Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 05.pdf/320

 <§rееп PUBLISHED MONTHLY, AT $4.00 PER ANNUM.

SINGLE NUMBERS, 50 CENTS.

Communications in regard to the contents of the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor, HORACE W. FULLER, 15^ Beacon Street, Boston, Mass

The Editor will be glad to receive contributions of articles of moderate length upon subjects of interest to the profession; also anything in the way of legal antiquities or curiosities, facettœ, anecdotes, etc. , THE GREEN BAG. Л N Alabama subscriber is responsible for the •**• following : — Editor of the " Green Bag" : DEAR SIR, — An amusing incident occurred a short while ago, which may be of interest to your readers. A member of our bar was defending a party for the value of a suit of clothes. It seems the defence was trying to reduce the amount of the claim by proving that the suit was a poor fit. In his argu ment the modern Nestor turned to the court, and dramatically exclaimed : " If your honor please, the pants were too long, the vest too small, and the coat did n't button. Why, your honor, it's the clearest case of non est ßt you ever saw." Yours truly,

THE following comes from a Lincoln, Nebraska, subscriber : — Editor of the " Green Bag " : DEAR SIR, — Reading of the "horse trade" as described by a New York pleader in the April " Green Bag" reminds me of a specimen of Nebraska plead ing. The pleader was explaining the relationships of a large family, and after giving to one of the chil dren three parents, was not altogether satisfied with his achievement, but apologized to the court for not giving him a fourth. The pleading in question reads : "And the plaintiffs further say that the defendant S. W. is the son of said H. B., as also of said L. B. and J. B., and that the plaintiff J. B. Sr. is not the father of any of said defendants'> Very truly yours,

LEGAL ANTIQUITIES. ONE of the most remarkable legal papers on file in the archives of the world is now in the

National Museum of Paris, labelled " Sentence on a hog, executed by justice, in the copyhold of Clarmont-Avin, and strangled upon a gibbet at that place." It is sealed with red wax, kept under a glass case, bears date June 14, 1494, and reads as follows : "... We, the jury, in detestation and horror of this crime, and in order to make an exam ple, and to satisfy justice, have declared, judged, sentenced, pronounced, and appointed that the said hog, now detained in the abbey as a prisoner, shall, by the executioner, be hung and strangled on a gibbet near the gallows which is within the juris diction of the monks whose names are hereto ap pended, near the copyhold of Avin. In witness of which we have sealed this present with our seals." Following the above are the signatures of the jurors and the prefect of the Department de l'Aisne.

FACETIÆ. SOME years ago, in one of the counties of East Tennessee, the following amusing incident oc curred : Judge Scott, who held court for several counties, and who rode the circuit on horseback, had occasion to place a note in the hands of an officer for collection. The note was signed by a man living far away in one of the rural districts. The next time Judge Scott held court in this par ticular section he inquired of the officer as to whether or not the note had been collected. The officer said that he had obtained judgment on the note before Squire McCracken, but that Squire McCracken had afterwards issued an injunction forbidding the collection of it. " And here is Squire McCracken now," continued the officer. The judge turned to a very wise-looking man who was standing by, and said, " Squire, why did you do that? " " Well," replied the Squire, " after I gin judgment on the note, I found out you charged him too much for the things, and I jined it. By G—, I gin judgment on my law jurisdiction, and I jined it on my equity jurisdiction."