The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-18
THE
WITNESS
By OSCAR cox

/
there was ruin among the planters or
/ the south. Randolph Etheredge, a
young man whose father, Colonel Eth
| eredge, had been killed at Shiloh and
who himself had been wounded at
Winchester, returned after the surren-
Pder to his plantation and endeayored
to restore it to something like order
The fences had been burned for camp
fires; the outhouses had been torn
down for lumber with which to build
temporary quarters for the sick and
wounded, and the negroes were scat
tered
A few, it is true, remained, but they
were so old as to be useless. Freedom
| to them meant a reliance on them
selves at the close of their lives to
which they had never been accustom-
ed. They chung to the old plantation
because it was home. The young own
er made them as comfortable as he
could, but to provide food and clothing
for them was no easy matter.
James Lynch, former overseer, had
saved money and when Colonel Ether
edge needed loan had taken a mort
gage On the plantation for funds ad-
vanced. Now that the new south was
opening he was DESTROYS of taking the
property to himself and running 1t on
the free labor principle. There being
long accumulation of unpaid interest,
he went to the owner and demanded 1t.
Etheredge asked for time. Lynch re-
fused. Etheredge, knowing that his
creditor was indebted to the colonel,
his father, for all that he was, re-
preached him angrily. There was
quarrel, and Etheredge knocked the ex-
for assault.
The only witness of the scufile was
Moses. a white haired old darby
whom Lynch summoned for the prose
cution. When Moses took the stand he
laid trembling hand on the rail be-
fore him and looked at the assembly
mildly.
Uncle Moses" said the prosecutor,
"where were you on the Goth of June
last, the day that Mr. Lynch visited
Mr.. Etheredge and quarrel occurred
between them?"
Don't know no sech pusson."
There he is" pointing to Lynch.
Dat no Mr.. Lynch Dat Jim Lynch,
oberseer. We used to call um Hard
heart Lynch"
Never mind what you used to call
him. Tell us what you saw on the day
he visited the Etheredge plantation"
81 saw de oberseer come on to de
veranda, and Mars Etheredge he come
out to meet him. Lynch he say to
Mars Etheredge, Il want ma money
what | loan de cunnel' Mars Ether
edge he say: 'Fust thing l got to do
is git some salt polk and con pone TO
de helpless niggers wot's too ole TO-
wo'k. Ma fadder TUX yo' in when yo'
war starvin and paid yo' big wages
fo'"-
II didn't ask you what was said.
asked you what was DONE" interrupted
the lawyer, endeavoring by his severe
tone to overawe the witness.
How | gwine tole yo' wot war did
befo' l tole yo' wot war said?"
did you see Mr.. Etheredge strike
Mr.. Lynch?"
"No, sab. didn't see no fight be-
tween de oberseer and Mars Ether
edge"
Yes, you did You were there when
it occurred"
81 seen somp'n goin' on between
Mars Etheredge and dat low down
poo white trash oberseer"
what did you seer"
II sor Mars Etheredge point de fin
ger OBJ soon at de oberseer and say de
cunnel sabe him from starvin' -
stop there. If you don't tell me
what you saw and not what you heard
I'll ask his honor to commit you for
contempt of court"
His honah's not gwine to commit
me 70 contempt o. nuttin' but dat
mis'able specimen OBJ poo white trash,
Jim Lynch"
BY this time the faces OF the jury
and the spectators wore a broad grin,
the witness looked placid and the
prosecutor very much embarrassed.
! He would have dismissed the witness,
but he was the only person who saw
his client knocked down. and he must
either make him so testify or lose the
case. He returned to the work. but
personal---very. or, rather. strategically:
Uncle Remus, did you ever see a
man knocked DOWN."
what dat?"
Like this" The lawyer drew back
his arm and struck the air.
mo, sab. l nebber sor a man do
nuttin' like dat"
Tell me-remember you are under
oath-did you not see Mr.. Etheredge
do that to James Lynch?"
mo, sab! Mars Etheredge got sump'n
better to do dan swingin' de am agin
de wind"
This was too much for the specta-
tors, who burst into a roar. Etheredge
spoke a few words to his counsel. who
arose and said:
'Your honor. my client has request.
ed me to refuse to proceed further in
this case. If convicted he will pay
whatever fine your honor chooses to
impose"
Case dismissed" said the Judge
there being no evidence Of the
J charge"
The court adjourned, and all went
out convinced that the defendant had
given the plaintiff his just deserts Ole
Moses found himself hero. He had
been freed by the emancipation proc
lamation, but chung to the old planta
ton