Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-10-20
THE CULPRIT JUDGE.
A TALE or THE BENCH AND BAR

A TALE or THE BENCH AND BAR.
IN one of the Western States l was once
Prosecuting Attorney. The settlers axe was
then fam iliar music and the prairies away from
the woodlands had not heard the scream of the
steam whistle. All the branches of societ.
Of trade, Of business and professions, were in
- transition state. OF course the Judges were
not men Of vast learning of rare character ;
and, lest appear vain, | may add, that the
lawyers we're 10y no means Chief Justice
Taueys
The Judge who travelled the circuit with rs
IN the counties round about tIe city OF =, had
.seen in early life horse jockey, and picked
up G large amount Of tact, knowledge of men,
and Of human nature, and OF social motive,
,hat was OF much TO him in his legal walk.
AZ the West he had been member of the first
Constitutional Convention in our State, and
being a good taIker and of quick natural intel
icct had shone in the debates. or course il
vas natural that as he made the law, he should
eiaim to be sbie to e3pound it. And at the
eleciion, after the State admitted, he
chosen Judge.
fnerer liked him. With .n his aff:,hility
Rad apparent Difference OF manner, there was
IN his composition under strata of cunning
shat suspected and became wary of. When
: mas chosen peoples solicitor, he sought my
confidence, but | repeiled it, and, except in
Court. we were little together. Many g time
on the civil side had he given charge
facts, or scquirsced in my law when felt that
/ was wrong, nor could fathom Why he thus
ssught the winning side OF me-
! suspected him Of knavery. When priso-
ners we're convicted, his discretion of punish
ru-nt ans, sentences were oddly Inconsistent.
3Ie fined when he should have imprisoned,
ind confined when nominal punishment
vonld have answered the justice of the case.
But never could get any cine, and with the
populace he was regarded as man Of rare IN
iegrity and iirnncss of mind.
One night at the inn, in the little village OF
Washington. where 4 weeks court was 70 be
held, weRt TO my ''boarded OF bedroom for
afternoon nap, and was soon fast asleep.
I was awakened by 4 confused murmuring,
that, after was thoroughly aroused, | per
ceived to come from the adjoining room /; one
appropriated to Judge G.
..IIc is committing his Grand Jury Charge
said to myself, when heard a strange voice
say. .s.tis Doodle is most used Of the I'D stripe"
Now s.boodic'' is 4 flash term used by cOun-
terfeiters, and it Immediately attracted my
..prosccuting" attention. As | sat upon the
bed SIDE, ray of light came through chink
in the boarded partition. As man, honor
would have forbidden ''pcep; as an officer
of u nc lsw, prudence commanded it. SO, draw
ing myself nosclessy and closely to the wall,
or the board separation, looked through the
crack, and saw Judge C seated at table
with a sinister looking man. who wore pair
II remarkable whiskers; and the two were
counting quite pile Of new bank bills.
listened, but not word spoken for some
time. [ saw the money divided into three
piles, and The Judge placed one in his pocket
and the whiskered man took the other, and
then drawing off mis- boots divided the third
pile between each boot inside OF it, and then
nc again placed them on his feet. Next the
Judge said sBc careful and send it to the
proper place His sinister companion gave a
meaning smile they shook hands; the stran-
ger left the room cautiously; aid then sat
down to some papers. | continued to look
for several minutes, but he was absorbed IN
his duties, when just as was about quitting
my point literally pointl of observation he
arose, and taking out his roll OF bills, placed
them up the chimney and then continued his
reading.
must sav my blood ran cold, for grave
SUSPICION had often crossed my mind that ne
was a rascal but never suspected him OF be-
ing connected with the drovcrs, trappers, and
traders who occasionally make spurious money
their commodity. Nor, as | sat collecting my
thoughts, could conceive it possible, when
remember how severe he had always been upon
the massage of counterfeit money, and how
earnestly and solemnly he always in his charges
in such cases declared against the enormity OF
offenders who substituted spurious currency
10, good. therefore concluded that the word
..boodIe,. and the suspicious "ooot-Stuiling
~,,st rcI,,e "a some other kind of offence con-
nected with which felt assured he must be.
Stealthily going out, carefully descended
the stairs and entered the bar-room. ne sl1-
Ister looking man was seated at taDie ic'u
ing the last Cincinnati paper, as caiui anu :
placid as if he were the Methodist minister VI
fhe riding. 1 sat down and pulled out law
paper, pretending to read it, but was gianc
ing over its top at the stranger. HIS eyes uIu
not wander from a particular point OF the pa
per. Nor did the sheet, after several minutes
turn; / therefore concluded he was not read
ing, but rejecting. endeavored TO catch ms
eye, bnt could not. / next thought of trying
the demeanor OF the Judge so making in my
mind excuse relating to my official duties,
again walked up stairs and Knocked at the
door. His pleasant voice, in an unembar-
rassed tone, cried, "Walk in" and entered.
After getting through with my excuses and
business, said IN careless tone, "W hat have