Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 06.pdf/422

 %)t #reen BagPublished 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 <ontributions of articles of moderate length upon subjects of inter est to the profession; also anything in the way of legal antiquities or curiosities, facetia, anec dotes, ete. LEGAL ANTIQUITIES. Amasis established a law in Kgypt, that every Egyptian should annually declare before the governor of the Province, by what means he maintained himself, and all those who did not appear, or who could not prove that they had some lawful livelihood, were punished by death. This law Solon introduced into Athens, where it was inviolably preserved as a most just and equitable provision.

FACETI^. The following anecdotes are told of Sir Fran cis Johnson, Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Province of Quebec, who died on May 27, 1894:— On one of his circuits in the Eastern Town ships during the winter, he startled the inmates of a country hotel, at which he put up, almost out of their wits. The night was bitterly cold, and the hotel proprietor was not extravagant in his fuel supply, or in the weight of his blankets, as the Judge very soon found out after getting into bed. He put over his bed coverings his heavy coat and other clothes; still the wind and arctic frost became colder and colder and sleep he found impossible. What was to be done? It was after midnight, and no one round to make a fire. Happy thought. The Judge arose, and putting on his slippers and dressing gown, went into the passage and shouted with all his power, "Fire, fire, fire." In a few seconds the whole of the hotel was aroused and each frightened one inquiring where it was. Then came the pro prietor. Panting and scared, he ran for the Judge and screamed out, " Where is the fire,

where is it?" The Judge, with a merry twinkle in his eye, replied : " That's what 1 am trying to find." A good fire was at once made in the hall, and the rest of the night was passed in comfort. On another occasion, in a case as counsel, and questioning a witness, Johnson said : " I want to know, did you see it done? " Witness, " No, I was not an eye witness, but an ear witness." "Ah," remarked Sir Francis, "a near witness and not a nigh witness? That is what I call a dis tinction without a difference!" One of his judgments was appealed to the Court of Appeals and sustained. On being met by Judge M the latter -said : " Well, Frank, I have just sustained a judgment of yours." "Yes? Well, my dear M, I still think I was right." The following affidavit was filed in Court of Common Pleas in Dublin in 1822 : — "And this deponent further saith, that on arriving at the house of the said defendant, situate in the county of Galway aforesaid, for the purpose of personally serving him with the said writ, he, the said deponent, knocked three several times at the outer, commonly called the hall door, but could not obtain admittance; whereupon this deponent was proceeding to knock a fourth time, when a man, to this deponent unknown, holding in his hands a musket or blunderbuss, loaded with balls or slugs, as this deponent has since heard and verily believes, appeared at one of the upper windows of the said house, and presenting said musket or blunderbuss at this deponent, threatened ' that if said deponent did not instantly retire, he would send his (the deponent's) soul to hell,' which this deponent verily believes he would have done, had not this deponent precipitately escaped." A man was tried before Mr. Justice Burrough, for stealing a pair of breeches. The prosecution was conducted by a young barrister, who, seeing