Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-02-26
, HE man was in q reminiscent
mood. He was touched with
gray. and his eventful life was

gray, ana his cventTul HE was
filled with strange happenings
that afforded many an interesting tale
Il those he honored with his retlec-
tens and condolences.
We We're seated in the sitting-room
waiting for the call to dinner. The
occasion was a family reunion, or, at
least, Il gathering of as many relatives
%s could be present All the family
Eaws had been told and discussed,
and silence prevailed. 1t was then
that the man Of "reminiscences related
one Of his many unusual experiences.
Il do not believe much in justice"
he began, cynically. ':At least I have.
never seen it throughout my life. The
law is on the side of the biggest pocket
hook and the poor. often ignorant, man
who has the misfortune to have any
thing to do with either lawyers Or the
law pretty generally becomes the
worse off for the connection. How
1lce, in which l was mixed UP, has
just occurred to me.
The time was about twenty years
ago. the place was the village near
New York where I had my farm. a
heavy fall of snow had covered the
reads. making them in some localities
1mpassable. We had finished our
weeks work and were preparing for
Sunday. Chris Johnson, an illiterate
GeIman, who could not speak English,
my farmland, was told to go to the
village, about mile and half away,
Tor some supplies. He received two
dollars from me and set forth OH his
GRAND. 1t was about half-past nine
when he left the house
He trudged along the middle Of the
road, where travel had packed the
snow so that walking was not very
dfncult He carried an old cane, a
keepsake from his father. When some
Instance down the road he heard sleigh
bells behind him, and side-stepIed into
deep snow for the vehicle to pass with.
out turning aside. AS the sleigh drew
near Chris, the driver swerved the
morse toward him, and before he was
aware OF danger, the fellow in tho
Iront snatched the cane from my mans
hand. grabbed him by the lapels Of
MS overcoat, and belabored him about
the head. He was stunned as a result
OF the assault, and his assailants wen
through his pockets, taking the two
ooliars and a few cents which were
tnefeln. They also took his hat an(
cane, and drove off, leaving him lyine
III the snow. Chris, however, got
good look at the wielder of the weap
Oh. But it did not stand him in yer,
good service. when it should hav,
oeen OF the greatest assistance in send
lug the fellows to jail. =
My man soon recovered conscious
ness sufficiently to grope his wa,
nome. He stumbled into the hous
WITH blood streaming down his .face
ana With Jumps on his head almost a
ng as ones fist. It was with som
oihculty that I got him to relate jus
"hat had befallen him. He told M
laa0 the sleigh had large runners, an
.nat the horse was white. That wa
sood clew, as I had noticed sue
'ehlcle. containing three men bent O
na'lhg hilarious time, travelling aboy
we Vicinity for the past three day
moreover, had recognized these mel
ai'u my suspicion was directed agains
mem. But my man was positive ths
,nefe were only two men engaged j
'he assault upon him.
securing revolver apiece, we wel
osef the trail made by the runners
.ne sleigh. They left very wiz
, siaek which We had no difficulty
''iiowins. We saw. where the me