The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-10
OZARK COUNTRY JUcTIcE.
PRIMITIVE METHODS OF PRO-
CEDURE DOWN IN ARKANSAS.

HoustOn's Brother.
From the st. Louis Globe-Demoerat.
Yellville, Ark. Sept. 1S.-The sobriety Of
the Ozark country is apparent. 1t is
/ claimed, justly, that the high moral tone
/ extends to the rights Of personal proper
/ ty. You get no key when you are assigned
/ to room in a hotel. Few of the farm
/ houses have locks on the doors.
I 4 don't believe that there is any other
/ section Of the United States where larceny
/ is so rare as it is here said Editor Jones
/ Of the Mountain Echo, at Yellville. Il had
occasion to write something on this sub
/ ject not long ago. An article had appear
i ed in an outside paper which seemed to
reflect upon our people as regards the safe
/ ty of property. / said in that article that
I had been in this country eight years;
/ that 1 never thought of locking either my
smoke house or my barn crib, and that 1
/ had never had anything stolen. The state
ment was strictly accurate up to that
time. I'm sorry to say that about a week
after 1 made that boast 1 lost a load of
corn. Stil, such things are very rare"
The fact is, criminal trials are such nov
| elites in the Ozark country that they
/ serve the purpose of recreation. At Lion
/ Hill the other day the whole community
assembled to enjoy the inquiry into a lar
ceny case. Col. ATix's sawmill was utilized
| for a court room. Foreman Trip blew
| the whistle as the signal TO begin. Con-
| stable SchOonoVer, a tolerably fresh ar
| rival from Nebraska, was interrupted in
| the midst Of an expression Of opinion on
! the relative merits of the two sections.
! He was just saying:
"A man has to'put in a little more mus
| Gle making crop down here among these
| rocks than he does in Nebraska. But up
| there he has to work harder to make
! living. You see, he can't resort to the
| woods with gun every time he gets out
| of meat, as he can down here"
Were ready, Mr.. Constable" said a
short stout man in his shirt sleeves
| ed snorously, the court of Buffalo town
ship is a-goin' to take seat"
! Justice Mace, the aforesaid short, stout
| man in shirtsleeVes, carrying ponderous
volume of the Arkansas statutes, walked
over and sat down with his back to the
| buzz saw.
Constable Schoonover produced paper
/ which alleged that three men named there
! in were responsible for the disappearance
/ Of a certain log chain. one of the de-
| PENDANTS came forward promptly when his
/ name was called by the justice. The sec
i ond manifested not the slightest interest
in the proceedings, but stood with his back
You'll have to talk louder, judge, said
| Schoonover. THAT man can't hear moth
EDO you plead guilty or not guilty?"
the judge asked Of a man on log facing
mot guiltyr' said the defendant with
such emphasis that the crowd admired.
The judge opened the statutes at place
he had marked with slip of paper and
| addressed the constable:
| Got any witnesses?'
Il believe I've got returns on a couple"
| said the constable, as he fumbled over
| some well-worn sheets of legal cap. He
| called the names. One of the witnesses
spoke up: I'm not going to appear against
this man.
The court loked at the witness and then
| consulted the law book.
LAS there are no witnesses" he said,
the court discharges the defendant"
much Obliged to the court" said the
defendant. He got up from the log put
| on his hat and went out from the saw mill
The justice turned his attention to the
other defendant The constable had been
| holding communication at short range
with the deaf man, and now replied:
He says he wants a continuance until
| Saturday to get counsel"
The court consulted the statutes and
said:
ance. The case will be set for Saturday"
| Then, having looked over the Warrana
the. justice turned to the constable and
There's one man named here you havn't
got
| hain't got him. and / amt likely to get
! him. They say he's bad medicine"
Some of the auditors snickered. The
| justice proceeded to write up the minutes
| of the session. While he was so engaged
a man rode up hurriedly and dismounted.
Whats been done?" asked the new
| conner in the tone of one who understood
his professional rights before the court.
| 'So-and-So's discharged" said the Judge.
ION what ground?" inquired the new
/ mo evidence" replied the Judge.
! What was done with the other man?'
asked the newcomer.
/ He took q continuance until Satur-
/ day." said the judge.
| He had a right to it, commented the
| newcomer, turning away.
| Subsequently the newcomer said If he
/ had arrived in time he would have UNI
! dertaken the defense of the man asking
/ a continuance.
him, too. But as long as the court has
sustained the motion for continuance
nothing can be done.'
That's right said the judge, reflec-
/ lively, biting the end of his pencil.
The newcomer was identified as the
| blacksmith at Buffalo City.
! Justices courts in the Ozark country
are great institutions. 1t is told of one
! squire in Baxter county who, in passing
4 on a matter submitted to him, said to the
array of lawyers on both sides:
Gentlemen, l shall beside this case on
| pint that none of you has seem"
| A woman came down to Yellville not
| long ago to consult lawyer. She told
| him that a justice of the peace over on
| White river had divorced her, and she
| wanted to know if the proceedings were
'Of course not" said the lawyer. the
| justice Of the peace couldn't give you a
Wei" said she, ''he done it, all the
! same"
A message was sent to the justice to
/ come over to the county seat and explain
/ what kind of a court he was running
| When he put in an appearance he was
/ asked about the divorce, and at once said
/ he had granted it,
| but don't you know you can't divorce
/ people?" expos tulated the judge.
BY thunder" retorted the justice, 'I
/ married 'em and l guess l had a right to
/ divorce EN-
"Cussin' out" used to be one of the ways
/ of settling controversies in the Ozark
| country. It originated with old Uz Find
| ley and John Carter. The Findleys came
/ from Georgia. Old Uz took a great inter-
est in politics, and wherever he went ne
/ was followed by a venerable negro named
! Bosen, whose duty it was to steer his mas
/ ter homeward. when. he needed help. At
! one Of the early election old w and John
/ Carter became very angry at each other
/ 1t looked as If nothing but a fight could
| settle the issue between them, when sud-
! denly old Uz shouted
Mr.. Carter, stand and be cussed."
/ Carter removed his hat, walked out
| about ten PAGES from the crowd, and told
! old liz TO go ahead.