The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-04-07
miscellaneous.
A TRUSTWORTHY PRISONER.

heIlbuChy CTlIliHdl procedure Was
tried at the September term of the
Lewis County Circuit Court in 1885,
1t was peculiar, not so much ON &C
count of the crime-mayhem-a it
was because of the unlleard of con-
duct OF the Sheriff and prisoner af-
ter conviction.
and Edward Campbell, two promi
nent citizens of Lewis county, engag-
ed in q rough and-tunble fight at
Vanceburg. They were both power
full men physically, and, as witnesses
afterward testified, tnev "hit one an
other like horses a-kicllin'" Final
ly, after each contestant had register
ed number of knock down blows,
Campbell got his opponent down
and proceeded to punish him in har-
mony with the most approved me
thods of the old-time tistic art
Lyles, who had worn the belt'' for
several generations, grew desperate
at the awful prospect of being lick
ed, and, raising his head with bull
dog ferocity, he seized the neither
lip of the prospective victor between
his teeth and eliminated large chunk
from the inner part of it. At the
succeeding term of the Circuit Court
the grand jury indicted Lyles for the
crime of mayhem, and a trial was at
once accorded the defendant.
The jury, after listening to the testi-
mony, retired, and after a prolonged
consultation returned a verdict of
guilty Judge Walker Reid, there
fore, sentenced the defendant to the
penitentiary for one year.
And now come the features of the
case that constitute it q striking ano-
maly in criminal history. The Sheriff,
w. b. Parker, nicknamed Buck"
was lifelong chum of the sentenced
man. Accordingly, instead of taking
possession Of Lyles' person, he told
him to ''go home and he would see him
the following day" Lyles, acting
on this liberal suggestion, mounted
his old black horse and left for home,
seven miles south of the county seat.
The next day Parker rode out to
Lyles' home and found the latter "cut-
ting up corn
"Hello, friend Larkin ~ shouted
the Sheriff, riding up to the rail fence,
few steps away from the prisoner.
Hello, Buck ! Good morning."
Hard at work, see ?''
Yep; gettin' my hand in We see,
SOS it won't go ser fox Taxed hard win
me when git ter Frankfort
ser, haw, haw, haw, haw" merrily
shouted the Sheriff. When do you
think you will be ready to start, Lar
kin -
81 can't tell jest yit, Buck, ;" return
ed Lyles, coming up to the fence
and resting his arm on the top rail-
wall, about when do you think ="
"Lemme see, now," returned the
sentenced man, scratching his head
in puzzling cogitation. ON try ter
git ready two weeks from ter day
Ye see, Buck. I've got er heap sight
O. things to see to afore kin possibly
git off. The con is all ter cut up,
my stray hogs must be hunted an
put up, an dead coolies NV luther
matters ter see to, but I'll be ready
by that time if thar's no provIdential
hindrances.
'All right, friend Larkin, | don't
want to discommode We no way,
shape or form or fashion. Thar
aint no big hurry for We down ter
Frankfort that | kin sec. It's got
along very well SO fur without We, and
l guess it can do Il lettle while longer
Go right ahead an fix up yer matters
SOS Polly Ann will heve as little trou-
BILE as possible, and when we've got
perfectly ready, if l don't see We
tween now and then, just come on
in an We'll GO
Two weeks later Larkin Lyles came
in and reported to the Sheriff.
well" spoke the Sheriff, ''if you
are ready, Larkin, / am Which
route do you want tt take?'
Il l. al,
route. | propose to go the nearest
way through the hills, an take my
gun and hunt through to Frankfort"
"All right, Larkil," returned the
Sheriff. You walk through, if it
suits you best. I've got little biz
ness ter tend to at Mayville; SO I'll
jest go on thar an tend to it, an then
take the stage over to the turn
pike. I'll try to be there before you
do"
You'll have to make pretty good
time, Buck, eff you do"
So Sheriff and prisoner started for
Frankfort, each taking separate
route. On the way through the hills
Lyles killed several deer and arrived
at Frankfort before the Sheriff got
there.
He reported at once to Gov. Clark.
When the latter entered the waiting
room Lyles rose and extended his
hand:
"Be you Gov. Clark ?''
~ am, sir, what can do for your"
PUT me in the penitentiary," was
the laconic reply.
PUT you in the penitentiary ~ ex-
claimed the bewildered Executive
What do you mean p
"Jist what l sed / was tried in
Lewis county for bitin' off a durn
cuss,s lip an was tried fer it and the
Judge sentenced me. Amt Sheriff
Parker never showed up yit? ~
mo, sir, l know nothing about
your case. I've no authority to put
you in the penitent:ary. Where is
the Sheriff ?''
Why" returned the astonished
Lyles, ''hain't he never cum He
started the same time did, an as |
walked through, an he took the
stage, I'd think he orter be here
I'm kinder uneasy about him.
While they were discussing, and
the old Governor was pulling over
the strange case the Sheriff came in.
The two friends leaped toward one
another with unnatural EXPLANATIONS
of delight.