Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-07-01
THE CULPRIT JUDGE.
A TALE OF THE BENCH AND BAR.

In one of the Western States | wa
once a prosecuting attorney. The set
tiers axe was then familiar music, an(
the prairies away from the WOODLAND
had not yet heard the scream of thu
steam whistle. All branches Of society
of trade, and business, were in transi
ton state. Of course the judges were
not men of vast learning or Of rare char
aeter; aud least | appear vain, may
now add, that the lawyers were by NJ
means Chief Justice Taneys.
The Judge who travelled circuit will
us in the counties round about the city
of - had been in early life horse
jockey, and had picked up large
amount of tact, knowledge of men, and
human nature, and Of social motives
that was Of much use to him in his le
gal walk. At the West he had been 9
member of the first Constitutional Con
vention of our State, and, being a good
talker and quick natural intellect. had
shone III the debates. OF course it was
natural that, as he made the law, he
| should claim to be able to expound it.
And at the first election after the State
was admitted, he was chosen Judge.
never liked him. With all his affa.
bility and apparent Difference of man
ner, there was i'll his composition an un.
der strata of cunning that / suspected
and became wary Of When I was cho.
sen peoples solicitor he sought my con
fidence, but repealed it and, except in
the court, we were little together. Many
times on the civil side he had given a
favorable charge on facts, or acquiesced
IN many laws when I felt that | was
wrong. Nor could I fathom why he
thus sought to get the winning side OF
me.
suspected him of knavery. When
prisoners were convicted, and as he had
the discretion Of punishment, his SEN
fences were oddly Inconsistent He fin
ed when he should have imprisoned, and
confined when nominal punishment
would have answered the justice of the
case. But | could never get any clue,
and with the populace he was regarded
as man of rare integrity and firmness
Of mind
One night at the inn in the little vii.
lage of Washington, where weekly
court was to be held, | went to my
boarded OFF, bedroom for an afternoon
nap, and was soon fast asleep. was
awakened by confused murmurinps'
that after [ was thoroughly aroused, /
perceived to come from the adjoining
room; one appropriated to Judge C.
Gle is committing his Grand Jury
charge" said | to myself, when I heard
strange voice say, ''The Doodle is most
used up Of the old stripe"
Now Doodle" is flash term used by
counterfeiters, and it instantly attracted
my prosecuting" attention. AS sat
upon the bedside ray of light came
through chink of the boarded parti-
ton. As man, honor would have for
hidden ''peep;" as an officer of the
law, prudence commanded it. So draw
ing myself noiselessly to the wall, OF
boarded separation, l looked trough
the crack and saw Judge -- seated
at Il table with sinister looking man.
who wore pair of remarkable black
whiskers; and the two were counting
quite pile eft new bills. / listened, but
not another word was spoken for some
time. | saw the money divided into
three piles, and the Judge placed one in
his pocket, the whiskered man took the
other, and then drawing off his boot, di.
vided the third pile between each boot
i'll the inside Of it, and then again he
placed them on his feet. Next the
Judge said:-''Be careful and send it to
the proper place" His sinister eompan.
ion gave Il meaning smile; they shook
hands; the stranger left the room eau
tiously; and the Judge then sat down to
some papers. | continued to look fol
several minutes but he appeared absorb
ed in his duties, when just as I was
quitting my point (iterary point of OBJ
servation, he arose, and taking out his
roll of bills placed them up the chimney
and then continued his reading.
must say my blood ran cold, for 8
grave suspicion had often crossed nav
mind that he was rascal; but | never
suspected him Of being concerned with
the drovers, trappers and traders who
occasionally made bad meney their com
modify. Nor, as l set collecting my
thoughts could | conceive it possible
when | remembered how severe he had
always been upon the passers of coun-
forfeit money and how earnestly and
solemnly he always in his charges in
such cases acclaimed against the enor.
nifty of offenders " ho substituted a spu-
rious currency for a good. l therefore
concluded that the word 'boodle" and
the suspicious " boot stuffing," must re
late to some other kind Of offence, con
nected with which now felt assured he
must be.
Stealthily going out, l carefully de.
scended the stains and entered the bar.
room. The heavy whiskered man was
seated at a table reading a Cincinnati
paper as calm as if it were the Methodist
minister Of the riding. sat down and
pulled out a law paper pretending to
read, but | was glancing over its top al
the stranger. His eye did not wander
from aparticular point of the paper, MOI
did the sheet after several minutes turn.
| therefore concluded that he was not
reading but rejecting. I endeavored to
catch his eye, but could not. I next
thought of trying the demeanor of the
Judge; so making in my mind some ex-
cuse relating to my official duties, ]
again went up stairs and knocked at his
door. His pleasant voice, in an unem-
barrassed tone, cried "Walk in,' and |
entered. After getting through my ex-
cuses and business, said in a careless
tone, "What have you been doing all
this afternoon, Judge?" He answered
just as carelessly, "Going through my
charge and decision or two I have to
make tomorrow. As yet have not
seen any one since arrived"