The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-06-14
UNBIASED JUSTICE.
The Session Ended, His Honor Re
tires From Court.

tires From Court.
From the Stockton Herald.
"When / was practising down at
Tombstone" said the lawyer, "a friend
of mine had Lis ear chewed of one
evening in dispute with prominent
citizen who dealt faro. After seeing the
doctor he came to me, and under my.
advice he had the prominent citizen at
rested on charge of mayhem. Next
day we had the man up for his prelim-
mary examination. My friend was there
with his head bandaged;, and SO were
the prominent citizen end his counsel;
The general public-and its . pretty
tough general public in, Tombstone
crowded the room: The hour went by;
but the justice didn't turn up. The con-
stable went out to look for: him, but
couldn't find him in any Of the saloons.
We secuted round for half an hour, but
nary sign Of the court turned UP. FL
nally, General 0'Brien; the leader of
the Tombstone bar, stuck his head up
through trap-doot in the floor and said
in q solemn way:
Gentlemen. remove your hats: His
honor is here" And he dragged the
court up by the collar. He was timber
drunk and had been sleeping it of in
the cellar. You never saw such long
adjournment from decency as that orna-
men: from the bench was. He was COW
cred with dirt; and even bis hair and
beard Nere chock full OF saw-dust.
6ssss ;si j to fs%snD 81 BIZ
cheekbone. We had to hold his honor
0or,h 90 cd
nearest barber shop. A bath and >
shampoo brought back some life to him
and he was able to walk without help to
the court room. Once in the chair be-
hind bis high desk he looked all right
and he went on with the case. We had
taken the testimony of three witnesses
to the row and subsequent chewing of
nv friends ear in the Excelsior faro
parlors, when Gen. O'Brien and Col.
Stephens, both on the other side, jump
ed up and objected to one ofmy ques-
tons. 1t was law point, and we ar:
gued and quoted authorities for about
half an hour. It was pretty hot set
out and we were all on our feet when
we finished and turned round to the
court for ruling. He was looking
straight before him up above US as If he
was sleeping with bis eyes open.
1Oul 6dAu t0O $CAAVA0AS oAGOA
long pause, we are waiting for your
ruling
"There was no answer. Then I chip
ped in with:
"sYour honor, will you be good
enough to give us your rulingT
"'What that" he said, trying to bring
his eyes to bear upon me.
"We want your ruling"
"Court's ajourned," he said; trying to
rise:
We all protested, buthis only answer
was to strike his desk with his fist and
cry out again that the court adjourned.
won't you fix the bail Of this defend
anti" demanded the general.
"Now, shir,," said the court, who had
got on his feet by this time and was
frowning heavily. Turn i'm louise. He'd
oughter chawed the head of that ten
derfoot, that's what he oughter done"
"Well, gentlemen, what do you think
the court did next? He just deliberately
staggered over to the trap door, lifted it
ste pied down the stairs until only his
head and shoulders were above the floor
and then pausing to glare at the paraly-
zed crowd of us growled out:
"Yeh can all go to-"
with that he ducked and let the door
fall, and I suppose he had his sleep out
on the dirty floor of the cellar"