The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-07-02
A
/ respasser
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

III By DWIGHT NORWOOD
One spring morning when the trees
| bore that first pale green of the season
which is more delicate than any other
of their many beautiful tints Miss Mil
ler saw IL party of children come
| through the gateway and go romping
over her grounds They appeared to
be under the care of a single person. a
man. Indignant at this entry into her
domain without permission. she strobe
down the driveway to meet them.
Pardon me. sir. but did you not see
the notice.
81 saw that trespassers would be
prosecuted under penalty Of the law"
well, then, why did you bring these
children in here?"
Because | knew they would be de-
lighted to be here"
And you were willing to subject
them to prosecution"
mo; they are minors. If any one is
to be prosecuted it is L.
And you were willing to be prose
cuted yourself?'
"Certainly. so long as | thereby give
pleasure to these children"
''If you had asked permission might
have granted it,"
That would have been more polite
l admit. but poiteness begins at home
You have not put up notice that any
one wishing to enjoy your grounds may
apply to you for permission and you
will consider the application. You
have given warning that any one t1es-
passing on your grounds will be pros
ecuted under the law. ! accept the
terms of this notice. bring these
children on to your premises. and it is
your privilege to prosecute me-"
He handed her his card, turned away
and Joined the little ones. who were
racing about. laughing and shouting.
: Miss Miller was astOnished, outraged
There seemed nothing for her to do
but act upon the notice she had put up
The young man had brought 1t all on
himself. AS for the children. she felt
quite relieved that they were minors
and the man was responsible for them
, Returning to the house, she ordered
, out her pony cart and drove into the
village to see her attorney. He was
out of town. hut would return late that
night. She stated the case to q stu
: dent in his office. who told her that
she might swear out warrant for the
arrest of the treSpasser, Mr.. Gilber
Chase, who was principal Of school
: n
: advice Of a competent person. but she
: was very angry, partly because hel
n notice had been set at defiance ant
S partly because the young man had sue
ceeded in placing himself in a very ia
, vorable position and her in a very un
. favorable one. Acting on impulse, sh
swore out the warrant. and Mr.. Chas'
was arrested as he was leaving he
:. grounds. He furnished bail to appea
v the next day for trial and was per
= mitted to 20 where he liked in tn
= meantime
The next morning Miss Miller ar
! peared against the accused, stating tha
u a notice was nailed to tree near tn
IS entrance of her grounds giving warn
y ing to trespassers. The justice aske
the prisoner if he was represented b.
counsel. to which he replied that h
would conduct his own case. Then h
added:
y Il refuse to answer to this charg
on the ground that there is no law @
II the land to compel me to answer
r. Miss Miller had left word for her al
, torney to come to court i'll time t
:, conduct the case. aud at this junctur
)" he entered. AS soon as he was il
70 formed concerning the matter, address
ing the justice, he said:
MY client. your honor, enters
nolle prosequi."
whats that?" asked Miss Miller.
You drop the case"
II drop the case! Indeed, do n
such thing"
The prisoner has stated the fact co
rectly; there is no law to punish hil
for trespassing on your premises"
mo law. Well what are all sue
signs for them
Probably to frighten trespasser
They don't mean anything"
The lawyer was mistaken, but Mi
Miller did not learn that until later.
Miss Miller after paying the COS
left the court in company with her a
torney. At the door they parted, II
lady going to her home The first thiI
she did after getting there was to carr
n small ladder and ii hatchet with b.
=. own hands to the tree supporting II
notice and. mounting the ladde
:. smash the board with the hatcht