Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 02.pdf/144

 Some Curious Pleas.

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SOME CURIOUS PLEAS. A MAN was once tried in Illinois for must have destroyed it. The plea of the horse-stealing, upon evidence suffi counsel for the defence is sound in law and ciently conclusive to satisfy even his own equity, and I charge you to bring in a counsel that conviction was inevitable. verdict of acquittal." Still, that worthy was no way daunted, but, The jury did as they were bid. rising for the defence, said he should not A tax-collector at Naples ran away with attempt to controvert the evidence before a large sum of public money, was caught, the court, but would put in a plea of matri brought back, and put upon his trial. His counsel admitted the facts, but contended monial insanity. "Matrimonial insanity! " exclaimed Judge that the collector was one of the people, W, mated as everybody knew to a most the money was the people's money, and unamiable woman. " That is a novel de it would be monstrous to convict a man fence; but let us hear the evidence." of stealing what was his own; and the A witness was soon in the box who had jury, being of the same mind, acquitted known the prisoner for ten years, and de the thief. posed that in that time the delinquent had A barrister retained to defend an unhappy married half a dozen times, and was living man charged with purloining a duck, found with his sixth wife when arrested. himself embarrassed in consequence of the "Well," continued the witness, " if any of rogue having exercised his invention overthem was better than the others, I am not freely, and having volunteered several ex aware of it; they were all a sorry lot. They planations of the matter. First, he said he kept the man constantly in hot water by did not steal the duck, — he had found it; their peevish, scolding, quarrelsome dispo then he said somebody had given him the sitions." duck; then that his dog had picked it up; Other witnesses having confirmed this and lastly, that a malicious policeman had account of the prisoner's matrimonial mis put the duck in his pocket unknown to him. takes, his counsel addressed the court, dilat Putting the case to the jury, his counsel left ing upon the cunning way in which women the gentlemen to take their choice, saying: drew men into matrimony, and the won "My unfortunate client has told half a dozen drous change that came over them when different stories as to how he became pos the victim was ensnared; finishing up by sessed of the duck. I don't ask you to be contending that his client could not be held lieve all these stories, but I will ask you to a responsible agent after being galled by take any one of them." Which story they such Xantippes for ten years. This skilful took the advocate never knew, but the man "touch of nature " was sufficient for the got off. judge, whose charge ended thus: — One plea, if it is a good one, is quite "This court has had a certain amount of enough, and in certain cases there is none matrimonial experience with one female, and so good as infancy. The law is very tender such experience has not been altogether of a of " infants," going great lengths to protect satisfactory character. But here is a man them against themselves. A woman was who has been so blind, imbecile, and idiotic arrested in Presburg, Hungary, for receiving as to marry in ten years six horrible scolds stolen goods. She was by birth a Jewess; and shrews. For so doing, I class him as a but six months previous to her detection natural fool; and even if he possessed any had been baptized into the Roman Catho intelligence, the dwelling with these women lic Church. When put upon her trial she