The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1870-03-15
1870 - ~. ss.v Lasl.as

fle3 struggle and Irumphs u
forty l@u Ecesi'6 tt y
Hanam. vnlfea ~ himself ltA
opt q thc mas Interesting books IS
ihe Kind daf ha fallen i.to OR
h2nda The floving i bui fair
sample n ihe whole book
fIhc trip. hAr moss q ihe psa
gts which J have made aru Tie
Atlantic wat 81 exceedingly pleas
art one ILoe fro4HeHt voyages
wcre o. tac il q RESTS tbc gc'ica iiUa
almost abFenitiihe industry, aHx.etv
And care, ana always managed s.
have more - less fun ou board ship
every tine / crossed tie ocean. Dur-
lax the present trip scr amusement
ard % psss away the tire, tie pass-
cuecrs 81 up number # mock iri-
al which afforded good deal -
iaa a Judge was selected, jufymeu
drawn, prisoners arraigBed, counsel
employed, ana all the formaliiics 81
= court established. have the yan-
iiy to thiHk that II my good fortune
hhd directed ne % that profession ]
should have made = very fair lawyer
fof have always bad great fond
mes. i0f debate and especially for the
cross examination q witnesses, un-
lcss that witness was T. T. Bamum
10 examination under supplementary
proceeding AZ the instance IF some
iote-shaycF who bad bought q clock
note al s discount Il th.Fiy-siN pen
cent III this mock court, was uu
animously chosen rs prosecuting a.
t0fueg and as The court was c.tab-
l.shcd expressly % convict, ] bad no
difficulty IN carrying the jury and Sc
curing the punishment Of the prison.
er. 4 small fine was generally inn
Iosed, and the fund thus collected
Was given TO a poor sailor boy who
had fallen from tie mas, and broken
his log
Ailer several ~ these trials had
been held, dozen or mole Of the
paser gers secretly put their heads to-
ge,her and resolved to place the
"showman" on trial for bis life. An
Indictment covering twenty pages
was drawn UP BY several legal gen
tlemou among the passengers, charg-
ing him with being the Prince Of
Handbags, and enumcratiug 4 dozen
special counts, containing charges Of
the most absurd and rcdiculous dcs
cription. Witnesses were then br0't
together, and privately instructed
what to say and do. Two q three
days were devoted to arranging this
mighty prosecution. When every
thing was ready, | was arrested, and
the formidable indictment read 70
me. | saw at a glance that time and
talent had been brought into requi.
sition, and that my trial was to be
more elaborate than any that had
preceded il. asked for half AZ
hour to prepare for my defence, which
was granted. Meanwhile seats Wei
arranged to accommodate the court snC
spectators, and extra settecs were
PLACED for the ladies on the uppei
deck, where they could look down
sec and hear all that transpired. Gu
ri0sity was on the tip-toe for II wa
evident that this was to lie a long
exciting and laughable trial. At th,
end Of half an hour the Judge was o.
the bench, the jury had taken thei
places; the witnesses were ready
the counsel for the prosecution, tou
III unmer pens, ink, and paper Il
proiusion we're seated and eycrythin,
seemed ready ! was brought ID by
special constable, the indictment reaI
and | was asked TO plecd guilty q
not guilty. ! rose, and ia the mos
solemn mann or stated that | could no
conseientiousy plead guilty OF no
guilty; that | had in fact, eommitc
many u the acts charged in the IN
dctmcnt, bat these acts ! va
ready 10 show were not criminal, bu
ou tic contrary, worthy, q prais,
SIS plea was received and the trs
witness called.
lie testified 10 having visited III
prisoners Museum. and Of bein
humbugged By the Fejec Mermaid
lie nurse Of Washington aud b
other curiosities, natural and unnat
ural. The questions and answer
having been all arranged ia adyuc,
everything worked smoothly. AeI
INK a. my own counsel, lcross-exaa
incd the witness by simply askiu
whether he saw anything else IN til
Museum besides what be Lad mor
Toned,
"Oh yes, ,aw thousands Of oh
things
Were ihey curious
Certainly many 81 them yof
astonishing.
did You witness d dramatic ri
rescutaliun in the Museum
les sif, a very good one.
What did you pay Tor al this III
"Twoniy-hyo ceRt
"Ihat viii DO sir you can ste
doau.
l'hcseeond, thirdand fourth witue.
was called, and tie examination wa
similar TO tic foregoing. An0;he