The abbreviations and CAPS are mine. pg 334 THE FUN BEGAN The fun did not really begin until the third term of the Circuit Court, which commenced March 29, 1838. It was about this time discovered that "playing cards on Sunday, betting on cards, and allowing card-playing and betting in a house" was a crime against the laws of the State, and the morals of the community. With this new discovery, Judge KING charged the jury, and the latter, feeling that they had a duty to perform, heroically went to work. It might be incidentally mentioned that the two previous sessions of the Circuit Court had not paid expenses, and it is barely possible that this had something to do with making them pay for their fun. Be that as it may, the grand jury went manfully to work under the new charge of the judge, and promptly ground out not only indictments, but expenses which seemed to make everybody happy but the victims. Forty-three indictments, were the result, and some of the victims claimed that if the grand jury had been perfectly impartial, they would have indicted themselves in a body for they, too, were guilty of card-playing and betting. The grand jury returned true bills against the following persons; to wit, Wm. CATES, Thomas POTETE, John W. MARTIN, John S. WILKINSON, Wm. BAKER, David BRONSTELLER, Larkin GIVENS, James HANDLEY, John B. COMER, James B. TURNER, Wm. KELSEY, Jonathan OXFORD, John A. WILLIAMS, Wm. M. JACOBS, Wm. FEURT, Benjamin J. BROWN, Henry CARSNER, Elisha EDWARDS, H. J. COMER, Anderson MARTIN, James M. HENDERSON, Wm. P. PENISTON, Wiley COPE, Abner ROGERS, Lewis HUNT, Jacob S. ROGERS, Thomas McMURTRY, Isaac BEST, Francis PENISTON, Jacob STOLLINGS, Wm. OXFORD, Silas BEST, Unberson LYONS, Jesse MORIN, Wilson McKINNEY, James BLAKELEY, James C. RENFRO, Alfred HICKMAN, Martin OSBORNE, and John CONNOR. All of these were indicted for betting at cards. Then the jury indicted McKINNEY over again for keeping a gaming-house and found an indictment against Jonathan OXFORD for trespass on school lands, against George PRITCHETT for peddling without a license. All those found betting at cards were fined $5, and all paid it but Wm. CATES, who claimed the right to be tried by a jury of his peers, which was promptly granted, and he got off with a one cent fine, but his lawyer took in the $5 for defending.............. ..