The St. Johns herald., 1892-05-26
A FEARLESS JUDGE.
Lively Recoilections of Quaint and Orig
 inaI Character.


 inal Character.
 Judge Noah Smith a citizen of Jeffer- i son county, who died recently in his l 76th year, was, in many respects, re- markable man, writes a Louisville (Ga.) ] correspondent of the Atlanta Constitu- ton. His educational opportunities were very limited, and he never read books or papers to much extent, but was a close listener and read men thor oughly. His native mother wit" or shrewdness and good sense born in him, were of very high order; and it was his delight to associate with the noble and intelligent, and this coupled with hia natural good sense made him conversant with the current topics of the day and a very interesting associate to the moss 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 considerate under the greatest provocations. As illustra- tions, 1 will mention, that coming one evening from the mill below him he espied runaway slave close to the road behind a tree. He interrogated him and soon discovered that he had left his 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 a huge club, replied with an oath that he had ''started to Augusta and would go there," and walked off. When about sixty yards distant the judge emptied one barrel of his gun at him, but it seemed to make no impression as the shot were small. After the second fire the negro went staggering along as if mortally wounded, though Tot soli- tary shot had pierced his skin. It was all sham for purpose. It was get ting dark and the judge couldn't bear the idea of the negro's dying in the woods without attention, so he jumped from his saddle and pursued him.
 The latter retreated until he reached a 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 clubbed his gun and struck him blow which he parried with his club. He drew his gun back to strike sec ond blow when it hitched to limb be- hind him, and while trying to extricate it the negro brought his club down or top of his head with all his power. which nearly proved fatal, adding: "l reckon you will go now" The judge replied: ''I will for short time," anc went reeling out of the pond.
 As soon as he reached home he bound up the wound and sent after pack ot 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 furiously as he could not reasonably hope for mercy. Several men present armed with clubs and pistols wanted to kill him on the spot, but the judge interceded and saved his life. The next day he gave him moderate whipping and returned him to his owner.
 Upon another occasion he came upon a runaway who was slashing his favor ite hounds to pieces with scythe blade. He knocked the weapon out of his hand, captured him and offered him no fur ther violence.
 He seemed to be an entire stranger to fear in everything outside of religion. I saw him one day in a hunt, when an old buck had just been jumped by fleet pack of hounds-and had nearly mile the start of him-mal1e an effort to head him. There was only one stand four miles away. The judge took his hot 1Ar-iIl iy1 double-barrel in the other and went, as hard as his horse could slave, uphill and downhill and over bridges the entire distance. But the buck came out two huddred yards ahead. It was the grand est man and buck race upon record! It makes my nerves jingle to think of it even now.