Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 23.pdf/143

 That Florafountin Murder Case BY A. G. ZIMMERMAN’ [Nata — The following story is founded substantially on fact, although the author has not resisted the temptation to take a few liberties with regard to non-essentials and, as he says, "in supplying more or less probable details otherwise obscured by lapse of time." The author took part in the lost will ease with Senator LaFollette many years ago. The state's attorney is at present a leading lawyer and politician of the North west. -— Ed]

HE sheriﬁ of Hamilton county, located little more than a hundred miles from the western shore of the Mississippi, had passed a convivial and most agreeable afternoon with the judge of the Orphans’ Court. Judge Comradowsk was one of the last of the peculiar judicial tribunes not

on the bench for a score of years or more

riage or hack. His hands and feet were covered with enormous gouty protu berances that must have been most pain fully inconvenient. To enable him to get about and per form his judicial duties, Judge Com radowsk had for his regular daily use a drayman with a one-horse, low-wheeled ﬂat-topped dray, which was the only vehicle at the county seat that would at the same time accommodate the ample judicial proportions and the ac companying gouty inﬁrmities.

and though an incorruptible and genial old burgher, his sole even pretended other qualiﬁcation for the position was his ability as a vote-getter to defeat any lawyer who had the temerity to try con clusions with him at the polls. He never had been regularly admitted to

call at the judge's residence in the morning and from the edge of a low horse-block, the judicial entity would seat itself at the side of the ﬂat-topped platform of the dray between the fore and aft wheels, with legs dangling down

practice at any bar except where strong

and the arms encircling a stake at

liquid refreshments were dispensed, and

either side. In this manner his honor would be taken down town, usually mak ing a stop at one or two drink empo riums for refreshments before proceeding to the courthouse. The entrance ex necessitate was at the rear where there

uncommon in the early days of the West. l-lis characteristics would come under the head of personality rather

than that of personage.

He had been

he was a past-master at consumption edge there. of He the made lawnoand claimhad to any butknowl— little acquaintance with the English language.

This

judicial

representative

had

The drayman with his dray would

reached that stage of his career when, as a result of a too persistently prac

was but one step.

tised life of pandering to the appetite,

morning or afternoon judicial duties, the judge would wend his way homeward in the same digniﬁed dray-like way, with customarily the same stops for refreshments-though on the after noon journey homeward a more exten

his

gouty,

barrel-shaped

proportions

made it impracticable for him to walk. He could only waddle a few steps at a time. He could not get into a car

After the conclusion of the usual

sive and prolonged interlude at a favorite ‘ Judge of Dane County Court. Madison, Wis.