The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-01-27
Miscellaneous.
From the KnickorbocSer for January.
Anecdotes of the Bench and Bar of
Vermont.

vermont
There are many excellent stories Of the Bench and
D,dVermont, very current among the good people
,hloS Stale. which however do not remember TO
r.,s seen in print, and which dare say are little
l,ouo abroad Some of these | shall here set down
,sci.cly as heard them from the mouth OF an old
i,,rer who il well known as the Nestor of the gown
and wig in Vermont. Fit should turn out, as it Of
%, happens in matters of this sort, that any of the in
,dcos here related shall be claimed to have occur
I'd ,onewhee,ese, to the honor of some other of our
,,,sres1 States, beg leave to DECLARE according TO
established usage, that any such pretension is wholly
yooanded, and that any versions different from my
oNn are altogether npochryphal.
Twas formerly custom in Vermont, although now
little pacsed for lawyer, when promoted to the
dignity Of the bench, to follow up his old retaners;'
and accordingly whenever a case came on in which
,ns Honor was concerned counsel he immediate
ydoied the ermine, resumed the gown, and bated
away among the attornes, in the old style .Apropos
orhemeamorPhose in question: a story is told of
Judge Chase, now many years deceased. The Judge
was man Of very ardent temperament, and in de-
bite was exceedingly vehement and vocilerous. In
an important cause he making the closing argu-
mcat to the jury, and with much warmth and earn
cncs' Of manner, insisting on II verdict for tho
lanii' friend Of the defendant, who had been
listening to the concluding part of the attorneys ad-
dress; and who supposed that he was acting in his
jci capacity, ran out of the house, declaring that
aenNcr saw such abomnahle parliaty in his life >
Meeting the defendant in the street, he tol d him he
night az well go home at once, FOR she Judge had
target his case TO The dcril, aud the plaintiff was
w.Orecover.'
t,e Chase was n man Of excellent sense, and
rthI great sticler for the dignity Of court1
case OIvcry wiling importance, having well nigh
the gaun,'e, o. lcsM adjudication, up length
10 the highest court in the State. The counsel for
the plaintiff was opening with the usual apologies 70.
frivolous suit, when the subject matter, 'to wit, one
turkey, ofgeat vaIuc,' etc. catching the ear of the
Judge he called out 'SIr Clerk, strike that case from
The jockct; The Supreme Court Of The State Of Yer
auiocs mol SIT here 10 determine The Ownership Of
ulg!
There lives in the northern part of the State u law
yer and ex.judge, who is very famous FOR his wit
lie has kept respectable law school his chambers
on and off, for the last forty years ;and is still teach
ing the elements of his profession 10 'knot Of legal
limbs having survived several suits began within his
remembrance in the English chancery, and arrived,
through an honorable career, to tho advanced age of
eighty six Many instances of repartee are related of
The old Judge which for genuine epgrammatism
are scarce inferior to of the hest of Pyron and
TaIqyraud.
When practising attorney, many years ago, he
@plened,whe arguing question of some difficulty,
Illustrate point in his case by pretty free use Of
The vocabulary Of the card table. The presiding
Judge abruptly inquired what he meant by addressing
such language to the court p
meant your Honor, to be understooi,' was the
reply
on another occasion, Judge, vexed with the diff
N0Ity, or irrtated by the insgnifcance of cause
""'cn = was conducting, cried out 'Sr,
'O? DO you bring such case as this into COURT
N"Y not leave it out to of your honest neigh
Os' because, your honor replied the barrister,
we don't choose that honest men should have any
hing to do With
IN The early days of Vermont jurisprudence, the
strict decorum which now very generally distinguishes
WV new England bar was comparatively unknown.
IS was H'oTe common Than sharp alterations
U''"een the Bench and the Bar; such wrangings in
'''u as would now be deemed contempt of court
were 'hey to occur only between the lawyers them
On one occasion Judge T, who was
"'" pam Esquire had addressed sound argument
"' court and sat down. The judge, who chose to
'ne question rather than decide il at once re-
r''' !" 'eebIe argument, which the lawyer in his
,',I demolished The judge reoined by repeating,
,"'Ou any material variation, his first reply; and
~. nv" closed the pleadngs by an adverse decison.-
O"! tlooor's two arguments, said T address
'llsei partly to the court and partly to the bar,
"''"u me oil story A foolish old woman in Con-
oeIng one evening at party was greatly at
-. .,' It" something 10 say. Al length she ventured
/, "4u"e OF gentleman who sat next her, whether
rS, 'O'ner had any chldreu?' The gentleman po-
Wy pOh'ed out the absurdy of her inquiry. 81
- p"'on' exclaimed the old lady, perceiying her
'''Ne' you don't understand me; mean TO IN
""e'her your grand mother had any children?'
d.. ,''ne'"her an anecdote of Judge O. father Of
49, 'ungulshed president of the Wesleyan Univer-
" which is very characteristic of the man, and is I