agin' me. Thar's varus sorts
o men. How does he un know it wasn't
a nigger? Pin him right down, squar'. ."
Couldn't bin no Niger, nohow, said
his honor Couldn't been nobody but
yous, kase yous the one cotched."
When l testified to pushing the end of
the plank off the sill, Jim looked done up
for minute. Then a bright idea came
and he exclaimed:
Hold he un down, squar'. He says a
plank! How long was that plank What
sort o wood? Who did it belong TOT
Doan' give he un no high ground over
me kase he looks peart."
The owner Of the house testified TO
having been disturbed by a strange
noise, and he had just gone to the door
when Jim fell from the tree.
"Shore it was me?' asked Jim.
"Of co'se.n
"Doan' reckon it was anybody elser
Couldn't bin. Kase l grabbed it.
Better be keerfull You's on oath
What did l sayy'
"Said you un was arter apples"
Put that down plain, squar' Apples
isn't as big as beans yit, and if was
arter apples it proves insanity. That's
one for me,
When he took the stand in his own
defense he was asked:
Prisoner, what Is your name?"
"What yo' drivin at, Squar' Taylori
Amt no use to menshun any names an
git up great fuss in de papers. Jes;
go right along steady"
''Are you a resident Of this village
county and state?'
jess h'aT him. Squar' Taylor, thai
hain't no law. That'sonly fOolin around
jess like a man looHdn up a coon tree
when the coon is somewhar' else"
"What is your occupationY' continued
the squire.
SAY, squar'," exclaimed Jim as he
arose and pounded on the desk, "thi.
haiut no case whar' somebody stole O
hog. This is case whar' niggei
climbed a tree to rob a white man in O
house, an it's got to go 'cordin TO law ol
III draw right out"
Jim" replied the justice after somC
reflection, you un was up that tree
"a dun deny it,
- you un reclsoned to git in that win
7 der"
What winderl Hain't nobody swor
on which side Of the house that winde
was"
"And you IN recEoned to rob tn
stranger"
"Hu! What's he un got to be robbie
Of Hain't nobody done swore he's 60
uuf 20 buy a coon's tail"
; "And you uu was cotchedP
Cant agree with you, squar, If
feller stands still You can't cotch HIN
He's got TO be on the run
you IN has been in Jail fur steali
tobacco?n
"Hu! That's muffin 10 do with thi
case Who knows how many times thI
a stranger has been in jailf Put him rigli
up and AK him the queshun, squar."
The justice scratched his head, shArI
ened his goosequill pen, looked from m
10 Jim and back In a doubtful way an
finally said;
Jim Hiyers, I'm goin TO let you u
go free"
"Of co'se,'