Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-11-21

sQuaW k1n' in MaftS cnlcken coop. DE
moon was a-shinin'. and soft clouds
war a-hoatin' ober de face, obscurin
fus' de mouf o. de nan In 1t. den be
nose and arter dat de-
"Cut dat out" said the Judge.
Come down to Pete's runnin' of wild
de squawkin' rooster"
81 didn' see Pete runnin' of wild de
squawkin' rooster said the witness.
"Didn't yo' say" said the prosecutor.
dat de noon was a-shinin'T 2"
"Yes. sah."
"And yo' hearn de squawkinF?v
eyes, sab"
"Well. go on and tell de rest"
ST seen Pete a-comin' towards me-"
"Well?"
"Dat's all | SEEN"
do yo' mean to sey yo' didn' see
Pete a-runnin' past yo' cabin?" 5
eyes. sab. | didn' see him."
"Why notT'
"Dat's what / war gwine to tell you
when I war tole to cut it out"
"Well, go on and tell It,"
IT said de clouds was a-1oatin' ober
de face O. de moon, obscurin' fus' de
mouf o. de man in 1t, den de o and
arter that de eyes, and jlst as 1t cob
cred de eyes Pete run by nah cabin
wild q squa wkin' rooster In his arms"
"And yo' seen him?"
"No, sab. didn' seer him. TO- at
dat time de hull moon war cobered and
1t war da'k as a lump o. coal"
"Yo, honah." said the prosecutor. 81
tink l hab proved by de witness dat
Pete stole de chicken"
"How dat?'' cried counsel for the
defense.
"Didn' Jim Frisbie swar he hearn de
chicken squawkin'T
Eyes, but he didn' see Pete Davis
carryin' de chicken. and he didn' see
de chicken nudder. He didn' know
wedder 1t war a rooster or a hen. He
didn' know wedder in de moonlight de
tail fedders war green or blue. cause
de cloud cobered de moon. aud de moon
didn' shine. He didn' know wedder de
chicken war red or de comb war red
Howsomeber. he didn' know wedder 1t
war Pete Davis a-runnin' or some I'D
der niggah. and he couldn' see which
way he wal runnin'-wedder 1t war
from de coop or towards de coop. And
be couldn' tell wedder he war white
or black. wedder he war a man or a
woman. How'd he know 1t want a
ha'nt, | like to know? He didn' know
muffin at all about it no mo- NJ
"Will de gentlemen O. de jury. in
terrupted the Judge. please wake up7
De learned counsers losin' his BRET.
and he's comm to de end o. his ora
shun."
Several darkies who were noad$ss5
reused themselves. and the counsel for
the defendant brought his remarks to
a conclusion.
"Wha'for, yo' honah. l t'ink yo'
/. oughter instruc' de jury to bring in a
verdic' dat day hain't nc evidence dat
Pete Davis stole Mat Stevens roost
ali; dat it might "a been some udder
mans roostah Pete stole or 1t might a.
been some udder pusson dat stole
Pete's roostah. seem dat de moor war
a-shinin' when de fus' squawkin' war
hearn, and de cot knows dat no niggah
hain't gwine chicken stealth when de
moon is a-shinin'; Consistently dere
hain't no reason to suspec' dere war
any roostah stole at ALL"
Zone wo'd mo- the prosecuting at
torney was beginning when the jury
man who had the job of embarrassing
to do protested. declaring that II the
case were not given to the jury Mt onre
he would leave 1t. Therefore the judge
gave the following instructions:
Gentlemen o. de jury, yo' hab fus'
to consider wedder de chicken was
stole; wedder. If 1t was stole. 1t be
longed to Mart Stevens: wedder Pete
Davis done stole it Yo' mus take in
ter consideration If de moon was shin
in and wedder any niggah would steal
q chicken in such a condition o de
elephants; wedder Jim Frisbie's hearin
a squawkin' chicken goin' past him IN
de dark, without SEEM it or who had It
proves dat Pete Davis stole 1t; wed
DER
"Yo' honah," interrupted a juryman
.'ef you glib us any mo- we won't know
whar ives at"
The judge desisted and told the jury
to go round to the back of the meeting
house and bring in a verdict. They
did so and. after half an hours de-
liberation. returned. and the foreman
said:
please yo' honah, there amt any o
us niggahs know wedder Pete stole dal
chicken or wedder de chicken stole
Pete. We don't know wedder. when
Pete run by Jim Frisbie's cabin. 1t was
Pete dat was squawkin' or de roost-
er. We don know wedder 1t was a
rooster or a hen. Mebbe 1t war n
goose, and like enough 1t might a
been d gander. Derefo'. yo' honah. we
ask to be discharged dat we may pur.
sue u Urinary avercations."
"Yo' a. discharged" said the judge,
"And now, yo' honah, de Jury wants