Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 22.pdf/59

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The Editor’s Bag opposite counsel. He suggested five dollars as about the correct measure of damages done to legal ethics, and added that it gave the first opportunity for a judge to set a precedent for the American judiciary. The Court’s only response was, “Oh. Ihave enough to do to look after these lawyers and litigants without troubling myself about ethics." HIS OPENERS ROM Panama we have received the follow ing juicy anecdote:— "Brothers and sisters." began the old par son, “I shall not choose any particular text this morning, but shall preach from where I

his people and upon whose noble brow the Jove-like thundering of outraged dignity speaks in forked looks like lightning. The advance army of geese, in panderno nium, thrice cries the call to arms. The mule, which has hitherto been idly flicking the flies from off his sides, in wild alarm strains

his halter, and breaks and dashes madly through the woods as though pursued by a thousand demons. The lazy dog awakes, and yelping loudly places his tail between his legs to join the madly scattering caravan. Thus came our hero on the spot. In a few moments Court was called to order,

and the young attorney faced a jury of his peers. The trial was short and speedy. He was fined $1,000 for contempt of court, his

open the book, and no matter where, I shall

find the wrath that is to come upon the wicked who will be cut off when they have shuffied 05 this mortal coil. It is now open, an" Here the parson was interrupted by a lawyer of his flock, Deacon X., who had been

asleep and hearing the words “open, cut, and shufile," forgot himself and cried out: "It’s yours! What did you open on?" The surprise of the good man in the pulpit was great, but the deacon collapsed when the

reply from the parson came, “It is opened on Kings." WHERE THE AUTOMOBILE IS AN UN HOLY THING

A YOUTHFUL member of the M— bar was retained to represent a defendant in a Georgia Justice Court in a case of hog-steal ing. Upon the eventful morning, thinking to do the thing up in fine style, he rented an automobile in which to make the trip. Now this was a fatal error, but worse is still

to come, for he carried with him about twenty-four volumes of law books. Poor in experienced youth, he had not yet learned that the jurisdiction of his honor the J. P. was second to none but the Divine Law, and that they often reverse the Supreme Court of the state and sometimes of the United States. Behold him as he approaches this rustic scene of primitive justice. Under a mighty pine tree, standing as a sentinel, rearing its

majestic head above its fellows, as though realizing the extra dignity derived from sheltering so eminent a jurist, stands our august and honorable Justice, upon whose Atlas-like shoulders are borne the burdens of

automobile levied on,

his

law

book

con

fiscated as seditious matter, and had it not

been for cooler heads he might possible have been lynched. He is now a wiser but sadder man and is trying to have the fine set aside and recover the attached property. NO INVIDIOUS COMPARISONS.

AN anecdote is told of a certain New Eng land judge who relieved the monotony of his court one day with a quiet though tell ing observation. "And, gentlemen of the jury, began a flowery advocate, pleading before his honor, "as I stand at this bar to-day in behalf of a prisoner whose health is such that he may at any moment be called before a greater Judge than the judge of this court, 1-" His honor rapped sharply on his desk. Counsel stopped suddenly, and looked up with an interrogation in his protesting face. "The advocate," said the court, with great dignity, "will please confine himself to the case before the jury, and not permit himself to make invidious comparisons." CONGRATULATIONS TO COUNSEL YOUNG Concord lawyer, according to the

Concord (N. H.) Monitor, had a

foreign client in police court the other day. It looked rather black for the foreigner, and the Concord man fairly outdid himself in trying to convince the magistrate that his client was innocent. The lawyer dwelt on the other's ignorance of American customs, his straightforward story, and enough other details to extend