Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-08-05

Jest the sort to beat his wife. Most of
us thought that d make Pole jump on
sim, but he seemed to enjoy naggin'
the Teller too much to spite it by n
fight. A niger boy had been carryin'
round bell an n sign adyertisin'
Webb's auction sale, an stopped to see
the fun. Pole heerd the tinkle of the
bell an tuck it an begun to ring it in
the lecturers face. The harder the fell
Ter spoke the harder Pole rang. 1t was
the biggest racket ever heerd on pub
lie square. Part Of the crowd-the
good, church fOlks-began to say 1t was
a disgrace to the town to allow stran-
ger to be treated that away, sence thar
was no law agin public speakin' in the
streets. They was in fer calm halt,
but all tho rest--the drinkin' men (an'
l frankly state I was one -secretly
hoped Pole would ring i'm down. When
the pore devil finally won, felt like
yellin' hooray, fer l glory in the pluck
even Of daredevil, If he's north
Georgian an white. The lecturer had
to stop without his collection, an went
off to the council chamber swearin'
ngln the town fer allowin' him to be
treated that away. Thar wasn't any
thing fer the mayor to do but order
Poles arrest, but 1t took four men-two
regulars an two deputies-to accom-
plish 1t.
1.-THE trial was the richest thing
ever attended. Pole had sobered up
Jest enough to be witty, an he had no
more respect fer Bill Barrett's court
than he had fer the lecturers platform.
Him an Barrett used to fish an hunt
together when they was boys, an Pole
kept CALM him Bill. 1t was Bill this
nm Bill that, am us Barrett had only
been in office month he hardly
knowed how to rise to his proper dig
nifty, especially when he saw the crowd
was laughin' ut his predicament. When
/ declined to defend i'm, Pole attempt
cd to read the law on the case to Bar.
rett an show whar he was right. Bar
rett let i'm talk because he didn't
know how to stop i'm, an Pole made
the best defense ever heerd from
unlcttered man. It kept the crowd in
roar. For awhile l swear 1t looked
like Pole was goin' to cleer hisse'f. but
Barrett had to do his duty, an SO he
fined Pole thirty dollars, or in default
thereof to break rock on the streets fer
ten days. You ort to a. heerd Pole
snort. Looky heer, Bill, he said, you
know as well us yo're a-settin' cooked
up thar, maxim folks say "yore honor"
ever breath they draw, that amt
a-goin' to break no rock In that brilin'
sun fer ten days case / beat that
skunk at his own gamer
You'll have to do 1t IL you don't
pay out Barrett told i'm.
Well, jest won't pay out, an 1
won't break rock nuther,' Pole said.
You've heerd about the Teller that
could lead n boss to water, but couldn't
make i'm drink, hain't you? Well, I'm
the hoss.'
Yesterday was Poles fust day on
the street. They put a ball an chain
to one of his ankles m sent i'm out
with the Niger gang, but all day yes
terday an today he hain't worked a
lick. He's as stubborn us n mule.
Thar's been crowd around i'm all the
time. You kin see i'm standin' up as
straight as a post in the middle of the
street from one end Of 1t to the other.
Pm sorter sorry fer i'm; he looks like
he's ashamed Mt bottom, but don't
want to give In. The funniest thing
about the whole thing is that Pole
seems to know more about the law
than the mayor. He says unless they
force him to work in the specified ten
days they can't hold him any longer,
an that II they attempt to fog i'm
he'll kill the first man that lays hands
on him. think Bill Barrett likes him