Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-07-09
JUDGE AND PRISONER.

JUDGE AND PRISUNER.
1 was strolling about the levee in an
old southern town, musing over the
blight that had fallen upon a COM
meree once SO full of life, when | met
an acquaintance who invited me to at
tend trial held by justice OF the
peace in a tumole-down building not
far away.
On the bench sat an old fellow with
a red jaw and droll eye. He nodded
to us as we entered and broke in upon
the hearing of an indictment to say:
"Sit down and make yourselves COM
Portable" And then turning to his
cler4. he asked: Whats this man
charged WITH"
The prisoner was an old negro, of a
type now almost gone-fatherly, digni-
fed and yet gravely comical. In cane
brake he would have fought BEAR but
here, under the droll eye of the judge,
he was tremulous and shrinking.
Well" said the judge.
The clerk read the Indictment The
old man was charged with stealing a
Bible.
Whats your name?"
abraham Maffet, sah."
Il mean your real name.'
Oats de only name l cher had, sab,
an eff it amt real 1 KANT hep it."
"All right. You are charged with
stealing a Bible"
Eyes, sab, dat's whut I yere de gen.
erman say"
Are you guilty or not guilty?"
"Who, me?"
whom l talking tor
"Talkin' ter me, it pear like"
''Then l ask you if you are guilty or
not guilty?"
Den | has ter say, sab, dat l amt"
please step this way" said the
judge, addressing a respectable-looking
citizen. The man stepped forward and
testified that the previous evening, just
as he was about to close his bookstore,
the defendant, who had loitered in the
place, slipped Bible under his coat
and was making off with it when he
was caught
Us this true?" the judge asked,
speaking to the prisoner.
de generman, sab, no doubt thinks
it's true"
Are you the man arrested in his
store!"
"Da put dar hans on me an tuck me
outen dar, sah."
Then, what do you mean by saying
that he thinks it is true?"
Il mean dat he thinks / must be er
thief"
But you hold a contrary opinion, al
though confessing that you are the
man"
what de generman thinks will steal,
san. Now, let me tell -ou suthin', an
l hopes an trusts dat yve will bar wild
me. My ole marster YVES the ligistis
man dat eber crossed dia sdber Many'er
time at - O'Clock in de night he'd
come an wake us all up ter pray He
read de Bible ter us cherry mornin', an
he larned US how ter read it. An de
las word dat ligis ole generman said
ter me, wuz, Simon. no matter whut
happens ter you ur how POI you gifts.
allus hab er Bible. Doan be widout
one, an eff you ain got de money ter
buy one. take de vantage of de sar-
cumstances whit de Lord viii SLOWLY
spread befo' you OATS whut ole mar
ster said ter me-
That's all very well. but 1 think I'll
have to bind you over. for you stole the
Bible
But. jedge, befo' you do yo' bindin'
wush you'd jest lis'p ter me fer er
mint. / tole you whut do ole gener-
man said ter me. dat | mus neber be
widout er Bible. an dat eff / didn't hab
money ernuff ter buy one de Lawd
would spread out de circumstances fur
me Yes, sab. Not long ergo my ole
wife died, an ez she wuz dyin she says
ter me, Sam. want you"
What did she call your"
'She er-she er-called me Sam.
Her fust husban WIZ named Sam. an
she neber could quite git him outen her
head. says ter her one day, / says,
Look we're. lady, doan' call me Sam.
but she KEEP right on. Wall. sab, when
she was dyin' she says ter me: I