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advised him to play the lunatic, and to answer all questions put to him with the word " Spoons." The clay of the trial came; and Marshall took his place in the dock, pale, haggard, and wildlooking. "Guilty or not guilty? " asked the clerk. "Spoons!" drawled the prisoner, with a blank stare. Come, plead guilty or not guilty," the clerk responded. "Spoons! " was the reply. "Prisoner, will you answer the question put to you?" "Spoons! " he bawled. At this point the counsel for the prisoner inter fered, and told the court that the prisoner was in sane, and not responsible for his actions, etc. "Do you understand what is said? " asked the judge of the prisoner. "Spoons! " was the reply. The judge discharged him, as he was evidently insane. Spencer congratulated him upon his escape, and suggested it would be a good idea to pay him. His client stared, and moved away with the sim ple remark, " Spoons!"
Maryland; Treasurer, Francis Rawle, of Pennsyl vania. The next meeting of the Association will be held in Milwaukee, Wis.
The commissioners appointed by the several States to confer as to the securing of uniformity in State laws, met at Saratoga Springs on August 24. A small proportion of the States only were repre sented, and no decisive work can probably be accomplished before another year.
At the annual meeting of the Missouri State Bar Association, at Excelsior Springs, Missouri, August 30, 31, and September 1, the an nual address was delivered by Hon. F. M. Estes, St. Louis, Missouri; and a very interesting paper "The Lawyer of the Roman Republic," was read by Mr. F. W. Lehmann, and several other in teresting topics were discussed during the session. The officers for the ensuing year are Judge G. B. Macfarlane, of the State Supreme Court, President; William C. Marshal, Treasurer, St. Louis; Judge William A. Wood, Kingston, Secre tary; and an executive committee consisting of R. T. Railey, Chairman, Gen. B. G. Boone, Judge C. G. Burton, W. C. Marshal, and W. A. Wood.
NOTES. I The American Bar Association held its annual J When Grattan was a young student, he was fond meeting at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., on August 24, of practising oratory in a certain wood, in a part of 25. and 26. The annual address was delivered by which was a gallows from which depended the John Randolph Tucker, of Virginia, his theme rusty chains in which a criminal had been hung being " Constitutional Law." The subject was many years before. admirably treated by the distinguished orator, When he was once apostrophizing this melan and made a deep impression upon his audience. choly object, a stranger came up unperceived be Papers were also read on " Limitation of Legis- ' hind him and said to him, — lative Power in respect to Personal Rights and "How the devil did you get down?" Private Property," by John W. Cary of Chicago, The young orator coolly replied : " Ah, sir, you and " The Problem of Uniform Legislation in the have an interest in that question! " — The Bench United States," by W. L. Snyder of New York. and Bar of Ireland. The address of the President, John F. Dillon of New York, was unusually interesting and instruc tive. The Association is in a very prosperous The laws of Denmark contain, among various condition, and should be a tower of strength in other wise provisions, one which it would probadvancing legal reform, and elevating the standard bly be as difficult to find in the criminal code of of the profession. other nations as in our common law or any statute The following officers were elected for the en amending the same. It provides a punishment suing year : President, J. Randolph Tucker, of for that especially revolting form of cruelty which Virginia; Secretary, Edward Otis Hinkley, of consists in allowing a fellow-creature to perish
