Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-07-15

your camp in the Black Bottoms that
night Tell 1t In your own way just as
It happened"
The witness looked at his question.
er with apprehension In bis childlike
eyes.
"Mistah Cromwell. you-you done
gimme yo' wud dey amt no harm
a-comin' to me ef l tells datT' he cried
appeaungly. "And you done tole me
halter tell It. whur' wants to er
ne. Amt dat so?'
"That Is the truth. Abe. The law
compels you to testify to the facts OF
your knowledge bearing upon this
case. And It is the laws intent that no
harm shall come to you for 30 doing"
The witness began in low voice
'Dey want nothin' happened to me
'twell I come nigh to dat ar hog path
what cuts off inter de bottoms" he
said. "Dess TO l got dar. sub. heern
shootin'-one shot and den annurr'. .
hit seem lax ter me, sub. l was skeer-
ed when I hear dat ar shootin' and
seem lax I better not go on ter whar
sho' ter run smack into It. Mistah
Cromwell-yass. sub. rs a-tellin' 1t
ter de jury, sub. So huccome done
hid in de brush side O. de road, sub.
| LAWN fat on de groun'. And dar
stayed. SUBJ"
The witness hesitated.
"Go on" said the prosecuting attor-
ney. "Tell the jury precisely what
happened next"
T lay dar. lax / say" resumed the
witness, when all Of sudden lax a
man come down de road fun whar |
heern de shootn'. He pass straight
by me on de road. and he seem to be
staggerin' lax. He was talkin' to his
se'f as he pass whar was hidin' In
de brush. He had his pistol swingin'
In his hand. sub. lax man what was
too excited to put 1t back after he use
1t. suh."
The prosecuting attorney moved a
step nearer the witness. You saw
that man plainly. Abe?' he asked
"You got good look at his face"
"Yass, sub. Hit was bright moon
light night. / seen dat ar man dess
as plain as I done see you dis hyar
minnit. sub"
"Did you recognize himi"
"Yass. sub knowed him soon's
set eyes OH his face. suh.'
"Do you see him In this courtroom
now?"
"Yass. sub"
Point him out to the Jury, Abe"
The negro. now feeling reassured. lev.
eled his black finger ut Tom Strickland
dramatically The eyes of the two. the
white man and the black. met. each
holding the others as II fascinated
In those OF the witness there was a
sort of hIstrionir relish Of the value OF
the situat!ou tempered by Il latent ap'
prehension In those Of the accused
there was strange and pitiful per
pleXlty.
"Dass him. suh," spoke the witness
Hit was Mistah Tom Strickland what
seen passin' ne ON dat ar road. sub
I.awdy massy. done know him since
he want mon knee high to n duck
sub"
!, There was sudden stir throughout
|, the courtroom. Il movement OF tense
excitement. followed BY II sinister hush
After you saw and recognized this
man." said the prosecuting attorney
|, what happened them"
IL laid right dar 'twell he dOrc gone
out O. sight. sub He was a-Goln' in to
ards town. and | do"e keep ny eyes
. on him twell he turn :: ben in d" road
} and cain't see him no mo. Den
wait 'twcil | sho' he amt a-comin
back. After dat. got up and started
on my way, keepin' in de shadow side
o de road"
Again the witness paused.
"WellT asked the prosecuting attor
uey. "Tell the Jury what happened
, then, Abe"
The witness shuflled uneasily I'm his
chair. something of awe In his black
face.
I'll had come purity nigh to de hoe
, path whar was to strike off inter dc
, bottom lands" he resumed, when
i, stumbled ovah sump'in a-layin' on de
groun'. part in de road and part In dc
grass side O. de road"
He wiped his face with his open
oalm. Hit was n man." he said-and
then, his voice solemn-"and de man
was dead He been shot. seen dc
place whar he shot-right In dc head
twix' de eyes. on'y des III bit high
er up. When stumble ovah him anc
uigh fall stretch out my hand. down
, lax, and hit tech de place whar he
been shot and got all bloody"
The negro shuddered.
"Did you see the face Of this mann
, ,sked the prosecuting attorney.
"Yass. sub"
did you recognize itf"
"Yass. suh."
"Abram," said the prosecuting attor
| ney, "tell the jury who the dead man
|, was whose body you thus found ana
whose face you saw and recognized.
"Hlt was young Mistah Stamford
j.. Fucker" the witness made answer
Il knowed him, sub. dess as well as
know Mistah Tom Strickland settin
I right hyar 70 my eyes. suh.'
, The prosecuting attorney waited a
moment, his shrewd eyes studying the
faces Of the jurors.
ABE" he asked. why didn't you at
once report the finding Of Stamford
fuckers dead body and the seeing OF
Thomas w. Strickland. pistol In hand,
IS he came away from the spot where
) that body lay?"
, The witness shook his head stubborn
". "'Twan't none O. my business,
suh," he replied. Hits mighty fool
/ niger what goes mixin' hiss'ef up In q
shootIn' scrape 'twix' two white gent
J nun, sub. I was skeered ter do 1t, sub
-dass why-and dess pick up my feet
/ and make tracks fas' as I could to
whar my camp In de bottom lands was
, sub. And you ain't heern no wu'd
} bout'n what seen, and you amt had
me fotched to yo' Office. 'cept'n ! was
fool ernufr ter tell dat ar ole 1sr'el
FAINT what run ercross down In de
bottom lands, suhr
. The states attorney turned to the