Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-05-19

ing that Mr.. Boldon, who seemed to
be a respectable solicitor, had been
treated shamefully, and that if he
stood in Mr.. Boldon's place he would
be inclined to let the Great Railway
Company hear of the matter again.
Next day the Marlborough indie
pendent contained a long account of
the incredible and really scandalous
spected members of the legal profess
sion in our town has been subiected:"
and it need hardly be said that, in a
day or two, the course at which the
worthy magistrate had limited was
adopted. Mr.. Boidon brought his &C.
ton against the railway company for
false imprisonment and malicious
prosecution.
AS everybody knows, Westborough
is an assize town, and the case of Boil
don vs.. the Great Railway Company
excited a good deal of public interest.
Everybody wished to know how the
law stood on the question, for every
body had had occasion some time or
other to travel without a ticket.
Mr.. BASTARD, Q. O., was counsel for
plaintiff, and nobiy he performed his
task. He pictured his client, g. mem
Der of an honorable profession, a. gen.
tleman of delicate and sensitive feel
ings, dragged by the ruthless hands of
the police through the crowded streets
on Saturday night, exposed to the
rude gaze of the jeering mob, and shut
up in q cold, lonely cell for the greater
part of two whole days. And all for
what? Because this gentleman had
the courage, the public spirit, to resist
an unreasonable and illegal impost.
1t was the interest of every railway
traveler-he might, therefore, say of
every man, woman and child in the
three kingdoms-that the rights of the
traveller and the liberty of the subject
should be indicated in the person of
his client. "My client doesn't care for
damages, gentlemen" said Mr.. Bus
tard in conclusion. '"That is not his
object in coming here. His object is
to expose an abuse, an illegal abuse,
gentlemen, which has been too long
continued-to clear his own character
of the ignominy which has been cast
upon ito vindicate the sacred prin-
ciple of the liberty OF a free-born En-
glishman.
AS for the question of law, Mr..
Lynx, who was for the railway COM
pany, hardly ventured to rely upon it.
at has been held over and over again, !"
said Justice Portman, "that this by
law is bad and illegal. 1t affects to
infict a fine of arbitrary and varying
amount, where there is no breach of
the criminal law, for here, as in most
such cases, there is no pretense that
there was any attempt to defraud
You will find a verdict for the plaintiff
gentlemen" he added to the jury, with
such damages as you, looking at all
circumstances of the case, may think
will fairly compensate the plaintiff for
the wrong he suffered"
The jury promptly found their YER
dict-damages fifty pounds. The re-
suit was received with some cheering,
which became general when Mr.. Bust
ard announced that his client had
never intended to put the damages in
his own pocket, and that he would
send check for the amount to the
treasurer of the county hospital.
This well-timed generosity settled the
question of Mr.. Boldon's popularity.
The ladies' committee of the hospital
nominated him at once as one of their
male advisers. and his name was put
on the list of life governors. The
amateur dramatic and choral socie-
ties SEND him tickets for their enter
tainments, given for the benefit of
charity. The Westborough Independ-
ent printed in q prominent position
the letter OF the hospital treasurer
gratefully acknowledging Mr.. Boldon's
mUnifcent gift, and added few lauda-
tory words of its own.
Finally, after a pleasant little sup
per in Mr.. Boldon's lodgings, there ap-
peared the following paragraph in that
excellent organ of public opinion:
"We have heard it rumored lately
that g. few of our more prominent
townsmen have been talking of accord.
ing to James Boldon, solicitor, q SUBJ
stantial mark of their appreciation of
his philosophical behavior in late
trial, and of his disinterested conduct
in handing over the fruits of his victory
to one of the most deserving of our
local charities. We have heard it
whispered that w. FL. Bracebridge,
Esq, j. l., who has already publicly
expressed his sympathy with Mr.. Boil
don, and Algernon Tracey, Esq, the
treasurer to the Daleshire County
Hospital, have expressed some inten-
ton of heading the subscription list.
We give this to our readers with all
possible reserve, but we have no hest
tation whatever in saying that such
conduct on the part of the gentleman
we have named would reflect honor
upon themselves, and would not be
wanting in appropriateness, as the
names of both of these gentlemen have
been associated with the public vindi-
cation Of Mr.. Boldon's honor. Our
readers may depend upon our keeping
them acquainted with the progress of
events"
This promise was so faithfully car
ried out and the proposed testimonial
was 80 thoroughly taken for granted
that Mr.. Bracebridge and Mr.. Tracey
found themselves compelled to take
the honorable place which had been
assigned to them. Themark ofesteem