JUDICIAL NOTICE. 320 JUDSON. tic copies of the public statutes, etc. In general it is the li^lit and sumt'Uiiit's the duty of courts to take judicial notice of the following facts: The conniuin law and public statute law, the pub- lic oflici's and olliccis, and the rules of the courts .*ind matters of public record of their own State; the political constitution of their own State gov- crnuR-nt and of the United States, the existence and title of every foreign State and sovereign recognized by the liiitcd States; public procla- mations of the Chief Executive of the State or nation, and all matters of such universal accepta- tion that llicre can be no dispute in regard to them, such as the divisions of time into years, months, and days, etc. In the absence of statute, where a court has any doubt as to a fact involved in a trial, it has a right to and should require evidence tending to establish it to be introduced. It is not essential, in onier to take judicial notice of fact, that the trial judge should be personally familiar with it at the time of the trial, if before his decision he becomes convinced by his own investigniion that it is a general fact never disputed by competent authorities, or where he learns of a statute alfecting the case subsequent to the trial, A jury has substantially the same liberty as a cotirt to take notice of mat- ters of fact upon the same principles as govern the courts, but cannot take cognizance of a law without instruction from the court. Neither a court nor a jury can consider in their deliliera- tions any personal knowledge they may have of the peculiar circumstances of a case, unless they are set before tlicm in the evidence, as they are bound to decide solely upon the law anil evidence as brought out in the trial. In any case where a court assumes something to be true without proof, either counsel may object and introduce evidence tending to contradict the conclusion of the court. If a court refuses to allow such evi- dence, the part.y wlio offered to introduce it may appeal on that ground; and if the appellate court finds that the trial court erred in this respect, it may reverse the judgment and order a new trial. See Evidence, and consult the authorities there referred to. JUDICIAL SEPARATION. See Divorce; 3lAHKiA(ii. ; ITt sha:xu and Wue. JUDICIARY. See CouBT; Judge; jMagis- THATE. JU'DITH (Heb. YehudUh, fem. of Ychilduh, Judah). A .Jewish heroine, who has given her name to one of the books of the Apocrypha. According to the story in this book, Nebuchad- nezzar, the Assyrian King, after the conquest of the Medes sent Holofernes with a large army against Palestine. The general demanded the destrtiction of the temple at .Jerusalem, and the people prepared to resist him. When Bethulia wa.s attacked, the people w-ere so famished that their leaders had to promise surrender within five days. Dtiring this time Judith, described as a rich young willow of the tribe of .Tudah, left Bethulia, came to the camp of Holofernes, and captivated the general by her great beauty. A banquet was given in her honor, and as Holofernes lay drunk she cut oflr his head. On the death of the leader the Assyrian army was thrown into a panic, and thousands were killed by the .Tews. The story is purely legendary, although the atithor introduces several historical personages into his tale, such as Holofernes, a satrap under Artaxerxes, and Bagoas, a contemporary of Holofernes. Accord- ing to Torrey (Journal of Ihe American Oriental iSocicly, vol. XX., pp. I(i0-172), the form Hethulia is a disguise for Slieclicm. The purpose of the book, which was originally written in Hebrew, is similar to that of Tiibit (q.v.), viz. to encinuage the pious .Tews to remain steadfast, and, despite all temptations and sufferings, to maintain their conlidence in Vahwch. Willrich, in a recent study {Judaicd, p, 33), fixes the date of com])osition between n.c. mi and 1.53; others place it in the Roman period, and see in the general tenor refer- ences to the conditions prior to Pompcy's ;ippear- ance at Jerusalem, B.C. (i3. It is to be noted that the Hebrew versions known, of which there are several, do not represent the original text, but are comparatively late prodtictions ba.sed upon the Greek text. Consult the conunentary of Fritzsche (Leipzig, 1853) ; and also Kautzsch, Apokrjiphcn, vol. i. (Tiibingen, 1900) ; Wace, Apocrypha, vol. i. (London, 1880). JUDITH, zhu'dct' (1827—). A French ac- tress whose real name was Julie Bcrnat. She was born in Paris and was a kinswoman of the great Rachel. She made her debut in 1842 at I.es Folies, and appeared at the Frani.ais four years afterwards, Iler best roles were PCnOlopc, Alcm&ne, Rosine, Charlotte Corday, and Mile. Ai'sse. In literature, she first appeared as fel- low-translator from the English with lier hus- band. Bernard Derosne : she then tninslntcil from Dickens, and under the name .Tudith Barnard, wrote //C chateau du Tremble (1872). JUD'SON, Adoniram (1788-1850). A pio- neer American missionary. He was born at Maiden, Mass., August 9, 1788; graduated at Brown University, 1807; at Andover Theological Seminary, 1810. Becoming inspired with mis- sionary zeal, he joined five other students in addressing a letter to the General Association of Jlassachusett-s (Congregational), expressing their wish to Labor among the heathen, and ask- ing advice. The result was the formation of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, (See Mi.s.siox.s, Christian.) Mr. .Tud- .son was sent to confer with the London Mission- ary Society and ask their aid. On the voyage he was captured by a French privateer, and thrown into prison at IJayonne, but when released prose- cuted his errand. .After his return he and Messrs. Newell, Nott, Hall, and Rice were appointed by the American board as missionaries to India or Burma. He was ordained Fcbruarv' (!, 1S12, and February 19th they sailed for Calciitta. .Arrivin-r (June 17th). they were ordered by the East Indian Government to return home in the vessel which brought them: and. though this demand was modified, they were required to leave soon. Mr. .Tudson and his wife, having changed their views in regard in baptism, were immersed by Rev. William Ward of Calcutta. This led to the formation of the American Baptist Mis- sionary Union (1814). !Mr. and Mrs. .Tudson went to the Isle of France, afterwards to ^ladra-s, with the design of reaching Penang. but. being thwarted in their wishes, took passage for Ran- goon. Here (1813), alone and without assured means of future support, they entered upon the study of the languages. The care of the mission was assumed by the Baptist Union. Within a few years they gathered a church of eighteen members, and many natives were impressed by
