Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-10-12
One of the Judges.

Not long since was told of a Judge
in Vermont who was driven, by the
perverse stupidity and prejudice of q
jury, to give an item OF instruction
that virtually amounted to acqittal OF
the defendant. Here is a case some
what different, and which, as may be
supposed, happened in different sec.
ton.
Our Vermont Judge put forth the
last effort in his power to enlighten his
jury; but the Judge of which it is nv
province now to tell proposed to be
court, counsel, jury, and all hands in
short, to "run the machine" after his
own fashion. I will tell the story as il
was told,to me.
Not a thousand miles from st. An
thony, on the Mississippi, in the days
when the ak of the pioneer had not
cleared the way 40 far beyond the river
as it now has, in organizing matters for
the proper conduct of civilized affairs
in their new community the good PEG.
pie hit upon old Sam Belknap for Judge
of the Court-a court Superior, Inferi-
or, Civil, Criminal, Judicial, and
all.
And he was the man for such q court.
Ever since the Eastmans and the Ca.
ses and the Abbotts mad brought their
wealth to that section. and induced set
Element, Old Sam Belknap had been the
recognized peace maker of the commu-
nifty. He was just such an evangel as
was the Swamp Angel, that was set up
during the "little imp leasantness, over
against Sumter. He was q muscular
Christian, and would have peace if he
had to fight for it. And he was a man
of honor, and of understanding. Do
not run away with the idea that our
judge was blockhead. No, no. He
may have had very primitive ideas of
legal and judicial Jurisprudence, but be
sure he ment to do the right thing.
Aye-Old Sam was the man for Judge.
and he was duly installed into the Of.
foe.
The first jury trial of any importance
called the Judge out in ali his glory.
A river pirate one of those heartless
rascals who would travel up and down
the Mississippi, seeking whom they
may devour-was brought up for high
way robbery. Such was the action,
though the robbery had been commit.
ted on board OF a steamboat, and while
coming up fom Point Douglass. The
robber was polished scoundrel, we'll
known on the river, and long notorious
for his success in gambling, horse.
stealing, shooting, and so on. The
party robbed was q staid, respectable
stock breeder of Red Wing-a man
from the State CT Maine, who had come
to he respected and honored for his
sterling manhood and valuable assist.
ance to society. The case came to tri.
al with Sam Belknap on the Bench.
The Court-house-a new one of the dis.
trict-was entirely new to him, and
the jury was mostly new. The prose.
cutting attorney was New Hampshire
man, we'll read in the law, but not bril-.
liant. nor could he be called energetic.
The prisoner had employed two law.
yers to defend him-one from st. Louis,
and one from La Crosse.
The case came on, and when the
prosecuting attorney would have called
his witnesses. he could not find them,
The man who had been robbed vas
there, and told his story-told it in 4
manner 30 simple, 90 straightforward.
and so candid, that no man Of sense
could possibly doubt him. As for the
government witnesses. they had been
either bought off. OF frightened of.
That was evident. The attorney was
NO coward, AID he boldly asserted the
fact. Two or three of the steamboat
hands were called, but their testimony
only went to prove that the prisoner
and the y1an robbed had both been on
board sae boat.
For the defence the two dovn-river
lawyers spread themselves. They made
their client out to be saint, while thew
proved the plaintiff to be hoary- head
cd old rascal. The Judge held himself in
his seat, but with mighty effort He
.aw plainly that q portion of the jury
had been tempered With, and that 9th
ers had been intimidatei. ONLY one
man OF the twelve could be depened
apon, and that was Prescott Pike. a
tovnsInan and lifelong friend Of his
Own--a man whose only fear WAS to
do wrong. but who feared nothing hu.
man If 1t came between him and duty.
BY and by JUICE Belknap arose to
charge the jury, and We cannot do
betser than to give his brief charge as
D'srlv in his own language as possible:
Gentlemen Of the jury" and he
loUke,l them over with q glance that