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CASE or SLANDER.
This was an action brought before the Jus
tice of the Peace for slander, the circum
stances of which were as follows:
Theree was a night meeting in the vicinity
of the author’s residence, near which an old
man resided by the name of Cane, a very
honest, industrious, good citizen, but who
would take his 11 little sprees” of drinking
some times. On the same evening of the
meeting the old man got about 4 ‘three sheets
in the wind,” and solicited the author to go
with him to the meeting, which he did. They
arrived there just as services commenced, an
old preacher by the name of Abel preaching.
About this time there was a great revival of
religion, and the preacher selected for his
text, “Where is thy brother, Abel?”
He went on, in his sermon, to show that
Cain was the first murderer, because he sjlew
his brother, Abel. He preached a very affect
ing sermon, and invited all that wanted to
go to heaven to come up and kneel down,
and he would pray for them-; they all went
up but the author and Cane. The preacher
then bawled out in the course of his prayer,
“Cain, where will you be in the day of
judgment, when the Lord shall say to you,
‘Where is thy brother?’ ” Cane here spoke
to the author and said: “D nmy wig if
I don’t believe I will go up and be prayed
for. ’ ’
“Go on, Cane,” replied the author. He
went up and Abel took hold of his hand and
laughed; Cane cried. And after laughii g and
crying awhile, Abel told Cane to knuckle down
and he would try to supplicate “a throne of
grace” for him, and commenced lamenting in
his behalf: “Grate Almighty God,” said he,
“here is an old idoliter, who has come and
prostituted himself at the foot of thy humble
servant, to git him to supplicate a throne of
grace for him; grate God, thou knowest he
is an old idoliter, thou knowest he is an old '
fornicater, thou also knowest that he is an
old drunkard, and, grate God, which is the
worst of all, thou knowest that he is an old
liar; wilt thou be pleased, instid of putting
burnt whiskey in his mouth, to put prayers—
instid of putting falsehood upon his tongue,
put truth, and let him lisp truth until the
day of his deth; take his feet out of the
mire an’ clay, and sit them upon a rock of
eternal ages, and put a new song in his
mouth, such as praises to the true livin’ God
—Amen. ’ ’
After praying and singing awhile the meet
ing adjourned.
As Cane stepped out of the door, the au
thor asked him how he liked the prayer.
“Durne my wig, if I like it a’tall,” said
Cane. The author then advised Cane to sue
Abel for slander, stating that he had never
heard a more aggravated case of slander in
all his life.
The next morning Cane went to a Justice
of the Peace and made his complaint, on
oath, that Abel had slandered him the night
THE JEFFERSONIAN.
before in a prayer. The Justice issued his
warrant in these words:
Georgia—To Any Lawful Officer, to Execute
and Return:
Whereas, Affidavit has this day been made
before me by Cane, of said state, that Abel,
of said state, did, on the night last past, then
and there, commit a base slander upon Cane.
These are, therefore, to command you forth
with to arrest the body of the said Abel, and
bring him safely before me, and me only, that
he may abide such damages as may be so as
sess against him for such slanderous prayer
and base slander therein. >
Fail not, under the penalty o fthe law.
Given under my hand and seal.
The constable, on the same day, went and
arrested the body of Abel, and safely con
veyed him before the said Justice, as directed
in said warrant. Some half a dozen wit
nesses were summoned on each side. The
case "was called. Both parties answered and
sounded themselves ready, and the trial pro
ceeded as follows:
The indictment being read, the defendant
filed his plea of not guilty. Witnesses called
and sworn. The Justice heard and examined
the testimony on both sides, and inquired
of the wealth and stock that each of the
parties had, it appearing that Cane had a
large stock of cattle and Abel a large stock
of hogs. The Justice wrote his decision as
follows:
“It appearing to the Court, Abel made
the prayer for Cane without solicitation on
the part of Cane, and further appearing to
the Court that Abel’s prayer amounted Ito
slander, it is, therefore, adjudged and ordered
by the Court that Abel deliver to Cane one
sow and seven likely pigs, and also give bond
and security in the penal sum of five hun
dred dollars, that he never pray for Cane
any more, with cost of suit.
After the decision was read, Abel spoke
to the Justice, and said that it was not nec
essary to bind him in bond, for he would
see Cane in h 1 before he would ever pray
for him any more.
The court then adjourned.
—From Joseph Gait’s Reports.
A GREENBACK-ITE.
In pollitix, I tell you that
I’ve always been a Demycrat;
A Jackson voter, plain an’ pat,
An’ statehood rights on top o’ that;
An’ father, too —his name was Nat —
He used to wear a Jackson hat;
An’ swear “by Andrew,” an’ “by drat,”
An’ hate the name of Abo —, scat;
Whew! whiz! —worsen’ a pan o’ fat,
He’d blaze an’ siz at hint o’ that.
An’ I —l’ve been a Demycrat,
An’ voted Tilden, Cleve.—St. Pat.;
Forgive the sin I did in that!
I could not vote t’other, you see;
An’ so took Cleve. —ah, me! fool me!
What silly gulls most voters be!
What dupes an’ wooden-headed things,
Puppets, play-boys, set on springs,
To dance an’ turn at ev’ry touch
Os Tam an’ Toot an’ Tray an’ sueh;
Whichever way the bosses blow,
Till—blame my hide —I hardly know.
As off to ’lection now I go,
Which way I vote, they mixed me so.
For oft the ticket seems to me,
Is just as queer as queer can be;
A mixed an’ muddled party pie;
Platform propped with phrase and lie,
An’ boast an’ brag, so mountain high,
Would make an honest voter cry.
But while I muse, the question begs,
‘'What choice can lie ’tween rotten eggs.”
With all his faults, fool Demycrat
Surpasses far, Republi— ‘ ‘ dratt ’
An’ so, by stress of hand an’ lip,
I let the dirty ticket slip.
But how I wish ole Jack could come
An’ smash the flimsy party drum,
An’ make the pesky rascals hum;
That boss, the Demycratic crew,
An’ boast an’ brag o’ what they’ll do,
If only we will put them through;
But never make a promise true.
I tell you what, ’tween me an’ you,
The prospect now is pretty blue, —■
The party in is black as sin,
The party out can never win,
Until they change their tactics thorough,
An’ strive to run a straighter furrow, —
An’ this I’ll say—as say I must —
Or sure an’ certain Lyn will bust—-
If Tom would start a Greenback party,
An’ work it with a purpose hearty,
I don’t know but I’d change a “bite,”
An‘ evolute to Greenback-ite.
—Lynton Lloyd.
Virginia.
ANNOUNCEMENT.
To the Populists of the Ist Congressional
District of Alabama: I want to meet as many
of you as possible at our State Convention to
be held in the city of Birmingham on the 4th
day of March, 1908, for the purpose of making
arrangements to thoroughly organize our dis
trict for the coming campaign and to make
any other arrangements, as may seem best.
Yours very respectfully,
G. B. WILSON,
Chairman of Ist Diet.
SALESMAN WANTED to represent a firm com
posed of Southern people, selling reliable
goods to Southern people. Only men of good
character and hustling ability need apply. We
have a few good openings for the right men.
Be first in your community; write today.
SOUTHERN SUPPLY 00., 1298-1300 Broad
way, New York.
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