Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-06-15
Some 0uickened Coasctences in a Georgia
Court Room.

Court Room.
A correspondent in the Nashville AqaerS-
can repeats the following story, which was
scene described: @GAs1
Georgia has stringent pistol law. The
penalty is forfeiture of the pistol and q fine
Of fifty dollars, and, at the discretion of the
court, Imprisonment for thirty days. A
short time after this law went into effect,
Judge Lester was holding court in one Of the
mountain counties of North Georgia, and
right in the midst of Z the trial of q
cause, he asked the attorneys to sus-
pend few moments, and told the sheriff to
lock the court house door and let no man
pass out without permission from him. Then
said the Judge, in his firm, decided way:
"Gentlemen, saw pistol on man in this
room few moments ago, and I cannot
reconcile it to my sense Of duty as q peace
officer to let such q violotion OF the law pass
unnoticed. It may be that it is my duty to
90 before the grand jury and indict him, but
Il that man will walk up to his stand and
lay his pistol and q fine of one dollar down
here will let him off this time, otherwise I
will go before the grand Jury and testify
against him.
The Judge paused, and an attorney who
was sitting down just before the stand, got
up, slipped his hand in his hip pocket, drew
out neat, ivory handled Smith & Wesson
six-shooter, and laid 81 down before the
judge.
..rhis is all right remarked the Judge;
shut you are not the man I saw with the
pistol
At this another attorney, sitting immedi-
ately in front Of the judge, got up, and.
drawing out a small Oolt's revolver, laid it
and 81 bill upon the stand.
] tsThis is right again. . said the judge; shut
you are not the man speak off,
Thereupon large man just outside of the
bar walked around, ran his hand into his
bosom, and, drawing out 9 huge old army
pistol, laid it and one dollar on the stand.o
4 81 declare" exclaimed the judge, ssif this
don3 beat all: you have done right, my
friend; but you are not the man saw with
the pistol ... z!s. IS. fsag
n This process went on until nineteen pistols
. and nineteen dollars were lying on thf
Judges stand. Then there was pause, anG
; it appeared as If the crowd were pretty vel
> disarmed; at Least, if there were, any NOR
pist ols in the house their owners did no
seem disposed to give them mp sI ss,f.
"Gentlelnen,n resumed the judge. cher
are nineteen persons who have acted ik
men in this business, bat the man that .
, saw with the pistol has not come up yet
and now" continued he, pulling ont hi
watch and looking toward the far side Of tn
court house, Il will give him one minute t
! accept my proposition. and it he does not d
i it in that time, will point him out 70 th
!. sheriff and order him to take him int
, custody 4..s q
Immediately two men from the back par
of the house began to move toward tn
t Judges stand. Once they stopped ant
9 looked at each other, and them, com
: ing slowly forward, laid dow
= their pistols and their dollars. As they turn
8 ed to leave the judge said; ''This man Wit
Q the black whiskers is tho one that l SAY
: with the pistol" g...ss.s. ,E
u Then Judge Lester gave. a short lectur
: upon the oowardly, foolish and wicked habi
= of carrying concealed weapons, and assure
d his audience that in the future the law woul
+ be strictly enforced. The court prooeede
It with its regular business, and it is needles
e to add that in that county the habit Of cal
i. rying pistols was broken up. -