Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1851-11-29
GUILTY, But DRUNK.
Dan Marbles Story of the Georgia Jadss.

spoons and the Georgia Judge. Gil Bradbury,
We believe once dressed up The joke aud SCI 1t
agoing, aud rtialy in that guise we give It a
place in the annals Of the comedian.
..Many years ago, while the State Of Georgia
was Vet in lis infancy. an accenlric creature,
named Brown was the Circuit Judge. lie was
a man Of considerable ability, OF iaifkihte laleE
/ rity. aud much beloved aud respected by all The
/ legal profession, but he had one fault His social
4 quatles would lead htm, despite his judgment,
4 into frequent eNcesses In travelling the Circuit,
/ it wss his almost iuyarjahle habit he nigh; be.
fore opening he Court to get "comtotahiy corn
/ ed, hy means Of appliances common upon such
occasions Ii he couldn't succeed white operat-
( ing upon bis own hook, the gentlemen ol The law
would generally turn and be p him.
'lt was in the Spriug of The year, taking his
VITA model Of IA woman in her waY--ln The
Old fashioned, bnl strong 'carty,aL he Journey
ed some forty miles. aud reached The village
where the court was 10 be opened The neNl day,
II was along in the evening 81 Sunday That be
arrived at the place. and nuk up his qaarler.
IA relation Of his better half hl whom lhe
presence Of the official dguilary was considered
siogul4r honor. After supper, JadGe Blown
srolIed over to the only tavern IA the iowa,
where he found many old friends, called 10 the
place. like himself ON important professional bu
sinesS, and who were proper to meet him.
"Genllemcn, said the Ju1ge, rs qtte q long
time since we have enjoyed glass together -
let us take horn all around OF course, Sur-
ritt. (add e,sing the Iandiord,) you have better
/ liquor Than you had The lasl ume we were here
stuff mol fit 10 give dog
/ "Slertlll, who had cha &c Of The house, pre-
tended tina, every thing was Ish', and 50 they
went 10 work 1t Is unnecessary to enlarge up-
on drinking bout in a country tavom--tl VIII
quite answer our purpose 10 state that solnr
where in the region ol midnight the Judge wend
ed his very devious way toward, his temporary
home. About the time he was leaving, SOM
young harrlsiers, fond Of practical lakr, and
not much AFRAID of the bench, transferred all the
silver spoons Of Steut To- The Judge spocke'.
III was eight O'Clock on Monday morning
when The Judge rose. Having ged in the
process Of ahuion aud abslrfllion, and partak.
en- OF cheerful aud refreshing breakfast, he
went to his room to prepare HIN ,ell for the duties
of he day.
"Ne ell, Polly, said he to hi. wife, feel much
better than expected to feel after that roic Of
last night.
All, Judge said she. reproacbnI'y, you are
getting too old--!ou ought to leave Of that ba.
,uess now.
"Ah, Poly, what's the use Of taking
III was al this precise instant Of time that th"
Judge having put on his oyetcoa', was proceed,
ing according TO bis usual custom, to give bis
wile a kiss that be happened in thru>tng bis
hand into bis pocket 10 lay hold Of Steuius
spoons, lie pulled them out. With an express
sion Of horror almost indescribable be exclaimed
My God PoIIyl
"N bat on earth's the matter Judge ?
"Jn,l look at t1esp spoons.
Dear me, whcre'd you get them
Gel ihen7 Don't you see the initials on
them 7--c1tendiug them towards her--l stole
them
stole them, Judge
Yes, stole them
my dear husband, it can't be possible--Gom
whom!
From Sterriyt, over there--his name is on
them.
"Good heavens how could it happen7
81 know very well, Polly was very drunk
Whe | came home, wAsntI2
why Judge, you know your Old habit when
you get anon those lawyers.
But was very drunk
"les, you was.
""as remarkably so when got home, Mrs
Brown
'Yes, Judge, drunk as fool, and forty times
as stupid.
a thought So said the Judge, dropping into
chair in extreme despoadency-l knew Il would
come to that at last. have always thought thai
something would happen to me-lhat should
do something very wrong-ki somebody IN
moment Of passion, pethaps--but neyer imig
med that should be mean enough 10 be guilty
Of deliberate larceny.
"But there may be some mistake Judge
mo mistake. Polly. know very wei how il
came about. That fellow Sterrit, keeps the
meanes, sort Of liquor, and Away. dId-.jquer
mean enough 10 max, a man d. any sort ol
mean thing. have always said il wa. mean
enough to make man steal and now | have
practical Illustration d tde fact. And the old
man burst into tears.
"Don't be a child, said his WIFI, "ipng away
the tears, 90 ike man, over to Slerrie, trii
him il was Iittle bit Of froIic--pas. il off as
jok--go aud open Court, and nobody viii
ever think Of it again.
"A liiIe Of the soothing system operated upon
the Judge. as such things usually do, his extreme
martiicaiion was finally subdued, and over to
SterriI's he went with toIerable face. Of
course he had bot little difficulty in seitIin. with
him; for aside from the fact that he judges in.
legriy was unqnestoneble, be had an mixing
Of The Joke that had been played
"Judse Brown proceeded to court, and took
his seat but spoons and bad Iiqnor-bld liquor
and spoons--liqlor, spoons, drunk. larceny, and
I Judge Brown, was mixed up IN hi, Worship
bewiIdered head that he felt awful pale u be ii ]
/ not Ioak so, In fact, the Judge fen col down,
and his usual eli-possessed manner Of dis23sing
Of business, his diciion and decisions. were not
what Judge Brown had been noted for.
"SerefaI days had passed away, and the bus
ness Of the court was drawing towards cose,