Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 07.pdf/339

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The Green Bag.


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questioned as to what she knew about the matter said, " Well, jedge, the fust I knowed about it was when Bill Sanders called Tom Smith a liar en' Tom with a knife, slicin' a big piece cut of him. Sam Jones, who was a friend of Tom's, then shot the other fellow, en' two more shot him, en' three or four got cut right smart by some body. That naturally caused some excitement, jedge, en' then they commenced fitin."

Bob McLean of Greensboro, N. C, was a lawyer of infinite jest. Once practising before Judge Tourgee, he lost his temper at some ruling and used some petulant expression. Instantly the Judge said, "Mr. McLean, the court does not understand you. Do you mean to express con tempt for the court? " Recovering his temper, McLean, balancing himself, said with the great est good humor, " I hope your Honor will not press that question." A client wrote a letter to Theophilus Parsons, stating a case and requesting his opinion upon it, and enclosing twenty dollars. After a lapse of some time, receiving no answer, he wrote a second letter, informing him of .his first communication. Parsons replied that he had received both letters, had examined the case, and formed his opinion, but somehow or other " it stuck in his throat." The client understood this hint, sent him one hundred dollars, and received the opinion.

NOTES. A short time ago, a prisoner managed to escape from the Kirkwall prison. His occupation was that of a fisherman, and it is thought he managed to get on board one of the steam-line fishing boats. At all events, from that day to this, nothing further has been heard of him. The matter seems to have caused his father (also a fisherman) so much annoyance, that the other day he consulted an agent as to whether an action at his instance would lie against the jailer for the loss of his son! The following is an excerpt from one of the letters of the aggrieved man : " Can we come on the jaylor for damages, or what can be done? He was put in jal all right, and it is toe bad to think that we should loss him through their neglect."

A Synopsis of a charge given to the grand jury at the June, 1859, general term of the District Court in and for one of the counties of Min nesota, as understood by an outsider, and ap preciated by all the bystanders. Written at the time by an attorney then present in court and who heard the charge. "Gentlemen of the Grand Jury: In entering upon your duties, you are to consider yourselves a body corporate, having deliberative powers and prerogatives, like unto other men. The well being of the Christian portion of the community is especially committed to your charge : — "/ go further, gentlemen, / tell you that /, though sitting here as I do, as judge of this high and honorable court, am a man of like powers, passions, propensities and prerogatives as other men, save and except such as have by early piety, mature age, and long and tried judicial experience been conquered and brought into due submission. "Gentlemen of the jury, the duties which you are called upon to perform are peremptorily de manded of you by the government of the country in which you live. Therefore, gentlemen of the jury, you will see that you are in duty bound to give your undivided attention to finding and presenting to the court, indictments and present ments against your fellow citizens who have been unfortunate enough to be detected in the com mission or omission of any crime or disdemeanor known to the laws of your commonwealth. You should not allow your thoughts and attentions to be diverted or substructed from the great trust reposed in you, and upon which, and about which, /, sitting here on this bench as I do, ain charging and instructing you. You should con sider, gentlemen, that you are not the only men who are called upon to forego personal interests, and sacrifice secular concerns, in a performance of the duties you owe to yourselves, your neigh bors, and the unfortunate fellow citizens aforesaid. "/ go further, gentlemen, / say to you that /, sitting here as judge of this court, have forewent secular concerns many times for the benefit of the human family, in the performance of the great and arduous duties of the station of judge, for which, without egotism, I can safely say that God and nature have amply qualified me, and to which the people by their generous sufferings have called and reduced me. (Here his honor