Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 18.pdf/621

 THE GREEN BAG Judicial Punning. — Punning is an exercise Naturally. — A shoemaker was taken up for of wit and humor, but not a good habit. bigamy. A dignified judge, however, will sometimes "Which wife," asked a bystander, " will he enliven a case by a punning allusion. In a be obliged to take?" Philadelphia case some years ago, a woman "He is a cobbler," replied another, " and of sued a street railway company for damages course must stick to his last." for injuries caused by being thrown by the Dogged Persistency. — Business was dull, sudden stopping of the car. The straps were debtors were shy and wary, and Tim, the where she could not conveniently reach them. process server, was playing in hard luck. A The company appealed from a judgment against it, but the higher court sustained the judgment case was on the list for trial in which an and said: " Possibly a woman may be so fan important witness named Reardon had defied tastically and foolishly hooped, wired, and all efforts to summon him. At last recourse pinned up as to deprive her of her natural was had to Tim, who was told to get a service power to help herself; but, if so, the question in hand. Tim took the writ and started on his errand. is one of fact and not of law, and so we incline On the road he met Reardon's dog. The dog to leave it, instead of imposing upon our had a small package in his mouth, and a brethren below, the difficult duty of prying into the artificial ' stays ' of the plaintiff's bright idea at once struck Tim. " Come here, my good fellow," said Tim, caressing the dog case." in a friendly manner. Tim untied the bundle and placed the summons securely within; and Would be Right. — Judicial ability of a very then the dog took up the package arid scam respectable order is not necessarily accom pered away to his destination. Tim followed panied by the quickest intellectual perception. at a respectable distance, watched the dog Judge , who presides over one of the cir go into the house, saw his master undo the cuits of a certain Western state, has never package, and saw the legal paper fall imme been able to master the intricacies of the diately into his grasp. game of euchre. A friend was once expound "That's the copy," joyfully exclaimed Tim, ing to him the value of the bowers and the peering forth from his hiding place under the method of determining trump. " But," in window, " and here is the original." terposed the judge, " what would happen Tim returned his writ to court; and the if you should turn up the left bower for court decided after hearing an objection that trump?" the service was valid.