Evening journal., 1897-12-09
CAMPBELI-BEFoRE AND AFrER.

CAMP MPBELl@BEFORE AND AtlIER.
John F. Campbell, the fireman at
the county Court House, halls from
New Castle He is a good-natured fell
low, full of native wit, and the man
who endeayors TO handy words wibh
him and expects to get off with it, will
find himself sadly mistaken, for he has
the happy faculty of turning the laugh
against the other fellow IL he is given
half a chance. His good na.ure makes
him the victim OF many jokes, practi-
cal and otherwise. and the more he lis
iolSed the Uetter the jolSers like him,
for if he pays them back il is in coin
like their own, if not something de-
cidedly better Not long ago Mr.. Camp
bell and Lewis Dickey were called upon
by the sheriff to act as inquisitors in
the matter of the estate of Thomas cav
ender. of Smyrna. The sheriff telling
them that It was a mere matter of form
they certified to certain things con-
cerning the land and its value without
seeing the property or Iquainting
themselves with it's character in any
particular. On their finding The prop
erty was sold and the owner took i'm
mediate steps to upset the sale. He re-
tanned Peter l.. Cooper, Jr., and the
mailer came up before the Superior
Court. Both Mr.. Campbell and Mr.
Dickey were called to the stand, and
they admitted under cath that they
knew absolutely nothing about che
property in question, and had acted
soley upon the suggestion of the sheriff
and for his accommodation. The same
thing had been done many times be-
fore, but Mr.. Cooper found that he
could upset the sale on account of the
manner in which the inQulsitors had
performed their duties and he did it.
The friends OF Mr., Campbell made it a
great joke on him, and for several days
his life was one of misery. Just as he
was recovering from the effects of this
/ attack he was summoned as a witness
| for the defence in the civil action of
| John Levy VS.. eX-Sherih Paul Gilis.
/ He took the stand and swore that Levy
made certain statements tOs him rela-
| live to the financial standing Of him
self and Mr. ellis at the time that the
| Farnhurst murderers were in the
| Court House cells. He felt that he had
vindicated himself; but, 10 and behold
| Levy Immediately took the stand and
swore that he never had any such con-
versation with Mr. Campbell This
staggered Mr.Campbe.l, and he lert the
stand in anything but a pleasant frame
of mind, for he knew what an awful
jolly he would get from his persecu.
| tors. Nor was he mistaken, for he was
no sooner at his old stand neal the re-
( pcrters' table than the boys began on
J him. Now some artist has drawn a
/ portrait of him as he left the witness
stand after Levy had impeached his in
tegrity and veracity, and it is in pos
session of Charles J. Campbell. of the
recorders Office. To make matters
worse, Janitor Scott has one Of him
before he went on the stand, and The
difference of expression is singularly
striking. The fireman is awfully afraid
that some of Uhe local newspapers viii
take the matter up and run the two
portraits. and he win not rest easy
until the joke has become so stale thai
no newspaper will care to use it. When
that time comes he win spruce M
again and be his old self once more.