The Benton weekly record., 1882-12-07
UPROAROUs FUN IN COURT.
The Very Funny Editor OF "a FUNNY
Paper SgsesH fOr Libe5.


dicial annals of Erie county has the Quar-
ter Sessions furnished such exquisite Itl.
NOR us the term Of court now holding
Among the indictments found by tbs
Grand Jury were three for criminallibel,
the defendants being John Boyer, editor
| Of the Daily Leuc5ttt}tanDe, and Messrs.
Frank Weiss and Henry Herbst, editors OF
/ the Weekly lSOnnt0gsgast, a humorous and
illustrated weekly. The prosecutor is John
Firch, a young member Of the Young
Mems Christian Association and of the
Law and Order League. Firch had played
the part Of amateur detective in the
Leagues campaign against the liquor
dealers, and the funny paper published a
cartoon representing an artistic galloWs,
with a strangIed corpse attachment, bear
ing a strong resemblance to Firch. The
deepest interest is manifested in the legal
proceedings, the Young Mems Christian
Association being arrayed on the one side
and the entire German element on the
other. The latter were dismayed at the
opeaing Of the Sessions by the District At
torney claiming All ancient right to 'sstand
aside any juror called until the box was
filled with men acceptable to the Common
wealth. the standing aside being indepen-
dent Of the peremptory challenges, and
allowable to the extent Of standing aside
the entire panel. practically enabling the
Commonwealth to get 8 jury Of its own
selection. Such practice was unknown
to the Erie courts. The District Attorney
showed that the right existed in an unre-
pealed statute Of King Edward l., enacted
in the ninth century, and sustained as
good law by the Supreme Court Of Penn
sylyania, because the statute has never
been repealed by Parliament or Legisla-
ture. The Court had no alternative but
to rule in favor of the District Attorney,
and, in consequence, no German OF Irish
man could get into The box on the liquor
trials. This was a blue prospect for the
editors, and naught but conviction stared
them in the face
The saddest-lookin man attending court
is the editor Of the funny paper, Frank
Weiss. To look athim one would natn-
rally suppose him to be an ascetic, his SOM
bre expression being strongly suggestive
Of self-abnegation and funerals But,
wthal, Weiss is the most Comical persoD4
within the pnrvieW Of the court. While
sitting in court, with features Of impertu-
rable gravity, he conceived the idea of
turning the whole proceedings into ridi-
cule, and converting tragedy into trayes-
ty. On the second morning after the
Judge had ruled in favor Of the .tstand
aside" claim, Weiss conVulsed everybody
by coming into court with an armful Of
ancient legal literature, drained by ran
sacking every law library in the city, and
asserting right, under the ruling of the
Court, to establish his innocence BY ordeal
or trial by combat He contenled that if
ancient procedure is good law
his claim to demand the <'wagere of bat
tel'' was as just and equitable as the
laughter followed tho sad-faced mans de- |
mand, iGIesistably comcal in itself, but
the more exquisite from the fact that he is !
il little attenuated, Weak-chested, astllnat- /
ic body weighing only So pounds, while |
his adversary is a hercule;ln Christian who |
tips the scale at 200 pounds, and before
whom in a personal encounter the funny
editor would melt away like the hoar
frost under the morning sun. Weiss has
drawn up all his rights under un-
repealed laws, and he proposes to make
this judicial district sick Of King Edward
the First. These alleged rights are:
First-The 'Sordenl OF fire." IIeclaims
that he can demand the establishment Of
1is innocence by offering to plunge his
arm in boiling oil, pick up a red-hot iron,
~ walk barefooted over nine red-hot
and that if he sustain no
hurt by the operation his innocence will /
be proved, and the costs belong to the
But this test, after mature
he will waive. s.All that re-
mains, says Weiss, ssis to demand the
rial by combat, and may God defend the
guil5less.' He describes the procedure Of
his combat as follows, producing ancient
in It's support:
The Judges and clergy are to assemble
N . given day, and before them tile accus-
ID person must fling down his 5glove and
leclare his intention to defend the sane
With his body. The prosecutor will then
pick it up and announce his readiness to
make good the appeal, body for body. Then
both men will bring out their battle axes
y jayelins, and, kneeling before the
Judges, Will make oath that the weapons
aave not been charmed by witchcraft,
&c. This done, each is to grasp his axe
n the right hand, and the left hand Of the.
)ther in his let. The accused person to
'ay: Hear this. @ man. who calest T
Myself John Fireh blythe name If baptism
hat I, who call myself Frank Weiss By i
he name Of baptism, did not libel you, SO
lelp me God and al fiae saints. To which.
he accused will reply: ssHear me. O +
nan, whom hold by the hand, and who
,allest tl1yself Frank Weiss by the name Of
that do hold thee perjured, and
his will prove with my body, so help
SSxs,J assIT > E.