Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1883 — A Heavy Motive. [ARTICLE]

A Heavy Motive.

“I want a warrant for the engineer of No, 5.” exclaimed an irate farmer to the local Justice. “ What Jias he done ?” asked the Judge. “Run over my pig, and I’m going to send him to jail!” “Wtodon’t you see the company!” inquired the Judge. “You can collect for that pig. You can’t send the engineer to jail unless you can prove that he did it intentionally.” “I know he did, and I want a warrant !” protested the farmer,, - “The only thing I can issue a warrant for is for .a crime. Before you can convict this man of erime, you must show somd*motive. ” “Then I’ve got him!” roared the farmer. “I can show the 'motive and it weighs ten- tons! It didn’t leave enough of that pig to make a sausage skin of, and I’m** going to have that ingineer in jail, if it takes the last bristle in tlie sty and the last feather in the barn yard ? Going to give me a warrant, or are you going - to wait until next election for Justice in this county-to find out who can issue a warrant and who can’t?” And the Judge being busy, had no time to wait, but issued the documents without further . delay. Perhaps he thought a ten ton “’motive” the heaviest that had ever been before him in a criminal examination. Travelers Magazine.