The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-12-22
judicial Neglect
EMS Parker Rptler- T. co,,,ers


ELLIS Parker Butler, In Golfers.
Judge West. the gray haired Justice
OF the peace, was holding court late
the afternoon of the day before Christ
mas In order that he might discharge
s-hie lot OF drunk and d~isorderly'' cases
u before him. He had a big heart
and SONS sympathy, and he wanted his
prisoners to be able to spend Christmas
at home with their families. rather
than In the town lookup. One after an
other he discharged them with a word
of kindly advice.
You may go Mike Sullivan. he said,
n you, Arthur Wigs, you law
black reprobate, you may go too. The
law says l ought to send YOU to iail
Ior 80 days, Arthur Wigs! but on this
day charity n kindness should dwell
IN the hearts of all men, and they well
IN mine, Arthur Wiggs.'
"Yassah. jedge, yassah!" said the old
negro, bowling again again.
80 you may go home, Arthur Wigs,
you may go home. Go home to yolr
poor. patient wife and your little chill
taren. rake them a present, Arthur
VICES. to gladden. their Christmas.
pot. No more BOOZE! No more GIN
mills tonight! Understand"
oh, yassah, ledge, yassah!"
Then get out Of here, and get out
mighty quiekl"
The negro hesitated a minute, seemed
reluctant.
ledge, eg yo' jes' 'scuse me, am dat
ian ordeh OBJ de court?"
1T isl"
ledge" said Arthur pleadingly. "yo.
ain know nah Of woman, is you? All
reckon Anil jes' take dem thutty days
IN de ~calaboose, if yo' ain mind"
- rtlOr |WiggS thpnGarod Tho 3,s
court!''
"Yassah. ledge. yassah!" said the
negro meel5ly. He backed out of the
court room, almost white with fear.
When Judge Vests court opened
again the morning after Christmas, Ar
thur was back. His head was swathed
In bandages and he was using a crutch.
IN the opposite end of the court room
sat a husky old negro mammy and a
praWny, h~at-headed young nego. AS
udge West saw Arthur, his anger
arose.
You back" he cried. What are
you doing here?"
Well jedge." said Arthur meekiy,
eef 1t please yo' honor, All didn't come
All was brung. No fault Of mine,
ledge. Ain yo' tor me to go home to
nah wife an chile? All tell Sally Ann
70 TOT NE, jedge, an All tell Ab'ham
LINCOLN. All say yo' mex an ordeh
OBJ Gle court to dat same respect. ledge.
put faint no use. Yassah! All tell
EN- yo' says, TEX home somethin' to
put In tn pot 1edge, an.
ledge" cried Sally Ann excitedly,
dat niger ain been in nah house fol
free years, he ain. All frowed him out
free years age, All did. Yassah. An,
night befoh las he come a-knockin' at
de door, and he say: Sal Ann. lemme
in. All got a fine big chicken for a
present fohy o' an de chile Yassah,
9ass Wllut he say. So, 'co'se All open
de door. An 1t LAX he say. he got de
chlcken, an All reich out NAH han fob
de chicken, an jes' den NAH chile.
Ab'ham Lincoln heah, he come rushin'
roun' de house an he grab dish we're
Arthur, an he lam him, an shout: .Ah
got de chicken thief! All got him!'
1assah. ledge, Gass what dis Arthur
Niger gone donehe gone 'roun' befine
nah house an stole one O. NAH chick
ems TO present to me at nah srnr,4
door!"
For a momen the justice looked at
Artnur sterniy, then he gathered his
wrath into sharp, clear words.
Arthur Wigs, you scum of h,,rnon-
ity,' he shouted at the trembling ne
gro, is this the way You betray the
clenency OF the court? never heard
ANYTHING Ike it; No one ever heard
cis liAi1S lihc II! Stealing q Chicken
from your poor old wife! Is that YOUR
idea of the Christmas spirit. ArthTr
Wiggs?"
Well. 'scuse me. Jedge, 'scuse mel"
SAID Arthur. bowling again and again.
al seel all along aometf1n's wrong
bout dat action. Yassah, it mos broke
man heart to steal Sal AIMS fowl.
Seem lax it ain jes' az
SO might say. But, ledge, All aim no
other way to obey de ordeh OBJ de court.
Befo' All lift Sal AIMS chicken All
try, an All try nah best. ledge. but
tain no use, All can't squeeze into yo'
Aonalfs hen-house no way"
Christmas Day.
A day of respite, this;
A day of purest bliss
Wherein in love to plan
Good Will "a