Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-06-05
AN AGREEABLE DECISION.
Excitement Over an Attempt to Defca
L


Justice in Eorsehead County.
The people al IIor>chead County are
very much exercised over Il recent at.
tempt to defeat justice in that part OF
the country. \ Young fellow named
Sparc;ib> was arrested for stealing u
pair OF honIc-Mrt socks. and WIS ar
raigncd before Justice Swash. II iuri>t
in whom The entire community imposes
great faith. Ih,' blacksmith shop.
where the runr: USUALLY meets. WIS
crowded with mules on tie day set for
! the trial; 50. in order that the spank
( in~ hand of Justice might not be kept
from -, work. Judge Swash proposed
that tie trial should take place in an
! adjoining lot. The Judge took his
seat o.. the fence and Spareribs climbed
up or a stump.
''P;'-,'rr at the bar"
al p,rron the stump, your honor"
! su~g' Il 4 lawyer.
~ / fact Prisoner on the
stump. come up to the rack and
plead
The prisoner '.chawcd" his tobacco,
but remained silent.
Don't YOU hear me. sir?"
The prisoner continued to .'chaw."
Look here. prisoner on the stump.
if You don't pay attention to me,
! blamed if don't call the dogs and set
EN- on you. Are you guilty or not
guilty?"
Il stole the socks. Jedge, if that's
what YOU re driyin' at"
''Ihat'S what we are drivin' at, an
that 5 what we want to find out. but
you are such a liar. prisoner on the
stump, that | don't know whether or
not to believe YOU. Well, | never saw Il
man what couldn't tell the truth some
times. and believe I'll take your word
| for it.
wall, Judge, to tell the truth,
didn't steal EN-"
''PriSoner on the stump. now | know
you did. The witness says that I'M
mediately after you went through the
yard. the socks was missing of the
line"
wall, Jcdge. you passed along thar
about the same time. an gentlemen Of
| the jury" continued the prisoner, II
move that we >arch the Squire"
I'm in for that said one of the
jurymen. for although | know the
Judge to be honest in community
where everything is too heavy to lift.
but no longer ago than yesterday
heard him say that he would like to
have pair of old-fashioned. home
knit socks. Suppose we sarch him,
| fellers?"
The Judge leaped from the fence and
attempted to run away, but Il fleet
footed man who for years had been in
| the habit of running from the grand
jury, caught him. The socks were
found in his coat-tail pocket.
Il didn't steal en- he declared,
when he had been brought back to the
lot and arraigned against the fence.
'SpareribS put EN- in my pocket"
Then what made you run?' asked
| Sparcribs.
"Becau>e didn't know that ! had
the socks till YOU fellcrs began to talk
about sarchin' me, then, feelin' round
! found EN-. knowcd then that l
didn't have no time to lose"
I'll be the Jedge." said Spareribs,
seating himself on the stump. Put
the thief on the stump. MIR. Constable.
I'll show YOU how can administer
Justice"
Boys" said the Judge, when he
had been lifted up and damned down
on the stump. IL did steal thcrn socks.
but | didn't mean to. They was
hangin' SO low that couldn't help it.
| Now. let me make notion"
''You made one just now and come
mighty nigh gittin' away" said Spare
ribs.
Hold on, Sparcv, let me talk" said
the Justice. Il move that we fling the
thing outcn court so fur rs il relates to
us. that we fine the owner of the socks
ten dollars for hangin' EN- so low that
good citizens be tempted. airter which
we'll all 20 to my house an get snort
of fust-clasS brandy. What do you
say?' The motion was unanimously
carried. Several days afterwards, the
Circuit Judge, hearing of the affair,
attempted to set aside the verdict.
hence the excitement concerning the
attempt to defeat justice. Arkdnsay
! Irdrcicr.