The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1900-01-13

1
duty" said the man of experience. by
duty l mean what is required OF him
under the law, which is sometimes
widely at variance with the promptings
of heart and conscience. have in mind
now the difficult task imposed upon
Charley Tatman when he was sheriff OF
Clermont county. Tatman had been
good friend of mine for many years.
When he was elected to the office OF
sheriff he asked me to act as deputy.
During the first year of Tatman's term
nothing of importance happened. But
along in the second year of our service.
lust at the time when Tatman began to
lay his plans for reelection, we struck
a snag.
THE farmers in the southern part OF
the county gave the alarm For some
time, so they complained, they had been
suffering from the depredations OF
some petty robber or band of robbers.
Most of the thefts were small, but they
were continuous and systematic. The
luckless farmers had banded them
selves together for the detection of the
culprit and the protection OF their meat
and potatoes, but they made no prog
rcss in running down the thief. Once
or twice, indeed, after light fall OF
snow they had succeeded in tracing
footsteps from three or four houses
whose cellars had been looted to place
about quarter of mile distant from
the scene of the plumber, but at that dis
lance the footsteps suddenly disap-
peared.
The formers suspicious were strong
" aroused against family named
Leach. The teaches had always been
considered the most worthless white
trash in the neighborhood. They were
lazy, they were uncleanly, and they
were ignorant. 1t was well-known
fact that Hiram Leach had not done a
days work in two years. Yet in spite
of this protracted leisure the teaches
continued to shift along in their usual
haphazard manner instead of being
packed off to the poorhouse, bag and
baggage, as would have been the fate
of any other family in similar circum-
stances. Finally the farmers appealed
to Tatman to help fix the guilt, and in
response to this entreaty Tatman sent
me down into the southern townships
to see if could find the thieving ras-
Gals. Already the hirelings who stir up
political gossip had caused it to be
bruited about over the county that Tat
man was totally incompetent and that
he did not earn the salary of good dog
catcher, much less the fat sum paid the
sheriff of Clermont county. Judging
by these reports it was quite plain that
if Tatman did not soon redeem himself
in the eyes of the voters he might as
well wrap up his political hopes for the
future and save the money he would
necessarily have to spend in the coming
campaign.
IT, too, was baffied' when trying t.
discover the purloiner of hams and sim
liar food. Three robberies were com
mitted in as many weeks after / tool
the case in hand. At last determined
to get out a warrant and search Leach
house. Before taking action went VI
TO Batavia and consulted Tatman.
at suppose he said, doubtfully
that this is the only thing we can do
I've got to do something to make a rec
ord for myself or I'll be as bad OF a
they say this Leach is. guess I'll g
with YOU My presence will. perhaps
make the maneuver more effective an
serve as political timber next fall
1T was cold, snowy day in Marc
when Tatman and left Batavia to max
our raid on Leach's house. 1t was
miles from our town to the river cour
try. The roads were rough and in som
places well-nigh impossible, and a
though we set out early in the morr
ing it was late in the afternoon whe
we turned into the narrow lane that lie
from the highway back to Leach's. TIL
lane was long and winding and its II
tricacies were hard to master, but afte
having passed through barnyar
which was entered at no less than
dozen different places by as many SCI
of bars we found ourselves on the ores
of steep hill, at the foot of which, a
cording to the testimony of the be
who was feeding the shiver;Eg ANNA
in the sheep shed we should find Leach
house. Tatman and got out of IL
buggy and walked down the hin. "
kept peering round us sharply as v
went. but not until we came almost
the base of the hill did we see any sigi
of habitation. Then suddenly lit
puff of blue wood smoke was seen cur
ing up through the denuded branch
of the trees to our right. We went {
q few steps farther and the house itse
was in sight. 1t was such little hou
Of frame and logs, and its color was
very drab and discouraging that h;
we not had the boys word for it tn
Leach lived. there we should have be,
in doubt as to whether Leach's hou
was really house or stable, nj
outstanding the evidence of the chil
nsy and the smoke.