, 1878-03-01
A Doctor In Court.

-
s,u,rience OF Georgia doctor in a
sosrt If Justice demanding payment
t,y nj. professional services. The case
= .tnted abOIt rs lOlln~s:
doctor named llnyslon had sued
peter Benuett for bis bill, long overdue,
q, attending the wife Of the latter.
aI,y,pder n Stephens WIS on the Ben.
81, idle. and Robert Toom6s, then Sen.
s,or of the United States, was for DR..
Ryrs,on. The doctor proved his num-
hsr of visits, their valGe according to
Iocal custom, and bis own authority 20
do medical practice. Mr.. Stephens told
his client that the physician had made
out his case, aud as there was nothing
,uherewith to rebut or offseit the claim,
the only thing left to do was to pay it.
"No," taid Peter, II hired you to speak
10 nv case, and now speak"
Mr.. Stephens told him there was moth.
inpto say; he had Looked on to see that
Il was made out, and it WAS.
Peter VAS obstinate, aud at last Mr..
Stephens told him to make speech him
self. if he thought one could be made.
~ will" said Peter Bennett, "if Bobby
Toombs won't be too hard on me-"
Senator Toombs promised, and Peter
began:
SGentlemen of the jury-You and I is
| ain farmers, and if We don't stick to-
getber these ere lawyers and doctors will
cit the advantage of us. amt no lawyer
nor doctor, and | amt no objections ~
them in the proper place; but they aiut
honest farmers, gentlemen of the jury.
"Now, this man Royston was new
doctor, and | went for him to come an
doctor my wife's sore leg, and he came
an put some salve truck onto it and some
rags, but never did it one bit of good,
gentlemen of the jury. / don't believe
be is no doctor, no way. There is doc
tors as is doctors, sure enough, bat this
man don't earn his money, and if you
send for him as Mrs. Sarah Atkinson did,
for negro boy as was worth $1,000, he
just kills him and want pay for it,"
81 DON'T" thundered the doctor.
"Did you cure himl" asked Peter, with
the slow accents of a judge with the black
cap on.
The doctor was silent, and Peter pro-
ceeded:
"As l was sayin', gentlemen of the
jury, We farmers when we sell our cotton
has got to give vally for the money We
ask, and doctors amt none too good to
be put to the same rule. And | don I
believe this Sam. Royston is no doctor,
Bohow." .. sasa 1e
The physician again put in his oar,
With, "Look at my diploma If you think
/ am no doctor"
His diploma" exclaimed the new.
fedged orator, with great contempt.
"Hs diploma. Gentlemen, that is u big
word for printed sheepskin, and it didn't
make no doctor out of the sheep as first
wore il, nor does it of the man as now
carries it. A good newspaper has more
in it, and / pint out to you that he ain It
no doctor at ALL"
The man of medicine was now in a
fury, and screamed out, "Ask my patients
If ain't o Doctor" #
VI asked my wife, " retorted Peter, 'an
she said as how she thought you WASH [. ~
"Ask my other PATIENTS" said DR..
Royston.
This seemed to be the straw that broke
the camels back, for Peter replied with
look and tone of unuttenble sadness:
"That is hard sayin', gentlemen of
the jury, and one that requires me to die
or to have powers as I've hearn tell
ceased to be exercised since the apostles.
Does he expect me TO bring the Angel
Gabriel down to toot his horn before his
time and cry aloud: Awake, ye dead,
and tell this court and jury your opinion
of Royston's practicel' Am I TO 90 TO
the silent tomb and say to UNI as is at
last at rest from physic and doctors bills,
Get up here, you, and state If you died a
natural death, or was hurried up some by
doctorsf He says ask his patepts, and,
gentlemen of the jury, they are all dead.
Whereis Mrs. Beazley's man Sam2 Gu
ask the worms in the graveyard where he
lies. Mr.. Peaks woman Sarah was at
tended by him and her funeral was ap.
pointed and he had the corpse ready.
Where is that likely Bill as belonged to
Mr.. Mitchell2 Now in glory a. ex.
pressin his opinion on Royston's doc
torin'. Where is that baby gal of Harry
Stephensl She are where doctors cease
from truublin' and the infants are at rest.
"Gentlemen of the jury, he has ct
chicken enough at my house to pay for
his salve, and | furnished the rags, and
dont suppose he charges for maxim of
her worse, and even he don't pretend to
charge for curin' fher, and / am hum
bly, thankful that he never give her
nothin' for her inwards, as he did his
other patients, for somethin' made them
all die mighty sudden"
Here the applause made the speaker
SIT down in great confusion, and in spite
OF logical restatement of the case by
Senator Toombs, the doctor lost and
Peter Bennett won. .........