Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-12-05
A Tennessee
Trial@5M
How a Judge Excused Himself
For Discharging a Prisoner.

In one of the valleys to the east of
the main spur of the Cumberland l
stopped at a "huddle" of houses for
the night. / was given a bed in a
chamber with a window looking out
on 10 the yard, and ten feet from the
window stood large apple tree. 1t
being summer. the window sash was
raised.
1t must have been about midnight
when a sound at the window awoke
me, and l got out of bed to see what
was the matter. II did not take long
to discover that some one was planning
surprise for me. A man had climbed
the tree and from handy branch had
thrust out a plank TO reach the sill of
the window. 1t was the end of the
plank dropping on the sill which arous-
ed me.
stood back a little to watch, and
presently the fellow, whose color
could not determine, started to creep
along the plank. l didn't know exactly
what to do at first, but finally decided
to give him a fall instead of bullet.
Waiting until he was midway between
the window and the tree l gave the
end of the plank a 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 | got down the
owner of the house was standing guard
over the man and saying:
10
got yo'self into powerful fuss! You
I'm has been tryin' TO git inter my cab
in In the nighttime to rob the stranger,
an If you doan' dance high fur it
doan' want no mo- meat!
Wasn't a-tfyin' to git in,' sulkily
replied Jim.
''Then what was you un doin'?"
carter apples"
'Arter apples which hain'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 knowcd
that yo' would get cotched some day.
The cotchin' has arrove."
"Cawn't prove 1t ag'in me-" calmly
observed the prisoner.
You I'm just wait! I'm gwine to tie
20 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
an come along to the smokehouse an
doan' try any tricks on me-"
Next morning he was regularly ar
rested on a warrant charging him with
Intent to enter and rob. The examina-
ton took place in the schoolhouse, and
the justice conducted it without any
lawyers to bother. When Jim was
asked to plead. he replied
II Jess didn't dun 1t, an I'll stick to
my fat If yo' hang mev'
Then I'll enter plea of not guilty"
said his honor, and he asked me to
take the stand. 1 testified as related
above, but all was not smooth sailing.
When stated that was aroused by
noise, Jim put in:
He un doan' dun say what sort of a
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
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 it
wasn't niger? Pin him right down,
squar'.'
Couldn't bin no niger, nohow," said
his honor. Couldn't been nobody but
yous. kase yous the one cotched."
When l testified to pushing the end
of the plank off the sill. Jim looked
done up for a minute. Then a bright
idea came, and he exclaimed:
Hold he un down, squar'. He says a
plank How long was that plank?
What sort o. wood? Who did it belong
TO? Doan' give he I'm 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
when Jim fell from the tree.
ashore it was me?" asked Jim.
'Of co'se."
''Doan' reckon it was anybody else?"
Couldn't bin, kase l grabbed it"
Better be keerfull You's on oathi
What did Say?"
'Said you un was arter apples"
Put that down plain, squar' Apples
isn't as big as beans yit. an if was
arter apples it proves insanity. That's
one for me-"
When he took the stand in his own
defense, he was asked:
Prisoner. what is your name?'
what you drivin' at, Squar' Taylor?
Amt no use to menshun any names an
git up great fuss in de papers. Jess
go right along steady"
Are you resident of this village,
county and state%'
"Jess h'ar him. Squar' Taylor. that
hain't no law. That's only foolin'
around. jess like a man Iookin' up a
coon tree when the coon is somewhat