Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-15
DISCOVERED a NEW LANGUAGE.
An Interpreter Required to Explain st.
Lmnis LcNec LiMyo.

The services of an interpreter were re-
Quirod during the trial of Charles Parker
in Judge Pcabody's court the other morn
ing, says the ST Louis Globe-Democrat.
Yet the prisoner and all the witnesses,
with the possible exception, of course. OF
the police officer. were born in the United
States. Strange as this may seem, and
difficult as IL was to try the case, the eN-
ira half hour which was required for the
trial because an interpreter was found
necessary, may have been we'll spent, for
II spreads u hitheSto undiscovered coun-
try at tho feet of the magazine poet who
writes weird things In dialect.
To tell the truth. the witnesses were
their own interpreters, but this makes the
case none the less interesting. No ono
hut man born and raised on the river
car speak Levec lingo. and as the defen-
dant and the plaintiff were both natives
of the river strip, Judge Peabody was I'M
able to understand them. Parker was
charged with assaulting Jim Rankin, and
:he latter told his story in this way;
"Ah was dun gwine down to'ard dat
shlncraf when dis niggah hyah spokology
To- meh toe low bridge, an All was duck
in ina nut when he cum long an shashes
TO meh with bumbershoo. All dun to!e
hc-unS toe screw toe de lcf' bank when
nc shives me on de coco with a rock. All
reckon de sh!nor-up dun heah rumpology,
70 he lankcys round De conan an pals
his smoke wagon. DE pocket-cutter he
am scared an lows he am gone, and
heah We is" Which, being translated is
equivalent To saving that the speaker was
WALKING down to the wharf-boat when the
defendant told him to go away He start
81 ard the defendant ran after him.
He warned the defendant away but that
gentleman picked up paving stone and
struck him on the head. He shouted for
help, and the officer came running around
the corner with his revolver in his hand.
lie told the defendant to surrender, and
that individual threw up his hands, They
were then taken to the police station.
Durin the trial the followin choice bit
of conversation took place:
you say you have worked with the de-
PENDANT for three years. What do you
know about him."
Hey am a pockct-lountah,"
whats that?'
"a red-lishter."
We'll. be moro lucid. What is red
lighter"
Hit am puhson wat steals a puhson' $
clothes an den dumps him ovahbo'd. De
las wat he sees am de red light on de
pack o. de boat"
"How do you know thls?"
Goose Ah capoozled."
whats that?'
Lighted evencr."
what does that mean?"
"Divied." This with much disgust.
But from the last word II became ap-
parent to the city attorney that he meant
he had divided proceeds Parker was
fined $50 and told the marshal as he was
being led back that he had been "junk-a-
bunked," or not been treated right Rank
in, who appeared against him. said the
prisoner dun got beans" or what he de-
served, and he went away happy,
"Ah dun got he-uns scwed up in de lamr
house." he told another man. "GoobegS
be sproutin' TO hc-uns boX-cars." Which
! being translated, meant he was locked
up IN Jail and peanuts would he growing
| again before he had a chance to shoot
craps.