Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1901 — Swear Not at Anybody. [ARTICLE]

Swear Not at Anybody.

Somebody has heretofore explained the scriptural injunction “swear not at all” to mean that a wise discrimination should be exercised in selecting the objects of your profane objurgations, and to swear only at those you are big enough to lick. But even that discrimination can not be safely exeroised in this region. Swear not at anyone who knows the way to the justice shop, is the rule that should be applied around here, as the numerous prosecutions for “provoke” well illustrate. The latest of these was tried Tuesday, before Squire Troxell. The defendant Geo. Townsend, works for Henry Weedrick, whose habitation is in a tent, near Fair Oaks. Squire S. M. Lemoine, of Fair Oaks, himself a recent exemplar of Rensselaer justice, was the complaining witness. Townsend formerly worked for Lemoine, and afterward sued for wages claimed to be due him, and got a judgement against Lemoine, in Squire Fay’s court, at Parr. During Jjthe trial Townsend impugned Lemoines veracity and ornamented the sentence with several large caliber cuss words. The result was Townsend’s arrest Tuesday, by Constable Vick, and his trial before Squire Troxell, He was fined $1 and costs. The fine was remitted during good behavior but the little matter of the costs, only $15.30, it was thought best to get the cash on.