Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1915-07-16
Judge Hoke of
Sandy Bend
Bv NJ. QUAD
By M. QUAD
1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

When the court at Sandy Bend had
been opened in due and legal form
Judge Hoke assumed what he con-
sidered a proper judicial dignity and
said:
This ar a case such as we hev new
CT had afore us before, but we think
we kin straighten out the kinks and
do jestice to all. Three days ago that
red headed critter over thar, who calls
hisself Tom Jones, come humpin down
the trail from Big Find to ak If thar
was any law in this kentry aud to
holler fur jestice. He had wife up
thar at Big Find. He went home one
evenin' to find that she had skipped
with another man. The name of that
man was Abe Skinner, and that's him
over thar with the broken nose
What ginerally happens out yere in
this land O. gold and hard times when
| our wife runs away? If we amt
mighty glad of it, which we mostly be.
we git on to her tracks and foler 'em
till we Overtake her If she's alone
we take her by the ear and lead her
back. If she's with a critter we pep
case, but the custom is purity we'll
known. The man who steals another
mans wife expects to be popped by
the injoored husband, and he likewise
expects to pop that same injoOred huS
band if he gifts the chance.
tom Jones didn't purSoo. Thar was
the broad trail before him, and he had
guns and knives and a boss. but he
hadn't the sand. He jest comes q
humpin' down yere to holler fur the
law and shrek fur jestice and to git
all men. includin' this court. down on
him fur his doggoneness. His wife.
} who ar that female over thar with
mouth as big as bar'l, had gone off
with Abe Skinner as aforesaid and
had him headed for this very camp
AS they flies from Big Find they me-
up with Jim Hope, who's the cuss ovet
thar with the game leg and one eye
gone. Jim he stops 'em and seq:
"'Abe Skinner. what you got thar?'
ga female
. "'Who is She?
"'TOm Jones wife
, "'And what you a-doin' with her.?
'A-runnin' away to Sandy Bend
"'Then you needn't go no further.
I've been wantin' a wife fur the last
six months, and l reckon I'll take her
. off your hands!
q WAL continued his honor, Jim
! Hope he had his gun plump on Abe
e Skinner and his finger on the trigger.
7 and Abe had to give in. This yere
: court can't l'arn that the woman OBJ
: jected to the change On the contrary,
= thar is evidence that she didn't keer a
:. continental, as Jim Hope is better
!. lookin' critter than Abe Skinner. The
t couple heads this way by the trail.
e while Abe Skinner takes a short cut
= and arrives fustly and comes to me to
y yell fur jestice. Thar's two fellers
= yellin' fur jestice and third one with
= the woman. The woman gifts yere in
doc time, along with jim Hone. and
over by the creek they meets joe
= Scott, who stops to say:
"'Jim Hope 1 was jest goin' out to
hunt fur one
"'What you mean?
"1 want a female woman fur a wife
and you git down and skip!
Il
to give the woman up. This cour
can't Earn that she shed a tear or die
J. any kickin', but Jim he comes whOopin
down to me and wants law and jestic
and all that. That makes three of EN-
a-wantin. and so / tells the conStabl
to arrest Joe and the woman. Yere'
four men and one woman, and the la,
M pears to be purity badly tangled uI
Ii. Fustiy. Tom Jones, is this woman you
id wife,"
ey 'Sartin she is" answered Tom.
OF "Hev you got the dockyments
NJ prove it,"
70, ~ mo, but married her in the Inju
% Territory var ago."
ii. "Waal. this court has nothin' to
with the Injun Territory, and that ma
The rage won't stand yere unless the won
.he an wants it to. Mrs. Jones, as l wi
dl. call you, what made ye run away frol
leo Tom?'
,ur "Co. 4.ua !. h,n xo,>,,oa tho 80
BILE oo' 'iieo u ILL., iepiieu 'ne
in man.
. a do you prefer Jim Hope or j
act Scott?'
ON II amt pertickler."
nm "That makes the case easier. Har
lot Williams, stand up"
lno Hank stood up and proved to be
e. middle aged man of decent appearance
f. Flank, dye want q wife?' aske1 t.
court.
an Il dew" was the reply.
fer "Then I'll marry ye to this woman.
-eg "Hank Williams, viii We take this
anC | 1,,dod uoman tn no vop Ia wful wife -