Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-23
IS Joe Ridicus !''

Current among the gossip Of the Supreme Court
Library and Lounging room, few days since, was
a little story told ON a distinguished member OF
the bar, from one of the central counties of the
State and as 1t tickled all who heard it from
the Chief Justice down to the latest admission,
we apprehend that we cannot absolutely spoil 1t
with our cslrveate calamo:
Some months ago, the gentleman to whom spe-
cal reference is made above, and who may be
called Col. Dash, was retained to defend a most
terrible assault with intent to MURDER" in a
county north of his own, which may be designated
as the county of Blank. As 1t was very bad
case, Col Dash advised his client, who had entered
into bond with good security, in $4,000, that it
was well enough to forfeit the recognsance by fail
ing to appear, and to take the chance of quashing
it because it was done on Sundays happened to
have been the fact.
This course was taken, and at the proper time
Col. Dash, whose mouth is one of'real oratorical
extension, moved to quash the bond, because 1t
appeared to the court here to have been entered
into and signed on Sunday-diss non juridicas.
In the course of the argument which he made for
the motion, and the phrases came out several
times--dics non jnridicns--so often indeed, that
even the unlearned and altogether untechnical
came all to know by the context, that dies non a-
ridicus meant Sunday, or that Sunday meant dies
non juridicus which was not very essentially diff
ferent, and that the law did not recognise the So
cal apothegm, :" the better the day the better the
deedn
"All| did we say! Not exactly! There was
one person present, country justice of the peace
who did not understand what dies non juridicas
meant or rather he got peculiar view OF its force
and effect. He marked the phrase, however and
invested it, in his own mind, with a monstrous po-
tency, as the sequel shows.
Some weeks after the motion to quash-whch
entirely successful thanks to dies aou juridi-
Gus Squire Hubbs, the justice aforesaid, had in
his own beat, case before him, in which citi-
zen was charged with stealing pig, or some other
chattel under the value of $50. The examination,
if it did not establish the guilt Of the accused be-
yond reasonable doubt" raised some ugly pre-
sumptions; and his lawyer, aware Of the fact, re-
marked to the court Squire Hubbs Aforesaid
that in view ofthe rightly of the statutes regulat
ing preliminary criminal trials, he wouldn't inter-
pose any defence at that time but that his client
was ready to make bond to appear at the next
term of the circuit court, when he would satisfac-
torily establish his innocency.
"Bondln exclaimed Squire Hubbs, bondl Yes,
! say bond; and, at the next term of the Circuit
Court, have that big-mouthed lawyer from S.
to come thar and hoTer Joe Ridicusl Joe Ridicus
two or three times, and away goes your bond !!
Constablei tie the defendant up to that tree, and
give him thirty-nine lashes, and see what Joe Rid
icus can do with that
And they say that the thing was SO well done,
that even "Joe" himself would never have had the
face TO plead nal tiel record to that recognisance.
Montgomery Mail.