The Life Of George Holcomb – A Brush With the Law

Feb. 8, 1821, Thursday:  Walked over to Capt. Adam Brown’s and engaged him to come on Monday and arbitrate a difficulty betwixt Zachariah Chapman and myself.  I likewise walked up to Edward Perry’s to know of him if he ever told Zach Chapman that I told him that said Chapman had two or three hundred dollars in his clock case, or money enough to pay his debts if he would.  Said Perry denies that I ever told him so nor nothing concerning the like.  Likewise, said Perry states that I never told him anything which caused him to sue said Chapman and caused said Chapman a number of dollars cost.  Now all of this said Chapman deal and against me, last evening to Mr. John Russel’s house in the presence of Barnum Clark, brother Wm, Mr. Russel and his daughter Alma.  Said Chapman further states that he can prove that said person told him what Perry denies to me by two as he heard tell him, I told the words as is before mentioned.
Feb. 12, Monday:  This morning I walked up to squire Nathan Howard’s and took a spene (subpoena).  I came and spened Caleb Joles and Isaac Newton.  I called over to Joseph Simpson’s but he was not at home and I did not spene him.  I called to Simeon Wylies to have him attend said arbitration, but he agreed he would.  Wm went with the single wagon to Lebanon and fetched Ebenezer F. Booge to defend my case against  Zach Chapman.  We likewise met this afternoon to Mr. John Russel’s and left a certain quarrel concerning some money said Chapman owed me, to two arbitrators, Capt. Adam Brown and Squire Nathan Howard.  But said Chapman insisted that the third man should be an arbitrator and he insisted on Sylvester Pardie.  I consented that he might.  I was accused of assault and battery by said Chapman, which was false, nor could he prove no cause of action, but I proved he was the first aggressor and it seems that there was no cause of action, and said arbitrators, Pardie in particular, said that I must pay them for their trouble for coming, because I was a young man and Chapman was an old man and I had “aughter bore with an old man’s sausiness.”