Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-11
ILLINOIS JUSTICE.
An Old-Timo Judge Who Regarded Hang
 ing v Serious Matter.

An Old-Time Judge Who Regarded HnnR-
 ing as Serious Matter.
 The judiciary of Illinois has always been. held In high esteem, says the author Of "Forty Years Tn Illinois Politics." Nowhere is it's history marred with the charge of corruption, and this has given it the uni versal respect and confidence of the people great many anecdotes are related regard. ing the early courts, but the following from "Ford's History' will serve to amuse the reader and at the same tune show the wide contrast between the practice of the courts then and now:
 ssThe judges in early times in Illinos were gentlemen of considerable learning
 In general, they were adverse to deciding questions of law. They never gave in structions to a jury unless expressly called
 for, and then only on the points of law
 raised by counsel asking for them. l knew
 ono judge who, when asked for instruc
 tions, would rub his head and the side ot
 his face with his hand, as if perplexed, and
 say to the lawyers: Why, gentlemen, the
 jury understand the case; they need no in.
 structions; no doubt they will do justice be- tween the parties.' This same judge pre- sided at court in which man named Green was convicted of murder, and it be- came his unpleasant duty to pronounce sen. tence of death upon him. He called the prisoner before him and said to him: MT. Green, the jury in their verdict say you are
 guilty of murder, and the law says you arc to be hung. Now, want you and all your friends down on Indian creek to know that 1t Is not who condemns you, but it is the jury and the law. MT. Green, the law al
 lows you time for preparation, and so the court wants to know what time you would like to be hung2' To this the prisoner re- piled: May it please the court, am ready at any time; those who kill the body have no power to kill the soul; my preparation is made and lam ready to suffer at any time 1 the court may appoint The judge then said: MT. Green, you must know that it is | a very serious matter to be hung; it can not happen to man more than once in his l life, and you had better take all the time you can get; the court will give you until ! this day four weeks. Mr. Clerk, look at the almanac and sec whether this day four weeks comes on Sunday The clerk looked l at the almanac as directed, and reported l that that day four weeks came on Thursday. | Tho Judge then said: MT. Green, the court gives you until this day four weeks, at 1 which time you are to be hung.' The case
 was prosecuted by James Turney. the At | torney-General ot the State, who here in- 1 terposed and said: May it please the court, l on solemn occasions like the present, when 1 the life of a human being is to be sentenced
 away for crime by an earthly tribunal, it is 1 usual and proper for courts to pronounce a | formal sentence, in which the leading feat, l ures of the crime shall be brought to the recollection of the prisoner, a sense of his l guilt impressed upon his conscience, and l In which tho prisoner should be duly ex-
 horted to repentance and warned against
 the judgment in the world to come.' To
 this the judge replied: o, Mir. Turney, MT.
 Green understands the whole matter =
 well as if Ihad preached to him month,
 He knows he has got to be hung this day
 four weeks. You understand it in that way,
 Mir. Green, do you notr 'Yes,' said the pris-
 oner, upon which the judge ordered hlm to
 be remanded to jail, and tho court then ad 1 iourned.I