The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-09-08
JEFF'S
TESTIMONY
BY SARAH ATWA1ER

to take care OF Tue culiureH, uut pciho
dissatisfied with her had discharged
her. A lawyer had written that Martha
Broadhead, the complainant, would
listen to an offer with view to COM
promising the suit.
At the moment Trevor was reading
this letter his body servant, Jer. named
for the future president of the Southern
Confederacy, came into the room with
his masters boots that he had shined.
Jeff" said Trevor. What do you
suppose Miss Broadhead has done?
She's sued me for breach Of promise
"Yes, sah."
"She wishes to extort money. She
will attempt to prove that made love
10 her while she was here In charge of
the children. I'm going to call upon
you to tell the court that, though you
were In the house all the time she was
here, If / had been sweet on her yon
would have noticed 1t and that you
never saw any counting going on be-
tween u.s."
Yes, sah."
when Jeff was called to the stand by
Trevor's counsel he testified as his
master had indicated and was about
TO step down from the witness box
when Miss Broadhead's counsel called
upon him to remain for cross examina-
ton.
JEFF" he said patronizingly and in
tending to ingratfate himself with the
witness before attempting to get any
Information out of him that would In
iure his masters case, you find Mr..
Trevor very good master, don't your
Berry good mastah. sah."
you say that you are house serv-
anti"
Eyes, sah.'
and that you never. saw your mas
ter sitting in the parlor or on the gal
lery with Miss BroadheadT
mo, sab. / didn't nebber see mars
soften In de parlor or on de gallery
with Missy Broadhead. but | see him
on de gallery oncet talkin' with Missy
Broadhead."
"You saw Mr.. Trevor on the gallery
talking with Miss Broadhead. Ell?
Well, what was he saying to her"
He tole Miss Broadhead ef ebber no
cotched her slappin' one OBJ de chillun
ag'in. he glib her de walkin' papers"
The spectators Uttered, and the judge
called them to order The attorney col
ored bit, then proceeded.
How was your master In the naDlt
of spending his evenings
Sometimes he went out to call on
de neighbors, and sometimes be sot In
de library readin'."
"And how did Miss Broadhead spend
her evenings"
missy Broadhead she put de chillun
to bed"
About what time did she get the
children to sleepT
Dunno. sab. l nebber see her up
but oncet"
what was she doing Them
Missy Broadhead went TO de library
where Mars Willard was sottin' readin'
a book"
"weli, what happened between them"
missy Broadhead says. says she:
I'm gwine TO run ovah TO Missy Cuth-
bert's TO a few minutes If any oh de
chillun wakes up III be back in time
30 you won't be boddered.' And mars
says, Dat all right; don't hurry yo'-
self was gwine 10 Missy Cuthbert's
myself to see her cullud gal. Peggy. SO
follered Missy Broadhead as IA as de
crossroad. and she turned on de cross
road. Since she wasn't gwine TO Missy
Cuthbert's ] jist think I'd see whar
she war gwine. so follered her down
de road. and she met de oberseer.'
This was evidence that the attorney
had not bargained for. He would have
stopped the testimony. but be knew
that the defendants counsel would call
81 forth anyway. 50 he felt obliged TO
let JEFF 20 on. The darby resumed:
de oberseer TUX Missy Broadhead In
be arms. and | heard a smack lax de
repo't OBJ a pistol"
After the laugh that this evidence
elected had subsidized Jeff continued:
Den dey walked togedder on de
road. talkin. l bein' black as de night.
de white folks couldn't see me. but
could see de white folks. and. climbin'
ober de fence. trabeled in de field
alongside oh EN-. hearn Missy Broad
head say dat mars hab a heap O
money an bed rudder pay than 90
into cou'L Den de oberseer be say.
.Yo' hain't got nottin' 70 TO hire law
yer.' And Missy Broadhesd says. says
she. Il nel,ber thought n DAT And de
oberseer he saws. says he. I furnish de
money 20 de lawyer and 70 de cou't'
And Missy Broadhead. she says. says
she. ~ 20 do dat gib 20 half"
Naturally every one in the courtroom
listened 70 this evidence with wrapt
attention except the plaintiff and Der
counsel when 1eT had finished the
Judge dismissed the case. and the de-
PENDANT threw bis arms around jet
end hueged him Plaintiffs counsel
gave notice that be would srpeal the
ease on the ground that 4 slaves tes-
tirnony vas not admissible. but the az
fsarance Of guilt in the plaintiff st his
testinouv INDEBTED that she would not
press her complaint further. and she
never did
Trevor offered 1er lis freedom. but
ysr had been bern and lived On the
plantation SIXTY years snd snid his
master rnirht rs wen 'pun % q tree
hv a. roots and fhrOw y into ds road