The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-02-10
ONE OF THn JUDGES.


Old Judge, who was for years
the circuit judge Of that portion of
Pennsylvania known as Berks county,
was justly celebrated for his legal learn.
ing, and was greatly beloved BY his
neighbors and friends.
But with all his book lore and legal
attainments, he was, perhaps, the green
est man at cards in his entire circuit
1t has been said he did not know the
"Jack of trumps" from diamond.-
In the village of Opelousas, as three
individual were sitting round a table,
in one Of those doggcries, with bill
liard-table attached" which are so COM
mon in the creole parishes. playing a
small game of three-handed poker, a
quarrel ensued, which resulted in an
aggravated case of assault and battery.
The trial came on, and the only wit
ness to the affray was a Captain johnson,
who was the third hand in the game
johnson was the skipper Of one of those
crafts which transport sugar from that
section of the country to New Orleans,
and was sclf.con6dent. go-head fellow,
and was as undaunted before a Judge
and jury as he would have been before
the crew of his own little craft. After
being sworn, he was directed to tell the
court and jury everything he knew
about the affair. After clearing ! g
throat he commenced by stating "that
him and Griggs and John Allen were
over'at Boullet's grocery, the second
day of the election, when Allen propos-
ed that they should have small game
of poker; all agreed to it, and we went
up stairs and sat down to the game.
Griggs sot there, John Allen here, and
l there, (making a diagram on the
clerks table to elucidate the position of
her parties. John Allen dealt the
cards, went blind. Griggs he went
blind. and John Allen wouldn't see
him. '7-".s b.. ~' ...@.
The Judge. who was little deaf, was
in the habit Of making an ear.trumpet Of
his hand, for the purpose of sharpening
his hearing, and throwing his head a
! little forward and sideways, interrupted
the witness by asking him why John
Allen didn't see Griggs p @s55s !.
The witness replied, che wouldn''
look at him." ''- e..s,.ssss 49,. * *.
| Proceed" says the Judge.
| "Well, I saw him and he saw, and
/ just at that minute fs~zg. 1-.-,. g,p-,vs
stop, sir J" said the Judge. throwing
himself. into a hearing attitude, '.did
understand you to cay that you went
/ eyes, sir went blind, and Griggs
he was Uind, and Allen wouldn't see,
but l sa.o Griggs, and then he saw
| "Witncss," exclaimed the Judge,
| striking the bench with his clenched
fist, "do l hear Alright, sir? Did you
say that you went blind, and then
saws" ..##v
| Eyes, sir" replied the witness,
saw Griggs. and Griggs saw. and just at
that
! -"Stop, SIT, !" said the Judge. "Mr.
Clerk, fine the witness Fifty dollars for
contempt Of court, and direct the sheriff
to take him to Jail, and there to keep him
until he receives further orders from
the court. Call up the next tease, Mr..
Clerk" ~ - II. . ln rsf...s. r..
Captain johnson was dumfounded,
and did not awake to the reality of his
condition until the sheriff laid his hands
on him, when he exclaimed aa.. -..
"God almighty, Mr.. Judge, what
hav. I done that ! must 60 to Jail?
| The judge, who was purple with rage,
did not de;gn to reply to poor johnson,
but reiterated the order with increased
yehemence, and the junior members at
the bar, who had been anticipating the
6x that the captain would eventually be
placed in, we're convulsed with laughter,
which increased the rage of. the old
| judge to the highest pitch. The prose-
cutting attorney endeavored to enlighten
the judge, and eventually succeeded,
but not until he had produced pack of
cards, and after dealing out three hands,
made the Wind as clear as day to the
judge.
The fine and imprisonment were re-
mitted, order was resumed in the court,
and Captain johnson was allowed to pro-
coed with his testimony. 1872