The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-09-19

at the shank. While he contended that
it vas old and rusty and ready to
break, he offered to buy Il new one to
replace 1t. Much to his surprise, he
was allowed to do so, and he went
home to say to his wife:
Martha, I've known Deacon Hard
man for thirty years and have Just
found him out. He's a human hog.
and if he ever goes to heaven l want
to go somewhere else"
For two wc2,:S after that the two
ldeacons NODDED colliy to each othn.
Whenever they met. ana it gradually
Ib""ame known to Jericho that their
relations We're strained. Then N
morning Deacon Goc4,hne set out to
iCr!"' t3E2 hoe owe 70 the weighing
seals. lie hal = pass tie Otter Ge2-
lcol'.: hHEsc. and a. he canle along tho
lgat2 was open and III Tho hog; mad"
a r':;h for il. re was trying to drive
ltEc-l out Of Deacon HardMan's yard
when the latter came out and said:
"Bv gum. Deacon Goo1hue, but this
is go;l' too fur-too fur. You opened
that gate and driv your hogs in on me
la-purposer'
Il never did. and you know l didn't!!'
lretorted Deacon Goodhue as he paused
in his running.
Eyes, you did"
"No, l didn't"
do YOU call me a liar?"
Eyes, if you call me one"
v-aIo - I>~.y- 49,. YyJ $500 h@ $1,000
with YOU"
"Come out here and I'll make you
lsee stars!"
Then and there the deacons clinched
and rolled on the grass together, and
they were choking each other and
breathing hard when Moses Schemer-
horn came along and separated them.
deacon Hardman wen straight to JUS
tice Somerfield and swore out a war
rant for assault and battery, and two
days later the trial came off, and Jeri-
cho had a sensation to peat a landslide
or a volcano.
Both men had their friends and the
public was divided. The only person
who had witnessed the fracas was Dea-
tCOu I1dIuIldu VILE, DuL C1cIc WcIc
Iother witnesses sworn.
Old Mrs. Taylor swOre that she had
always suspected Deacon Goodhue to
ibe a man of violent temper and that
The only needed to be kicked to become
la murderer. Moses Hunt was q mile
jaway that morning looking for his
Icow, but he swore that Deacon Hard
imam was the sort of nan to lose his
temper and do awful things if he found
la strange hog roofing up his holly
|hocks. Abner Crossman, who had
known both parties for thirteen years,
lswore that he had known Deacon
IGoodhue to fall off a haystack, get
|mired in a swamp and fight humble
lbees for half an hour without losing
1.-THE smile on his face, and he could not
believe that he had begun this fuss.
IOpposed to him was Trueheart John
lson, who said he had seer Deacon
IHardman kicked head yer heels by 4
IcOw, run over by a hog and knocked
Idown by n ram and that he preserved
Ia humble spirit throughout and even
asked the cow to forgive him if he had
hurt her feelings.
Mrs. Hardman's testimony was that
lShe was washing the dishes after
breakfast when she heard her husband
Igive a grunt and rush from the house.
jShe followed him to the door and heard
land saw all that subsequently passed,
Though In such a nervous state that she
Icould not be sure of anything. She felt
lalmost sure that Deacon Goodhue said
l"by gum and 'deviT' and "oId crank"
but she wouldn't be positive of it.
lShe was almost as sure that her hus-
Iband started to sing a hymn and made
lsome Scriptural quotation. but she
might have been mistaken. She was
mot sure who grabbed the other first,
but she could swear on the living Bible
THAT they had trodden all the cucum-
beers into the earth and broken down
most Of her tiger lilies She ended By
Isaying that she had had rheumatism