TRE DESERTER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 246, 8 December 1880, Page 4

TRE DESERTER.

William Meckinaw Johnson, a young naan witb a very ditty neck, snd a: meek and humble expreeeion irom tbe nosfe down, turned up at a farrn-houee about six miles from Detroit the other; dayj,

and confidentially informed lhe farmer that be was an escaped convict from State Prison, wifh a reward of2oodols. offered for his arrest nnd return, He hod grown (ired of wandering around, acd asked the farmer to bring him into tbe "city, und band him over to tbe police. The farmer's hair stood on end at the prospect of making 200Jols. in half a day. He took William Mackinaw into his house and feasted him on the fat of the land, gave him a clean shirt and a coat, and then harnessed up, and the two jogged into the city. Tbey bad somo beer at the first saloon on the road. They had some more at tbe next, and byand by put their arms around each other and joyfully sang — " My name it i 3 Joe Bowers And I have a brother Ike." By-ond-by the escaped oonvict announced that they must part, aud bis object — that of securing a ride into the city had been accomplished. The farmer objected, a fight took place, and both were hauled in by tha, police. Willir.ni Mackinaw was simply au old vag, and tbe farmer was laughed at and Allowed to return home. <f You expect to be sent up don't you?" asked his Honor aa the testimony waß ail in. "Oh; yes. I've pot tuckered out with this hot weather." " How long a sentence do you warn?" " Well, give me threo months, and if I want any more I'll come back. Judge, you'd have disd a laughing to see tbat farmer's eyes hang out when I told bim there was a reward of two hundred dollars on my head. I don't want to insult thia court but I've got to laugh — bai ha! ha! ho! ho! ha! bo! His Honor leaned back aud wiped the rivulets off his brow, aud the prisoner got his breath and said— "And euch a dinner as he got for me! You'd have supposed I was the biggest King in Europe ! I'll go up three months any time o' year for auch a dinner as that. li's all right— all right — ha! ha! ho! ho!" / And he was heard laughing long after the next case had been called.