The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-01-26
A Humorous Sheriff.


in the town of -, in old England, a
remarkable oddly, in the person of an ut.
torney at law, who although not fair to look
upon (for he was in truth one of the
homellost specimens Of humanity ever be-
held by mortal NAM was withal person
of sound judgment, great benovolencc, va
ricd learning, poet, painter, and wit
of no mean order.
tloman, G. d, Esq, was appoint
cd high sheriff ofathe town of ~.
He was a man of fstune, and had kind
h1art, as many pDor prisoner could tos-
tify who pattook of the good cheer with
which the prisoners were literally sup
piled at Christmas aud other well-knowa
festivals, from the private purse Of the
high sheriff.
1t was, of course, the duty of the high
sheriff to summon a grand and petit jury
to attend at the quarter sessions, Of which
the recorder, mayor and alderman of the
borough composed tho court. In the
performance of his official duty in sum-
monipg the petit fury, our high sheriff in.
dulgcd in some Of the strangest and
drollest freaks that have probably ever
been heard Of in any other town or
country. In the FIRST place he summon
cd for the October court jury consisting
of twelve of the latest men he could find
in the borough, and when they came 10
the book to be sworn, it appeared that
only nine jurors could sit comfortably in
the box After great deal of sweating,
squeezing and scolding, the panel was
literally jammed into the box, and when
seated they presented to the eye of the
court, the barrister's and the audience,
"the tightest fiji" of a jury that ever vas
seen in court room. Literally they be-
came, much to the establishment of the
court aud its robed advocates "packed
jury" and no mistake.
For tho January term, our facetious
sheriff Gin consequence, it Is said, OF some
hint from the recorder that there should
be no more fat panels summoned to his
courD went into the opposite extreme
He summoned twelve of the leauest and
tallest men no could find in the borough,
and when they took their seats in the
boz, it appeared comparatively empty
there was indeed room for more Of the
same sort and dimensions.
For the April term of the court, our
humorous functionary summoned a jury
consisting of twelve BARRIERS. Now it so
happened that among the latter, were the
perruquiers who dressed the recorders,
aud barrister's wigs, and some Of the
latter arriving late at the bar, had to ap-
pear that morning in court with their
wigs undressed or h"lf dressed, so as to
cut very ludicrous figure, amidst the
smiles and halfsuppressed laughter of the
bystanders. The high sheriff enjoyed
the fun amazingly, but looked as "araVe
as judge" while he tried to keep silence
in the room.
But the browning joke Of this waggish
fuucionary occurred at the summohing of
his fourth and last jury, at the summer
session in July. For that term Of the
court, the high sheriff, not having the fear
Of the recorder, the mayor and the alder
man before his eyes, actually summoned
u squirting jury Twelve as queer BIZ
peds as ever took their seats in a jury-box
"a jury that was probably more looked
at and laughed at than any Of the appoint
ed twelve that ever were sworn to "wcll
and truly try and true deliyerance make
between their sovereign lord king and the
prisoner at the barr
But the scene was so irresistbly drolI
that the learned recorder could not main
tain his gravity. The mayor and alderman
followed suit. The barristers laughed,
while their wigs became bald and powder
less 4; nay, even the poor prisoners in the
dock, who were to be put on their trial,
aud some of them to undergo transporta-
ton, could not refrain from joining the
general cachination. And when the
learned recorder commanded the high
sheriff to bring the court to order, aud in.
timatcd, with q ball-suppressed laugh,
that the latter ought to be ashamed OF
himself for summoning such jury, the
droIlery of this court scere was heightcn-
ed considerably by the quick, ready, aud
sonogous response of tho high sheriff
who looking at the same time at the
squirting jury, exclaimed, "All good and
lawful men, your honor"