Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-05-17
His Pioneer Lawsuit.
WISCONSIN STORY oFGEN. JONES.
How Wolf Fight Influenced Jury &
Verdict end Saved the Iowa Veier-
an Sl,O00-An Experience of
the Early Territorial Days.

MADISON, Wis, April - The cele-
brat,on by the citizens Of Iowa of the
annivers ,rv If General George W.
Jones. q Dubuque. recalls good story
of General Jones pioneer experiences
told by Judge Joseph L. Mil. Of Ian
easter. In The early days Of the terri
tory General Jones was resident of
Wiscon in, being one of the first dele
gates elected to congress when the
territory was organized. When Gen.
oral Jones first came TO Wisconsin he
had as part of his household a negro
named Sam, who was victim of the
peculiar institution" The chains of
bondage never sat very heavily on Sam
Most of his time was spent traveiing
about the country officiating with his
old fiddle as orchestra at the numerous
dances with which the early set lers
whiled away the long winter evenings.
The only tunes Sam remembered he
had master was when be happened to
be s'do wn in bis luck Then he made
IS near a bee line as possible for the
Jones place, remaining just long enough
TO get new outfit Of old clothing and
series Ct square meals. During this
time he did such light work as struck
bis fancy, which, to tell the truth, was
not too active in that direction.
SUING GENERAL JONES.
The time came, as the years passed
and Tic southwestern part Of the state
settled up, that the abolition sentiment
in the country reache q point where it
took up Sans case. No one had
thought much of Sam before except as
od-for-notbing negrowho was in grea,
luck to have good home to fall back on
whenever be failed to strike pay streak
in his rambings Now these reform
ers discovered that Sam was poor I'M
fortunate held in bondage, an every
day object lesson OF the evils OF slaX cry
They even went further and urged tue
negro to BRING suit against his master
for wages due him for his services dull
the years he mad been held in bondage.
In vain was it pointed out that General
Jones would have been only too glad to
have got rid Of the worthless fellow aud
that if there was any debt it was due
from Sam for board and clothes. Sam S
advisers woIld have none of it, and the
result was suit was commenced ia his
name 10 recover wages alleged to be
due 1t was first thought the whole
thing was Joke. But it turned out
soon enough 10 be serious affair, es-
pecially wnen the case was called and
it was found that the greater part of the
Jury was tinctured with sentiments ex-
tremely adverse to slavery. Happily
for General Jones and unfortunately
for Sam and his friends, Free Williams
was a member of the jury. Williams
was an eccentric character who lived q
few miles from the county seat He
was Missourian and therefore held
pronounced views on the subject OF
''niggers" which he had never Kept
hidden under busheI. How he hap
pened 10 get on the jury Is not known,
but there he was, and in time came to
occupy about ali the CANVASS.
The case was tried before Chief JUS
tice Charles Dunn, at Lancaster The
testimony taken proved quite conclu-
siveiy that Sam was not entitled to any
thing for his so-called services; that,
on the contrary. he had been playing ia
the greatest kind of luck to have so good
master. This, however, msde no
county seat was that ''the Niger
ought to get a judgment for wages. It
was felt by the attorneys that this senti-
ment prevailed with the jury, and
the attorneys for the plaintiff
,ttled back in confident expect
alton of a verdict for their side. But
they had omitted Free Williams in their
count. and Mr.. Williams was very
much in evidence, as they found later.
After the jury had been charged they
were locked up by Sheriff Pepper. The
first ballot that was taken showed ten
for the plaintiff and two for the de-
PENDANT. The next ballot gave the
plaintiff eleven and the defendant but
one. That one was Free Williams.
This was understood as soon as the
ballot was announced, and the batteries
were trained on the obstinate Missouri
gentlemen said Free, ''are verdict
for General Jones.
But we are eleven 20 one, and the
evidence is on our side
DAMN THE EVIDENCE '
damn the evidence, retorted Free.
The niger don't get one cent by my
vote, not if | have 10 stay here
month.
Arguments made no impression on
the obstinate juror, who calmly lit lis
eorncob pipe amid the flow of oratory
and smoked on. indifferent tC every
thing that WAS said. Had it not been
for another incident. extraneous to the
case. the jury would have remained
hung until such time as the eleven men
saw lit 70 report that they could not
agree.
la those days wolves were as nu-
merous as coyotes became on the wes-
tern plains later. 1t was one of the iii.
versions of the time to have wolf and
bear baitings at gathers of the settlers,
when the wolves or bears could be OBJ
tanned. This gave owners of dogs of
whose proves they were proud, an OPP
portunity TO show of what they were
made. and incidentally to pun off round