Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1911-10-27
A col }. |. ORED
WITNESS
By F. A. mitchell
Copyright byEAmerican Press Assoc
citation. 1911. .sa.

. 7 IN - q ~ .
In the days of slavery Colonel Au.
gustus Picard. Louisiana planter,
had an alteration with neighbor
about the boundary line between the
two plantations. The neighbor, Silas
Green, southernized Yankee, used
offensive language to the colonel, who
kicked him out Of his house. Green
sued him for assault, and one Of the
defendants slaves, Mark Antony by
name, having seen the fracas was the
principal witness. He was sleepy
looking old chap, and the lawyers
feared that he did not have intelligence
sufficient to give an account Of what
he had seen. The lawyer for the de-
tense, not wishing to draw out all the
darby had to tell, asked him but few
questions, then turned him over to the
counsel for the plaintiff.
mark Antony" said the lawyer, 'do
you know what it is to state anything
before this court that is not true or to
keep back anything that you know?"
"Do know data"
Eyes. Do you understand what it
means, and the punishment"
II reckon dat would mean in de
fus' place de same's If said de moon
war made O. cheese when know'd it
war made o. brass And de second
part would be de same's if sor Mis-
tab Green draw knife on my mars
and didn't say nothin' at all about it."
A smile passed over the faces Of the
Judge, the jury and the spectators.
The lawyer showed embarrassment.
do you know the punishment at.
tached to perjury?"
perjury? Is dat if Mistah Green
backyard Cunnel Plead behind his
backY'
Another ripple Of smiles passed
through the courtroom.
mo. Perjury is telling an untruth
and not telling all you know after be-
ing sworn. State what you saw on
June 16 last at Colonel Picard's home"
Mark" the defendant spoke up,
tell it all. I'm not ashamed of what
I did. Don't keep anything back.''
Thus treasured, Mark gave an &C.
count of the fray.
"Well, sab, on dat afternoon Mistah
Green he come to de plantation
"What plantationY' .
"Ou' plantation, Of co'se. Yo' don't
suppose Cunnel Plead would 60 any
wha' to meet specamen OBJ de po'
white trash? Mistah Green he come
to de plantation, and was waitin' at
de do with de bosses and carriage to
drive de cunnel out TO- de mawnin
inspection. Mistah Green and de cum
mel was in de cunnels offiis right of
de gallery and de winder war up. l
hearn 'em talkin'.
"Mistah Green war sayin' to de cum
mel dat de line between de plantations
run right through de cunnel's gya'ding
and de cunnel say 'Yo' mistaken, sab:
de bound'ry line war laid down by de
survey, sab, and l am sho' it run
through yo' gya'ding.' Den Mistah
Green say. 'Yo' lie, Cunnel Pica'd.'"
"This is what you heard. Now tell
the jury what you saw"
what sor? Why, when de po'
white man told one of de fus' gentle.
men oh de souf dat he lied, wha' yo'
spec I sor?"
"Go on"
II sor de po' white man comm fru
de do like de ball comm out O. de
cannon"
ibid you see Colonel Picard eject
him?"
II dom know wha' dat means, but
didn't see it,
Didn't see Picard push, shove OF
kick Green out Of the door?''
"No, sab; didn't see dat"
where was Colonel Picard when
Mr.. Green came through the door?"
Don't know, sah."
"Didn't you see him or any part Of
him?'
mo, sah." ..--.
"what did you see besides Mr..
GreenY'
"Nottin' but boot"
ooh" IAN embarrassed smile.)
"Well, suppose you tell the jury where
that boot was with reference to Mr..
Green"
"N1istah Green was settin' on it."
"Sitting on it?'
eyes, sab; he was settin' on it in de
air."
do you mean to say you don't know
to whom the boot belonged?"
Don't know nottin' bout dat, soh' .
"Ten the jury how it was that you
could see the boot yet could not sec
the owner"
"Well, sab, de steps leadin' down to
de driveway are on de side OBJ de gal
lery. was lookin' sideways. I couldn'l
see whose foot dat boot was on wild
out lookin' froo de side o. de house."
The counsel for the plaintiff gave up
trying to identify the assaulter by
means of Mark Antony and rested his
case. The defendants counsel merely
stated that, while it had been proved
that an assault on the person Of Green
had been committed, no proof had been
adduced that his client had made the
assault.
The judge instructed the jury that Il
they considered that it had been
proved that Picard assaulted Green
they were to find for the plaintiff; if
not, for they defendant. They found
for the defendant.
"Yo' honah,'' said Colonel Picard.
will 70 be good enough, sab, to per-
NIT me to pay the costs in this case
and a fine 0; $40? regya'd it cheap
price to pay TO- the privilege of having
kicked the plaintiff out OF my house."