The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-09-15
JEFFS
TESTIMONY
BY SARAH ATwATER

Alabama, on opening his morning mail
read letter which astonished him. 1t
contained a notification that he had
been sued for breach of promise. His
father had recently died and left him
the care of several children. the sons
and daughters OF second wife. Trevor
had secured the services of a woman
to take care of the children, but being
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, JEFF, 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"
Eyes, sab"
''She wishes to eXtort money. She
will attempt to prove that made love
to 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 you
would have noticed 1t and that you
never saw any counting going on be-
tween u.s."
Eyes, 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
n TIM
ton.
JEFF" he said patronizingly and in
tending to ingratiate himself with the
witness before attempting to get any
Information out of him that would In
jure his masters case, You find Mr..
Trevor a very good master, don't your
Berry good mastah, sah."
You say that you are a house serv-
anti"
Eyes. sah.''
And that you never saw your mas
ter sitting in the parlor or on the gal
lery with Miss Broadhead?"
mo. sab. l didn't nebber see mars
soften in de parior 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 eff ebber he
cotched her slappin' one OBJ de chillun
ag'in he glib her de walllin' papers,"
The spectators Uttered, and the judge
called them to order. The attorney col
ored bit, then proceeded.
How was your master in the habit
of spending his evenings?'
Sometimes he went out to call on
de neighbors. and sometimes he sot in
de library readin."
"And how did Miss Broadhead spend
her eveningsT
missy Broadhead she put de chillun
to bed"
About what time did she get the
children to sleep?"
Dunno. sab. l nebber see her up
but oncet."
What was she doing thenT''
missy Broadhead went to de library
where Mars willard was sottin' readin'
a book"
"Well, what happened between them?''
missy Broadhead says. says she:
I'm gwine to run ovah to Missy Cuth-
bert's TO few minutes. If any OBJ de
chillun wakes up III be back in time
SO you won't be boddered.' And mars
says, Dat all right; don't hurry yo'-
SELF l was gwine to Missy Cuthberts
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
| ch I hor
de road, and she met de oberseer."
This was evidence that the attorney
had not bargained for. He would have
stopped the testimony. but he knew
that the defendants counsel would call
it forth anyway, SO he felt obliged to
let Jeff go on. The darby resumed:
de oberseer TUX Missy Broadhead in
he arms. and / heard a smack lax de
report OBJ a pistol"
After the laugh that this evidence
ELECTED had subsidized JEFF continued:
Den dey walked togedder on de
road. talkin. bein' black as de night
de white folks couldn't see me. but ]
could see de white folks. and. climbin
ober de fence. l trabeled in de field
alongside OBJ 'em. | hearn Missy Broad
head say dat mars hab a heap O
money an he'd rudder pay than sc
into cou't. Den de oberseer he say.
'Yo' hain't got nottin' 70 to hire u law.
YER And Missy Broadhead says. says
she. nebber thought o. dat And de
oberseer he says. says he. I furnish de
money TO de lawyer and TO de cou't'
And Missy Broadhead. she says. says
she. If yo' do dat glib yo' half"
Naturally every one in the courtroom
listened to this evidence with wrapt
attention except the plaintiff and hel
counsel. When JEFF had finished the
judge dismissed the case. and the de
fendant threw his arms around JET
and Rugged him. Plaintiffs counse
gave notice that he would appeal the
case on the ground that slaves ties
timony was not admissible. but the ap
pearance of guilt In the plaintiff at his
testimony Indicated that she would no
press her complaint further. and she
! never did.
, Trevor offered JEFF his freedom. bu
/. Jeff had been born and lived on tn,
plantation sixty years and said hi.
. master might as well pull up a tire,
by de roots and throw It into de road.