The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-23
QUEER JUDGE MACKEY.
How He Turned the Tables on Certain South
Carolina TawverS

How He Turned the Tables on Certain South
Carolina Lawyers.
Washington Letter in Philadelphia Record.
Judge Thomas J. Mackey, of South Carolina,
who has been acting as counsel for Gen. Hazen
before the court martial. is very queer fellow.
He is an elderly man, but his hair and mustache
are still jet black, aud his eyes piercing as
ever. He is a man of excellent ability and good
education, with a most remarkable flow of
words He can talk for three hours without
stopping for breath. Senator Morgan. OF Ala
bama, is the only other man in Washington who
can do this Mackey is man of excellent fam
lily, too, aud very proud of It, One of his near
relatives was the late DIR. Marion Sims. of New
York, whose memoirs Judge Mackey is compil-
ing. Unlike most of the Southern Judges the
old gentleman has a right to his title. They
make judges out of all sorts of material South
as well as North. Mackey was very good
judge. by the way. When he was appointed he
applied for and obtained admission to the bar,
out of Difference to the general opinion thas a
Judge ought to be lawyer. But he didn't knew
enough law to hurt him. The lawyers Of his
circuit lit was down in South Cardinal laughed
when his appointment was made, and laughed
when he was admitted to the bar. But / do
not know that they laughed again--at least at
him. The first day that he held court in his
circuit the lawyers regarded him as an object of
curiosity, who would soon be an object of pity.
Court met that morning, as usual, at 10 o'clock.
At half past IL Judge Mackey said: 1.-THE court
r.
the surprised lawyers protested that they had
never heard of such q thing 1t always Gus
tomary to adjourn the court at l or o'clock for
the day. Judge Mackey responded that it was
such practices as these which had thrown the
cases the docket of the circuit court so far in
arrears, and announced his intention of bring
ing them right up. So the court
took an hours recess. At l o'clock
Judge Mackey returned and court
promptly opened Some Of the LAWYERS, used to
- G1uv. I'D Az
ner. AS their cases were reached they were
called, and, no response being made, were put at
the foot of the docket When they came saunter-
ing in an hour or SO afterwards these delinquent
lawyers found that their protests against the
judges action were of no avail. At 5 o'clock
after disposing of many cases, Judge Mackey
astonished them all by announcing: The court
will take recess until o'clock this evening
when business will be resumed" But, your
Honor " protested the lawyers, I'VE have been
in Mackey; working harder than any of YOU
Court meets at 2 o'clock" And it did. The
cases of those lawyers who were not present
were placed at the foot of the docket. Court
sat that night until IL o'clock. Then
Judge Mackey said ''lhis court stands
adjourned until tomorrow morning at o'clock {"
The lawyers were too sleepy to protest. Besides
they knew it would be Of no use The next day
Judge Mackey heard arguments from until
half past IL from to and from to III o'clock.
The next day the same. and on for several
weeks, until he had caught up with the arrears
He decided the cases as he went along, always
determining in favor of the side which seemed to
his sensible mind most worthy. The brief Of
counsel for that side formed the basis OF the
Judges opinion. At the end of tho term the
docket was clear. the people were delighted, but
the lawyers were furious. The lawyers said
that the decisions of Judge Mackey would be re-
versed by the Court of Appeals matter of
course. But they were not. He had fewer re-
versas than any other circuit judge. His career
the bench was most creditable. 1t goes to
show what a sensible business like layman can
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