Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1872-03-14
Anecdotes Of JudxcE.

Anecdotes Of Judxes.
A writer in London Society tells some
good stories of English judges-amone
them the following:
Baron Anderson, learned, gentle anc
good, could make puns, and had mucl
drollery. A jaryman once said that he
was deaf in one ear ,'Well, then" said
Anderson, ''you can leave the box. for il
is necessary that jurymen should hear botI
Sides
After Lord Mansfield had retired he de.
lighted to talk over every important case
of the day with certain barrister. who be
came great Judge Lord Mansfield was
very kind to the bar. When his court
sat very late on one occasion, be address
ed the counsel :"Gentlemen, as you have
lost your dinners you had better come and
dine with me-" Judges are very good in
asking young barristers of their acquaint-
ance to dinner. but such bonhomnlie as
Lord Mansfeld's it would be hard to fud
now.
There was little stir one day in Lin
coins Iun, when a Vice Chancellor re-
quested gentleman who had strolled in
to come up and take seat upon the bench.
At least he told the registrar to bear the
message, who was disguised at what he
considered an unofficial proceeding. The
stranger SO dcrsevedly honored was Macau-
lay. .-.,.....-. ..---.-..-s
The judges can tell odd stories of going
circuits. The functionaries, and some-
times even the prisoners, are much dis
gusted. If instead of Westminster Judge
they have to deal with some counsel whose
name has been included in the Commits
sion. A prisoner for murder was greatly
annoyed because he had to be tried by a
'.journeyman judge" A sheriff cnce told
judge that they had been ''often jobbed
off with scrgeants, instead of judges, in
those parts. and was he really tone fae
judge!'' Having had his mind satisfied
on this point, the sheriff had gracefully
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 judge told
told mayor that he presided over an an
cient city 'Yes, my Lord" was the an
swer, lit always was an ancient city"
We expect it was the same gentleman who
expressed hope that Mrs. Judge and all
the little Judges were we'll
A sheriff asked judge at circuit din
ner whether he had gone to see the ele-
phant in the last place. .Why, no, Mr..
High Sheriff. he replied, Il cannot say
that did, We both came into the town
in form, with the trumpet sounding before
us, and there was point of ceremony to
be settled which we should visit first
Some absurd stories have been told of
judges thinking aloud The following
story is told by one of the Registrars of
the Court of Chancery of a great chancell-
or: a barris.er, whom he had not previ
ousiy heard. was retained to argue before
him. The counsel was man of ability,
but began in very confused and found
ering manner. Lord Chancellor-'what
fool the man is J! After while the man
got more collected. Lord Chancellor
.Ah not sucha fool as | thought FL
nally, he quito recovered himself, and
proceeded admirably. Lord Chancellor
-.Egad ! it is that was the FOOL
There was one judge who had a trick
of checking witnesses when they got on
too fast for his notes by saying: Stay,
Stay!" He was called the old stayrna-
ker. Ofttimes they show admirable tenn
per and discretion. A judge who was
summoning up case was greatly disturb
ed by young lawyer who was talking
aloud. With great benignity be said,
"Lr. Gray, ifever you arrive here, which
some of these days l hope you will do, you
will know the Inconvenience of counsel
talking while you are summing up"
A curious story is told illustrating the
legal precision of great judge. He ask
ed magistrate at circuit dinner wheth-
er ne would take some venison. The
gentleman answered-"Thqnk you, my
lord, am going to take some boiled chick
en-" Lord Tenterden retorted-'That,
sir, is no answer to my question asked
you ifyou will take some venison, and l
will thank yos to say yes or no. without
further prevarication." The story was
originally told in the Quarterly Rccie,c,
but it is challenged by Lord Campbell.
With some judges the habit of advoca-
cy has grown SO invetcrate that they have
been quite unable to lay it aside. Ifever
they have seriously tried they have not
succeeded in the attempt. The case has
even been known of a judge on the bench
like an advocate at nisi prius.
A Judge once said that he had only lost
two vsrdicts since he had been raised to
the bench.