Morris tribune., 1898-09-21
He LEVIED ON THE DINNER.

TIE LEVIED ON TIE OlNNEf.
How q Tennessee Officer Of the Law Col
lected Debt.
The most interesting levy ever
heard of, said Squire Bell to a re-
porter, was one that made some
time in 1868 or 1869, when | was a
marshal of the Memphis municipal
court. Idon't remember the plaintiff
in the case, but old Colonel Cocker
i'll, who used to run a hotel where
the Peabody is now, was the de-
fendant. The case was tried and
judgment given for the plaintiff.
An execution was issued, and in
those days the court had quarterly
terms and all papers had to be serv-
ed during the quarter OF report
made why they were not served.
Well, would so out and see the
colonel and begin to urge him to do
something toward paying the judg-
ment, but he would always invite
me into his room to take mint
julep. Then he would become so
plausible and make SO many prom
Uses that I kept putting off the levy
till the quarterly term was nearly
up. About this time the attorney
for the plaintiff came to me and said
he was tired of fooling along like
that and wanted to Know how many
mint juleps / had been drinking
with the colonel. This scared me
some, SO determined ! would do
something at once.
Il went to see the colonel again,
and after refusing the usual invita-
ton to take the mint julep | told
him. that he would have to do some
thing. He said that if l would just
wait till Tuesday, which was the
last day of the term, he would set
tie up.
= Suppose you make it Monday,
colonel, I said, for knew that if /
failed to make the levy on Tuesday
my execution was dead, and l want
ed day of grace Well, the colonel
agreed to settle up on Monday.
When Monday came, the colonel
was awfully sick, and his three
boys, who were in the Office, would
let nobody see him. There were in
those days, just as there are now, a
lot of men lying round and waiting
to get on the jury. l had counted
the doors of the hotel dining room,
and | picked out a man for each
door and gave them 81. so apiece and
{ took them down to the hotel. When
the gong sounded for dinner, had
man stand at each door and not
let any one goin. There was great
deal of travel in those days, and the
hotel was crowded Pretty soon the
people began to fill up the halls and
wonder what was the matter The
doors of the dining room were glass,
and the people could see the tables
set and the walters standing round,
but they couldn't get in.
This didn't last very long before
the old colonel sent for me- l call
this low trick, Mr.. Ball, he said
No low trick at all, colonel,
said l. I have done thing never
dCne before in the world. / have
levied on hot dinner, and / am go
ing to hold it till that moneys
paid
The colonel waxed wroth and
swore he would beat the attorney in
the case just as soon as he got well. |
But, finding that his getting hot did
not keep the dinner from getting
cold, he finally sent for the book
keeper, WHO brought up about $500, |
which lacked just $3.50 of satisfying
the judgment. The colonel wanted
to get off with this, but / demanded |
security. He was lying in bed, and
reached under his pillow and handed
me watch and chain worth twice
as much as was still due. MEM
phis Commercial Appeal.