River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-06-03
An Injustice
Righted
By OSCAR COX


| themselves to organize a court and try
some case of such Importance as SEEM
ed to demand attention. AS for small
| breaches of the law. such as stealing
| chickens, watermelons and the like.
the individuals dispossessed were ex-
pected to attend to the matter them
selves.
One day gentleman from Vicks-
burg, who was travelling through this
region, had occasion to speak with a
certain colored man and was told that
he was sitting in a woodshed con-
Quoting a murder trial. Going to the
humble courtroom. the visitor looked
in and saw the court in session. TAX
ing q back seat. he observed the pro-
| ceedings.
Caesar Henderson, black as coal,
| was on trial for the murder of Te-
cumseh Rodman, a rival for the affec-
| tons Of Dinah Ochiltree. The rivals
had visited Dinah during the evening
| before the murder and had left to-
| gether They were heard quarreling
| on the road. The next morning TIE
cumseh was missing. Since he did
not turn up for some days Caesar was
| accused of his murder. and, there be-
| ing no regular court within many
miles, he was tried by his peers in the
woodshed. Dinah. the object of con-
tention, was being questioned by the
Judge, who also acted as counsel for
the state and the defense. He was
also the twelve jurymen.
"Dinah." he said severely, "wha' fo
yo' hab two lubbers hangin' roun' yo'.
persuadin' 'em to fight fo' yo'? Don
yo know dat wose'n murder?"
II couldn't help dey fghtin' TO- me-"
replied Dinah, with toss of her head.
"Wha' time did dey leab yo' dat
night when Caesar killed Tecumseh?
Il didn't kill Tecumseh," protested
Caesar.
"Shet up" cried the judge. glazing
at the prisoner from under a pair of
heavy gray eyebrows, 'or / fine 70 TO
contempt oh cou't."
The question having been repeated,
the witness said that she reckoned the
two men left her between "'leben
o'clock and some time in de mawnin."
She reclzoned it was near the latter.
How do yo' know dat?' asked the
judge
"Kase | heard Zeb Parker, dat lib
mex doc to me, comm home from
chicken huntin'."
How 20 know Zeb been chicken
hunting"
"Kase I hearn de squawkin' of de
chickens he was bringin' home"
Did 70 see Zeb?"
"No. sab; | didn' see Zeb. De dark
and Zeb war of de same blackness."
II thought 70 said it war mawnin'?''
80 | did. Zeb nebber goes chick
en- huntin 'cept just befo' daybreak."
The witness was excused, and Lem
Barker was called to the stand.
Lem" said the judge. looking at the
rafters. tell de cou't how yo' know
Caesar killed Tecumseh."
"Kase I hearn 'em fghtin'."
(Which war lickin' de udder?"
How / know dat? l couldn' see 'em
fightin' in de dark"
Don 20 know no mo- bout de
fght?"
Goose | dom know nothin' at all
bout de fight
Another witness testified that he
lived next door to Tecumseh and that
the latter had been missing since de
dark oh de moon" and that Tecumseh's
dog "was a-whinin' all de time kase
he marster didn' come home no mo-"
Then Dinah was recalled and testified
that the call on her by the rivals was
made during de dark OBJ de moon"
This completed the evidence. The
| Judge called upon the prisoner to stand
I'D and, being obeyed, proceeded to
convict and sentence him at the same
time. He was to be taken out to de
ole tree wild de low branch convenient
TO hangin' pussons' and hanged by
| the neck until he was 'daid."
The sentence reused Dinahs ire.
VIVA 70 70 gWine hang Caesar.
| iudge?" she shouted. Dab amt no
sinse in dat At de dark OBJ de moon ]
hab two lubbers to choose from. One
| killed de udder. and now yo' gwine to
hang de one lef'. N'har Go | come in"
!
| At the statement Of this obvious in
| Justice the judge scratched his wool.
us might sorry bout dat. Dinah.
! But it's too late now. | done sentence
de prisoner
There was a babel of tongues, some
insisting that. Il sentence having been
/ pronounced. there was no going back
on it, Others claimed that it was
mighty hard on Dinah. The hubbub
was Quoted by the gentleman observer.
who stepped to the front and said:
Your honor, am an attorney in
Vicksburg. and if you will listen to
ne think | can tell you how the pris-
oaer can be legally saved from the
gllIows."
Every eye was turned to the white
man who continued as follows:
| I'VE derive orr laws from England