Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-12-12
In a Western Court.

Weha7e beforereferred to the Detroit
Justice, whose decisions and sentences
are SO much after a style of his own.
Here is another description of his
court Nine men, aged from eighteen
to fifty. FIVE, walked out, and the janitof
arranged them in half circle around
the desk. His honor lifted his voice
nine times to ask if they were guilty
or not guilty of the charge of va
Srancy, and nine voices squealed out
in answer,
"Guilty
Sergeant Bpyges had made day of
it, and gathered them in from the
shores of the gurgling river and frsm
the bleak alleys, and there they stood.
Some were tall and commanding, and
some we're short and retiring in de-
meanor. There wasn't whole coat on
any mans back, and some of the nine
hadn't passed a comb through their
hair since the day of the last Chicago
fire. Some assumed graceful positions,
and others didn't care plum for grace,
but hung to the railing and waited for
the performance TO begin. 1t soon be-
gan. 1t began with speech, his honor
remarking
FeIIoU Citizens Of america : Never
before during my career as judge of
the court have [ ever seen SO many va.
grants before me at one time, and il
may be years before see another such
lot. II 1 should speak to JCu separate
Iy it would take half day for me to o.
press my feelings, and so shall speak
to you collectively. Ipresume you all
know the object of this meeting, and l
presume you are ready for business
Have any of you anything to say2
There was q pause. Some of the
nine looked at Biiah and wondered why
no capillary substance vegetated on top
of his Uranium, and others gazed at
the clerk snd wondered how many cleo
ton bets he lost.
If none of you have Anything to
say I will go on with my speech, con-
tinued his honor. "It will be brief
and to the point. shall make no men
tion Of the Pilgrim Fathers, nor refer
to the glorious Fourth of July, nor yet
advert to the present stringency of the
money market. What I desire to i'm
press upon your minds is the fact that
each of you is chalked for a stay of
four months at the workhouse. The
convention stands adjourned"
The janitor presently returned with
Joe Sweeney, an old fellow who was
brought in on the same charge, but who
had been overlooked when the nine
came out.
"Oh, we'll, it's all right" remarked
his honor, as he laid down the warrant !;
"I'd rather had you ont with the crowd,
but I'll sentence you all the same. You
look good natured, and see that you
are pretty old. You will go up for
four months, and when the snowfakes
fall and the north wind whistles you'll
thank me that you have good bed and
plenty to eat
Charles Godfrey said he kept books,
and he didn't deny being little absent
minded on account of drink. he knew
it wasn't the right thing to gulp down
old Jamaica and then go out and hang
to q lamppost and want to fight gome-
body because he couldn't see the
eclipse, but he wasn't prepared to say
that he could keep entirely sober until
New Years.
"You might be a prominent gas
light in this dark world if you only had
stamina, remarked the court; but I
see that you are down-hearted and
lethargic. Instead of soaring like the
eagle you are willing to crawl around
like a sore-headed fox. I've got to send
you up for sixty days, and when you
come out I hope you'll have the Wash
ington cut to your hair and regular
julius Caesar look to your eye."
Charles Raft said that he was q milk
man and that, having taken drop of
something wet to keep the cold out, he
had been overcome by the subtle enemy
and been laid on his back. He felt
ashamed of himself and in the future
he would be found arrayed on the side
of cold water and the ice interest.
81 like your way of talking" replied
his honor, "and guess I'll let you go.
Be careful after this, and if you could
pump less water into your milk I pre-
sumo your feelings, when you come to
square your account with the world,
would be altogether easier"