The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-03-17
Darious Alottrrs.
From The N. y. Spirit Of Me Times.
A Brace Of Legal Anecdotes.

| Z" eNSS VI A'EUl hucfOOteS'
There are some things scarcely worth
recording, and yet are too good to be lost
In our journeyings through life we Of
ten meet with "the ridiculous" and enjoy
it amazingly at the time, but how few are
gifted with the ability TO transfer such
scenes to paper for the amusement of
others. In my visits East of PEARL
amongst people of primitive habits
where the schoolmaster has heretofore
been somewhat of a stranger, | have oc.
caslonaIly encountered very amusing in
cidents that would have made the fortune
of modern Hogarth had he been pres.
ent to have touched them off with his
pencil.
As it is, will give you the facts Of
one or two as they occurred under my
own observation, and you may do the
filling up" you think proper, in due
form for the readers ofthe spirit"
Recently.while attending at Court held
in J--county where Judge S. pres.
ded, a very plain question oflaw was pre-.
sented for the decision of the Court. 1t
was argued elaborately by the council on
the wrong side, and when the opposite
attorney Ia real Paddy, who had just wa
ded through Blackstone aud Chitty, 50
as to obtain lseuce.) rose to reply, but
he was stopped by his honor, who inform.
ed him that his opinion was made up a.
ganst him, and that he would have M
further argument. Paddy laid his hand
slowly npon volume of Blackstone, and
opened it where the leaf was carefully
turned down. and commenced reading
the law directly in conflict with the opin.
ion Of the court.
"StoP, sir" cried the Judge, Il have
decided the case, and my mind is no lou
ger open to conviction, nor will have
any further argument III the case"
"Oh," said the lawyer, Il did not in
tend to argue the point. nor did | expect
to convince your honor-I only wanted
TO show the Court, what hi of fool
Blackstone waS!'
Such shout of laughter as went up
from every part of the Court House, was
beyond the means of the sheriff or Courl
to control for some minutes, when Paddy
was fined dollar for his SANDER of Black
stone, and the Court then adjourned 10
liquor.
Upon another occasion, in another
county claiming to he enlightened, Judge
B. was presiding. when question was
raised as to the Sufficiency ofnotce to all
endorsement on promissory note. Old
Judge F., now eighty years old the very
pink ofthe "old school" stad, sober and
dignfed, and who always prided himself
upon acting up to the strict proprielies o
his profession, happened to be employed
in the case, and knowing the principle
to be perfectly clear, and, as he suppos-
ed, familiar TO every member of the pro-
fession, declined making an argument,
and at once submitted the matter to the
Court. To his utter astonishment the
Judge without a moment's hesitation
decided the point against him. Old
Judge f., in utter amazement, slowly
raised hlmsetirom his seat, and putting
bis hand to his ear, as is the custom with
persons a little deaf said:
"Do | understand your honor to decide
that the endorser ola promsSory!" &C.,
repeating the decision of the Judge.
"Well, l,' said the Judge, lit would looI
so to man up tree"
The old lawyer seized his long greer
bag his companion for forty years, anc
put" leaving the case to manage itself
The only word he spoke was, as he
passed out the south door of the Cour,
House when drawing lsug breath, he
exclaimed: "Well, III be d-d!"
This exclamation upset the gravity oj
the crowd, and Judge B. resigned his of
flee in disgust.