New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-28
KANSAS
A DAY IN COURT,
H,a.a on, et,c.., Cgnepsaden:.

ksnsAs Legislature TOOK the liberty OF electng all
The local officers TO the people Of Kansas, including
County Probate judges, and they appointed
commissioned Justices Of the Peace. The Pro-
bate Judges and Sluifes thus created are fright.
fal latch Of rsscaity and stupidity. They are in
ensely ignorant Of everything, law included and
would not hsve suff :itnt animus 10 conduct the
moe. common case bus for the e4ually Intense
hatred Of Abolitonists" In our del,s h.ful local
ity, northwest Of the Kansas River, there is
" Squar" who INDUCES in game cards during the
tendency OF case before him, and prOnouuces
I" pass" AMI his decision on the case, IN t@i1
treaahs. 1t is no unusual thing for these courts
70 begin and end in row. Instead Of the old
fashioned mode Of beginning May it please the
Court these Border Ruffian, wOuldbe legal dylni-
tee initiate each idea with "WeD, swar." As an
"authOrity," profanity is much more potent than
Coke on LyttletOn;" "GIeeneaf' is substi-
tuted by tobacco and for the progress Of Legal pro-
ceediDgs in these august tribunals, b0tIe OF
wisky 10 a. Indispensable as the Speakers mace in
the British House OF Commons.
But, says somebody, the FedtTat Courts are some
thios different from that. If psrtzan, they are at
Ieast dignifed. Let US see. The Federal Court i
n compromise between bogus and federal authority.
The Judges and Marshals and Attorney Generals,
are appointed BY the President bu. the lures are
intensely bogus, and are packed by bogus Sheriff.
Bogus regulation and bogus law ~ some extent con-
trolls them CHAT il if anything does). The bogus
Sheriff Of this bogus county, the elegant Butcher,
dictates in a double capacity, the United States
harsbal having recognized his authority TO the ex-
tent of making him also Deputy Marshal; at ieast
the bogus fuDc,iOnary claims 70 be such.
The Second Judicial District Court, at LecOmp-
ton sitting, is not very imposing body. The hull
where il holds forth is limited in extent and filthy in
appearance. The floor is bespattered with com
position Of LecOmptOn mud, hali-cheWcd tobacco
and saliva. An expectant crowd were waiting for
the officials and Justice but it was well adj
vaDced IN the forenoon before his honor, 1.-THE
Court" entered The functiOnary who presdes
over the desnes of this Second Judicial District IL
n man passed middle age. He looks at least 30.
Under medium hight and rather slender be has
none Of the presence His face is wrluked and
hard featured. There is not much OF the intellectual
IN it He uses glasses when he wishes TO inyesti-
gate anything in the documentary way but does not
add fictitious luser to his otherwise commonplace
pbz by keeping them on. As a mOralist he Is not
"fanatcal" AS jurist he is sOmciotat inferior to
Story; and he is devoted TO "SOuthern Rights"
as any Of the chivalry" We had here LIST Sumner.
He regards bogus law with as much reverence as a
HindoO exhibits fur Visinu. Frank Pierce ished
gions south Of Mason and Dxon's line, where they
produce such specimens
IL was late IN the forenoon when the Court
entered. He seemed TO be in a wrapped-up and
dreamy state. A friend at my elbow suggested tina.
no had been practicug at the bur that mornings but
frONned down the insinualon, as his honor walked
very erect and took his seat at the august tribunal.
Alter an imposiDgly silent interregnum of few
minutes, which seemed to be devoted to the SOicnl
nisS, the Court" began to turn the leaves of
the docket, and call the cases. After this had pro-
Rressed for some time, IL was discovered that his
serene highness the Attorney General not pres
en-. The crler baWled for him at the wlndOH; he
was not forthcoming. A messenger was dispatched
" down town 10 fetch him. - Down town." when
literally translated, means the purleus OF rather
6aiug. booking establishment, adorned with sundry
rowe OF parti. cOlOred bottles and labeled on the
outside Saloon
The Attorney. General was at last forthcoming,
but Z JeaTed that of the cessiry witnesses
wee Among other cases, Gov. RObnsOns was
called. and N. parties were anxious 10 proceed TO
tilal; but other cases it appeared, had the prece
den:e. While read D., hat almost fUrgot to say,
.bat seveTal If tbs cases called were dismissed 10
he penalty Of the hondsnen, the non-appedrance
Of the prisoners Ia order to understand tins, l
will explain that tdese bonds We're gwen chiefly to
appear at the last term Of the Court Then no
case was or could be tried. Ii was given to the
cases. OF course the parties did not attend this
term, not having been notified and this mode of en-
terD2 Judgment against the bOndsmen s rather b III
handed III such a case.
Ii seemed to be almost impossible 10 get the
wheels Of lid Judicial District Court IN notion
As IN the case of human happiness" something
appears to be always lacking 10 order 10 make
complete total. While the Attorney General was
tryn 10 get witnesses in case, nvestig ting
re complex merits in some mysterious way, the
Court rose and put on It's hat. and quietly
walked out with that hafabstracted air of judicial
dignity peculiar to ii. The other iunc.ionary thus
ef. in the yocative, cast look after the retreang
Court until il had disappeared, and then muttered
sudlDly:
u wonder if the Court Is adjourned, or only
gone 70 liquor
Half an hours absen,eeism seemed TO settle the
matter according 10 the former theory, when the
Attorney declare the Court adjourned uut ,
O'Clock.
When the dinner hour bad passed, the crowd Of
expecyan.s were g,n convened in the Court room.
The Court again walked in with the same quiet
Judicial serenity. The court docket was sgan
tanned over with tho same melihuously nasal enun-
cation OF the cases which dignity its imposing
records. The Attorney General was again seat fJr
=" down TOWN." One case ~as about ~ be dismissed
on account of the absence If the prisoner aud az the
expense Of the bOndsmen, when . was discovered
thai there We're no signatures 10 the bail oond-n
which case it Vas very prudenty determined not so
TO render, as this might have compromised sundry
bogus officials.
by dexterous fshing case was at las. got hold
Of. Jury was orgtulzed, and j. WAS such CON-
ema!iOa Of 4" Law and Order" excellence as only
leconPton and the surrounding PrO-S,avery settle
meDts could have produced. 1hey belonged 10 the
great unwashed uncom oed and unterrihed." He'd
the question been asked: - Do you know anythin,
about his ease " they might have answered:
mo, nor Of anything else, ant please your honor"
II was a model JuIy. Jury architecture !. i
snce. j; taxes time moreover, and before all the
prehmnares VIII q intervene bst Seen the chrysalis
Of mass of undevelopcd Jurors and perfect Jury