Answer:
Harte develops the theme of injustice in "Tennessee's Partner" in many ways, here goes an example:
<em>Tennessee supposedly stole pistols and a knife from a stranger on the road to Red Dog. However, it is the stranger who reports the alleged theft. There are no witnesses to verify his report. Nevertheless, the men of Red Dog and Sandy Bar assume that Tennessee is guilty and form search parties to track him down. A stranger captures Tennessee in Grizzly Canyon after the two men have the following verbal exchange:
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<em>"What have you got there?—I call," said Tennessee, quietly. "Two bowers and an ace," said the stranger, as quietly, showing two revolvers and a bowie knife. "That takes me," returned Tennessee; and with this gamblers' epigram, he threw away his useless pistol, and rode back with his captor.
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This passage reveals that the stranger has two guns and a knife, the same items that Tennessee was said to have stolen. But in his confrontation with the stranger, Tennessee has only one gun. Could it be that this stranger is the same stranger who reported the theft of his guns and knife? If so, why does he still have them? And why does Tennessee have only a “useless pistol”?
The reader learns later that this stranger is the judge in Tennessee's trial, Judge Lynch. Keep in mind here that one of the reasons that the men of Sandy Bar look with suspicion on Tennessee is that he is a gambler. But Lynch is also a gambler, as indicated by his use of card-playing lingo—“two bowers and an ace.”
At this point, one can speculate that Lynch lied about the theft of his pistols and knife because he wanted to get even with Tennessee. Perhaps Tennessee beat Lynch in a card game—or cheated him. The following passage describing courtroom proceedings further implicates the judge in a scheme to undo Tennessee:
<em>The Judge appeared to be more anxious than the prisoner, who, otherwise unconcerned, evidently took a grim pleasure in the responsibility he had created. "I don't take any hand in this yer game," had been his invariable but good-humored reply to all questions. The Judge . . . for a moment vaguely regretted that he had not shot him 'on sight' that morning.”
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Now here is something else: Why is the judge named Lynch? The lower-cased verb lynch means to hang a person who has not received a fair trial.
But even if Tennessee is guilty of the crime with which he is charged, the penalty—hanging—is excessive.
