The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-06-23

ermined brow Of Judge Fuller grew black
with righteous indignation at the an.
nouncement, and calling this august
such a reprimand as they, If living, feel
tingling in their ears yet. An examina-
tion Of the case was subsequently had
before q justice of the peace, and the Of
fender bound over, but on some pretext a
habeas corpus was issued by the judge,
who released the bonds so that Wylie was
now free, and he soon betook himself to
parts unknown. But by what right this
astute Judge issued such a writ is a ques-
ton for men eminent in law :
Andrew Seita was murdered by Charles
Hether. A dispute about q small sum OF
money, while both were in liquor, led to
the fatal deed. The murderer being
armed with n dirk knife, inflicted a fatal
stab on the other. At the June term OF
the circuit court following, Hether was
indicted and tried, but the jury Disagree
ing he was convicted Of manslaughter In
the third degree, at the next term. He was
sentenced by the judge to four years and
twenty days at hard labor in the peni-
tertiary"
Two neighbors, whose names / do not
care TO give, as the affair was of compar-
atively recent date, had a quarrel, as
neighbors sometimes will. One, whom 1
shall designate as A., owned some horses
which were continually getting into BIS
grain. He had sent some peremptory
word to A. which was not needed. So one
day, boiling over with wrath, he went
over to AS house on horseback, carrying
a pitchfork in his hand. He found his
neighbor in the field at work, in company
with his little son. Some angry words
passed between them, when b., dismount-
ing from his horse, struck A. a crushing
blow with the ~pitchfork over his should
ers, followed by another over his head.
Blow after blow did. the infuriated man
%inflict, even after his victim had fallen to
the ground, pounding his head to a liter
al Jelly. The injured man was never con-
scious afterw0d and lived but a few
hours.
B. was arrested and lodged in Jail for
several months, when he had his trial for
the crime, and-was released without fur
ther punishment.
'Judge FulleI's first court in the eighth
district" says a writer, "was held in jan
uary. 1854. Much time was consumed in
organizing and adopting rules for the
court and bar. Grand and petit iuries
had been drawn, which included nearly
all the eligible citizens in the county.
Very few civil cases were on the calendar,
and those unimportant, but the criminal
list presented several indictments for
grave offenses-two for assault with in
tent to kill, others for selling liquor with
out license, and for selling the same to
Indians. Il. S. Allen & Co.'s root house
was taken possession of for a Jail.
''To the aforesaid indictments all the
accused plead mot guilty. and demanded
time to procure counsel, which being out
of the question at this term, the court
advised the offenders to withdraw the
plea Of mot guilty. and plead guilty
which most of them did, when suitable
fines were imposed on some, and fatherly
advice given to all, and the prisoners dis
charged.
"Some other ludicrous things transpired
at this first term, over which it is better
to draw the 'oblivious veil than to burden
history with mistakes, about which the
less said the sooner mended.'
"a member of the legal profession, who
had practiced in the courts since the or
ganization Of this district, would undoubt-
eddy find data for much legal disgust
tion,' and many laughable Incidents might
be told; and one occurs to me that may
legal phraseology. 1t was while grand
juries were in vogue, and when the court
terms were in January and July. 1t
was the winter term. Twenty-three
grand jurors, good men and true, had
answered to their names, had learned the
history Of %juries from the days of alfred
down,'-the vast conservative power Of
grand juries-from the Judge, and heard
his charge, 'to present no man through
fear, favor, or Affection and were sworn
to present all who were guilty of such and
such offenses, including bribery, and all
and every attempt Of men in official posi-
tions to receive brides or compound felon-
les; and having been locked up in a room,
well guarded by a r~esolute executive
functionary they commenced their onerous
deliberations, and then and there making
inquest for the body and people Of the
county, ascertained that the District At
torney, the man whom, in their collective
wisdom, the people had chosen to prose-
cote offenders and draw up indictments
against those whose conduct was contrary
to the peace and dignity Of the state, was
the man, the moral and criminal turpi-
tude Of whose offending made it incum-
bent on that illustrious body to present
him to the court for illegally and feloni-
ously accepting a bride, and compromising
felony, to the great detriment of the peo-
pie of said county, and contrary to the
peace and dignity Of the state.
"His Honor was, therefore, requested to
send a good lawyer to that well-guarded
room, to embody the result Of their inves-
LEGATIONS, as disclosed by the evidence,
into an Indictment, charging him with
heinous crimes and misdemeanors, that