Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-07-25
QUAKER CITY LAW.
Rough and Ready Decisions by Magis.
trate Bob Smith of PhiIa.
delphia.

"She has right to sass her husband"
"A man who has lived for six years with
a woman who has a tongue like bell clap
per has had full share of punishment"
The Solomon who utters these decisions,
which have smatteriDg of common sense
if not of law, is big bluff Magistrate Bob
Smith, says the Philadelphia Record. His
correct name is Robert r. Smith, but he is
addressed by his full name only by utter
strangers. From one end of the city 10 the
other he is known as Bob"
No magistrate is so we'll known in Phila-
delphia, and the fame of his decisions and
judicial utterances has been carried to dis
tant States. The magistrate is OF sturdy
frame, with ruddy face and bright eyes.
and he speaks in sharp, off hand way
that carries terror to the evil doer.
The especial antipathy of the judge is
wife beater or husband who has in other
ways been remiss in his marital relations.
HIS language to such offenders is severe.
"YOu big, hrlkiDg brute" !" he said to one of
these creatures while ago; Its a pity
the whipping post was ever abolished.
Fellows like you ought to he tied up and
lashed"
The justice is an ardent advocate of the
restoration of the whipping post for certain
offenses committed by men, and it has been
said that he also favors a return of the
ducking- stool as a method of punishment
for women of unruly tongues. He looks
upon q common scold as being almost as
bad as q wife-beater.
Now shut up and get out of here, all of
you ~ he has sometimes to say when lot
OF wrangling women get to squabbling and
bandying words in the sacred precinct of
his court. "I've heard all l want FROM you
Skip now or I'll put you all under BAIL"
But the most recent decision of the
magistrate have won for him the undying
love of wOmanhood. He has decided that
it is wOman's right to 'sass" her husband.
The occasion of this queer decision arose
from suit brought by an up town woman
against her husband.
He beat me until was black and blue,"
the woman testified
What did you do that for, you brute p
said the justice.
"She sassed me-" replied the husband.
well, a woman has right to sass her
husband" retorted Justice Smith. Find
$1,000 bail, Madame, you 60 home and
leave this fellow to me-"
L NC luA udu sCdlCCly uIlcu ouC ucClS-
ion in this case when another attracted the
attention of the justice. A woman with
rather lively tongue appeared against a
man she called her husband. The fellow
was about as meek as Moses and about
twenty five years older than the woman.
She started off with her story at 18O-
words a-minute gait.
Hold on" cried the magistrate.
He's beast" said the woman.
How long have you been married to
that tongue?" asked the justice.
six years." replied his meekness in the
dock.
You've been punished enough. Open
the gate and let him Co." said Smith.
Beginning life as q machlnist, Judge
Smith in these later years has turned his
attention to agriculture, and is famous as a
gentleman farmer at North Wales on the
North Penn railroad. He carries into
farming the same direct methods that have
distinguished him as justice, and some
times uses his knowledge of farming with
great effect in his court.
$50 you are farm hand, are you ?" he
has been known to cay to some unfortunate
brought before him at Fifth and Chestnut
streets, and who has given that as his occu.
patton. We'll, now, how would you irri-
gate field of ruta bagas?"
This generally had the effect of breaking
up the supposed farm hand, and the judge
smiles triumphantly to Clerk Moffett at his
Of such deception.