Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 06.pdf/634

 Rh When the court on an extremely western cir cuit was convened and the business was about to begin, it was discovered that there were neither pens, ink nor paper for the use of the Bench or the Bar. "How is this, Mr. Clerk?" inquired the judge. "There is no money allowed for it by the county, sir, and we can't get the articles without money." The judge made several remarks not at all complimentary to the county. "I've been in a good many courts," put in a pompous and pedantic lawyer from the East, temporarily present to try a case, " but this is the worst I ever saw." The judge jumped him on the spot. "You are fined $10 for contempt, sir," he thundered. " Hand the fine to the clerk, sir." Mr. Lawyer kicked, but he had to hand over the money or go to jail, and the judge wouldn't have it any other way. "Mr. Clerk," said the judge, when the fine had been handed him, "go out and get all the pens, ink and paper necessary for the use of this court, and give the gentleman back his change "; and the clerk did as he was ordered and the visiting attorney maintained a discreet silence.

NOTES.

Mr. Webster said, one of the heartiest com pliments ever paid him was by a Maine farmer, for whom, when a young man, he had gone into Maine and tried a case. As they left the court room, — it is to be presumed flushed with vic tory, — the client with flat hand struck him a blow on the back that made the dust fly, saying, "Dan, you're a hoss."

In a very musty old book which contains the life of Doctor Navarrus, who, besides being a friend of Gregory XIII., was a celebrated profes sor of law, there is an incident in his life that goes to show the dangers that may beset a mem ber of the legal fraternity should he be too much given to benevolence. Doctor Navarrus became very rich, and his latter days were given to alle viating the troubles of the poor. As he grew old he purchased a mule and used to ride about the

587

country, and when he met a poor man he used to stop his mule and give the poor man a small piece of money. After a while the mule became so accustomed to the doctor's peculiarity that whenever he saw a poor man, he would stop of himself, and would not go on until the poor had received a gift. When the doctor finally died no one could be found to ride the mule.

Apropos of our item on the length of service of judges in this country (in Green Bag, Aug., 1894), our readers will be interested to learn the fact that there are in Philadelphia two judges who are now in the forty-fifth year of continuous service, having been sworn in on the first Mon day of December, 1850. We refer to Hon. Joseph Allison, President Judge of Court of Common Pleas No. 1, and Hon. J. I. Clark Hare, Presi dent Judge of Court of Common Pleas No. 2. We doubt if this record can be beaten anywhere in the United States. These judges were re elected by the people five times to terms of ten years each. The Bertillon system has hitherto been re garded mainly as a good method of identifying criminals. The Pall Mall Gazette recently re ported an incident showing that it could some times be used also as a means, better than the ordinary evidence in support of an alibi, of clear ing an innocent person. Our contemporary states that a man wearing the Eton cap and gown, and professing to be a master from the college, called upon a Windsor tradesman to select a watch for presentation on behalf of his colleagues to some functionary of the college. Thrown off his guard by a bold stratagem, the jeweler allowed the stranger and some watches to get out of his sight upon some plausible pre text. The swindle was a success, and the thief got clear. Eventually a man was arrested, was identified as the thief, was convicted at the Berks Assizes, and was sent to penal servitude. He protested his innocence, and declared that he was in a French gaol at the time of the robbery. Bertillonage then came into the English air, and the man was met with the retort that if he had been in a French prison his measurements would have been left behind to prove his assertion. The prisoner agreed to that proposition. He