The Van Buren press., 1876-09-12
The Eloquence Of an Incorporate Actor
in Court

in Court.
The Virginia City Chronicle says: An
old fellow who gave his name as Chas,
II. Slosson was called up in Judge
Wright's Court on the charge of drunk
enness. He was remarkably seedy
looking specimtn. arrayed i'll dirty
check shirt and a pair of loose, ba2gy
trousers, which were prevented from ial
ling oil by n leather strap knotted about
his waist. He was shivering and tremb
ling from the effects Of a well sustained
debauch and hardly had the physical
strength to stand upright When the
Judge asked him if he had anything to
say, he rose up in sort of disjointed
way and demanded jury, which was
granted, and when his turn came he ad-
vanced with a shufiiing tread, and, bend
ing his eyes on his .pears began
!" Gentlemen OF the Jury, stand here
to-day less a defender of my own perso
nal debasement than an example OF
human depravity, which, like beacon.
| light, should warn you from the rag ed
rocks of intemperanee. A man in my
condition is like rude sign post l once
saw in Tennessee, which pointed up a
road over which the green grass was be-
ginning to wave. On the sign-post was
the inscription Small pox, and the in
dex finger of hand pointing westward.
II any of you in travelling along n high
way saw such a sign as that. you would
pause upon the brink of deadly danger
and turn backward. Ser sation In
me you behold such sign, and If by
looking upon me any one of you can be
turned back from destruction, shall
think that God in His infinite mercy has
allowed me to flll sphere of use fulness
which shall enable me to bear with fort.
tude the imputation constantly hurled up
on me by my own conscience, that have
lived in vain
"Gentlemen ofthe Jury, as You pc.
ruse the pagea Of the old poets you will
see how they have deaed the wlne-cup
They have wrcathed it with flowers Of
fancy, surrounded it with the halo of
song, and peor.ea lis bloody depths with
the creatures Of their own bright imagin.
ations, until one might almost believe it
to be the well spring of human happiness,
when bitter experience tells us in very
different lapgu &c that it is the fountain
head of misery, the abode of the demon
that destroys our very lives. Here one
of the jurors wiped away tear with his
coat sleeve There is something which
comes up in the fumes of the cup that
fools call inspiration, but it is a cunning
reptile which, crawling up from the dregs
of the grape, enters the window of the
brain and steals away like thief in the
night with our reason fast in its embrace
Here the speaker poured out and took
"A drink OF water There is hand in
tire vino cup whioa, ut any moment, may
put its teloh grip upon your throats and
strangle you as strong man might u
babe. Here several of the jury pulled
down their collars
Gentlemen of the jury, have not
long to stay. Two mighty miners are
delvng on this lode-Tme and Death.
They are daily at their posts. working
together side by side as one eternal shift,
clearing away the rubbish of waste rock
and pushing along the ledge Before
long shall he gathered into sthe vast
laboratory of Death, piece Of useless
porphyry, to be cast into the waste
dumps of hell
Here the old fellow pulled from his
pocket red handkerchief, and began to
sob The effect was immediate and strk-
ing The old miners and the Jury, NOV.
cd by his forcible simile, broke forth in.
to simultaneous sob. in which the
court, spectators and Prosecuting attor.
ney Joined. The Chronicle reporter was
so moved that he was obliged to 60 ont
and brace up with stiff cocktail The
jury were obliged to find him guilty, but
recommended him to the mercy of the
Court He was accordingly fined s5,
which the jury paid on the spot, and the
old man slid cut of the door with the re
mark: 81 knew Id ketch m. Blast my
buttons, didn't work up the briny,
though, didn't p A subsequent in
vestigation led to the discovery that the
bum was an ex actor from Frisco, who
was just sgiving the jury touch Of his
profession