The Georgetown news., 1856-01-31
NO.. Il.
Justice in tho Mountains.
BY "SIOC."


During a visit to the mountains of Gala
veras county, we were witness to the follow
ing interesting performance
Scene, Justices Court mining claim in
dispute-one party represented by learned
counsel, the other pleading his own case.
Justice-Gentlemen the Court is ready
to adjudicate in the case; counsel will please
proceed.
Learned counsel proceeded to state that
he could prove prior possession of plaintiff;
that an illiberal and unjust attempt was be-
ing made, with malice aforethought, to de-
fraud his client out Of his auriferous posses
sions, and introduced evidence TO support
his position
Defendant Gentlemen of the Jury, ap-
pear here as my own counsel, supported by
an implicit confidence IN your sense Of JUS
tlce and the Righteousness of my cause
Gentlemen of the Jury, my opponent has
summoned to his aid lawyer attired in q
Shanghae coat, and pitted him against an
humble but honest miner. Gentlemen of
the jury, is this proper, is it right? I had
always been lead to believe that this region
of country would resist the introduction of
Shanghae coats and narrow legged panta-
looms. What, then, is my surprise to wit
ness in this august assembly, gentleman
attired III patent leather boots, stand-up
collar, and coat and pants aforesaid. ANY
one who claims the assistance of such coun-
sci must be, gentlemen of the Jury, devoid
of all the rights Of said humanity. l don't
mean to appeal to your prejudices, but l
can and will prove my prior possession of
the claim in question.
Plaintiff That's lie
JUSTICE fine you ten dollars for con-
tempt of court
Defendant-Assertion is not proof, nei-
ther is prediction evidence; and when the
plaintiff accuses me of lying he insults the
majesty Of the law, the sanctity of justice,
and the holiness of truth
The defendant then called witnesses, who
proved precisely what had been established
by the plaintiff aothmg.
The jury retired to deliberate, but imme-
diately returned with verdict, that neither
of the claimants had proven possession, and
that the claim was vacant.
The foreman of the jury had taken po-
sition as near as possible to the open door,
and the moment the verdict was rendered,
he with the Judge, jury, and loaterS made
q break for the disputed claim, and race
commenced that would have made Tam o.
Shanter's mare stand aghast at the reck-
lessness of their mad career.
Possession in this case appeared to be
ten points of the law, and with a vigor and
wind that did credit to the inhabitants of
Calaveras, they pushed forward for the gol-
den prize.
Supposing in our simplicity that pow
der mine was about to explode, we left the
building with the velocity of frightened
cat, and turning as we ran to look upon the
"wreck of matter and the crush Of worlds" "
we fetched up very unceremOniously against
the trunk of lofty pine, where we expert
enced the truth of the philosophical maxim
that action and reaction are always the
same, although in opposite directions =
Gaining the perpendicular We looked around
to see if the lightning had struck anywhere
except IN our own neighborhood, and being
convinced that it had not, we turned to look
upon the competitors, who, headed by the
Ohanghae lawyer, were fast approaching
the golden goal. In this case, as in many
others, we saw legal acumen gaining the
advantage over Justice, and when we saw
the latter functionary inadvertently turning
a summerset over a rugged stump, we could
but feel the sympathy that all honest men
experience when Justice is cheated OF its
prey.
When the lawyer was on the verge of
gaining a posseSsory title to the claim afore-
said, we were convinced of the impoicy of
wearing Shanghae coats in the mountain
region for, in desperate effort the defen-
dant seized the lawyers appendage, and
with the aid and comfort thus afforded to
the enemy, they pitched head foremost into
the claim together; and when we left, the
case, as we'll as the head ofone of the dispu-
tants was sin chancery." May God defend
the right! Sac. Union.