In the Tennessee mountainsCraddock, Charles Egbert
General
In the Tennessee mountains
Craddock, Charles Egbert
Mountain life -- Tennessee -- Fiction; Short stories, American; Tennessee -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
"Waal, waal, hev it so," said her mother, in acquiescent dissent,--"hev
it so! But 't war his deed receivin' of the stolen goods; leastwise,
the jury b'lieved so. Pete say, though, ez they wouldn't hev been so
sure, ef it warn't fur 'Vander's resistin' arrest an' in an' about
haffen killin' Jubal Tynes. Pete say ez 'Vander's name fur fightin' an'
sech seemed ter hev sot the jury powerful agin him."
"An' thar war nobody thar ez would gin a good word fur him!" cried the
girl, dropping her hands with a gesture of poignant despair.
"'T warn't in reason ez thar could be," said Mrs. Ware. "'Vander's
lawyer never summonsed but a few of the slack-jawed boys from the
Settlemint ter prove his good character, an' Pete said they 'peared
awk'ard in thar minds an' flustrated, an' spoke more agin 'Vander 'n
fur him. Pete 'lows ez they hed ter be paid thar witness-fee by the
State, too, on account of 'Vander hevin' no money ter fetch witnesses
an' sech ter Sparty. His dad an' mam air mighty shiftless--always
war,--an' they hev got that hulking idjit ter eat 'em out'n house an'
home. They hev been mightily put ter it this winter ter live along,
'thout 'Vander ter holp 'em, like he uster. But they war no ways
anxious 'bout his trial, 'kase Squair Bates tole 'em ez the jedge
would app'int a lawyer ter defend 'Vander, ez he hed no money ter hire
a lawyer fur hisself. An' the jedge app'inted a young lawyer thar;
an' Pete 'lowed ez that young lawyer made the trial the same ez a
gander-pullin' fur the 'torney-gineral. Pete say ez that young lawyer's
ways tickled the 'torney-gineral haffen ter death. Pete say the
'torney-gineral jes' sot out ter devil that young lawyer, an' he done
it. Pete say the young lawyer hed never hed more 'n one or two cases
afore, an' he acted so foolish that the 'torney-gineral kep' all the
folks laffin' at him. The jury laffed, an' so did the jedge. I reckon
'Vander thought 'twar mighty pore fun. Pete say ez 'Vander's lawyer
furgot a heap ez he oughter hev remembered, an' fairly ruined 'Vander's
chances. Arter the trial the 'torney-gineral 'lowed ter Pete ez the
State hed hed a mighty shaky case agin 'Vander. But I reckon he jes'
said that ter make his own smartness in winnin' it seem more s'prisn'.
'Vander war powerful interrupted by thar laffin' an' the game they
made o' his lawyer, an' said he didn't want no appeal. He 'lowed he hed
seen enough o' jestice. He 'lowed ez he'd take the seven years in the
pen'tiary that the jury gin him, fur fear at the nex' trial they'd gin
him twenty-seven; though the 'torney-gineral say ef Jube dies they will
fetch him out agin, an' try him fur that. The 'torney-gineral 'lowed
ter Pete ez 'Vander war a fool not ter move fur a new trial an' appeal,
an' sech. He 'lowed ez 'Vander war a derned ignorant man. An' all the
folks round the court-house gin thar opinion ez 'Vander hev got less
gumption 'bout'n the law o' the land than enny man they ever see, 'cept
that young lawyer he hed ter defend him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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