Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-01
AMUSING LEGAL FREAKS.
SINGULAR CASES STRANGELY HAN-
 DLED IN LAW COURTS,

A Woman Considered as Personal Prop
 erty and Valued at Ss.5O-A Horse
 Brought Before the Bar-The Wrong
 Man Told Why He Was There. To a Hooking county court belongs the remarkable distinction of passing upon a woman as personal property. The unique precedent was laid some twenty five or thirty years ago, and before women's rights had progressed as far as they have slnce A citizen of old Hooking married 8 young lady against the energetic pro- test of her father, and set up housekeep- Ing on his own account. It was case of "love in cottage" as matter of fact. During the temporary absence of the unsuspecting bridegroom the wife's father and brothers invaded love's domi- cile and carried her off.
 The despoiled husband repaired to a neighoring justice of the peace in search of law suited to the exigencies of the case. After thorough investigation of Swans Treaties and Cradlebaugh's Con- stable, 1t was unanimously decided by the squire, the constable and the desolate husband that the proper thing to do was to proceed by an action in replevin!
 WOMAN AS PERSONAL PROPERTY. l The papers were accordingly made out and the writ lodged in the hands of the constable, who proceeded at once to exc cute it, and replevined the woman from the custody of her father, who, though exceedingly irate, didn't feel like resist ing the edict of the court. When it came to apprafs1ng the property and fixing the sworn value of woman, the constable was rather perplexed, but the three free holders whom he called in to act as ap- praisers solved the problem in manner at once off hand and business like.
 They sent for her husband, the plain tiff, and ascertained for him that he had expended the following sums of money upon his property" License, 75 cents; justices marriage fee, S2.50; one new dress, s7t cents; one new bonnet, 87t cents. They furthermore decided that the woman was "perishable property" and her value was only to be estimated the value of her labor and services for the month at S4, which they added to the other items, making Se.50.
 In due course of time the trial came of and the plaintiff duly and satisfacto- r,ily proved his ownership by producing his marriage certificate. The defendant could not upset this evidence, and the plaintiff got judgment of restitution and 20 cents damages. His property was then restored to him in due and regular form, and the defendant was solemnly notified that repetition of his offense would be regarded as petty larceny and punished accordingly. The man and his wife are still living happily and con tentedly together.
 But Hooking county cannot lay claim to exclusiveness in "precedents,' Over 1 horse was once restored to its rightful neighbor under writ of habeas corpus issued by justice of the peace. As horse broke into B's pasture, whereupon B put it into bis stable, locked the door and refused to give it up. A secured the services of the cele- brated Shep Tinker as his legel adviser. Shep knew that his client could not give the necessary bail in an action by reple- win, so he decided to bring different sort of an action.
 With this intent he went before a jus tice of the peace ill old Straitsville, and took out writ of habeas corpus and literally brought the horse into court. Lawyer Saunders, most brilliant prac- t1tloner at the Logan bar and long the prosecuting attorney of Hooking county, was called on the other side.
 He didn't know the nature of the case until the constable made his return upon the sWWEy," W{is; exclaimed MT. Saunders. with a look of blank astonishment, "this court can't issue such writ and no court could issue one for a horsev' Shep was more than equal to the emergency.
 "Your honor," he said, Ia wise and just court can do anything that is laid down in the books. The writ of habeas corpus has been recognized as sacred for centuries. To say that this court can't issue 1t is to say that it is ignorant of Magma Charta.''
 "But this court kin issue it." inter- already"
 MT. Saunders saw his mistake and apologized to the court for having doubt ed It's ability to do anything it chose. It is needless to say that the horse was re- stored to its owner.
 WHAT HIS BUSINESS WAS.
 As funny Q thing as ever occurred in 8 court happened at Napoleon, O., in 1889, before Judge Potter and jury. A case was on trial, and an outsider seated himself on one of the puncheons at the Ing no other available seat. When the defendants counsel arose to address the Jury he scanned the face of each very closely, and naturally his gaze was directed to the furthest man from him, who didn't happen to be juror at all. Glar1ng at him, he began:
 Gentlemen of the jury, want to know what this man (referring to the plaintiff in the easel has come into court for7 What is his business? What right has he here? What is he seeking for? Again repeat, gentlemen of the jury, why is he here?'
 The countryman imagined that the question had direct reference to himself, and when the lawyer paused to give due weight and emphasis to the question, he jumped to his feet and howled:
 "What am here for, you cross eyed cock of the walk2 What am I seeking for in this here court? I'll tell you in short order, you weazen faced old son of a gun. I've been here three days a-waitin' fer my fees, and nary a red kin l git. Pay me my witness fees, sir, and I'll git out of here inmegiately." This unexpected oration brought down the house, and the lawyer never finished his able argument.
 John H. Morrison practiced law many years ago at Findlay and all through that section of Ohio, He had some striking poCalliarities which xvere in tha