Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 24.pdf/64

 The Editor's Bag engine and killed. The owner promptly brought suit for damages against the road. Damage suits were a new thing at that time, and there were many neigh bors and sympathizers present at the hearing. The engineer swore that he gave a sharp blast of the whistle as he approached the crossing. It looked as if the railroad company was "to go scotfree," but the attorney for the farmer knew his justice. "Your Honor," he said, "it is required by the statutes in such cases made and provided, that when any person or

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domestic animal is upon a railroad and is seen by the engineer, he must sound his whistle. In this instance, your Honor, there were two domestic animals inno cently playing on the track, and the whistle was sounded only once, when it is a positive legal requirement that it should have been blown twice, once for each dog." So convincing was this argument that the country justice would not even give the railroad attorney a hearing, and awarded the plaintiff the full amount of damages sued for.

1 he Editor will be glad to receivefor this department anything likely to entertain the readers of the Green Bag in the way of legal antiquities^ faceti*, and anecdotes.

USELESS BUT ENTERTAINING "Do you take this woman for better or worse?" "I do, jedge, I do. But I hopes we kin kinder strike an average." — Washington Herald. An attorney who was also secretary of a gas company was considerably amused at the re mark of his little five-year-old daughter who told a gentleman in response to his query as to what her father did for a living that "my father is a lawyer and sells gas." — Exchange. In most lands that maintain a court of justice the institution commands the respect of the public. It has in its hands the means of securing an outward show of respect under any circum stances. In Haiti this power appears to be made a source of revenue, according to a story told by Mr. H. Prichard in "Where Black Rules White." A Haitian owed a trader twenty-eight dollars. A judgment requiring the Haitian to pay four dollars a week into court was given, and the trader agreed to send a messenger to the magis trate every week for the money. In due time he sent for the first instalment, and was informed that the Haitian had not paid

up, but that he should be put in prison for his failure. Three weeks passed with the same result. One morning the Haitian went to the trader's store. What good, he asked, would come to the trader if he, the poor man, were thrown into prison? Let the trader forgive him his debt, and earn thereby untold rewards in a future state. After some talk, the trader gave him a letter of remission, which he went off to present to the magistrate. The affair was settled, but the Haitian was struck by the bad grace with which the magistrate dismissed him. He forthwith returned to the trader and asked him if he had received the eight dollars already paid into court. The trader looked surprised, and said that he had received nothing. "Then, since you have remitted the debt, that eight dollars is mine," said the Haitian. Accordingly he went to the court to present his claim. The magistrate at once committed him to prison. A consul who had heard the story asked the magistrate what the man was sent to prison for. "For contempt of court," was the reply. — Youth's Companion.