The river press., 1911-11-22

to cure him with dose of Jail life.
II took in the country Jail as part OF
the program" continued the wanderer
with a smile. land l got it all. The
first time l was arrested let things
slide. The constable maltreated me.
the justice of the peace abused me, and
the jailer half starved and put me at
the most menial work. The Jail was
little better than pigpen and the food
hardly fit for hogs.
when l had served my time and
been kicked out posted myself as to
the law, and my next arrest resulted in
surprise party. l refused to do any
work, and the low upheld me. l re.
fused to eat the fare furnished. and
the law compelled the jailer to better
it. demanded bedding and heat. and
the jailer had to comply. He was glad
enough to see the last of me. but had
scarcely tramped into the next county
before l was picked up again. This
was in Ohio, just over the Michigan
ago. have no doubt they are talking
about me yet.
Attacked by q Farmer.
II was plodding along the highway
about sundown when farmer jumped
over the fence and pitched into me.
He had got in three or four blows be-
fore l landed him one that knocked
him down. Three other men came to
his rescue. and l was handcutred and
kept in a barn all night.
"Next morning was arraigned be-
fore a country justice. and without
even asking me to plead and refusing
to let me consult lawyer he sent me
| up for six months. The charge was
vagrancy. resisting arrest and feloni-
ous assault on an officer; all rolled into
one and a happy combination. Only
one Of the men who aided in my ar
rest testified against me.
| II was bundled off to the country Jail
in a hurry and upon my arrival was
placed in a dark cell and fed on bread
and water. and it was two weeks be-
fore had the run Of the ward. Then
it so transpired that young lawyer
who happened to run for the legisla-
ture visited the Jail on business. and
| got speech with him. The result was
that he took up my case, and the end
astonished several people.
Made Profitable Settlements.
''In the first place. while the man
who had assaulted me was constable.
he did not seek to arrest me in the
regular way. but only after the as
sault. Under the law. therefore, l had
a right to resist. The charge against
me was vagrancy, and had SIS in my
pocket l should have been taken be-
fore a justice forthwith. but instead |
was locked up in a barn unit! next
day. We had that constable so scared
within two days that he fairly begged
me to take 500 and cali it square.
I'VE then went for the justice. He
had not given me the show allowed by
law and on four different points had
rendered himself liable to reproval. He
came to me with tears in his eyes and
SIS in his hand. and l let up on him.
"Then it was the jailers turn to toe
the mark. He had no legal right to
shut me up in dark cell No law
gave him the privilege of substituting
bread and water for my prison diet.
He had been abusive and tyrannical
and had kicked me. and that was as
sault. The law specified what food
he should frnish'his prisoners. but he
had substituted what be pleased.
Case Got Into Politics.
HE tried to make me saw wood and
scrub out the corridors and had put
me in irons because I had refused.
and yet l was clearly within the law.
had him up on six different charges.