The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-10-13

L
err forced the unwilling consta bles. aft |
err considerable goading. to action. The |
snoring in slumber, was |
dragged out of the woods and cast into |
the new lookup. On the following |
morning he had sobered up sufficiently |
to appear before the court, which in
Pottersyille meant Judge Weaver.
Two of the constables swore to hav-
ing seen John Grant very drunk and
disorderly at the Come Inn. There
was no defense. The blacksmith even
pleaded guilty with a certain amount
of elation. Apparently the one uncom-
Portable feature of the affair to him
harangue which, behind the dignity of
the law, Judge Weaver delivered to
the prisoner, closing by sentencing him
to sixty days in Pottersville Jail and
fning him $6.76 costs.
There was a beatific smile on the
highly colored face of the prisoner as
he was led off to the lookup, closely
guarded by quite unnecessary consta-
bles, after offering to work out the
fine by shoeing the yoke of oxen kept
to aid the paupers in their work on the
town farm The proffer had been re-
fused with great show of dignity.
1t would have required no great eff
fort for the burly prisoner to tear down
the bars which covered the windows
of the jail and which were rather more
for decoration than for anything else,
but other thoughts were In his mind
He was. for the first time in his life, a
prisoner 1t was the duty of the town
to which he had paid poll and property
taxes for more years than he could
really remember to provide him with
bed and board The experience was
not only novel, but also distinctly
pleasing. vesting him with sense of
new Importance.
It was easier than working. this jail
life. and after the first week in the
we'll warmed lookup he began to look.
forward with regret to the time when
he must leave it.
With the passing of the first fort
night of the sixty days confinement
this state of affairs, however, began to
pail on him. He found that vacation
may be of too long duration. He be-
gan to pine for work. Furthermore,
his pride was seriously affected. On
two or three occasions Jailer Gibson on
leaving the lookup after bringing in
the blacksmith's supper had forgotten
to lock the door after him. The pris-
oner demonstrated in forcible language
at this inattention to duty.
"Tm goin' to be locked up nights
hereafter, Jim Gibson he said, knit
ting the red skin of his forehead into
a mass of frowning wrinkles. AN
want you to understan it Think OF
me stayin' in jail without bein' locked
up. Amt | got right to be locked
upy'
"I'll put a spring lock on the door
tomorrow, John, an then if I go away
an forget to lock the door you can
close it an lock it any time you want
swell, Jim, all | asks to be locked
up like l odEht to be-" answered the
Modified prisoner. That's all ask"
Eyes, an I'll do more than that"
that lock SOS you can open 1t from the
inside with nail Nobody but us
need know, an you can step outside
any time you want to. I'm dom this"
he went on hastily, "'cause l don't
want you to get sick while you're in
my charge Prisoners get all the ex-
ercise they want in ev'ry we'll regu-
lated Jail, an l amt goin' to have no
one say the Pottersville jail's benin
the times"
mo. nor nuther!" agreed the black
smith heartily. "Have some tobacco,
JimT'
Jailer Gibson took a pipeful of the
contents of the blue and tinsel pack
age extended to him. and. rolling 1t in
the palm of his hand. sat down to have
a further chat with the prisoner.
"See here, john" he began, ''the
boys aroun' Pottersville are gettin'
mighty hard up FIR horseshoer. They
don't want to go out of town FIR one
thing. sides, they couldn't get nobody
nearer nor Spencer, an that's most
forty mile away. We've been a-talkin'
it over at the grocery store, an we de-
cided to ask you if you wouldn't like
to do a little work here. We could fix
up a place where you could do shoein'
real Slick
II don't knows I'd object 10 it, Jim, -
deliberated the blacksmith, 'providin'
the boys didn't think twas lettin' me
down ON my sixty days"
mo one would think that, John" in
terpolated the constable. "Why, 'twoud
be Just favor to you, if you'd do it.
It's mighty slfpp'ry on the roads, an
it's hard ON the horses feet. There's
more'n fifty on 'em need sharpenin'
'Twoufd be just stroke Of common
humanity on your part, John, If you'd
do it,
"Wefl, yougo ahead an fix the things
up," agreed the prisoner. "an' / reckon
twill be all right"
The next day portable forge was
| obtained and hinge Dair of be1lOvS