The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1889-12-26
WESTERN JUSTICE
Rough and Ready Methods Giving Way
to Eastern Formally.
"reminiscences Of the sway OG the
blind GOddeus In Early Days.
Some Good Anecdotes.

New York Tribune: Several lawyers
were chatting over 4 bottle Of wine In an
uptown restaurant the other night, and
as one Of them had spent some years Of
his younger days in Nevada, the conver-
sation naturally drifted into the reminis.
cent channel. 81 suppose your judges
out west are a different class Of men from
what they used to be years ago when the
country was more uncivilised," said one.
II remember once we bad great difficulty
In securing jury in a newly laid out
town in Nevada. Nobody seemed willing
to serve that counsel on one side or other
bad not serious objections 10. Finally
desirable looking stranger was called.
"'Your honor said he, 4 am not
qualified to serve. lam not a fresholder.'
"'Where do you liver said the judge.
"'In my tent on Washington boule-
vard,' was the reply.
"'Marriedr
"rNo.'
Living all aloner
"'Yes.'
"'For how longl'
"'Six weeks
"'You'll do said the Judge decisively,
I never knew q tenderfoot yet to keep
bachelors hall In q tent for six weeks but
be had accumulated enough dirt to be q
freeholder.' So the man served"
''That's pretty fair sample" said the
westerner, "of the rough-and-ready style
Of the Olden-time justice, and 1t has not
all died out yet by any means. Not long
ago q miner, who had experienced all
kinds Of fortune, from the hardest up,
struck il very rich In his old age, married
young wife and started on prolonged
spree which ended in his death. A will
executed q few hours before he died left
all his property 10 his wife. His relatives
in the east began suit on the ground that
the testator was out Of his mind when he
made the will. The case came up before
q judge who Is known as . good liver
and q gallant man. Certainly some re-
markable freaks were proved to have
been performed by the old miner In the
last few days Of his life and the widow
was put on the stand.
"'What were your husbands last
words ?" said her counsel.
"T'd rather not tell said she, blush
ing prettily and hesitating.
"'Why notr said her counsel. You
must tell. The judge will think you are
afraid it will damage your case.'
"still blushing the pretty widow de-
clined to tell. Finally the judge himself
argued with her and told her that Il she
persisted in refusing Il would 20 far to-
ward confirming his suspicious that the
man was insane.
"'Well,' said the widow, reluctantly,
he said "Kiss me, Puss, and open
another bottle Of champagne
"'sensibls to the last blurted out the
Judge. And 30 he decided and would
hear no more evidence"
'The most severe rebuke ever got
from the bench" said the first speaker,
twas from one Of those typical western
judges who had determined that Ii was
time to introduce q little more Of the
iormality Of the east In his court than he
had formally insisted. It was my first
case in court anyway. l had gone out
there about Is green as they make them,
and had purchased q half interest in the
practice Of q sharp lawyer, WHO immed-
iately retired from practice In that town
and made me q present Of the remainder
Of his business, when he felt my money
safe in his pocket. So I was thrown on
my own resources and was foundering
90 deep in legal quagmires that the judge
felt called upon 10 to interpose. A few
months before he would probably have
poured out some choice abuse on my
head, and would have offered to fight me
n did not Ike Il. But now he was
standing on foFmality.
"'Young man. be said, impressively,
the best thing you can do for yourself
and for your client would be to hire .
lawyer Idid Co."
THAT reminds me, }" said the other, "of
. rebuke administered by one Of our old
justices to fly young lawyer who came
out there from the east with determine
tiion to show everybody Just how things
should be done, He was well connected