Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-12-05

what 10 90 AT nrSt, DuI HnalIy declueu
to give him a fall instead of bullet
Waiting until he was midway between
the window and the tree, / gave the
end Of the plank shove, and down he
went. yelling in alright as he found
himself going. He had scarcely struck
the ground when some one seized him.
The house was alarmed, everybody
turned out. and when 1 got down the
owner of the house was standing guard
over the man and saying:
'Now, then, Jim Hivers, you un has
got yo'self into powerful fuss! You
ua has been tryin' to git inter my cab
in in the nighttime to rob the stranger,
an If you doan' dance high fur it l
doan' want no mo- meatp'
Wasn't a-tryin' to git in," sulkily
replied Jim.
"Then what was you un doin'f"
"Arter apples"
"Arter apples which haln't as big as
shucks at this time o. var. Jim. yo' is
bad-bad all the way up an down. I've
knowed it fur vars. an I've knowed
that yo' would get cotched some day.
Inc cOIcDln mas drTOVe.
"Cawn't prove it ag'in me-" calmly
observed the prisoner.
.sYou un just waitI I'm gwine to tie
yo' up till daylight and then take yo'
befo' Squar' Taylor"
"Jess meant to look In the winder,"
explained Jim, who was evidently be-
ginning to be alarmed.
"Oh, yes, We understand! Now you
un come along to the smokehouse an
doan' try any tricks on meP
Next morning he was regularly ar
rested on warrant charging him with
intent to enter and rob. The examlna-
ton took place In the schoolhouse, and
the justice conducted 1t without any
lawyers to bother. When Jim was
asked to plead. he replied:
81 jess didn't dun 1t. an I'll stick to
my fat II yo' hang me~
"Then I'll enter plea of not guilty"
said his honor, and he asked me to
take the stand. | testified as related
above, but all was not smooth sailing.
noise. Jim put In:
"He un doan' dun say what sort of
noise. squar'. Thar's mo- than fifty
kinds of noises, an he uns got to come
right down fine"
When said that ] looked out Of the
window and saw a man In the tree. he
interrupted with:
"Squar' Taylor, is you un gwine to
put that down ag'in me? Thar's var'us
sorts o. men. How does he un know 1t
wasn't niger? Pin him right down,
squar'."
Couldn't bin no nigger, nohow," said
his honor. Couldn't been nobody but
yous, kase yous the one cotched."
When ! testified to pushing the end
Of the plank off the SILL Jim looked
done up for a minute. Then bright
idea came, and he exclalmed:
Hold he un down, squar'. He says n
plank! How long was that plank2
What sort o. wood? Who did 1t belong
to? Doan' give he un no high ground
over me kase he looks peart."
The owner of the house testified to
having been disturbed by a strange
noise, and he had Just gone to the door
nuth % III itii iIOii tit lIct.
"Shore 1t was meT asked Jim.
"Of cose."
"Doan' reckon 1t was anybody elser
Couldn't bin. kase grabbed it."
"Better be keerful! You's on oathl
What did / say?"
"Sald you un was arter apples"
"Put that down plain, squar'. Apples
isn't as big as beans yit. an IL / was
arter apples 1t proves insanity. That's
one for me-"
When he took the stand In his own
defense, he was asked:
Prisoner, what is your nameP
what you drivin' at, Squar' Taylor?
Amt no use to menshun any names an
git up a great fuss I'm de papers. Jess
go right along steady"
"Are you resident OF this village,
county and stateW
"Jess h'ar himl Squar' Taylor, that
haln't no law. That's only foolln'
around, jess like man lookin' up a
coon tree when the coon IL somewhar'
else"
what Is your occupationp contin-
ued the squire.
"Say, squar'," exclaimed Jim as he
arose and pounded on the desk, "thIs
hain't no case whar' somebody stole q
hog. This Is case whar' a nigger
climbed tree to rob white man In
house. an It's got to go 'cordin' to law
or I'll draw right out"
"Jim." replied the justice after some
ra 4
81 dun deny It."
"You un reckoned to git in that win
der"
"What winder? Haln't nobody swore
on which side OF the house that winder
was"
"And you un reckoned to rob the
stranger"
''Hu! What's he un got to be robbed
Off Haln't nobody done swore he's got
nuff TO buy coon's tall"
"And you un was cotchcdp
Cant agree with you, squar'. If
feller stands still, you can't cotch him.
He's got to be on the rum"
you un has been In Jail fur stealin'
tobaccoI"
"Hu! That's muffin TO do with this
case. Who knows how many times this
stranger has been In Jaill Put him
right up an AK him the queshun,
squar'"
The justice scratched his head,
sharpened his goosequill pen. looked
from me 10 Jim and back In II doubtful
way and finally said:
"Jlm Hlvers, I'm goln' to let you un
go free"
"Of co'se."
'But be powerful keerful how yous
go blowin' yous horn around In fu-
ture."
81 hain't gwine TO blow"
When court was dismissed, his honor
came over TO me and said: