, 1881-03-04
A REMNISENCE OF 1860.

Judge Swan has kindly furnished us
from one of his scrap books the following
humorous account of a court scence in
Port townsend. which was published in
the San Francisco Bulletin Feb. Il,
1860. and being just twenty-one years old
we again publish it for the amusement OF
our readers. many of whom will readily
recognize the principal characters. The
article was written by sailor in the ma
rine hospital, who kept dairy of such
matters As he thought OF interest. He
shortly after went up Sound OH the schr.
Ebey, commanded by a comical genius
well known here as Capt. Tom Hare, who
abstracted the leaves from the sailors
! Journal and sent them TO the Bulletin -
which published them as follows:
A COURT SCENE AT PORT TOWNSEND IN
1860.
| An Enghshman, carpenter, who had
escaped from his creditors in British Col
umbia came to this town. but was pur-
sued and writ taken out and placed in
hands OF the sheriff, that officer going up
10 the man OH the street made 4 grab, -
as he ciaSSically expressed it to get the
mans watch as part of the debt, But the
John Bull quickly taught the white
wa she'd sheriff one OF Aaron Jones tricks,
making the claret fly from near the doc
tors eye-for the sheriff is surgeon. dem
tiSt, farmer. county commissioner. road
surveyor, gcologiSt, botalIist. chemist and
apothecary, and |, nor any one else knows
not what beside.
But The court! [This room was where
Korter's barber shop now is.-ED.1 Just
imagine place 20 feet by 16 into which
all the town crOwded-about thirty per-
sons in all. There stands sheet iron
stove in the center; some Indian mats are
laid on the floor; and two or three logs
Sawu off the end of q tree make seats
The prisoner sat beside the Judge and
kept up All animated conversation with
him. The Judge like little Jack Horner.
sat in a corner, which | suppose he imag-
ined 10 be the bench of honor. He is
watch repaircr. gun repairer, sail"r ship
ping master, clerk of the district court,
and keeper Of the common one which
serves him for shop, parlor, kitchen and
reception room. lis. tools were scattered
among law books and other miscellaneous
articles.
Sometimes all the people in the court
FOL fFia,, InflC
ell his leg OH the table, took out his pipe
aud coOlly smoked away. Then a jury
had To be e:npannelled, and a man on the
street was called Ia, and after going
through a pantomime was duly sworn in
sheriff deputy or deputy sheriff, don't
which. He WAS sent into the different
TAP rooms round town. and soon collected
six enlightened, Intelligent persons, as
long, s!ab-sided lawyer was pleased to call
them. Then these six were seated OIL the
same bench as the prisoner. who convers.
ed, laughing with them all: they looked
about as wise as owls DO by day. Then
the Justice held up his right hand, max
ing as supposed some Masonic sign, o.
rite copied from the primitive japanese;
but it was whispered, they were duly
sworn in. II was certainly an original
way. The lanky lawyer thought so too,
and this interesting ceremony had 10 be
gone through again, only the word. OF
worls .'s'helpmegod, were mnttercd.
Then commenced the brilliant Grafton.
The lank lawyer bowling himself to the
ground before the jury, aud throwing him.
self into some very Shakesperean atti-
| tudes, while his eyes in frenzy rolled, he
delivered himself of such great worls as
glorious constitution" ''broad princi-
pies, ''llOneSt freemen," "enlightened
jury" and SO on-the staple speech OF
every fifth rate American lawyer.
"rhink you, gentlemen, said he, ~
would tamely submit TO have my watch
and shirt torn off my back like q dog?''
How that canine specimen would bear
that indignity puzzled me exceedingly.
Then UP rose the sheriff doctor aud laid
down the law, or rather his idea OF it. The
court all this time pulled away at its pipe.
anu tle spectators iaughed, and liquored,
inside the court and ont of it. The court
was sometimes addressed as mister. then
as major. captain, worship. and old boss.
Tie enlightened owls looked wise for a
minute and then brought ia verdict OF
battery arose from a pile OF fire.
wood and left.
This, with little variation, Is the way
the scales OF Justice are balanced in this
town."
The Justice who figured In the above
case now lives in one of the Southern
States highly respected citizen. The
lawyer. from such. \ primitive beginning,
bloasOmed out into full blown Chief us
tice OF cur Territory, and the sheriff sleeps
quietly In our cemetery, but many of the
spectators still reside here and can enjoy
the humer OF this ryminisccnce.