Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1854-05-26
Wisconsin Judiciary 81 & g.

SIN has some amusing "reminiscences of
the early Jurisprudence of this State, and
more particularly connected with the adj
ministration of the functions of Judge
Fraser
1t is the practice of the General Gov
eminent to make the Territories sort
of penal colonies to which are transported
the broken down, superanuated, trouble
some politicians, who cannot be disposed
of otherwise; their Punishment being
sweetened by an Office. Judge Fraser
was exceedingly trou5lcsometo his friends
at home, who were somewhat influential
politicians in Lancaster, Pa, and they pro-
cured Van Buren, to send him to Wiscon-
sin as a Judge.
His advent was at Green Bay in '37.
About the first thing he did was to get
married to a lady of the Garrison at that
place; but the union proved unfortunate,
as the lady very soon abandoned her lord.
The Judges habits were Of course I'M
known to the people there; and hence his
assertion that colored beverage he was
in the habit of using was only water col
ored with molasses, was very generally
believed; and whether the Judge was or
was not in the habit of imbibing brandy
freely, was for some time mooted point
The Judges peculiarities were strongly
enough marked to justify the suspicion
that he was always intoxicated, or else
had passed the boundary which separates
sanity from insanity. He did just as he
pleased in court, or at least attempted to,
made the most absurd and tyrannical or
ders, and domineered without mercy, so
that he very soon had his court in a con-
dition which no newspaper burleSque of
western courts ever equalled.
About his first official duty was to sen
/ tence to death one Mau-za-mon-e-ka, a
/ Winnebago, and such was the mixture of
the sublime and ridiculous, the sacred
and the profane, with which he did it,
that the audience were very naturally as
tonished 1t is hardly necessary to add
that Mau-za -mon-e-ka was never hung.
On one occasion, Gov. Ho7mer then
well known in the Territory, and not yet
entirely forgotten, in some controversy
with the Judge rose to his feet" Sit
down, Mr.. Horner sit DOWN. said the
Judge. May it please the Court l had
rather walk, replied the Governor; and
suiting the action to the word Mr.. Horn
or thrust his hands under his coat tails
and commenced promenadng back and
forth before the enraged Bench. The
Judge at once suspended the Governor
from further practice in that court but
the Governor wisely paid no attention to
the order Of suspension.
On another occasions when the Judge
was acting out some of his peculiarities
on the bench, he heard voice from above,
bawl out you id old fool" and look
ing up he espied a couple of legs dangling
! from the rafters of the unfinished Court
Room. An officer was Immediately des-
patched for the owner of the legs. but by
the time he had clambcred to the spot
the legs had disappeared and could not be
again identified.
Being in charge of paper at that time,
we had occasion to alludc to the Judge 5
Scandalous habits, when he called upon
Us, expressing much contrition, and vowed
another drop should never pass his lips.
Soon after this. while on board the new
steamer Buffalo, then on pleasure eX-
| cursion around the Lakes, we saw the
Judge literally lifted on to the boat at
Milwaukee, being in condition entirely
unable to help himself At Chicago the
boat stopped day, during most of which
time the Judge lay on the wharf flank
ed on each side by cooking stove, with
! HIS AdIC tui llClt "a II " % iOt ouiy gun liz
was wheeled on to the boat like bale
/ of goods when it was ready to start, and
again wheeled off when it arrived at
Mackinac, to be put on board the first
boat for Green Bay, where his Judicial
duties demanded his presence.
! The next we saw Of him, he was walk
ing with firm upright and rapid step along
/ chestnut street, Philadelphia, and soon
after we heard he filled the nameless
grave at Milwaukee alluded to by the His
coasin correspondent.
misunderstanding this state ofthings
was well known at Washington. it was
utterly impossible for the people to get
the least redress. Van Duran sent him to
relieve his friends at home, and kept him
here despite all renonstrance, until he
fell victim to his unfortunate habits.
An accurate history of his several courts
would throw in the shade all the bur-
lesques ever attempted on WesternCourts.
/ An Excuse.
I Col. Benton made the following curl
/ o,,S anolnov far being absent from his