The Adair County news., 1907-04-24
THE EARLY HISTORY OF MELVIN
WHITE.
(By u. l.. TayIor)
CHAPTER W..

His honor is right, said the attorney.
a witness should confine himself to the
facts, but if it pleases the court, / ask
that the witness, as he seems very
much embarrassed, be allowed to tell
his story in his own way, without too
much circumlocution.
Well, said bud, | was just amin to
tell what mama said to Melvin. Well
90 ahead said the court "Well Melvin
was jest mad and wanted his money,
and Logue had ort to paid him and
mama, she says to Melvin, says she,
Melvin, you jest let Logue alone, and
I'll pay you the sixty cents, and she
did pay it, and that was all right with
Melvin, he was jest mad
There were several other witnesses,
and good deal of conflict in their tes-
timony, and it would have been hard
for the jury to decide, had it not been
for the clear and explicit instructions
of the court. His honor gave two in
structions as follows: LIST, if the jury
believe from the testimony, beyond the
influence of reasonable doubt, that
defendent in this county and before the
finding of the warrant, did in Malice
make an assault on the plaintiff, the
commonwealth, with guns, pistols,
knives and rocks. at his own house, and
did shoot at the plaintiff and missed
him, and set fire to plaintiffs bed, they
should find him guilty as charged in the
warrant. and fix his fine at such sum as
the bed was proven to be reasonably
worth not exceeding the amount claim
ed in the warrant-unless;
End, the jury believes from the testi-
mony beyond the influence of reason
able doubt, that the commonwealth
owed defendent the sum of sixty cents
in good and lawful m oney, and had up
to this time failed and utterly refused
to pay defendant, then he, the defend
ent had right to collect his claim, and
in doiny so used only such force as was
necessary, or apparently necessary,
then the jury should find him not gull
ty, on the ground of justification and
apparent necessity. The jury retired,
and in short while brought in a YER
dict of guilty.
Shortly after this Melvin got into
trouble with perapetic clock peddler
from Connecticut who was perambulat-
ting in the neighborhood. The peddler
was eXtolling the virtues of his clocks,
saying they were far superior to any
thing that had ever before been seen,
that no man in the community had ever
had clock, or ever would have clock
that was at all equal to his, unless he
had bought from him. Melvin listened
for time, then answered that his
father had clock, that had been 1un-
ming for so years and that it was now
worth more than all the peddler could
carry at any one load, and t. at he was
talking entirely too big for anybody
engaged in his business any way, and
that he had better remain a little quiet.
At this the peddler became very much
enraged, and remarked that he was
ready to stand by what he had said,
and if anybody diden't like it, he could
take the less of it. Melvin told him
that he did not like the idea of fighting,
and that Kentuckians were not inclined |
to fight, but that they had the reputa-
ton of dying game, and that if he, the
peddler would just remain where he
then was for thirty minutes, they
would settle the matter in a satisfacto-
ry manner. The clock peddler said he
would remain.
Melvin went home and reported to-
his father that he had got into trouble
with yankee clock pedd er, caused by
comparing his clock with the yankees,
and the peddler had invited him to
fight it out. He told the peddler that |
he would be back in thirty minutes,
ready for any emergency, he did not
like to have any difficulty without con-
sulting with you. They were standing
near Mr.. Whites favorite table The
table folding leaf one, was made of
beautiful cherry, each leaf having on
ly one piece, and the top the same way.
MIR. White thought great deal of his
table, and would not allow it to be used
except when he had company. After
Melvin had reported to him the cause
of the trouble, the old man said, well
Melvin Won had better LET that vankoa
alone, if he would fight regular fist
and skull fight, you might have some
show. But he won't fight that way.
These downeasters are cool, calculat-