Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-05-25
A Queer Justice.

Not long since we called the attention
Of the Texas Legislature to the antics of
Parson Billups, who is also a Justice OF
the Peace in Crosby County. 1t will be
remembered that in his judicial capacity
he fined a man seventy-five dollars, and
as the man could not pay the fine, he
ordered the culprit to work out his fine
by cutting cedar poles for the State of
Texas, as he, the Justice, needed the
poles to make fence with, and would
settle with the State of Texas for them
Well, gentleman just from Crosby
County has been telling us some fresh
official pranks of Parson Billups that
should be stopped, even if the Governor
has to send the rangers-that are guard
ing the cash balance-up to Crosby
County, and leave the cash balance I'M
guarded.
1t seems there was couple living
near Justice Billups' who did not agree,
on account of marital infelicity. The
husband applied to Justice Billups for q
divorce. Bllups said that he was not
quite sure that the Magma Charta con-
ferred the right of granting divorces on
Justices of the Peace, but that he would
take the case under ADJUSTMENT and let
the husband know in a few days. JUS
tice Billups then gave up all his mind to
the question of jurisdiction. When the
man who was suffering for the divorce
called again, Judge Bilfups told him
that, as in our courts law and equity
were blended, he, Billups, being a min
lister of the Gospel as well az Justice of
the Peace, had the constitutional right
to grant a divorce while sitting IN banc,
as Guiteau calls it. He then drew up
one of the most remarkable documents
ever penned, dividing the property, and
declaring the mirage-that is the way
he spelled marriage-null and void alb
tnitio, signing the document
JEEMs RILLUPs, J.P.
JEEMS BILLUPS, ID. ID.
About a week afterward the newly
divorced husband, accompanied by
great big German girl, a newly arrived
immigrant, who could not speak a word
of English, entered the office of the
County Clerk. The rest OF the process
sion consisted of the ncwly-divorced
wife, arm in arm with a strange gentle
man, who had recently moved into the
neighborhood from Dallas. The newly
divorced husband produced Judge
Billups' remarkable document and
said:
81 want this here bill of divorce duly
recorded, and then we want two mar
riage licenses"
The County Clerk took the document,
and after he had nearly laughed himself
into fits, he told the loving couples that
Old Billups had no more right to grant
divorces than the man in the moon. The
County Clerk refused to record the
document, but retained it, and if the
Legislature needs it to inaugurate pro-
ceedings against Billups, j. P. and ID.
D., they can get it. OF course there
was a scene when the clerk explained
the matter.
We have still another instance of the
ignorance, or worse, of Billups, j. P.
and D. ID. A man brought suit against
another In Billups' court for $l5. The
defendant came into court, said he
could not pay the amount, but turned
over silver watch to Billups with which
to satisfy the suit. The plaintiff re-
fused to accept the watch in payment of
his claim, and the defendant refused to
take it back. Several months passed
over without the parties coming to any
agreement, during all of which time
Billups sported the watch. Finally the
plaintiff agreed to take the watch in
satisfaction of the debt, but Billups, }.
p, told him he came too late, the time
within which the watch could have been
accepted had expired, according to the
statute of limitation; that the watch
had reverted to the State: that he had
dealing in his official capacity with the
State, and would settle with Texas for
it. That's the way the case stands now.
-Teras !Siftings.