The old Antiquary made out his schedule with the aid of the
good-hearted jailer, who inserted as his effects, “Necessary wearing
apparel.” It was all he had. Like the gallant Fremont, when he offered
to resign his shirts to his chivalric creditor, he could give them no
more. A few questions are put; the old man answers them with childlike
simplicity, then sits down, his trembling fingers wandering into his
beard. Mr. Crimpton produces his paper, sets forth his objections, and
asks permission to file them, that the case may come before a jury of
“Special Bail.”
Permission is granted. The reader will not fail to discover the object
of this procedure. Keepum hopes to continue the old man in prison, that
he may succeed in breaking down the proud spirit of his daughter.
The Commissioner listens attentively to the reading of the objections.
The first sets forth that Mr. McArthur has a gold watch;
Our Charleston readers will recognize the case here described, without
any further key. the second, that he has a valuable breast-pin, said to
have been worn by Lord Cornwallis; and the third, that he has one
Yorick’s skull. All of these, Mr. Crimpton regrets to say, are withheld
from the schedule, which virtually constitutes fraud. The facile
Commissioner bows; the assembled crowd look on unmoved; but the old man
shakes his head and listens. He is surprised to find himself accused of
fraud; but the law gives him no power to show his own innocence. The
Judge of the Sessions was competent to decide the question now raised,
and to have prevented this reverting to a “special jury”—this giving
the vindictive plaintiff a means of torturing his infirm victim. Had he
but listened to the old man’s tale of poverty, he might have saved the
heart of that forlorn girl many a bitter pang.
The motion granted, a day is appointed-ten days must elapse-for a
hearing before the Commissioner of “Special Bail,” and his special
jury. The rosy-faced functionary, being a jolly and somewhat flexible
sort of man, must needs give his health an airing in the country. What
is the liberty of a poor white with us? Our Governor, whom we esteem
singularly sagacious, said it were better all our poor were enslaved,
and this opinion finds high favor with our first families. The worthy
Commissioner, in addition to taking care of his health, is expected to
make any number of speeches, full of wind and war, to several recently
called Secession Conventions. He will find time (being a General by
courtesy) to review the up-country militia, and the right and left
divisions of the South Carolina army. He will be feted by some few of
our most distinguished Generals, and lecture before the people of
Beaufort (a very noisy town of forty-two inhabitants, all heroes), to
whom he will prove the necessity of our State providing itself with an
independent steam navy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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