Washington telegraph., 1850-02-06
A FACETIOUS SHERIFF.

r.
Nearly half century ago, (says II.
editor Of the Washington News, who Wen
remembers the time, place and scenel
there dwelt in the town of - in az
England. remarkable oddity, in the ne,
son Of an attorney-at-law, who, altbonch
not fair to look upon. tfor he was i'm ,rn,n
one of the homeliest specimen of bn'
manity ever beheld by mortal man.) wa.
withal person Of sound judgment. pra,,
benevolence. various learning, poet
painter, and a wit.
1t SO happened that the aforesaid gen.
tleman. 60. Esq. was appoint.
ed High Sheriff of the town of n.
was man of fortune and had kind
heart, as many a poor prisoner could
testify. who partook of the good chez,
with which the prisoners were liberallv
supplied from the private purse of The
worthy sheriff
1t was OF course the duty of the Hiob
Sheriff to summon grand and petit iuTv
to attend at the quarter-sessions, of which
the recorder, mayor, and aldermen of tho
borough, composed the court. I'm tho
performance of his official duty, in sum.
moning the petit jury, our High Sheriff
INDUCED III some OF the strauges, and
drolest freaks. that have probably eve,
been heard of in any other town or conn.
try. In the first place he summoned f.,
The October court, jury consisting @,
twelve OF the fattest men he could 6nd
III the borough, and when they came IN
the book to be sworn, it appeared tha,
only nine Jurors could sit comfortable
within the box! After great deal Of
sweating, squeezing, and scolding, the
panel was literally jammed into the box
and when seated, they presented to the
eye of the court. the barristers and aud
ence, ''the tightest fit of a jury that wa.
ever seen in any courtroom. Lite.
rally they became, much to the amusa.
ment of the court and its robed advocates
a packed jury, and no mistake.
For the January term, our faceuous
High Sheriff Gn consequence, it was said
of some hint from the recorder, that there
should be no more fat panels summoned
to his courD went into the opposite ex.
treme. He summoned twelve of the
LeaneSt and taiicSt men he could find in
the borough, and when they took their
seats in the box, it appeared compare
lively empty-there was indeed room
enough for twelve more of the same sort
and dmentons.
For the April term Of the court, our
humorous functionary summoned Jury
consisting of twelve BARRIERS. Now it so
happened that among the latter were the
very perruquiers who dressed the record.
er's and barristers' wigs, and some of the
latter, arriving late at the bar, had to ap.
pear that morning i'll court with their wigs
undressed or half dressed, so as to cuta
very ridiculous figure, amidst the smiles
aud half-suppressed laughter Of the by
ISLANDERS. The High Sheriff of course
enjoyed the fun amazingly, but looked
grave as Judge while he tried to
keep silence in the courtroom.
But the crowniIg joke of this waggsh
officer occurred at the summoning OF his
fourth and last jury at the Jnly session.
For that term of the court, the High
Sheriff not having the fear of the recorder,
the mayor, and the aldermen: before his
eyes, actually summoned a SQUIRTING
JURY.-twelve as queer looking blpeds
as ever took their seats IN jury-box-a
jury that was probably more looked at
aud laughed at, than any of the appoint.
ed twelve that ever were sworn to "we
and truly try, and true deliverance make,
between their sovereign lord the King,
and the prisoner at the bar" But the
scene was so irresistibly droIl, that the
learned recorder could not maintain his
gravity. The mayor and aldermen fol-
lowed suit. The barrisrers laughed while
their wigs became bald and powderless;
nay. even the poor prisoners in the dock.
who were 10 be put upon their TRIALS, and
some of them undergo transportation,
could not refrain from joining i'll the gen.
eral cachinnation? Aud when the re-
corder commanded the High Sheriff TO
bring the courtroom to order, and IN
timated, with half-suppressed laugh,
that the latter ought to be ashamed OF
himself for summoning such u Jury. the
drolery Of this court scene was heigh' ened
considerably by the quick, ready, and SON
orous response of the High Sheriff who,
looking at the same time wagglshy at
the squirting jury, exclaimed-"All good
and lawful men, your honor
But our humorous functionary has long
since "shuffled off his mortal coll
"Where lie your gibes now! your
gamhols! your songs? your flashes OF meF-
riment that were wont to set the table IN
roar!-quite chapfallen!.'