The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-04-19
Wisconsin Story of General Jones in
Territorial Days.
SOME EARLY EXPERIENCES
Verdict and Saved the Iowa Vet
ern @l 900.

X
of Dubuque. recalls good story of Gen
eral Jones' pioneer experiences, told b.
Judge 7. Mills, OF Lancaster In tn,
early days of the territory Genera
Jones was resident of Wisconsin, be
Ing one of the first delegates elected I,
congress when the territory was organ
lied. When General Jones first came
to Wisconsin he had part of his house
hold 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 travelling about the country Off
clating with his old fiddle as orchestra
at the numerous dances with which the
early settlers whiled away the long
remembered he had a master was
when he happened to be 'down in his
luck" Then he made as near a bee
line as possible for the Jones place, re.
naming just long enough to get new
outfit of old clothing and a series OF
square meals. During this time he did
such light work as struck his fancy.
which, to tell the truth, was not
too active In that direction.
The time came, as years passed and
the southw' stern part of the state
settled up, that the abolition sentiment
In the county reached point where 1t
took up Sans case. No one had
thought much about Sam before except
as good-for-nothing negro who was
in great luck to have a good home to
fall back on whenever he failed to
strike pay streak In his rambllngs
Now these retormers discovered that
Sam was O. poor unfortunate held in
bondage, an everyday object lesson of
the evils of slavery. They even went
further and urged the negro 10 bring
suit against his master for wages due
for his services during the years he had
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 and that II
there was any debt It was due from
Sam for bread and clothes. Sans ad-
visers would have none Of IL, and the
result was suit was commenced la his
name to recover wages alleged to be
due. 1t was first thought the whole
thing was joke. But 1t turned out
soon enough to be a very serious affair,
especially when the case was called and
1t was found that the greater part of
the jury was tinctured with sentiments
extremely adverse to slavery. Happily
for General Jones and unfortunately
for Sam and his friends Free Williams
was member of the jury. Williams
was an eccentric character who lived a
few miles from the county seat. He
was Missourian and therefore held
pronounced views on the subject of
"nigaers" which he had never kept
hidden under bushel. How he hap
pcned to get on the jury is not known,
but there he was, and In time came to
occupy about all the canvass.
The case was tried before Chief Jus
tice Charles Dunn, at Lancaster. The
testimony taken proved quite conclu-
sively that Sam was not entitled TO
anything for his so-called services
that on the contrary, he had been play.
Ing In the greatest kind of luck to have
30 good master. This, however, made
NO difference. The sentiment about the
county seat was that the niger ought
TO get wages. 1t was felt by the at.
torneys that this sentiment pre-.
vailed With the jury, and the attor-
neys for the plaintiff settled back in
confident expectation of verdict for
their side. But they had omitted Free
Williams In their count, and Mr.. VIII
liams was very much in evidence, as
they found later. After the Jury had
been charged they were locked up by
sherin Pepper. The first ballot was
taken and showed ten for the plaintiff
and two for the defendant. The next
ballot gave the plaintiff eleven and the
defendant but one. That one was Free
Williams. This was understood as
soon as thu ballot was announced, and
the batteries were trained on the oh.
stinate Missourian. 1t was of no use,
My terms, gentlemen, said Mr.. Free,
ARE verdict for General Jones.n
"But we are eleven to one, and the
evidence Is on our side
damn the evidence retorted, Free
1.-THE niger don't get one cent by nv
vote, not If have to stay here month. y
Arguments made no impression on
the oodurate juror, who calmly lit his
corucob pipe amid the flow of oratory
and smoked on, Indifferent to everything
that was said. Had it not been for an.
other Incident, extraneuus 10 the case.
the jury would have remained hung un.
I'll such time as the eleven men saw fl
to report that they could rot agree.
Ia those early days wolves were as
numerous as coyotes became on the
western plains later. 1t was one of the
diversions of the time to have wolf and
bear baitings at gathers of the settlers.
when the wolves or bears could be oh
tanned. This gave owners of dogs of
whose prowess they were proud an op-
Portunity to show of what they were
made, and incidentally pull of ronnd |
In