Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-11-20
Anecdotes of Judges.

A writer in London Society tells some good
stories of English Judges-among them the fol-
lowing:
Baron Anderson, learned, gentle and good
could make puns, and had much drollery. A
juryman once said that he was deafin one ear.
well, then" said Anderson, "You may leave
the box, for it is necessary that jurymen should
hear both sides.
After Lord Mansfield had retired he delighted
to talk over every important case of the day
with a certain barrister, and that barrister
became great Judge. Lord Mansfield was very
kind TO the bar. When his court sat yerv late
on one occasion, he addressed the council, "Gen-
tlemen, as you have lost your dinners you had
better come and take dinner with me-" Judges
are very good in asking young barrisers of their
acquaintance to dinner, but such bophOmmie
as Lord Mansfcld's it would be hard to find
now.
There was little stir one day in LincOln's inn,
when vice chancellor requested q gentleman
who had strolled into the court TO come up and
take a seat upon the bench. At least he told the
registrar to bear the message, who was disgust
ed mt what he considered an unofficial proceed
ing. The stranger so deseryedly honored was
Macaulay
The judges can tell odd stories of going cir
cults The iunctionaries, and sometimes even
the prisoners, are much disguised if instead of
a Westminster judge they have to deal with
some counsel whose name has been included in
the commission. A prisoner for murder was
greatly annoyed because he had to be tried by a
"iOurneyman judge" A sheriff once told a
Judge that they had been Gotten obbed off with
sergeants, instead of judges in those parts, and
was he a really bona fide judge?" Having had
his mind satisfied on this point, the sheriff grace
fully took his place by the side of the Judge on
the back seat, but was politely Informed by the
Judge that etiquette required that he should sit
opposite. Once a judge told mayor that he
presided over an ancient city. eyes, my lord"
was the answer "it always was an ancient city,
We expect il was the same gentleman who eX-
pressed hope that Mrs Judge and all the little
Judges were well.
A sheriff asked Judge at a circuit dinner
whether he had gone TO see the elephant in the
last place. "Why, no, Mr. High Sheriff." he re-
piled, 81 cannot say that | did. We both came
into town in FORM with the trumpet sounding
before us, and there was a Foint of ceremony to
be settled which should visit first :"
Some absurd stories have been tCld of Judges
thinking aloud. The following story is told by
one of the registrars of the court of chancery of
great chancellor: "a barrister, whom he had
not previously heard was retained to argue be-
fore him. The counsel was man of ability
but began in a confused flounderng manner:
Lord Chancellor: what fool the man isl"
After while he got more collected Lord
Chancellor: "Ahl not such fool as thought"
Finally, he quite recovered himself, and pro-
ceeded admirably. Lord Chancellor: "Egad! II
is | that was the "lool"
There was one judge who hal trick of check
ing witnesses when they got on too fast for his
notes by saying, "Stay, stay!' He was called
the old staymaker. Oft times they show adj
mirable temper and discretion. Judge who
was summing up case was greatly disturbed
by young lawyer who was talking aloud
With great benignity he said, "Mr. Gray if you
ever arrive here which some of these DAYS |
hope you will do, You will know the nconveni-
ence Of counsel talking while you are summing
up"
curious story is told illustrating the legal
precision OF great judge. lie asked a magis-
trate on a circuit dinner whether he would take
some venison. The gentleman answered. "rhank
you, my lord, am going TO take boiled chicken"
Lord Ienderden retorted, "That, sir, is no answer
10 my question; ask you again if you will take
venlson, and will thank you to answer yes or
no, without further prevaricaton." The story
was originally told in the Quarterly Review, but
it IS challenged by Lord Campbell.
with some Judges the habit of advocacy has
grown SO lnveterate that they have been ouite
unable TO lay II aside. If ever they have seri-
ously tried they have not succeeded in the at
tempt. judge once said that he had only Jost
tloO cerdictS since he had been raised 70 the
bench.
The most conspicuous example of an intellec-
tual failure in fairness was Sir John Leach. He
delighted to gallop through his cases He was
so fast that stage coach was named after him
"The Vice Chancellor" Almost as soon as a
case was opened he decided against plaintiff or
defendant, and never thoroughly heard it
through. Ii was wondered what he would find
to do after he had cleared his list off. "Dol
why he will hear the other side" was the cute
answer
Cases are on record in which judges have con-
iessed themselves mistaken. One judge think