The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-04-17

sick of hearing stories that he had listened to
: a dozen times before, would like 10 know what
, had to say about criminal law-was ever
at the Old Bailey, and could tell him of any
; remarkable trial there. Fortunately, I had
been there, and without any difficulty was
} soon rafting away about a particular trial at
which had been spectator.
Can you tell me-" said Mr.. Croker, soon
| as my yarn was finished any striking points
of difference between our law and the English
! law in relation to the crime of murder ?"
"Humph! in for it at last" [ thought.
t &C Yes there was, for instance, the -
&c For instance,' said Doulin, interruptng
me, " there is blessed cockroach crawling
along the floor, and it is no murder for me to
kill the beast-which mean to do'
Cockroaches !" put in the DOCTOR 81
hate them. Before Mr.. Dalton answers the
question, I'll tell you a little tale about the
brutes. You all know that they are very hun
cry wretches. Well, we had them in our
house, and were almost eaten out of house and
home by them. remember on one occasion
they found their way into our pantry, and eat
upa whole cheese, weighing over forty pounds,
in one MI ht. Mrs. Barlow and I, after that,
stopped up every chink in the place, and did
not see anything more of them for months,
not until one of the boards in the pantry wall
split all to atoms. Upon taking the remains
away / found that it had been caused by one
Of those beggary cockroaches that had eaten
the cheese, and who had swollen out so that
his usual retreat had been cut off TIC beast
had kept on swelling until the continued pres
sure in the boards was too much for them to
stand, and so they busted. WELL gentlemen,
two or three times after this the velmin came
into the house again, but the victuals were all
put away beyond their reach. Then they got
so plaguy hungry that they were bound to eat
something and one evening they fell on to the
! kitchen poker. When | came down stairs in
the morning there was only about two inches
of it left, and there were the brues who could
not get away, swelled up as big as young al
lgators. hate the beasts, and | am very
glad you killed that one, Doulin.''
" You would make capital witness, doc
tor" said Bob You state the truth with
great gravity and earnestness.'
"Good, Bob" said Croker now, Mr.. Dali
ton, you will pass
Confound criminal law" said Rearden
why, Dalton, as you know, Croker, has been
a heavy student; he'll do very we'll Let US
/
with he struck up "Oh, say can you see by
the dawn's early light"
-; "Bravo !" shouted Squire Gliding, who had
dropped in unlimited to spend the remainder
OF the evening with US. "That song beats
Shakespeare
"Who's he? ?" said M'Mar, who always
took special delight in chat1iing the pompous
and conceitcd squire =" don't know him.
"Dare say not" answered the j. P, {" we
have not many in these parts. They mostly
lie down New York way. suppose they are
clever, for when anyone says anything smart,
somebody else always says Shakespeare
They are very religious coons, and got their
names because they shake like old boots
whenever the spirit moves them
roar of laughter followed this statement,
during which the doctor rose to leave.
GOOD night" lie said " don't laugh too
much or drink too much of that punch, or else
some of you will be calling on me to morrow"
Perhaps" said M'Mar, 'you would not
object to that?"
So should, if you were one of the invalids,"
replied the doctor, eager to have the last
word, -" for it would be long time before I
found out the color of your money!
"And that would be small loss, If that
tale about Johnson, is true" said Mac
LET us have it before the doctor leaves
Out with it," said Doulin.
"When Johnson was bankrupt, the doc
tor, who thought he was getting rather shakv,
and who did not know that it was U P with
him, sent in his bill, and the next day, sure
enough, he called at the house himself for pay
ment. The hired girl, who looked as though
she had been crying, came to the door, and
when she saw the doctor began blubbering in
good earnest. whats the matter, my dear?'
said he to her. TOO late, doctor: you have
come a trile too late the boss has gone and
done it, Gone and done what?' said the
doctor, looking at her in astonishment. Gone
and 1uade hisselfa bankrupt so as you can't
get your money she answered. sOh' said
the doctor, taking out his pocket book and
looking over the account Never mind, dear
see tie boss has returned all the bottles, SO
shall not lose anything.'"
Don't you wish you had not stopped, doc
tor - said Bob, when the laughter had sub
sided.
"Not. a bit of it," answered the gentleman. :
u like to hear good story. Good aight"
(which of these two worthless said Gro '
ler, C has libeled the other most? 20 5
THAT case of BANDS is running in your
head, see, Croker" said Rearden "you
lad better 60 home and look it up. I'm hor-
idly weary, but before do 60, may as well
'ay that shall concur with you in recon-
nending both Of our young friends to the court
Is being qualified to practice at the bar. Let Il
is I'll up our glasses, gentlemen, and drink
o their success, and then go home"
No sooner was the suggestion made than it
vas complied with, and the next morning Mr. 0
Croker informed the Judge that the committee ,
aw no reason why Robert Downs and Arthur ,
Dalton should not be allowed to practice in
hat court. The learned judge therefore di-
ected the necessary certificates to be made
'ut, and the same day a plainly painted board,
in front of our temporary Office, an
bounced TO the general public that new law N
rm had been opened in the town of A.
"Bob," said l. as We were sitting together r
4 our little Office, "suppose we ever do get :
ny clients-what shall we do 2"
Well said Bob, "Tll get up the case =
nd you shall do al! the talking" q
And so it was. We had not long to wait
81 business, and what with setting hard to
.orl- rnaIinr " for oacac yrb;ab on,oo r,I,,