The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-03-18
ANCIENT COURT SCENE.
\ Rough Neck Pulled the Judges
Nose and Got Away With 1t.

An old copy OF the western oenll-
mel, printed at Winston on June D,
1878. has an account of how Bill
McGill, of Stokes county, almost pull
ed the nose of Judge Cloud, who
along about that time held court here
for number of years.
The story as told by the Sentinel
at that time is as follows:
A scene occurred at Stokes court
on Tuesday evening of the first week
of court, that was not down on the
bills.
At the fall. term, 1872, of Stokes
supreme court, a negro man noted for
his impudence, insulted w. D. Nc
Gill, and sought shelter in the court
house, where McGill followed him
and gave him beating in the pres
ence of the Judge, and was fined 500
for contempt of court. McGill was in
dicted for an assault, in the same
case, and was fined last week $50 by
Judge Cloud. After having been pun
ished by a severe fine for contempt
Mr.. McGill was incensed at the heavy
fine imposed on him the second time,
and concluded that he would give his
honor just cause to go for him in
regular heather style, and on Tues
day evening during the sitting of
court he walked upon the stand and
took a seat by the side of Judge
Cloud, and leaning over spoke in a
low tone to him and said, eff you was
not an old man I'd pull your nose,
you ID old scoundrel." Judge
Cloud, who was expecting friendly
message, was taken aback at what he
heard, and thinking he might have
misunderstood him, asked, him what
he said, and McGill repeated it. The
Judge then called Justify for Sheriff
Gentry to come and arrest him and
take him away, saying he was drunk
and had threatened to pull the courts
nose. McGill very coolly got up, and
spoke to the persons in the court
house and said it was untrue that he
was drunk, but he did tell the ID
old rascal (pointing to Cloud) that
he would pull his nose.
The sheriff by this time had reach
ed the scene Of action when the judge
ordered him to carry McGill to jail
and keep him sixty days. AS McGill
descended the stand he turned to
Cloud and said, "You nor any of your
party are honest" whereupon the
Judge repeated his order of sixty days
in Jail. By this time the sheriff was
descending the stairs leading down
out of the courtroom, and McGill fired
back at the judge and said: 'Ill get
even with you and your party yet,
you id old scoundrel." The judge
then had McGill brought back and ex-
amined the statute to see what was
the extent of his power to punish in
the case, and finally ordered the sher-
iff to confine McGill in Jail for thirty
days, fine him $3.50 and to remain in
Jail until the fine was paid, and to
give bond in the sum of $1,000 with
good security to keep the peace with
all the citizens of the state. Sheriff
Gentry, with a guard, then started to
jail with the prisoner, and had gone
some distance with him, and when
they arrived at Taylor's hotel where
a negro was holding McGill's horse,
he pulled out a pistol and told them
to stand back; that he did not intend
to go to Jail, and called to the negro
to bring him his horse. AS the sher-
iff nor any of his guards were armed,
and knowing McGill to be desperate
man, they concluded it would be un-
healthy business to attempt to stop
him, and he mounted his horse and
rode slowly out of town.
We were present in the court house
and witnessed the whole scene, and
the above is a plain statement of the
of the affair without comment.
We learn that the judge had bill
brought against Sheriff Gentry for al
lowing the escape, and that the trial
of the case has been removed to this
county.