The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1877-04-28
A MOCK TRIAL.


hhtehshcA W tuc Nisest hirH
A number Of our citizens agreed that
such was the case when they visited the
Court House on Wednesday last to at.
tend the mock trial of jew Mike"
well-known character, who has lately re.
turned to Phoebe.
The complaint was made out by Geo.
Birdsall, charging NJ. Levy. alias "Jew
Nike" Of Palestine, with making away
with fifty dollars worth of merchandise,
the property of Steinhart 4 Bro, with
the intention Of deirauding said Stein
hart. The complaint also stated that il
wAs the opinion OF the complainant that
Mike" intended to skip the town. as
he was laying in supply of snuff. which
was a pretty fair sign of his intention.
Mike was arrested and kept in charge on
Wednesday morning, and the time SIT
for trial at p. NJ. Accordingly at that
hour Court convened. d. Wilkia acting
as Judge, Bishop as attorney for the
prosecution and Hunt for the defence.
It was as much as defendants attorney
could do to be allowed to defend his case,
as defendant was morally prejudiced
against lawyers. A jury of four con.
sistipg of Phlsop, Clnie Dove and
Virnus, were empaneied to try the case
The defendant objected to oil the jury
men, and his attorney sustained his OBJ
lection with speech, but the Court ruled
that the jury should be accepted and the
trial proceeded with. The attorney for
the defense made a speech in bis clients
favor, in which he said he intended to
prove that Mike was philantrophist
and never gambled in his life, the
only intemperance in which he was
known to indulge being the ''inordinate
use of snuff and the internal habit Of
showing a dirty snuff box under every
ones nose, inviting them to take a
pinoh."
George Birdsall was called to the stand
and stated that he knew defendant at
Frazer River, where be was "cspper'
for 'hogging" faro game, and was sent
out OF the country for m attempt to
smugels snuff into "her Majssty's" do
minions.
Here the defendant interrupted by de-
string to know what BirdsalI was doing
at Frazer River. Court orders him to be
quiet.
Witness next knew Mike in Virginia
City, at which place he was an engineer
for Henry Darts wheel OF fortune !"
That he drank every time he was asked
was considered hard character and a
desperate man; wanted to borrow siI-
shooter once from witness when be had
trouble with another party. and said
George lend me six-shooter, and cut
him in two" Was at one time consid-
brilliant "light" "Israsl-ite -
Aise was then called to the stand. The
first question asked was: when was
you born?" The defendcnt answered
"Mr. Hunt, l never knew when vas
born"
After long series Of questions and
cross-questions, which were eliciting
broad grins and subdued laughter from
the large audience present, the case was
fually given to the jury, who returned a
verdict Of guilty. The Court ordered
that the defendant should be held ii
$500 bail on his own recognizauce, bu
Mike insisted on going to Jail. Tht
Sheriff told him he was held in bail and
told him he could not go to Jail unless h,
furnished his own grub. Thus ended
funny farce. Mike still thinks the tria
genuine one. and that if he atte,n PIT
to "skip the town" he will be brough
back; so he has been busily engage,
In telegraphing for testimonials as to hi
character.