Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 12.pdf/184

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SINGLE NUMBERS. 50 CENTS.

Communications in regard to the contents of the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor. HORACE W. FULLER. 344 Tremont Building. Boston. Mass. Tht Editor will be glad to receive contributions 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, etc. FACETIÆ.

THE story is told that Daniel Webster, when on his way by stage-coach to Washington once, was looked upon with suspicion by his travelling companions. Finally one of the latter tapped him on the knee and said, "How far are you going?" "I am going to Washington," answered Web ster. "Are you a merchant?" continued the in quirer. "No, I am a Senator," replied Webster. "Well, well!" exclaimed the other, holding out his hand. " I am relieved. We feared you might be a highwayman." THE late Isaac H. Bromley, for many years a writer of New York Tribune leaders, was noted for his spontaneous and happy wit. One day, in the Tribune office, the veteran journalist, Charles T. Congdon, was talking of the de lightful reading he had found in Bayle's " Dic tionary," and remarked that, if he were ever in jail, he would be quite contented with that book. " Of course you would," said Bromley. "If you had Bayle, you could get out!" ON THE WRONG TACK. — It was at the police court. A witness for the defense had been ex amined, when the complainant's lawyer stood up to crush him. LAWYER : " Why did you hide Sullivan in your house on that Sunday night." WITNESS : " I did not see Sullivan at all on that night." LAWYER (knowingly) : "Will you swear your wife did not hide Sullivan on that night?" WITNESS (hesitatingly) : " Ye-es." LAWYER (more knowingly) : " Will your wife

swear that she did not hide Sullivan in your house on that night?" WITNESS (more hesitatingly): " Well — 1 — don*t — think — so." LAWYER (triumphantly) : "Ah! Perhaps you can tell the court how it is you can swear your wife did not hide him, while she cannot swear the same thing. Speak up now and tell the truth." WITNESS (unhesitatingly) : Well, you see, I'm not a married man."— LAWYER : You say that you were in the saloon at the time of the assault referred to in the complaint? WITNESS : I was, sir. LAWYER : Did you take cognizance of the bar keeper at the time? WITNESS : I don't know what he called it, but I took what the rest did. WHETHER we become possessed of property through the kindly testamentary consideration of our relatives or acquire the same by the sweat of our brows, there are very few of us whose generosity exceeds our power of retention. That the ruling passion is strong in death, was made evident recently on the occasion of the making of his will by one of the rural gentry in the vicinity of Boston. This person had ac quired a substantial property, and, upon the sug gestion of friends, went to the office of one of the leading attorneys of the Hub to dispose of his earthly goods in true legal style. He was sound in health and mind, but the giving away of his property was an unpleasant and unwonted experience, and a slow one. He had spent most of the afternoon in directing the making of bequests and legacies, and had taken up his hat preparatory to going, when the lawyer said to him : " Well, Mr. Smith, what are you going to do with the house in which you live?" This query touched a tender spot, and, with eyes brimming with tears and in a voice trembling 161