Lancaster High School - Mirage Yearbook (Lancaster, OH)

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a mile from town. The crowd went out in an automobile. Lewis, being master of ceremonies, placed the hunter (George) and gave him all necessary implements, consist- ing of a white meal sack, candle and a handful of orange peel. “George, just straddle that ditch. That’s it, hold your sack lower, don’t mind bending over. Scatter your orange peel in front of you and hold your light and one piece of peel in front of your bag.” “What do I do now?” asked ignorant Potter. “Just, you stand still, don’t make any noise and your bag will be full in no time. Snipe run right up dry ditches when chased and if they smell orange peel they come right to it. The light sort of blinds ’em and they run right into it. That’s why you hold the light in front of the sack. The fellows are going to scatter and run ’em up for you. “Don’t get scared when you hear a swishing noise in the ditch. That’s them.” With these last instructions, Lewis walked off, leaving the unsuspecting Potter bending over the ditch, candle, peel, and bag in hand. As I have said, it was in late December, the trees were all bare and dead leaves and twigs dried with cold were everywhere. The ditch across which Potter stood was full of dead leaves and sticks. The whole place was cold and bleak. The boys who were to do the running-up, never ran. About the time that Potter’s candle was almost burned up and he was stiff with bending over and the cold, the fel- lows commenced to shout and fire pistols. At that time Bill, the Game Warden, appeared. “I arrest you in the name of the law.” The hunt came 14 to an abrupt stop. Bill had borrowed from someone a badge which was now pinned on the breast of his coat. “Mr. Game Warden, why are we arrested?” spoke up James Lewis. “For hunting snipe. Don’t tell me you weren’t, I saw your orange peel.” “Well, but we weren’t harming any of the present season birds.” “No matter, you fellows come along with me. This thing has to be stopped. You are the third crowd of hunt- ers this week. The others got away but I have you all.” “But we weren’t the other crowd. On the side, how much money will it take for you not to see us?” “I am an officer of the law and am not to be bribed. You come along, all of you.” Lucian called George to the edge of the crowd and told him they would have to beat it when Lewis gave the sign. “You run straight in front of here until you come to tin- railroad, turn to the left and keep on till you get to the crossing where we left the car,” he whispered. After some more talk in which Lewis tried hard to get release from the Game Warden, and without success, he gave the sign. The fellows ran in every direction. The poor Game Warden yelled “Halt! Stop!” accom- panied by pistol shots in the air, but the boys never halted. Over fallen trees, ditches and bushes they ran. As they came to the railroad, George stumbled over a stump, fall- ing flat. “Hurt, George?” “Nope but didn’t he shoot good? Those Indicts just miss- ed my head,” he said as they ran along. The fellows say he didn’t take time to get up from his fall but got up running.

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INNOCENCE GOES HUNTING □□□□□□□ 0 T 0 3 HE ain stopped at Station 68 with a loud snort. Out from the Pullman car came George Potter, of New York. He was one of New York’s true swells, consisting of sporty clothes, little sense, unpaid bills and and prevarication. It was the latter part of December when George came to our town. lie put up at the best hotel the town could afford, ordering all kinds of things, that made the hotel clerk wake up and the porters step faster. Next morning bright and early, dressed in city riding boots, coat and gloves, he walked slowly up town to give the effect of his clothes time to soak in on the natives. Although George did not go riding that morning he had the pleasure of showing the people how city folks look. Some of the fellows that had met him the evening before at the hotel, came up and asked why he was so dressed up. He said, “I thought I would ride round and see what the land looked like for hunting. “Hunt much?” asked one. “You bet,” and with that he proceeded to tell the boys of hunting trips he had taken in Syranack and down south. To hear him talk you would have thought he was a second “Teddy.” “I say, Potter, did you ever go on a snipe hunt when you were down south?” asked Leonard Blum, a New York fellow who was staying in town, always ready for fun and playing practical jokes. “Well, Blum, I don’t believe I ever hunted snipe, but have hunted most every other kind of thing.” “You sure miss good sport, man.” Turning to Lucian West, he asked, “Luke, do you reckon Lewis will take us on a hunt? You know lie’s a cracker-jack when it comes to hunting snipe.” “Guess he’d like to,” was the reply. That afternoon Lewis was found and to the delight of all and himself, he agreed to go hunting the next night after dinner. Lewis was a regular monkey and always ring leader in any jokes the fellows played. George was charmed and said he would meet the crowd on the Main Street corner. Lewis and Luke, to make the hunt more attractive, had arranged during the afternoon to have Bill act as Game Warden and arrest the crowd. He was a big jolly Irish- man with plenty of dry wit and humor. In fact, he looked just the kind of man a policeman would be. The next night George met the crowd at the appointed time, dressed in hunting suit. He was never lacking in the proper clothes for each occasion. The woods to which the hunters were going were about 13

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They finally reached the cross road where the auto was, only to find that the Game Warden had gone round by the road to await their coming. Also they were surprised to find two cars instead of one, the other belonging to the Game Warden. “Well, I have you now. I arrest you on three charges. First, hunting snipe out of season on posted land; second, attempted bribery of an officer of the law; third, resisting arrest. Now, just get in that car and drive in front of me to the jail.” Jack Lee, one of the fellows and a lawyer, tried to get the boys out. Nothing would do but they should go to the lock-up. After much discussion they were let out on bail, but were to appear next day at eleven o’clock for trial. The next day the trial took place in the courtroom. Jack Lee, being a lawyer, got the use of it. A fun-loving citizen of middle age, stout and dignified, acting as judge, called the court to order. lie then swore in twelve jurymen, all men unknown to Potter. Some of them had hard work to keep from laughing. The witness- es were next sworn in. “The court will now proceed,” or- dered the judge. “I charge Mr. George Potter and these other gentlemen as accomplices with these offenses; first, hunting snipe out of season on posted land; second, attempting bribery of an officer; third, resisting arrest,” read the clerk of the court clearly. The attorneys for the defense then began the ex- amination of the witnesses. The first witness was Leonard Blum. “Mr. Blum, will you tell the judge and gentlemen of this jury where you are from, your business, how long you have been in our town and how long you expect to remain?” Leonard started manfully to answer all these questions but broke out laughing when a side remark from Lewis was heard. “Don’t ask him how long he is going to stay, ask Mrs. Fay.” It must be said that Mrs. Fay was a re- markable clairvoyant then doing wonderful things in mind reading in our town. A chuckle from all greeted this re- mark. The judge rapped loudly for order. “Mr. Blum, tell the court where you were the night of December 20th at eight-thirty o’clock,” continued the lawyer. Your Honor, at eight-thirty exactly, I, with a party of gentlemen was starting on a snipe hunt with Mr. Potter.” After asking Leonard a few more questions he allowed him to retire. The second witness, Mr. .Jack Lewis, was called. “Mr. Lewis, tell this court where you were the night of December 20th at eight-thirty o’clock.” “Your Honor, at eight-thirty exactly I was procuring orange peel and a white meal sack for Mr. Potter to hunt snipe with.” Other witnesses were called and all testified to having been with Potter the night of the 20th to hunt snipe. The Game Warden was the first witness for the state. “Which of these gentlemen was it you arrested with the bag and orange peel,” asked the attorney for the state. “Your Honor, I think it was that one,” pointing to Pot- ter. “Mr. Game Warden, we don’t want to know what you think is right, but what you know is right,” thundered the judge. “Well, I think—yes, I know he was the one,” replied the Game Warden. “Can you produce the evidence of orange peel?” asked the attorney. “Yes, your Honor,” pulling out from his pocket a dried