Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-10-20
TRIAL BY JUDGE.

Il
window looking out on to the yard, aud
ten feet from the window stood large
apple tree. IL being summer, the win
low sash was raised.
1t must have been about midnight
when a sound at the window awoke me,
and got out of bed to see what was the
matter. 1t did not take long to discover
that some one was planning SURPRISE
for me. A man had climbed the tree,
and from handy branch had thrust out
plank to reach the sill Of the window.
1t was the end Of the plank dropping on
the sill which aroused me.
stood back little to watch, and
presently the fellow, whose color could
not determine, started to creep along the
plank. l didn't know exactly what to
10 at first, but finally decided to give
him fall instead of y bullet. Waiting
until he was midway between the win
dow and the tree, gave the end of the
plank 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:
Nov, then, Jim Hivers, you un has
got yo'self into powerful fuss! Yo'un
has been tryin to git inter my cabin in
the night time to rob the stranger, an il
yoa un doan' dance high fur it doan'
want no mo- meat!
Wasn't a-tryin to git in," sullsily re-
piled Jim.
"Then what was you un doin!
"Arter apples"
"Arter apples which hain't as big as
shucks ut 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 arrove."
"Cawn't prove it ayin' me" calmly OBJ
served the prisoner.
you un just wait! I'm gwine to tie
yo' up till daylight and then take yo' be-
TO Squar Taylor"
jess meant to look in the winder," "
explained jim, who was evidently be-
ginning to be alarmed.
"Oh, yes! We understand! Now
you un come along to the smokehouse
and doan try any tricks on me!'
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 me!''
"Then III 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'. Thar's mo- than fifty
kinds of noises, an he un's got to come
right down finer
When l said that looked out of the
window and saw q man in the tree he
interrupted with:
"Squar' Taylor, is you un gwine to put
that down asin' 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 / testified to pushing the end Of
the plank off the sill, jim looked done up
for minute. Then 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 to?
Doan' give he un no nigh ground over
me kase he looks peart.
The owner of tho house testified to
having been disturbed by s,range
noise, and he had just gone to the door
when Jim fell from the tree.
"Shore it was me-" asked Jim.
"Of co'se."
"Doan' reckon it was anybody elseT
Couldn't bin. Kase | grabbed it,"
Better be keerful! You's on oath!
What did say?"
"Said you un was arter apples.
"Put that down plain, squar. Apples
isn't as big as beans yit, and If Sa
arter apples it proves INSANITY inlt''
one for me-"
When he took the stand in his own
defense he was asked:
prisoner, what is your name|
"What yo' drivin at, Squr' Tay.or
Aint no use to menshun any nalnej an
git up great fuss in de papsrs. jess
10 right along steady.
Are you resident of this villa9@,
county and stater
jess har him. Squsr' Taylor. ia.l
hain't no iaH. That suu'ly fooilu ....II. g..
Jess like man lookm up a cDOI ..".'
when the coon is soiuewEar else
What is your octupationT c,n.,nued
the squire.
"Say, squar'," exclaimed Jin as h.
arose and pounded on the desk, "thi,
haint no case whar' somebody stole II
hog. This IL case whar' "A Niger
climbed tree to rob a white mGu in II
house, an it's got to go 'cordin to l,v or
I'll draw right out"
"Jim," replied the justice after soUe
reflection, 'you un was up that treo.'
81 dun deny it,"
"You un reckored to git in that wiz
der"
"What winder2 Hain't nobody swors
on which side Of the house that winder
was"
"And ysu un reckoned to rob tn.
| stranger"