Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 07.pdf/390

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Editorial Department.

learn." The Court listened; and Campbell went on without further interruption.

The following is one of the many good stories told of Judge Dooly of Georgia. At the close of a court, having settled his tavern bill and ordered his horse, the Judge came from his room with a very small pillow under his arm, a miniature likeness of a more satisfactory article on which to repose the head after the toils of the court during the day. Some person inquired of him what he was going to do with the pillow. " I am going to plant it in some rich soil, that it may grow larger by next court," was the reply of the witty Judge. The plaintiff in a suit brought against the city of New York had been injured by a fall, caused by a defect in the sidewalk, and during the trial a well-known physician testified that " the plain tiff was so injured that he could lie only on one side." " I suppose, doctor, you mean he would make a very poor lawyer," observed the counsel for the city. After the passage in Georgia of the severe laws against gambling, Judge Dooly was very rigid in their enforcement. At the close of a session of the Superior Court, the Judge had retired to rest; but the noise of a faro table in the adjoining room disturbed him so much that he got up, dressed, and went in and told them that he had tried all legal methods to break them up, and had failed; and now he was determined to adopt another plan. Before the night had closed he broke the bank, and told the parties to clear out, and be more careful in the future how they interfered with the court. In North Carolina the judges of the Superior Courts " rotate," i. e., ride each circuit of the whole state in regular succession. When Judge Shipp, of one of the mountain circuits in regular rotation came to ride a circuit on the sea coast he was much pleased with clams, which were new to him. He had a clam supper with the result that he had a most violent attack, and could not hold court for two or three days. When able to sit on the bench, the first case tried was an affray in which one man used a pistol and the other knocked him down with a clam (in the shell).

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Manly appearing for the State, introduced a wit ness to prove that one clam, so used was a deadly weapon. " Stop there, Manly," said the judge earnestly, " the court will hear evidence whether or not a pistol is a deadly weapon, but the court knows without further evidence that a clam is."

A Philadelphia lawyer said a very bright thing the other day. He was seated with a group of friends, and they were discussing in a desultory way the leading topics of the day. One of the parties present, Mr. , persisted in monopo lizing more than his share of the conversation, and his views did not at all accord with those of the lawyer. As the men separated, one of them said to the lawyer : — "That knows a good deal, doesn't he?" "Yes," replied the lawyer, " he knows entirely too much for one man; he ought to be incorpo rated." It was on the coast belt of South Carolina during reconstruction times. Mr. Bissell, a large rice planter, had lost several hogs, found the thief, a black man, had him arrested by a colored trial justice in Colleton County, and the day for the trial was on hand. Defendant demanded a jury. The justice was full of the importance of the case : Mr. Bissell was a rich man, and " dis case gwine ter git in de papers." The justice charged the jury, sent them out into the woods to decide upon their verdict; in about half an hour the jury returned, notified " de cort ", and handed their verdict in. This was as follows : " We find Mr. Bissell guilty." The Court, on reading it, replaced the spectacles it had taken off, and said, " Now, look hear, gentlemen, dis ting won't do. What you find Mr. Bissell guilty bout? Him lose he hog, and dis defendant, Joe, tuck 'em or aint tuck um; what you gots to do wid Mr. Bissell? You got no sense anyhow; you jest go right straight back in dem woods and you bring in de right werdict, or I'll put de las one o' you in jail. Go tarrogate again." The jury retired, and in another half-hour returned, handing in as their new ver dict, " We finds Mr. Bissell guilty of accusin'." The Court said, " I spigious bout dis werdict, but lem stan; you shan't git no coss, nohow; en don't come to dis cort gen yah? Nigger got no sense nohow."