The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-07-11
SHERIFF AT BAY.
Wanted to Serve Papers but Farmer
Stayed Proceedings with
Pitchfork.

Pltcl10rk.
A murderous looking five or six
tined pitch fork held up Deputy
Sheriff Henderson, and made him
stand in his tracks for a few min
utes, the other day. It was in the
hands of the Hon. Thomas Cooper,
and it looked awfully wicked as the
astonished deputy eyet its slong
steel tines, and silently hoped that
the whole five or six of them
wouldn't be poked into his anar-
omy. The officer wasn't a bit
scared, but he confessed that he felt
awfully quiet and docile while the
big fork was on deck.
The reason the officer was held
up was because he tried to serve
writ of summons on Mr. Cooper.
The Continental Insurance company
it seems brought suit in the circuit
court for collection of note that
Mr.. Cooper is alleged to have given
the company about six years ago
in payment of an insurance prem1-
um. Deputy Henderson went to
the Cooper farm to serve the papers
and found Mr.. Cooper engaged with
his big fork IN picking up ensilage
that his assistants with machine
were elevating into the silo at his,
barn. The machine was noisy and
the deputy motioned to Mr.. Cooper
to come nearer.
But Mr.. Cooper didn't
come. He had served his
country in legislative halls. where
he voted for Do1ph when he wanted
to and voted "agin'' him the next
day if he chose, and he didn't pro-
pose for any deputy sheriff to
beckon him hither and thither. So.
Mr.. Cooper stood in his tracks. and
the next thing that happened was
the advance of the officer paper in
hand for the purpose of making the
official service.
Apparently Mr.. Cooper knew
what the sheriff wanted. He re-
fused to take the profered paper.
He stood grim and silent. Then
the deputy attempted to put
the writ in the farmers
pocket. mo you don't" shouted the
ex-1awmaker, and stepping back,
he raised the cleaning fork and
stood as if to strike. It was then
that Deputy Henderson eyed the
long steel tines, and wondering how
fellow would feel with the whole
half dozen of them in his amidships.
For some seconds the parties oc-
cupied a waiting attitude each foe
man figuring on what the enemy
.fsaightsaase-sssss7r Thes she--esaa<r
who is an eloquent man in speech,
resorted to reason and argument
He pointed out the why's and
wherefores, and persuaded in a
silver tongued voice, but to all of
it the ex-representative who stood
silent strenuous and statue-like
turned a deaf ear. The more the
officer argued, the more Thomas
didn't propose to be made a present
Of the papers.
But all things end, and so did the
affair of the pitchfork. By and by,
Mr. Cooper started to his house.
fork in hand. The officer followed
always of course out of reach of the
fork whose tines cleaned in the
sunlight like SO many bayonets
along the battle line. The process
sion passed the yard gate, the man
with the fork leading the van.
Before the front door was passed
the fork was laid aside. The mas.
ter entered his house and closed the
door. With the fork Out of the
way, the deputy sherifs became a
close second. He too entered the
front door, just as the ex-represen-
tative reached for the knob of
another door through which it was
his purpose to pass. With quick
movement, the officer flung the
writ so that it struck Mr.. Cooper
in the back. s'The papers are
yours, shouted the deputy, who
quilted the place at once, casting a
furtive glance at the fork with the
many tines as he left the premises.
The affair has been the subject of
considerable Local comment, since
the facts became known. Lawyers
say the service IS complete, the law
declaring that whenever the papers
shall come in contact with the per-
son of the defendant that official