The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-02-19
THE FAT, THE LEAN, THE SQUIRTING
AND THE SHAVING JURY.

1hc following is not new, Dut IL WILL pear re-
peating:
Once upon time, or to be little more parti-
cular, near y halfa century ago, there dwelt in
the town of -, in Old England, a remark
able oddity, in tic person of an Attorney at Law,
who, although not fair to look on, for he was i'll
truth one of the homeliest specimens ofEuman-
ty ever bckcld by mortal man. was witllal a
person Of sound Judgment, great bcnevolcncc,
varied learning, poet, painter and Wit of
no mean order.
1t SO hoppcned that the aforesaid gentleman,
e. G., Esq, was appointed Eigh sheriff of the
town of -. lie was a man OF fortune,
and had kind heart, us many poor prisoner
could testify, who partook of the good cheer
with which the prisoners were literally supplied
at Christmas, and other well known festivals,
from the private purse of the high sheriff.
1t was of course the duty of tie high sheriff
to summon a grand and petit jury to attend ut
the quarter sessions, of which the recorder, may
o. and aldermen OF the borough composed the
cout In the performance Of his official duty
in summoning the petit jury, our high sheriff
inGulged in some of the stTangest and drollest
freaks that have probably ever been heard of in
any other town or country. In the first place,
h. summoned for the October cOulta jury con-
sisting of twelve of tie tattest men he could
find in the borough, and when they came to the
book to be sworn, itappeared that only nine ju-
70: S could sit comfortable in the box! After
great deal Of sweating, squeezing and scolding,
tic pannel was literally jamnled into the box,
and when seated, they presented to tie eye of
tlle court, the barister, and the audience the
tightest fit" of inrv that was ever seen in a
conrt ROOM Literally they became, much to
the astonishmcnt ofthc court and its robcd adj
vocates, ga packed jury" and no mistake!
For the January term, our facctious high She
riff lin consequence of some hint from the re-
corder that there should be no more fat panncls
summoned to his COURT went into the opposite
extreme He summoned twelve of the leanest
and tallest men he could find in the borough;
and when they took their seats in the box, it was
comparatively empty-there was indeed room
for twelve more of the same sort and dimcn.
sions
For the April term ofthc Court, our humorous
furctionary summoned a jury consisting of II
BARRIERS. Now it so happened that among the
latter were the peruquers who d es;ed tie re-
cordcr's and barristers wigs, and some of the
latter arriving late at the bar, had to appear that
morning in court with their wigs undressed Or
half dressed, so;s to cut n very ridiculous fig
urr, amidst the smiles and halfsuppresscd laugh
ter of tho bystand rs. The high sheriff enjoyed
: 'nazingly, bit looked grave as a judge
h, lied to keep silence in the court room.
.,ut the crownng Joke of this waggish flnc-
NJ = oF his fn,,,tl,
and last jury at the summer session, in july
For that term of the court, the high sheriff, not
having the fear OF the recorder, the mayor and
aldermen before his eyes, actually summoned
squirting ury!-twcle rs queer looking bipeds
as ever took their seats in Il jury boX-a jury
tlat was probably more lacked at and laughed
at, than any of the appointed twelve that ever
Were sworn to "wrll and truly try and true de-
livc!aH make kcbetween their sovereign lo!d and
king, and the pfisomcr at the bar"
Eut the scene WIS so irrcsistibly droll, that
tic learned recorder could not maintain his gra.
witty. The Mayor and Aldermen followed suit.
The bari,ters laughed, while their wigs became
bald, powdcllcss; nay, even the poor prisoners
in the dock, who were TO be put upon trial, and
some ofthem undergo transportation, could not
refrain from joining in the general cacchinaton
And when the learned recorder commanded the
high sheriff to bring the court room to order, and
ntimatcd with Il lali:suppYessed laugh, that the
latter ought to be ashamed of himself for SUM-
moning such IA .jury the drollery of the court
sceae was heightened, by the quick, ready, and
sonorous response ofthe high sheriff, who look
ing at the same time at the squirting jury, ex-
claimed, "All good and lawful men, your hon
or"