Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-08-18
The Bench and the Bar in Texas.

1He ID fnCu ana Lne bar In IeXa9.
judson L, Mills, of South Carolina, was a
Judge of the District Court in Northern Tex
as, fond of joke, but very decided in his dis
charge of duty. Thongs Fnnnin Smith was
a practising lawyer at the bar, and having
shancfully misstated the in his address to the
jury, turned to the Court and nskck the Judge
to charge the jury accordingly The Judge
WAS indignant aud replied:
Does the Counsel take the Court TO he q
| fool? 2"
Smith WAS not nbaslcd by the rcproof but
instntly responded:
81 trust your Honor will not insist on an
answer to that question, as I might, in an
swcring it, truly be considered guilty of con
tempt of Court"
@ Fine the Counsel ten dollars, Mr. Clerk :"
said the Judge.
Smith immediately paid the money, and
remarked that it Was ten dollars more than the
Court could show.
Fine the Counsel fifty dollars' said the
Judge
The fine was cutcrcd by the Clerk, and
Smith not being ready to respond in that sum.
sat down. The'hc%t morning, on the open.
| ing Of the Court, Smith rose, and with much
Difference addressed the Judge:
May it please your Honor, the Clerk took
that little joke of yours, yesterday, about the
ility dollars, rs serious, as perceive from the
reading of the minutes. Will your Honor
be pleased to inform him of his error and
have it erased 2"
The GOODNESS of the request, and the i'm.
piled apology, pleased the Judge, and he re.
mittcd the fine
Judge Williamson, or Thrce-leggcd Willie,
as he was familiarly called, was one of the
early Judges of Texas. In this Court, IA law
yer by the name of Charlton stated point OF
law, and the Court refused to admit the Coun-
sells statement as sufficient proof.
g Your law, sir, said Charlton, pulling Out
pistol (; "and this, sin is my book" draw
ing bowie-knife; "and that is the page,
pointing the pistol toward the Court =
IT, 6 Your law is not good, sir" said the unruf
fled udgc; " the proper authority is Colt or
Revolycrs," and he brought six.shooter in
stantly to bear on the head of the Counsel
who lodged the point of the argument and
turned TO the jury.
On another occasion the Judge concluded
tho trial of man for murder by sentensinq
him to be hung that very day. A petition
was Immediately signed by the bar, Jury and
people, praying that longer time might be
granted the poor prisoner. The Judge re
piled to the petition that " tho man had beer
found guilty; the Jail was very unsafe, ane
besides, it was so very Uncomfortable he die
not think any man ought to be required t,
stay in it any longer than was necessary
The man was hung.
CmGAGo.--N. p. Willis in one of hislct
ters from out West, says: "a startling effec
at Chicago, for the travelers.eye, is the sud
; den crossing of thoprincipal strects by lar&
'Fvesses, and apparently with no more interrnp
4 tion to the moving tide of vehicles than wouit
be made by the transverse passing of n raj
car. The busiest quarter of the city is bull
around tho winding of deep creek--and, b,
means of a most ingenious set of pivot bridges
the warehouses which are thus in the eeDtr
of the town can bring in their ships to unoat
cargoes at the doOr--the bridge being part o
a broad thoroughfare ono minute, in the mex
minute whirling around to let large ,ssc