The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-05-19
JUDGE CEPHAS.

war 10 rue dlOnS Tue rOdu past Via o
Castle" l & observed u large and excited
.concourse of colored people standing I'M
der tho famous oak at that place. Upon
approaching and making inquiry II
learned that Uncle C~ephas-now Squire
Bolden-who, along with some others Of
his race, had recently been appointed
magistrate. was about to hold his first
court.
Elbowing my way through the dense
crowd till l reached and mounted one Of
the gnarled roots of the oak, l was ell
abled to overlook the sea of heads and
survey the court. On the safest corner OF
Il very unsteadyshuc frame was perched
the presiding magistrate, his ebony fore
head, which bowed back without limit
over his ball pate, covered with n ap-
propriate frown The rest of the frame
held the six jurymen, who leaned against
or sat upon it according to each ones
confidence in its stability. The prisoner,
a vagabondish out harmless looking man,
on whose crow black face fright was i'm
printed in an ashy cast, was wrapped up
in ropes and placed in the middle of the
shuck frame for safe keeping.
! lad scarcely gained my position and
taken in the surroundings when the court
opened.
DE court am now adjourned en- will
percecd to bi:ness," cried Uncle Cephas
in a loud voice as he removed his hat
and dropped it on the ground. Let
whomsomede"cr gwI ~pussycute dis pus-
sun hyerc in lie shucl; frame now speak
up or f'reyer hole his peace" he coniin-
ucd with s~olcmnity.
\ young mulatto, the slmartncSs of
whose dress eliminated in Il highly
glazed paper collar, slowly arose from
one Of the oak roots, cleared his throat
in the most approved legal fashion and
announced that he had been engaged to
conduct the prosecution.
We'll den. shoot, Luke, cr give up de
gun" exclaimed the court aftcrth tho coun-
sci had wasted a good while tumbling
through his pockets in Il perfunctory
manner
Mister Magistrate en- generlnen oh dc
jury" began the prosecutor after this
warning, you an dissembled tergcdder
hyere dis purity day under dis blue sky
en- desc green leabes to deform n CT de
highes' juties err froemuns en- Teller citi-
Zens."
DE gentermuns better not take quite
SIGH or big chip, en- chop er II c~loscter
to do line" put in the court.
"You am dissembled tergedder, con
tinued tine counsel, in no wise abashed,
''hyere TO see dat er pussun dat needs
~jestice wess'n anybody in de succle Ell
my whole intelligence gifts hit, Ell gifts er
plenny oh it, heaped up, sheken down,
| squashed in en- runnin ober. En- ef-ei
de law didn' inquire dat some confusions
must perceed out'n de mouf er de pussy.
! cutter, ev'y word dat would be Necessary
would be, 'Hyere's Nickydemus en- dat;
de linn err grapevine" pointing to IA stou'
grapevine which lay Oh the frame neal
the magistrate. "Ev'body knows hes
done broke ev'y law dat been made sencC
dey fust started to maxim laws, sides a!
sights en- stacks III um dat nebber al
been made. He's broke um straight way
en- broke UNI sideways, Ell broke EN- cross
ways, en- broke um sloperdicler. en- broke
uln puppendlcler, uppendlcier' aoWnen
dicler, en- roun endlc'er i've! mes hatelN
wo' um out to er fragile.
"But es de law do inquire some com"
SONS to perceed rum de ihouf er ue rns
stcuttlA iyyer, VIII rcrceea. rusty
who Is 'iat III de - * tfaln'; NlcEy
demu, NaSstah' Wat is he excuse
oh: Nv ythln@ II '.'l ifihi-i.f : "of
crpn one tlonS, "a "It Is "4h r!fht
Eben de biSgiSt i't lWtNi Roanoke "a
Tar river never c%cre'f ma II doln dat
Who'll come to yrr house 'il ioIlr
tull he ii make yer walk TWO lllieS !
yer work Ell mebhe wade de crlck, e'
den DIES want to borry . cents; Whoc
gin er thousin reasons why yer mus lei
him er dollar, en- "rn turn rom On gl'
ten housa wy he ca pay 1t: VINO e.
make de bisgis' prolnuscn de titles ker
formence i'll de Nunited States; Nh