I had something to occupy my thoughts now, and for
the remaining period of my jail life.
Next came a new dodge of the Scheimers, the object of which was to
show that Sarah's marriage to me was no marriage at all, thus
leaving her free to marry any other man her family might force upon
her. When I had been in jail seven months, one day the Deputy came
in and said that he was going to take off my irons. I told him I
wouldn't trouble him to do that, for though I had worn them when he
and his subordinates were around till the irons had nearly killed
me, yet at other times I had been in a habit of taking them off at
pleasure; and to prove it, I sat down and in a few minutes handed
him the irons. The man was amazed; but saying nothing about the
irons, he approached me on another subject. He said he thought if I
would sign an acknowledgment that I was a married man when I married
Sarah Scheimer, and would leave the State forever, I could get out
of jail; would I do it? I told him I would give no answer till I had
seen my counsel.
Well, the next day Lawyer Sitgreave came to me and told me I had
better do it, and I consented. Shortly afterwards, I was taken to
court, for the first time in this whole affair, and was informed by
the judge that if I would sign a bond not to go near the Scheimer
house or family he would discharge me. I signed such a bond, and the
judge then told me I was discharged; but that I ought to have gone
to State prison for ten years for destroying the peace and happiness
of the Scheimer family.
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