The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-07
JUSTICE WITHOUT LAW
A Judge IN Tucson Who Sent All Offend
ers to- the Rock PHI.

crs To- the Rock iii.
Capt. Bourke. of the army, is an in
tcresting story teller, and possesses q
rich fund of reminiscence and anec-
dote.
Twenty years ago." said the cap
tain, IL was in Tucson. No place was
ever worse governed. Outlaws abound
cd and they did about as they pleased.
Finally the good citizens Of the place
merchants and men of property
determined to bring about reform,
and the way they decided to do 1t was
10 elect "a Judge who would deal hon
c,tly with the scalawags who were
running the town and cOrrupting the
courts. So they chose a man named
Charlie Meyers TO be judge. Char
lie was a druggist, who knew moth
ing about law. but he was perfectly
honest, and that was the only qualiii-
cation the citizens desired. Accord
ingly, Charlie set up law dispensary
in the same building with his drug
shop. and dealt out justice and patent
medicines with equal grace. In hls court
he established a library Of calf bound
books. consisting chiefly Of the Mate
ria Mcdca and Somebody on Fractured
Bones lie engaged as an officer OF
the court a man who was afraid Of
nothing or nobody old Jimmy
Douglas, who carried in his leg bull
let that he had picked up at Gettys-
burg. and who walked with some diff
nculty and with a peculiar though
not graceful limp The first thing that
Charlie did was TO establish chain
lalg and sentence 10 various terms
In It's service every offender that was
brought before him. Inc shyster law
ycfs who had run the town be-
lore Charles incumbency protested
against this as a violation OF the con-
sulalipu 81 the United States, but they
.ro.-...l iu silence. IN fact the pro
let Fai useless. The process Of the
i.l-e was rather summary, but the
result was very gratifying to the good
citizens of Tucson Tie wild, rough
chara tcfs who had ruled the town
were LOW engaged in cleaning the
streets. and Tucson was seeing an era
of prosperity HAT it had not known
since its foundation But if the bust
ness men were pleased, the lawyers
were propouionately disguised The
court refused To recognize them and
their business was gone. Ono day,
however one OF them pluckod up
spirit enough to go before the court IN
behalf Of his client and demanded a
trial by jury The court was about
TO sentence the prisoner to a term IN
tic chain gang. when the lawyer in
tcrp0sad a demurrer. My client, he
said, objects to being tried by TINS
court, on the ground OF prejudice, and
demands TO be tried by jury
"'By shuiy, said Charlie. what
is dot shuryf
he demands, said the lawyer, TO
be tried by his peers.
"'Oh. he docs, does hef said Char
lie. Well l sondcnce him to two
weeks in the shain gang and sem
donce YOU t. one week. Now how you
like dot trial by sluryf and into the
chain gang the lawyer went and there
he stayed until his term was up
zone day man named Wolf was
brought before the court for cheating
some Indians out of 50. He was an
INSCRIPTIONS man but a shrewd one
and ho know all the tricks of the
law. Charlie felt that in his case the
Matcria Mcdica was not sufficient au
thority and so he adjourned the court
TO get an opportunity to consult some
books on the law or 10 obtain advice
from somebody with u knowledge Of
IT, As he declared the case postponed
and Tie court adjourned, however he
turned 90 the prisoncrand said. Wolf,
it IS de unanimous opinion of dis com
munity dot you are Il -- ticf and this
court comedies fully in dot opinion
Wolf lost color and raising his fist
he said: Judge. | don't let any one
speak 10 me in that way
" Dis court fines YOU so for rails
ing your fist against it. said Charlie,
and you stands committed to dc shain
gang until it is paid.
"Wolf knew that there was no re
course and he reluctantly paid the
$40. The judge glayely took it and
after dividing s. between himself and
Jimmy Douglas, he gave IS TO the
Indians And 20 tins day. in the an
mails Of that Indian tribe. Charlie |
Meyers IS the most righteous Judge !
that ever held court, for did they not
sue Tor 50 before him and recover $5T
Washington Teleeaam.