Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-12-04

Last week we served our country Il
the capacity OF traverse juror, a dut
which we had not been summoned /,
perform these many years, 80 that tn,
business was rather novel one to u
at this time.
Many OF our readers may perhap!
never have attended court, and Others
but seldom. The staid people of the
valleys, as a rule, have no taste for liti
CATION, and are only too glad not to bt
made parties to the ADMINISTRATION OF
| justice, either as jurors or witnesses
and so they mostly remain in blissfuI
innocence Of what goes on "dl
court"
We will try to give an account OF
what was done last week, and Of the
manner in which it was done, so that
our citizens may see what we pay taxes
for, and what use we have for our fine
court house and massive jail; for our
judges with high salaries and our score
or more Of learned lawyers.
We noticed but a single improve
ment In The furniture of the court
room. and that is the new chairs for
the judges. These are simply grand
not only in appearance but in practical
convenience as well They are 80 con-
structed that our judges can incline
their precious and dignilled bodies at
any desirable angle, either bach ward
or forward, or swing themselves TO and
fro; and from the vigorous manner in
which Judge Owls kept his chair oscil
latinR, we incline to the opinion that
the operation must materially assist his
mammoth judicial mind in solving
complex questions of law.
Let US examine q few Of the cases
tried. We hear such imposing phrases
an these: Commonwealth of PennsylUa-
MIA against James CdlderW Ood and Irene
Cdlder,cOOd; Commonwealth of Pennsyl-
Vdnia Us. Hezekiah Groksmoul. And
what does the reader suppose there is
In or under such a big nameP Some
great capital crime ? Fortunately not,
at least seldom. In one Of these cases
q man by accident cuts medium-siZed
tree and q few eapling on D neiGhbor's
land. The market value Of the timber
so cut and taken away was proven TO
have been just As cents. The owner Is
offered dollar In settlement, by the
Ran who cut the wood, but refuses to
take 1t, ana brings O criminal prosecu
tion. tie loses, as of course he should
aud must pay the costs about $50.
Another: A mans geese enter the
premises Of neighbor, who Is O Wild
ow. Size drives the geese ont upon the
road where she meets the owner. They
get high words, the woman stones the
man the man slaps the woman, and
they 60 to law. The case goes through
grand and traverse jury, lawyers plead
eloquently, the learned judge charges
comprehehsively, and the end of it all
is that the parties are male to paw the
costs in equal snares and sent home
oil to jail if they can't pay. Well,
the costly Jail ought to be of some use,
at all events.
And what do such heavy lawsuits
cost the tax payers Of Centre county h?
Certainly not less than about 500 each.
This is paying trifle high for the
whistle, but then it must be consider
ed that justice must be done, though
the heavens fall.
Yet another case: A young glrl of
fifteen summers, who at that youthful
age Is already the mother of a child,
charges adultery, fornication aud bas-
terdy upon one OF the best citizens OF
Centre county. The evidence reveals
a state of afflirs among the young
folks OF both sexes, in one of our
towns that Is absolutely revolving.
The Commonwealth abandons the case,
the county pays the cost, the defendant
is vindicated, and the youthful prosti,
tute is left at large to resume her wick
ed and shocking avocation. She ought
to have been prosecuted for perjury
and imprisoned. We never felt so
ashamed Of our grand old common
wealth, for meddling in and being
party to such petty contemplate and
base work.
The majority Of cases were just of
the character above described while a
few were Of graver nature. One m An
was convicted Of selling liquor to man
OF incorporate habits another was 50
nearly found guilty of false pretenses
that everybody considered him lucky
In getting off with about 5000 Of
costs.
Two youthful culprits ts-Murray and
O'Neil-were brought up before the
court and plead guilty to the charges
of burglary and larceny. They are the
boys who some time ago broke into
and robbed the Philipsburg depot and
other places. They were each seuten-
ced to three years and eleven months
kNU- \ Lii l. ~