News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-03-19

PLANTATION of a Verdict-How a eli.
ent Spoiled His Case-"PegIeg"
Worsham's Great Scheme-A Plat.
form That Didn't Catch Votes-A
Duel With Rifles In the Civil War.
copyright, 1902, by Champ Clark.
Colonel Matt G. Reynolds, a native
of Pike, Il resident of ST. Louis and at
torney for the United States land court
in the far west, is generally recognized
as the fair rose and eXceptancy" of
the Republican party in Missouri. He
is as fine a fellow as ever hailed from
the home of Joe Bowers.
Colonel Mats Negro Jury.
While Colonel Matt was practicing
law at Louisiana there was a general
knock down and drag out fight at a
cOlOred ''festibule." When the delin-
quents were arraigned in the police
court, Reynolds appeared for the de-
Tense and promptly demanded a negro
jury. AS all the defendants and wit
nesses We're black as the ace of spades
the mayor complied with the request,
and in few minutes the marshal re-
turned into court with a panel dark as
midnight when the moon is in total
eclipse. The cause proceeded, and
Reynolds made flaming speech. The
city attorney summed up thusly: Gen
tlemen, you are the pioneer cOlored
jury in this county. By your verdict
you will prove to the people whether or
not the members of your race are fit
for the duty of citizenship. These de-
PENDANTS are clearly guilty, and if you
don't convict them there will not be
another negro jury in Pike county in
fifty years. hope you will show by
your verdict that you are worthy Of
the high position you this day occupy"
The jury retired for about one minute
to consider their verdict, which they
returned into court, filming the defend
ants the highest amount possible under
the law. For some time the circum-
ambient atmosphere was at a high
temperature and cerulean hue in the
immediate vicinity of Colonel Reyn-
olds.
Colonel Tom Anderson's Juror.
Among the argOnauts who in 1914
sailed in OK wagons across the plains
from Pike to California in search of
the golden fleece was Rocky" McPike.
He was a striking character in many
ways, and his madCap adventures, fan
tastic capsrs and curious sayings
would fill a book as big as the revised
statutes. Rocky" enriched our Ian
guage with the popular slang sentence,
IN get tl.'re If the rope don't break"
Wherever he went he was the undis-
puted master of the revels, and while
he was perfect daredevil he possess
ed the rare and wholesome virtue of al
ways fearlessly speaking the truth.
Once in Judge Hunts court Rocky"
was summoned as a juror in a hOtly
contested case in which Colonel James
Broadhead represented the plaintiff
and Colonel Thomas L. Anderson of
for the defendant. On
his voir dire Colonel Broadhead asked
Rocky if he had formed or express
ed an opinion, and upon his answering
mo" the colonel passed him as quail
fed. Whereupon Colonel Anderson
took him in hand, and the following
queer dialogue was had:
''AIr. McPiie, you say you have nei-
Their formed nor expressed an Opinion?"
Eyes; that's what said"
HAS either party to the suit related
the facts of the case to you?"
Eyes; both of them have told me all
about it,"
"Then," said Colonel Tom, with his
blandest smile and most Chesterfield
ian bow, how is it you state to the
court that you have neither formed nor
expressed an opinion about the caseY
Because, SIR" quoth Rocky" with
dignity, I'm well &C.
quainted with both plaintiff and de-
PENDANT, and they are two such out
landish liars that l don't> believe a
word that either of them said"
A Roland For an oliver.
AS a general rule ltigants and wit
nesses are extremely thin skinned and
so about any attempt to i'm
peach their reputation for truth and
veracity. But Judge Elijah Robinson,
now of Kansas City, was while prac-
ticing in Pike attorney for a man who
a startling exception to the
rule. Few lawyers nave been more
successful than Robinson, who fought
his cases with an uncOnquerable ener-
gy that sometimes in the heat of pas
sion closely Appropriated ferocity. l
will call this particular client of his
John Shocks for short. All of Shocks
neighbors came into court and swore
that his reputation for truth and verac-
ity was about the worst heard of this
side the days of Ananias and Sap
phira.
Judge Robinson saw the ground was
being cut from under his feet, and in
no lovely frame of mind he turned on
Shocks and said, "John, what do you
think of that?" fully expecting his
client to be fairly paralyzed by the pre-
dicament in which the impeaching evil
dence had placed him, but he coolly re-
piled: "Oh, the devil, LigeI Those
blamed fellows haven't any advantage
over me, for wouldn't believe any of
them on OATH" which would have done
very well perhaps If Shocks had been
sitting as a Jury of one in his own case,