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tain their business, rushed into the office. "Come quick! Your friend Jakie has been arrested for coppin' a watch and he is now before de judge." The president of the Essex Market Bar Association threw down his papers and grab bing his hat he rushed down the rickety stairs and across the street to the court. The court was crowded with prisoners, police, witnesses, lawyers and sympathizers, but they made way for the lawyer, as he en deavored to reach his client, who was being arraigned. "Have you a lawyer?" asked the judge of the prisoner. Solomon, as we will call him here, because that is not his real name, stepped up to the bar and delivered himself as follows: "Mr. Judge, yer Anner, dat's is it, 1 am." "Oh! are you retained by the defendant?" said the judge smiling indulgently at Solo mon, for he knew him. "Well, your man is charged with larceny." "Larceny!" echoed Solomon, looking bewilderedly at the judge; "my man chust now, lie told me, dat Jakie was copped for coppin' a watch. Did he cop a larceny, too?" The judge broke into a laugh at this un expected learned rejoinder of the president of the Essex Market Bar Association, and a titter ran around the court room. "Xo. Solomon, all they charge him with is stealing a watch. Call the complainant." Solomon stood by the side of his client, whispering encouraging remarks to him while the complainant testified that while he was a passenger on a crowded street car he felt a tug at his watch and when he felt for his timepiece it was gone; that he raised a cry of "Thief!" and grabbed the first man

he could, which happened to be "Jakie." The watch was not found on him, but he as nevertheless arrested. Was the complainant sure that the defendant took the watch? No. but he was the man who stood nearest to him. "Well, Solomon," said the judge. "Pro ceed with the defence." "All right, yer Anner, Mr. Judge," said Solomon, planting himself before the jud_,e and raising the index finger of his right hand high into the air. "Judge, yer Anner, de fois, question, I wanna ask yer, please gimme a answer." "Why, certainly," said the judge. "Judge, yer Anner," said Solomon, grow ing serious and speaking deliberately, "are vou a tief?" "Why, Solomon, what a question!" said the judge in surprised tones. "Why, certainly not." "Xow, Judge, yer Anner," continued Solo mon, growing still more serious, "am I a tief?" "Certainly not," said the judge. "Who put that idea into your head?" Solomon drew a sigh of relief. He drev closer and said, "Well, then, yer Anner, just like you are a tief, and just like I am a tief, just so—like dat—Jakie is a tief." The forcefulness of this logic was too much for the judge, and, as there was no legal evi dence anyway, he discharged the prisoner. Solomon led Jakie out into the street, his face .glowing with victory, followed by the admiring eyes of those in the court room. One of the spectators, an aged Hebrew, with a patriarchal beard, exclaimed admir ingly: "Dat's a smart Lower!"