The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-03-08
An Episode of Oakland Justice in
the Early DAYS.

An Episode Of Oakland Justice in
the Early Days.
Many years ago, when the streets of
! Oakland were paved only with loose
sand, and before the existing railroad
line had been projected, Oakland glo-
ried in a Justice of the Peace by the
name of Parish, little quick spoken,
positive man, who knew little of law
but had a keen appreciation Of his own
Importance. He was not only Justice
of the Peace, but also u prominent one
Of the noisy politicians who became
particularly active about the time of
an election for municipal officers.
In addition to his business as a judi
cial officer, he loaned money in small
sums, always demanding the. best of
security and exacting extortionate
rates Of interest. He was well quail
fed for the latter occupation no one
ever knew him to give away cent,
and he was very Shylock in exacting
the pound of flesh when entitled to it.
He had become moderately rich, and
was occasionally called cold Ten per
cent" 10y his enemies; but for all
that, he was a most righteous judge,
aud collected the court fees without
partiality or show of bias.
One day in the Judges court, there
came up case in which the plaintiff,
a Mexican woman, sued the defendant
(her tenant) for damage done her fur
niture, the allegation being that he
had not only accomplished this wrong,
but had refused to pay his rent. A
jury trial was demanded, but so often
had the jurors in this court been done
out Of their pay, through the impe-
cuniosity of litigants, that the jury in
this trial demanded that the amount
Of their fees should be paid into the
court that they might be secured. The
plaintiff complied with the demand,
and brought in S24 in fifty cent pieces
all the ready money she had in the
world-so she said. This sum, tied up
in n red silk handkerchief, she handed
to the Justice, wlra tumbled the coin
into the drawer OF his desk.
The trial proceeded. Partly through
the plaintiffs ignorance of our lam
guage, and partly because of bad man
agement by her counsel. her testimony
was not quite clear on certain points,
and when the defendant testified, he
fatty contradicted all the allegations
against him..
The jury retired after counsel had
been heard, and soon returned with a
verdict for the defendant, and the court
entered the verdict on the minute
book.
"That is all, gentlemen" said JUS
tice Parish, glancing at the jurymen
over his speetacles; 81 am much
obliged to- you for your attendance.
You may CO." >,
"But our fees, judge" answered the
foreman; "you have not yet paid us
the So EACH"
Justice Parish threw himself back in
his chair, and pushed his spectacles
up on his forehead. "Gentlemen of
the jury said he, locking the money
drawer and thrusting the key in his
pocket as he spoke, /" tile court fees
amount to just S24. You had the
right to demand your fees before rem
dering a verdict, but you did not avail
yourself OF the right. l am very sorry
for you, gentlemen, but the court .,amst
protect itself. This court stands ad-
journed till tomorrow at 10 o'clock y
So was that Justice Parish gobbled
the S24, and the disappointed jurymen
received not cent. !
This simple narrative of fact would
be incomplete without the additional
statement that Justice Parish loaned
the poor Mexican woman the $24 he
had received from her, together with
$40 more, taking a deed of her prop
erty (worth over S3OO) rs security
that the note called for interest at the
rate of six per cent. per month, to be
compounded monthly if not paid; that
within twelve months from the day
the loan was made Justice Parish was
in possession of the property, and the
unhappy woman, divested of both
house and money, went irredeemably
to the bad.-Sdn Francisco C0lt.