Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-08-17
JUDGE HoKE'S LATEST.

This yere case" began Judge Hoke
of Sandy Bend as he opened court with
long, cool drink within reaching dis
lance. began over in Wigwag Gulch.
Jim Wheeler, who sits over thar and
known to most of you, was lyin In his
cabin over at Wigwag the other day
when all at once he felt that he must
| have a whiskey sour at any cost. It's
| 10 miles to Sandy Bend and an ekal
distance to eDad Shot, but Jim kept
longin for that whisky sour till he
made ND his mind to saddle up and ride
over yere 1t amt for this court to
either praise or condemn a man for
ridin Is miles over mighty rough
| trail to git the cotton out of his throat.
it's sufficient to say that once Jim had
made up his mind to come he couldn't
git that mewl saddled quick enough,
and in his hurry he left his guns be-
hind. He'd got about mile on his
| way and his old mewl was strikin a
gait when he suddenly found Lew
Decker nthe trail before him. Lew
is that onery lokin half breed over by
! the door, and he's as mean as he looks.
As he stopped Jim in his wild career
he sung out:
Fall Off
What for?' saaid Jim.
"'Bekase want that mewl'
"'But it'll be robbery
"'Durn the difference!'
Jim wanted to palaver but the half
breed drew down on him and made
him hop off. Then he hoped on and
started back for Jfm's shanty. He
cleaned it out o Everything he wanted
and made bee line for Dawson's
Bend. Did Jim foller on in hopes that
luck might turn? Not foller. When
a stranger come along with two guns
and offered to lend him one Of them
did he grab the weepin and set out
after Lew? Not at all. When a Sec
ond stranger some along and offered
him both a gun and a mewl to foller
! up the half breed, did he forgit the
whisky sour and gallop off like a VEN
geful tornado? He didn't The burned
fshworm simply picked up his legs and
walked the other IA mines and when
he arrived here he come to me with
| tears in his yes and said:
"'Jedge Hoke, I'm a-callin for jes-
tice'
"'What dyou want of it?' said I.
"'To git back my own from Lew
Decker, the half breed.
| He didn't gin me straight story.
| He twisted it to make me believe he
had no show. I issued the warrant,
and the half breed was brung in last
| night The constable found him in a
cave in the Blue hills, and it took
about so shot 10 drive him out. That's
the case as it stands, and Jim Wheeler
will rise up while call him knock
kneed slab sided fisherworm without
any spinal column. l amt sayin that
Lew didn't have the bulge on him at
the start, but itain't intended that the
law is goin sep in while a Teller has
and cartridges left. The plaintiff has
not only got no case before this court,
but it will cost him 81 to squar' his
self with the lawand community.
Lew Decker, stand up. This we're
court as a court and as the owenr of
the Red Dog saloon never put you
down foranything beyand fresh. No
body kin skassly believe that you held
Jim up and cleaned him out, and it's
a sort Of record to be proud of. If you
may git UP the courage to run off a
bunch of cattle or shoot a Chinyman.
Howsumever, it's the dooty of this
court to see that you don't step too
high nor jump too far at the beginnin,
and you'll pay a fine of 81 and S. costs
or git vacation in jail. l understand
that Jim has got his property back
and l amt warnin you ag'in tryin the
same game on him ag'in If you feel like
it. I'm simply sayin that II you dc
and fall by the wayside you'll git a
SMALLER grave 1T public expense. II you