Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-05-01
JUDGE BOGAN.
ii is Manners at the Bar and on
the Bench.
Bill Arp. in Detroit Free Press.

Bill Arp, in Detroit Free Press.
When Judge Began was a practicing
lawyer in Georgia he weighed about 300
pounds. He was short man, and had
no coupling pole betwixt his head and
his shoulders. His back was SIS broad as
cellar door. OF course he wis a good
natured man, but sometimes was very
sarcastic in the use of language before
a jury. One day he had case in a JUS
tice court, in one of the upper counties
of Georgia, and there was little lawyer
on the other side named Wiggins
Virgins weighed about ninety pounds,
and was game and sassy. like most little
men, and had voice as fine as the E
string on fiddle.
Well, the Judge was rolicking along
in good-natvred way to the jury, and
made some illusions that insulted Wig
gins dignity. Whereupon Virgins
hoped up like a killdee and hit the
Judge a lick ON the back.
The Judge looked around little, and,
says he, What you bout Virgins
what you 'bout9"
"I'm fitin'! says Virgins.
''Set down and behave yourself" said
the Judge, and his eyes twinkled merri-
ly as he continued his rhapsody of ran
dom remarks. Pretty soon he offended
Virgins again, who rising forward, tu-
multuously popped him three or four
times more, making as much impression
as if he had hit the side of a house.
What you bout, Wigginf? What
you tryin' to do?" said the Judge, as he
winked at the jury.
Il tell you sir, I'm fitin'," screamed
Virgins, and he popped him again.
The Judge reeched his arm back and
gently "squashed Virgins down in his
chair, saying, "set down, Virgins, and be
quiet, or I'll take you by the nap of the
neck and seat of the breeches and throw
you up SO high the blue birds will build
in your jacket pocket before you come
dawn. Be still, sayp
Virgins "beed STILL" but he studied
the code of honor for few days and
then went back to his tailor's trade.
When the Judge was elevated to the
bench he didn't give the juries much lat
itude in making up a verdict. If the
verdicts didn't suit him he charged 'em
over again and sent 'em back. One day
Colonel Foster was defendin' fellow
who was sued on promissOry note and
wound up an eloquent speech with
'these are grand principles of the law,
gentlemen, which control this case.
They are as old as England, as solid as
the Blue Ridge and have come down to
us untarnished by the tide of time or
the wreck of bloated Empires, and so
will his Honor charge you"
The Judge was leaning forward, his
eyes sparkling and his mouth twitching
at the corners. Hardly waiting for the
Colonel to sit down he said: His Honor
won't charge you any such thing, gentle
men; for those eternal principles my
Brother Foster has elucidated have no
more to do with the case than the Koran
of Mahomet. This defendant admits
that he signed this note, and if you be-
lieve him then all these dilatOry, nugato-
ry, purgatory pleas that has ripped up.
tripped up, dug up, stumped up and
trumped up, won't avail him. What do
you say to that, Brother Foster, eh?"
Nothing, sir; only that am obliged
to differ with the Court" said the Colo
nell
"Yes, sir, you can differ; you have
the right to differ; but where the Court
and the counsel differ, the Court pre-
walls, and that's the law of this case,
gentlemen. Retire and make up your
verdict"