The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1871-11-02
A WOMAN ON THE BENCH.

AAO OAOo1 oUh6 VI w yUlulHS -hoW tIAo
Wags Served Mrs. Judge Morris Hus
banda Wife Committing her Spouse.
My last gave in brief the history of the
passage Of the Woman's Suffrage act in
Wyoming. | will now give some OF the
practical workings of woman suffrage and
woman Office holding. The first action
taken under the provisions of this law
was the appointment by the Secretary as
acting Governor, of Mrs. Ester Morris,
of South Pass City, as Justice of the
| Peace, for Sweet water county. Mrs.
Morris qualified, ''remitted the usual fee
OF So to the Secretary, aud entered up
on the duties of her Office. Nothing un.
usual occurred for some days; everybody
was satisfied with the new Justice, and
the new Justice with everybody One
| day, however, the wine of bitterness was
mixed in her cup of bliss, and notwith-
standing her womanly and wilely feeling,
she was compelled to drink it. Her bet
| ter half who was now left in charge of
the domestic department of the firm had
previous to his retirement to the sweets
of domestic life, occasionally taken So
cial glass with his friends. Taking ad-
vantage of this weakness, some friends
waited upon Mr. Morris one day, and
having made Mr.. Morris drunk, led him
into breach of the peace, then fastened
to the Esquire's Office and lodged com
plaint with her Honor against her Honor's
"liege lord and master" that used to be,
and demanded warrant for his arrest
Mrs. Justice hesitated a moment on the
banks of this woman's Rusicon, but like
Caesar she was equal to the emergency,
and promptly crossed into her lords
dominions, and her former master was
dragged befor her for trial.
Mr. Morris head was not sufficiently
clear to comprehend the situation He
began to assert his sovereign rights in
contempt of court, until suddenly brought
up by the officer in obedience to the
Courts order. Seeing that things had
changed somewhat, and that Othello's oc-
cupation had been at least suspended, he
began to expostuate first with the officer,
uutil informed by that functionary that
he had no discretion, but was acting un-
{ der orders from the Court.
"Who is the Court (hic)?" inquired
Mr. Morris On being informed that the
occupant of the bench was the Judge,
Dir. Morris looked at the Justice with a
puzzled air, scratched his head in an ef-
fort to collect his scattered thoughts, and
. calculated, Her-her-( hic)-she is
that's Esther-my wife Esther-you' re
drunk, or-oh, don't bother me (hic),
aud he started to 70.
'Lock up the prisoner for contempt ol
court" said Mrs. Morris to the officer.
"What have you you to say about it.
eh 2" blurted out Mr. Morris, staggering
menacingly toward the Judge.
"You will find | have all to say about
it. Officer lock him up replied her
Honor.
Although badly mixed, Mr.. Morris be-
gan to get gimmer of the truth, and
t began parley:
, "Now look here, Mr. Officer, don't you
be in hurry. didn't mean anything
wrong. | want to just talk with nay wife
a minute. Now, Esther, what's the use
of fooliu'; you jist cit down out O. there
and go home aud behave yourself. II
tend to this little difficulty myself. Now
: 90 right along, the baby wants nursing
= | had to give it Mrs Winslow to get it II
J sleep when | came down He's hungry
for he wont use that old bottle, and
. don't blame him either The dishes ain
9 washed, nor the beds made, neither
. And what's more, amt goin to do i
+. any more, now You hear that. Nov
!, start along"
BY the time Mr. Morris had delivered
himself of this, his tone had charged a
/ his feelings warmed from that of expos
tuation to that of command again, an
the officer forced him into the rudel
constructed lock up in the rear of he
4 ouor's court, and there Mr.. Morris wa
left to reflect upon the situation, an
u gaze upon the dividing wall between him
: self and wife as the dividing line betwee
mans and woman's rights under this ne'
u dispensation.
u On the following morning Mr.. Morri
~ was arraigDed before her Honor, aud i
the most sober and subdued manner, an
p with the deepest humiliation, pleade
ID guilty, asked the pardon of the Court fc
'e contempt, and then awaited his sentenc
with humility and resignation.
|, After giving the prisoner Caudle le'
ID ture as amended by the laws of Wyou
at ing, her Honor imposed the usual fin
le and required the prisoner to give bond
e. to keep the peace, upon which the Coul
CALAMITY offered to let him SO, and Nj
p Morris vanished.