Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1884-11-26
THE ..COON BELT"
A. Distrket in Indiana, Whore Justice
Was Quserly Administered

The State Library should secure, if
happily it yet exists, the docket of an
early Sharpsville Justice of the Peace,
with its simple entries:
"John Smith VS.. Thomas Jones. I
heard this case and gave Smith judg-
ment for $e,75 and costs, as witness
my hand, -, j. r"
From, the, decision of this Court no
sutton ever took IN appeal; they were
final as those of Rhadamanthus him.
self. The advocacy of counsel learned
in the law was not encouraged by this
primitive Judge. Che general history
of proceedings was much in this wise
The plaintiff went to the Squire, who
heard his story and made distant and
shrewd, though non.professlonal, cross
examination of plaintiff. Often he
would say: +" l shan't hear this case.
There's nothin' right, and you ought
to know it. If you bother. me with 1t
I shall give it again you.' After such
aE,expression of opinion, suit was sci
dom brought. But if the squire
thought there was something rite in
it, he would say: "I'll fix you all
right. You come and take dinner with
| L
get your critter fed. Well try the case
at one o'clock, You can leave at 30,
and get home in time to do your chores
before night" When the day of trial
came the Squire (his name was WILSON,
would hear plaintiffs testimony, and,
addressing the defendant, would say
Maybe you have some kind OF lie
to tell about this, but know you owe
the man, just as he says, and l shall
give judgment agin you, no matter
what you say" He always did give
Judgment in just the manner indicated.
If the defendant suggested his desire to
appeal, the court always remarked that
1t would be more pleasant to 60 into
the back yard and settle the matter,
and If the offer was accepted the
defendants motion for an appeal was
generally overruled in two rounds and
one knock down.
N. w. HALEY, who now holds a
position under the doorkeeper in the
House of Representatives at Washing
ton, yet bears his raven locks
unstreaked by gray, and he remembers
the only case in which he failed to
override a motion of this kind. A
long-haired and still longer. armed
Tennesseean had come into "the settle
ment" (neighborhoods did not appear
until after the war;, and suit was
brought against him to recover 81 20
for work and labor done at his special
instance and request" The Squire
gave judgment for the amount; the
Tennesseean asked for a new trial.
Come out in the back yard and get 1t,
right now" said the Squire. The court
and defendant, accompanied by the
plaintiff, the constable, the defendants
son and crowd of spectators, adjourned
to the yard. In the first round, says
Mr.. HALEY, the gentleman from East
Tennessee simply stood stalk-still and
let the Squire hammer at him. A
sock-dollager on the right ear, that
sounded like the blow of hammer on
a shing)e nail, aroused his attention,
and giving his hat in charge of his
son, he struck the squire blow that
covered his face with richer red than
the rays ofthe setting sun or the stains
of pokeberry juice could impart. The
squire had commenced to dig we'll in
his back yard. The Tennesseean
picked him off the ground, dropped
him into the hole, and, turning to his
son, said: Jake, take tho shovel and
cover HIM up" Hold on, mister"
said the squire, that air judgment is
reversed" From that day the squire
was crushed man. He resigned his
office, and shortly afterwards went to
Kansas. Rude as his decisions were
they were generally correct. He was
a good judge Oh human nature, and, ii
untitled for GuMdities of law, possessed
a clear perception of equity.
1t was rude era that endured until
! the end of the COS in Central Indiana,
bNt it was an honest one. If farmer
II had locked his doors he would be
laughed at. The idea of burglary had
not entered the rustic mind. Clothes
were left banging out at night, grain
was piled lin dOorless cribs; each man
knew his neighbor and trusted him.
We are wonderfully improved since
then. Old Jack McClanahan sat as
years of Indiana, and boosted, with
truth, that no decision given by him
was ever reversed by Superior Court.
On two occasions the old Common
Pleas Court overruled his decisions,
but, appeal being taken, higher, the
Supreme Court in turn reversed the
Judgment of the Common Peas.
One of his last judicial acts was to
discharge prisoner arrested under the
Baxter Bill. Gentlemen" said Jack
to the attorneys who prepared to argue
the case before him, "you might talk
all the afternoon and do no good; my
mind is made up, l have read the