Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-23
HIXSON'S TRIAL.

Late at night, sometimes in co~ngenial
company and under the restful influence
OF hops and tobacco, DIR. John H. Girdne1
forgets solar plexus, politics and the other
bothersome things of his daily existence
and reverts in anecdote to the gladstone
days when he, sport loving son Of q slave.
holding sire, ranged the red clay SCARED
and granite bound hills of his native east
Tennessee.
And in those moments the precise, cul.
tivated accent Of the university bred, city
h~abituated physician Is softened by the
lazy drawl and the broadened novels OF
the men of the hills concerning whom he
speaks.
On such an occasion. a few nights after
the election, DR.. Girdner was reminded OF
a primitive court trial which he had wit.
messed in those years before the war had
changed the complexion Of a good many
things in the mountains Of Greene county.
ut all came about on account of the
perverse actions Of a fox" said the doctor
pensively, "but when I'd found that II
was to be a case of get dinner at Sheriff.
Cove or not get any dinner at all l spurred
up my horse and took fences and gullies
as they came till I struck the bride path
along the branch which led to that very
primitive settlement.
II intended quartering myself and my
horse on old Squire Nathan Lamb, the
soul Of real, homely hospitality and a great
friend Of my father.
"But half a mile from the squire's house
at q crossroads I met a procession riding
single file. 1t was composed of four men,
each mounted upon a little, shaggy noun.
tain horse, riding with the long stirruI
and the loose, easy seat of the lazy noun.
tain men.
"In front rode one Alb Henry, who car.
ried a long squirrel rifle across the pom.
mel Of his saddle. Next came Andy Hix-
son, a Hercules, who lived some nine miles
up'the mounting, the most notorious and
irrepressible moonshiner In that section OF
the country. Andy had no rifle, and l was
panied to see that his hands were secured
while his feet were dashed securely under
his horses belly. Directly behind Andy,
carrying a long Colts navy revolver III
his right hand, rode Galloway Myers, con
stable of Sherrill's Cove township, and be-
hind him came Hez Lamb, son to the
squire, who also mounted a long squirrel
rife at his saddle bow.
II saluted the procession cheerfully and
fell in alongside of Constable Galloway
Myers, SO long as the bride path was wide
enough to allow us to ride two abreast.
"'We all air jest a-takin Andy hyar
up befo' the squah tub be tried he ex-
planned casually.
"'Tried for WHAT? I asked.
"'Fuh a-shootin O. one o. them rev.
noos," replied the constable. He done
popped one OH 'em or KEN up from Knox
VILE last week tub raid Andy's stillhouse,
an the squah he lowed as how we all had
gottah try him fun It,
"'Bein ez how I amt noways objeotin,'
put in the prisoner, turning to speak over
his shoulder.
"'Bein ez how Andy amt noways OBJ
jectin, an even done insisted on bein
brought in tied an gyahded, explained the
constable.
"'So's they CANT be no ruotion raised
about cts bein no onfaih trial, put in
Andy.
"'Jest 60, said Myers noddine, IAN !
reckon thuh will be some o. a crowd
a-waitin fuh u.s.
"There was q crowd for that sparsely
populated country. At least a hundred
people had gathered in the shaded open
space surrounding Squire Nathan Lambs
cabin. The women wore linsey woolsey
and stick ~sunbonnets, gossiped languidly
and dipped snuff. The men-gaunt,
bearded, ragged, booted-leaned on the
fonoo mn ov %ha;v Lowe sn,,irroI rtAoo ord
pulled oobpipes orchewed tobacco.
"The 'squah,' q venerable man, who
had donned a coat Of many patches in
token of his assumption Of his official du-
ties, was seated behind a puncheon table
in one corner of the living room Of the
cabin. Over his head hung a cord swung
'whatnot, upon which were three books.
One was Pilgrims Progress, another the
Bible. The third, a dingy, grimy, calf
bound volume, the 'squah' r%everently lift
ed down and spread open upon the table
before him.
candy Hixson was led to q seat on q
bench fronting the table. He was still
tightly bound. Directly behind him sat
Constable Galloway Myers, with the mur-
derous looking Colt pointed directly at
the small Of Andy's back.
"The prisoner began proceedings him
self.
"'Ef the constable will reich ovah an
tex of nah hat, he remarked reproach-
fully, 4 reckon this hyah trial will be mob
decent an fittin.'
"'Tek of the %prizzonah's hat, Gallo"
way commanded the court Then con
tinuing:
"'This hyah volyume befoh me ez thuh
statoots O. the state Of Tennessee, made
an pervided. Accordin tub the m, Andy
Hixson, we all air a-goin tub try We all
fuh a-killin that rev'noo last Thursday
week. Whut hev ye got tub sayf Air ye
guilty eh not guilty, an may God hev
mehcy upon yer soul
"'Not guilty solemnly responded
Andy. II drawed a bead on thuh crittah,
but he he'd his gun out an wuz a-colniD
NAH way
"The court bowed gravely, and then sol.
EMMY, slowly searched the 'statoots' from
cover to cover. Having finished, he closed
the book with . decisive air and sat up to
render Judgment. III \
ANDY Hixson, prizzonah at the bah,
stan up he said. n
Anuy dfObo, towering ABOVE Gn0 H0aos
Of the tallest in the room.
"'This hyah count began the Judge
solemnly, has done sarched them than
statoots o. the state o, Tennessee, made an
'pervided, from kivah tub kiyah, an don't
and nothin In ,em mekkin II no crime fun
tub kill 8 rev'noo. w ~ ~
"'This count hez no doubt but whut
thuh's soinethin on the subject in the stat
oots, made an pervided, O. these hyah
United States, but ez 60 come. this hyah
counts jooisdicting 81 confined tub these
hyah state statoots, made an pervided, an
they amt no Representative o. the Unit
cd Estates hayh fun tub han ye all ovah tub,
this hyah count ez bound tub declah yer
not guilty o. the change O. muhdahing
that than ~rev'noo, Andy, 81 tub instruct
Constable Galloway Myers tub cut them
than haltah ropes an tuhn ye looss.
"Ooastable. Galloway Myers did ID in
struoteds and the whole party, including
Tie court, mounted and adjourned 70 Andy
Hixson's moonshine stillhouse to celebrate
khA h~rnU nvSknnvnA ~ A. k-l- IT,