Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-04-15

sswhat time did you leave the town
Of Nineveh to 20 to your camp In the
Black Bottoms!"
Il lef' dess : II, while after half At
ter 8. sub V
Flow do You know this?"
cease done Ak Ben Dalton. de cul-
lud man whar been visitin'. what was
de time dess A. was a-tellin' him
goodby, sub"
what road did you take to 70 to
your camp in the Black BottomsT
"Why. sub. 'cose TOXIN de Black
Bottoms road, suh-leas'ways 'twell
comes to III hog path what leads
down into dc big swamps off'n dat-ar
road. sub"
How far is 1t from town before you
come to that hog path. Abe:"
"Dess 'bout'n a mile. sub. ter de bes'
O. my knowledge and speakin' sorter
o6hand lax, sub"
do you know where the Tucker
place is on the Black Bottoms road!"
"Yass. sub"
'Is that path of which you speak
more or less than halfway to the Tuck
or place as you go out from town.
"Hit dess III mon Railways sub"
"Now. Abrnm." and the prosecuting
attorney Strengthened to his full height
ana spoke with especial earnestness.
II want you to tell the jury exactly
what happened to you on your way to
your camp In the Black Bottoms that
night. Tell 1t in your own way just as
It happened"
The witness looked at his question
q With apprehension in his childlike
eyes.
"A1istah Cromwell. you->you done
gimme 70 wu'd dey amt no harm
a-conin' to me Of tells dat?" he cried
appeaknsly. And you done tole me
hattsr tell 1t. whur' wants to er
ne. Amt dat so?"
~That Is the truth. Abe. The law
eompels you to testify to the facts Of
your knowledge bearing upon this
case. And 1t is the laws intent that no
harm shall come to you for 80 doing"
The witness began in 4 low voice.
''Dey want nothin' happened to me
'twell I come nigh to dat ar hog path
what cuts OF inter de bottoms" he
said. "Dess To- got dar, sub. heern
shoot1n'-one shot and den annurr
hit seem lak ter me. sub. was skeer-
ed when hear dat ar shootin' and
seem LAX better not go on ter whar
I sho' ter run smack into It. Mistah
Cromwellyass, sub, Is a-tellin' II
ter de jury. sub. So huccome done
hid in do brush side O. de q I'D. sub,
layin' nat on de groun'. And dar
stayed, sub"
The witness hesitated.
go on" said the prosecuting attor.
ney. Tell the jury precisely what
happened next"
II lay dar. lax say" resumed the
witness, when all Of a sudden LAX q
man come down do road FUN whar
heern de shootin'. He pass strnight
BY me on de road, and he seem to be
stageerin' lax. He was talkin' to his
SET Is he pass whar I Was hidin' in
de brush. He had his pistol swingin'
in his hand, sub, lax man what was
too excited to put it back after he use
1t, suh.'
The prosecuting attorney moved
step nearer the Witness. ''You saw
that man plainly, Abe?" he asked.
"You got a good look at his faceY'
"Yass, sub. Hit was 4 bright moon
light night. I seen dat ar man dess
as plain as / done see you dis hyar
minnit, sub"
did you recognize himr'
"Yass. sub. knowed him soon's 1
set eyes on his face, sub"
do you see him in this courtroom
nowT
"Yass. sub"
"Point him out to the jury, Abe"
The negro. now feeling treasured, lev
eled his black finger at Tom Strickland
dramatically. The eyes Of the two, the
white man and the black, met, each
holding the others as IL fascinated.
In those Of the witness there was a
sort Of histrionic relish Of the value Of
the situation tempered by latent ap-
prehension. In those Of the accused
there was q strange and pitiful per
pleuity.
"Dass him. suh," spoke the witness.
'Hit was Mistah Tom Strickland what
I seen passin' me on dat ar road, sub.
Lawdy massy! done know him since
he want mon knee high to a duck,
subj"
There was 4 sudden stir throughout
the courtroom, movement Of tense
excitement, followed by sinister hush.
after you saw and recognized this
man." said the prosecuting attorney,
"what happened them"
II laid right dar 'twell he done gone
out o. sight, sub. He was a-goin' in to-
ards town, and done keep my eyes
on him 'twell he turn ben in de road
and I CANT see him no mo-. Den I
wait 'twcll / sho' he amt a-comin'
back. After dat, I got up and started
on my way, keepin' In de shadow side
o. de road"
Again the witness paused.
"WellT' asked the prosecuting attor-
ney. "Tell the jury what happened
then, Abe"
The witness shufded uneasily in his
chair, something OF awe In his black
face.
I'll had come purity nigh to de hog
path whar was to strike OF inter de
bottom lands" he resumed, when
stumbled ovah sump1n a-layin' on de