The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-30

wiping his eyeglasses with cambria
handkerchief. You should have city
government, courts and all that sort O
thing. Then you'd begin to get civ
ilized"
I'VE did try that onct, and it didn't
seem to work pretty much"
"Why not?''
Il think we got too much of it al
oncet, or it want jist what this yere
kind of a community required. Ye see,
there was a man come yere from the
east. He was an dedicated man and
appeared to be practical Our people
TUX to him right of 1t want long
afore he could do anything he pleased
with any of US. At that time the sa-
looms and gamblln' houses was dom
pretty big business, and scarcely a
day passed that there want a shootin'
match Then the stranger-I disre
member his name-suggested what you
did
"How do you do itT asked one Of
our best citizens.
First you must elect q town coun-
ell and a mayor. The mayor can ap-
point the judge of the court and its
officers. That's about all you need In
a small place like this
"It didn't take much arguin' to git
our best citizens into the deal. They
called q town meetin' and nominated
a mayor and council. They put up the
stranger for mayor and a dozen of the
steadiest men in the place for council.
We never see SIGH a quiet election in
your life. Every body voted except the
gamblers and the liquor men. who
didn't pear TO take no interest into it.
leastways they went on gam bin and
sellin' liquor.
1.-THE fust thing the mayor did was to
appoint the judge. the next a sheriff.
and the third was to close the gam
blin' houses. The gamblers, seem that
the citizens was dead stuck on their
mayor and council, just shut up shop
and went elsewhere. Then the mayor
had the council pass a high license bill
and this did away with the saloons
There was few grumblers who
couldn't git their liquor when they
wanted 1t, but the citizens as body
acquiesced, and the law was a dead
sure pizon killer.
"A boss thief was arrested. and, in
stead Of stringin' him up in the usual
way. he was brought before the court
The mayor set beside the judge to post
him Nobody seen the boss thief take
any bosses. He want takin' EN- thai
away; he was runnin' 'em of in the
middle o. the night. The mayor tole
the judge to instruct the jury to bring
in q verdic' in accordance with the
evidence. There want no evidence
there want no need o. no evidence
cause everybody knowed the prisoner
was a boss thief But the judge give
'em the law that the man was limo
cent till he was proved guilty. and they
must find a verdic' In accordance witt
the evidence. WAL, when the jury
got into the jury room they looked a
one another kind O queer. They coul(
do nothin' but acquit the boss thief
and so they did.
This want very satisfyin', especially
when the boss thief TUX the judges
boss with him when he left town
Some one thought the law had bettel
be changed, regardin' boss thieves par
ticularly. But the mayor said it woul(
come out all right. and the citizens
acquiesced.
Next day there was shootin' match
Nat Tucker shot and killed CT Allel
I when they was a-talkin' on the street
Tucker was tried. the mayor ag'il
Joachim the court. A witness testified
that he hearn Allen call the prisone
a '1ow down cuss." Another testified
| that he hearn Allen call the prisone
"a pestiferous varmint." A third Civ
! the most important testimony of al
He said Allen spoke disrespectful o
! fuckers woman"
"Was she a good woman" asked tn
tenderfoot.
"Sartin. s long as she lived with
man she KEEP straight. though sh
wasn't particular about a marriag
ceremony and didn't stick to no on
o 'em very long. When this testimon,
/ come out for the defense the jur,
made up their minds to acquit the &C
/
the judge, advised by the mayor, toll
'em there was no evidence tustifyir
the KILN and they'd have to convic
| Tucker They done it, though the
didn't like to, and Tucker was electe
to swing.
Tucker he'd allus been one O. tn
leadin' citizens and had helped tn
mayor organize. When the verde
was announced he riz up and lookiI
! at the mayor he says. says he:
Mr. Mayor. this civilizin' process
| you've introduced among Us may b
very fine, but it's death on this con
munity. You got rid of rum and gan
blers. though we need the rum much
". But what about boss stealth an
a man pertectin' the name Of the WI
man he keeps company with2 Eff thi
yere civilian machinery goes on ther
won't be boss left in Highbau Gulc
nor a female perfected. / don't car
what you and the council and til