The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1904-12-23
The Benefit of
Doubt.
BI KENNETr uAERIS.

| gloomy silence II was now the second
day Of their incarceration, and little
Sam Galloway still hung out for ac-
quittll. Sam was the exception to
the general gloom. He appeared
cheerful as he sat back in chair with
his feet on the window ledge, whist
! ling Il tune and staring out into the
twilight You kin stop that dcrned
| whistling, any way" said one of The
, jurors. Sivagely.
jess as YOU saw" said alloway
"l know | amt what you'd call
musical. was doing it jest to pass
the time"
Phil McMastcrS, the hulkirg. red
bearded foreman of the jury, pushed
back, his chair and went over and took
Scat on '!.c window sill.
Gee here, sammy" he said, arc you
any kin to this yer defendant, Scotty
| Burrows?
NO, sir answered Galloway. G
ain no kin o. mine.
ANY of your wife's kin
"NiXi. ill.,
"Does he owe you money!"
Nary cent"
hen what are you SO plague pon
Cd mule headed about this for?'
Il amt headed said Galloway.
'lts you men. lfyou'd come around
10 my way o thinking we'd be out of
mere inside o five minutes. amt i'm
laVor o staying here any longer than
nave to: So day amt no charms for
me- but amt going to railroad any
more Just because ! want drink.
DIN t you hear the evidence"
'Sure thing y
We'll, the yearling passed Hank La
motto on the keen jump with his tair
up ana Scotty's brand smoking on his
Sue an made straight for the Half
circle. n cowau when Hank looked
do"u IN the cooIie he seen Scotuv
stomplng ont the fire. That evidence
WASH t contradictcd."
Sure thing it was. Didn'; Won
near Scotty call him lying half breed
PUP right thar in tie court? what
makes you 50 plum anxious ter convict
Il amt ANXIOUS" said the foreman
but want this cattle Iastling
stopped ard | want 10 go home an
tend TO my business.
so Go We" came the chorus.
"5h,le5u) sam ny" cried a juror.
Fhar amt no sense in acting tdis
way
ON leave him To me now d" said
the foreman in Il. m, nacing tone: Won
had your say. IIe turned TO the OBJ
Stinatc juryman. Sammy he re-
sumed, IN give you show. In.
draw Stra"s with You to see whether
we acguit or convict
II never go against another mans
game, said Galloway, "'Sidcs which
it's immortal. see here McMa.tcrs.
ain t tongucy like you. You've been
arg in ever since we wus close herdcd
IN here an when I've tried ter say
nuthing on cotty's side O. the ease
You We bcllercd down the others to.
All the same, | know >cotty didn't
brand that Half Circle. A calf an.
ii stay 10y that Till there's a skating
carnival on the brimatun lake"
The f"lcman's brows knit i'm an uc.
ly lro"n. Slowly and with his eyes
iINtd on Galloway he began To remove
his coat. Then he rolled his sleeves
above his Glawny, airy elbows.
Gent 5, y said the foreman, 'extraor
din1rV c.ISaS SOnnnti,,oe ,o,.,,;
mcnts. Ina going tcl argy this OUT
with Sammy, an don't want none o.
you mixing in the qcbatc You turn
your faces 10 the wall. You can hear
The points | make Jest as well =
ne by one the ten turucd thrir
cha is, about laughing as they did SO
dat obviously i'm fear of the knotty
lists OF the icrociUIs McMastcrs.
II come from Missouri" drawled
Galloway. rather tremously.
~ sudden crash succeeded. then
VoIlcy OF profanity from the foreman
OF the jury, and the noise OF the lively
scuille Another louder crash inbi-
Gated that the table had overturned
The Juryman writhed in their chairs
1t was too much for flesh and dlood 10
bear. The ten jurors turned aS ono
man in time To see McMastcrs 90
down before blow from a chair leg |.
welded by Galloway.
with bound the obstinate iurv.
man wason top of his antagonist, ply |
ing the cudgci about his head and de.
fis INs..