Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 11).djvu/300

 opinion deems guilty. Such individuals rarely benefit by a legal acquittal. Whipping, death, or banishment, is inflicted by these regulators. The law, in itself inefficient, permits or winks at such matters.

Judge Waggoner, who is a notorious hog-stealer, was recently accused, while sitting on the bench, {319} by Major Hooker, the hunter, gouger, whipper, and nose-biter, of stealing many hogs, and being, although a judge, the greatest rogue in the United States. This was the Major's answer to the question Guilty, or Not Guilty, on an indictment presented against him. The court laughed, and the Judge raved, and bade Hooker go out and he would fight him. The Major agreed, but said, "Judge, you shall go six miles into the woods, and the longest liver shall come back to tell his tale!" The Judge would not go. The Major was now, in his turn, much enraged by the Judge ordering him into court to pay a fine of ten dollars for some former offence, the present indictment being suffered to drop.

17th.—I was visited this day by General Johnson,[102] a gentlemanly man, and Judge M'Creary,[103] both of this state, the latter of whom is a preacher, and a shrewd, experienced, well-informed man, whom I promised to visit, but regret I did not. He said, "I will keep you well; come and stay a month or so, and I'll find you a good horse to carry you whithersoever you list." His son, a fine rustic