The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-09-24

asked his wife.
sect them Y" don't you see the ini-
tials on them p' - extending them
toward her" j stole them"
"Stole them 2"
Yes, stole them"
"My dear husband, 1t can't be posi-
ble-from whom p''
From Sterritt, over there--hls name
is on them"
"Good Heavensl How could it hap
pen ?"
know very well, Polly = l was
very drunk when / came home, wasn't
1 p" he asked.
Why, Judge, you know your old
habit when you get among these law
yers."
But was L very drunkY"
Yes, you was"
WAS remarkably so when / got
home, Mrs Brown p''
Yes, drunk as fool, and forty times
as stupid"
I" thought so,'' said the Judge, drop
ping into chair in extreme desponden-
cy-" knew would come to that at
last. 1 always thought something bad
would happen to me- that should do
something very wrong-kill somebody
in moment of passion, perhaps-but L
never imagined that / should be mean
enough to be guilty of deliberate lar
ceny."
But there may be some mistake,
Judge"
" No mistake, Polly. L know very
well how it came about. That fellow,
Sterritt, keeps the meanest sort of liq-
uor, and always did = liquor mean
enough to make man do anything,
and now l have practical illustration
of the fact" and the old Judge burst
into tears.
Don't be childish,' said his wife,
wiping away the tears; {" go like man
over to Sterritt, tell him it was a little
bit of frolic-pass it of as joke-go
and open court, and nobody will ever
think of it again"
A little of the soothing system opera
lCu ulOAl lllC uuSC, uS ouCn bDluRS us
ually do; his extreme modification was
finally subdued, and over to Sterritt's
he went, with toleIable face.
OF course he had but little difficulty
in settling with him-for, aside from the
fact that the Judges integrity was un-
questionable, he had an inkling of the
joke that had been played.
Judge Brown proceeded to court, and
took his seat /; but spoons and bad liq-
uor-bad liquor and spoons = liquor,
spoons, drunk, larceny, and the old
Judge Brown was so mixed up in his
worship's," bewildered head, that he
felt awful pale, if he did not look so.
In fact, the Judge felt cut down, and
his usual self-possessed manner of dis
posing of business, his diction and de-
cisions were not what Judge Brown had
been noted for.
Several days had passed away, and the
business of the court was drawing to a
close, when, one morning, a rough
looking sort of customer was arraign-
ed on the charge of stealing. After the
clerk had read the indictment to him ,he
put the usual question
Guilty, or not guilty ?"
Guilty, but drunk" answered the
| prisoner.
"What's that plea 20 exclaimed the
| Judge, who was half doing upon the
bench.
" He pleads guilty, but says he was
! drunk" replied the clerk.
"What is the charge against the
man ?"
&C. He is indicted for grand larceny"
said the clerk.
"What's the case ?"
"May it please your honor" said the
prosecuting attorney, " the man is in
dicted for grand larceny"
What's the case ?"
May it please your HONOR" said the
prosecuting attorney, 1.-THE man is reg
larly indicted for stealing large sum
from the Columbus Hotel"
"He is, hey 4? and he pleads"
"He pleads guilty, but drunk"
The Judge was now fully aroused.
Guilty, but drunk. This is most
extraordinary plea. Young man, are
you certain you were drunk ?" asked
the Judge.
Yes, sir"
Where did you get your liquor ?"
CAT Sterritt's. -