The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-01-25

hap to be found out. and to cheer them
up as they enter and depart in the police
van. 1t is Just to add that much has
been done lately to render the APP
proaches of the London police courts
less Objectionable.
One of the policemen who had appre-
hended jim on the last night, having
seen me, took me into court. 1t was
large, clean, lofty room, yet the air was
unpleasant on account of the unwashed
condition of the greater part of the pub
lie present. This public was composed
of the same set of wanderers described
by my friend. the cobbler, as the upper
crust" Three or four detectives scat
tered in the place quietly watched all
about them, taking particular notice o.
the prisoners at the bar in order to say
what they knew OF them or to make
their acquaintance.
Jim was introduced and placed at the
bar His VIGOROUSLY bad character
gained for him the distinction OF being
attended by an extra policeman. Be
fore even noticing the magistrate, he
looked around and smiled to a few
friends who were in the court. The first
witness called was the wife of the pris-
oner. Every one looked for her. Jim's
fierce visage turned deadly pale. Three
times the usher called the same name,
but his summons remained unanswered.
Suddenly policeman entered the court
by the public entrance and said few
words to the inspector sitting by the
witness box This official arose and
begged the magistrate to hear the
agent, rs he could explain the woman s
absence.
The policeman was sworn, and, hav-
ing given his number, proceeded to re-
late that, according to his instructions,
he had gone to the lodgings occupied
by the prisoner and his wife to bring
the woman to court He had found no
one on the premises except another
lOdger. q seamstress, who had told N
that Jim's wife had disappeared. He
was Inadvertently going to repeat the
seamstress' conversation, when he was
stopped by the magistrate upon the
plea that hearsay was no evidence. He
only added that the woman was in
court, if his Honor wanted to put any
question to her. The seamstress was
put in the box, and, having kissed the
B BILE, on the conclusion of the perfect
ly unintelligible words of the oath, ir-
reverently mumbled as customary by
the usher, she was invited by the clerk
t. say what had happened in the morn
ing between herself and the prisoner S
wife. She then narrated that early in
the morning jim wife had got up, al
though looking very and har lily able
to stand, and that she mad told her that
she was going away ecaUse she knew
that the police would fetch her, and
take her before the court to depOse
against her husband. She had sub
se4uently gone out, and the witness
had not head of her since. The mag
istrate directed that inquiries should be
made to discover what had become of
her. | was terward examined in my
turn. and I told what l knew of the
events o. the last night.
The next witness called was the pO-
liceman whose energetic interference
had not second too $ on prevented
Jim from killing his wife. This wit
ness did not answer to the call of his
name, but the inspector stood up and
said that on inguiring at the hospital
/ where the man had been conveyed he
had been told that he was deliriOus, and
| besides other bad in uries, suffered from
| a congestion of the brain.
/ The case was, therefore, remanded
/ for another week, in order to permit
the magistrate to hear the constable and
/ the prisoner S wife. But neither on the
+ appointed day nor on the one fixed for
+ a furt er remand were those witnesses
/ in court. Six weeks elapsed before the
4 constable had sufficiently recovered to
come into the court. He was pale and
/ still very siclly-looking. A chair was
given to him.
The magistrate was Just delivering a
! sentence of eighteen months imprisOn-
ment with hard labor on a miserable
and starving looking girl for the steal
rQ
of this sad-loOkin~ object, who on hear
ing her sentence fell into hyster C, Jim
was put at the bar. The magistrate fir
asked if anything had been heard Of the
prisoner wife, and n policeman first
entered the witness box. Having been
sworn, he related that six nights since
the body of n woman had been taken
out Of the Thames, and that it had been
stated at the Coroner inquest that il
was the body of the pri oner's wife.
/ Answering q question of the magistrate,
the witness added that the Coroner S
verdict was accidental death
This wi ness having retired, the con-
/ valescent constable was Examined. His
account of his encounter with Jim was
straightforward and impressive.
The magistrate then asked the prison
or if he had any question to put to the
witness.
NO, replied jim, doggedly.
The magistrate subsequently de
manded of him if he preferred to be
dealt with by him at once or sent to the
Superior Court. jim having selected
to be dealt with at once. the magistrate
asked him if he had any statement tC
make for his defense.
mo" said jim. firmly
Having just heard the magistrate in
fiict eighteen months Imprisonment
with hard labor for the theft of hand.
q kerchief, | was confident that this vii
lain, who had half murdered his wife
and whose long-tried cruelty, as it hap
pens frequently among the poor people
of this country, had kelly deferred the
unfortunate woman from appearing in
court, and might have driven her tC
some rash act of despair, and who. fur
thermore, had seriously injured con
stable, would have been sent to The
assiZes. My establishment, however
grew more intense when, after few
very sensible and firm remarks of the
magistrate, / heard him condemn thu
twice would-be murderer to only sis
months Imprisonment with hard labor
In this country there are strong law
to protect property, and cruelty Il
beasts is deservedly punished; but L
beat and kick ones wife, to disable
policeman, perhaps cripple him for life
is but a slight Ollense.-LoHdon Cor. ~
J.. Sun.
rU.3 Vts- - Qualifications