San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-23

Ethel, Then, when the colonel turned to
speak for a moment with the driver, she
put her hand in Elliott's and whispered,
81 know you will win, and just think, IL
you do'-
81 hope So" whispered the other; but
just think, if don't"-
The room where the famous Judge Alb
ner Peck held court, in and for the town
ship of Yoakum, was over "the Storen--a
small hall, lighted by several curtainless
windows which stared through the grimy
white walls. The floor was bare; there
were plenty of benches for spectators, and
few chairs. The lawyers had a long pine
table, the edges of its top serrated with
many ancient WRITINGS by jackknives.
The court occupied an exalted position on
h broad platform at one end of the room.
Above the judges chair and desk there
hung a canopy of thick red damask, vio-
lently suggestive in shape and general APP
pearance of pair of old fashioned window
curtains. A part of this drapery weighted
with dust and cobwebs, had pulled loose
from its moorings above, and hung down
over the judges seat, so that, as he moved
about, the frayed edge not infrequently
tickled his bald crown.
At few minutes before 10 o'clock the
eyes of the hundred spectators that crowd
ed the courtroom turned toward this plat
form to behold the eminent jurist Abner
Peck formally take his place upon the
bench. He assembled the steps with slow
and dignified gait, sank back in the big
armchair and leaned his head against his
hand. AS he gazed benignlyinto the faces
of his assembled friends and neighbors he
seemed to them the very personification of
a sense of justice.
One half of the lawyers table was taken
up by Judge Bellows, who represented the
plaintiff. On his right hand were Deacon
Hobley and his wife. The law books of
Mr.. Ralph Elliott were spread out over the
remaining half of the table. After brief
wrangle with her father, in which she, as
usual, came out victorious, Miss Ethel had
accompanied Mr.. Elliott into the court
room and now occupied seat at his side.
The colonel sat behind, and with him was
Peter Martin, the unlucky coachman who
was accused of responsibility for the smash
ing of the deacon's cart.
1.-The judge is looking at u.s." whispered
Miss Dutton; did you ever see such
funny woolly hair in all your life?"
"Never mind his hail" answered Elliott;
''what l want to know is how to get at
him. If you could only catch his eye and
smile sweetly on him"-
tell me when it is the right time for
him to decide our way and I'll do it, said
the young lady.
''There is no use in having a jury, you
understand" said the colonel, leaning for
ward. THE old mandarin will sit there
vol oil hnt hnir Of
must be-"
well, we will make the best defense
that we can, and throw ourselves on the
mercy of the court"
"Small mercy it will be-" growled the
colonel; "he has it in for me-they all
have. | suppose must pay the two hun
dred and fifty dollars and costs, as prayed
for. And the cart wasn't worth the fifty
that offered as compromise"
The case opened with Deacon Hobley on
the witness stand. He told how he had
left his cart hitched in the road and how
the runaway colt and blackboard had
smashed it into shoe pegs.
"Did you see all this YOURSELF" inquired
Mr.. Elliott.
mo; wasn't there" answered the wit
ness; 'but my da'ter, she told me about it."
81 move that that testimony be all
stricken out" said Elliott.
Look here, young man." said the dea-
con, eff you mean to 'sinuate that my
da'ter'-
"Deaconp' cried the court reprovingly,
and the plaintiff was silenced. Then, turn
ing toward Elliott, the judge said, with
very distinct emphasis:
"That motion amt passed"
The young attorney, who had risen to
his feet, gave gulp of establishment,
looked about him for moment as il. to
take his bearings anew, and then resumed
his chair
The deacon continued his testimony.
He had come now to the matter of the
value of the cart, which he placed at the
modest sum of $3.50 When called upon to
give reason for putting it at this figure
he stated that Ike Convers had said it was
worth it.
eve object" cried Elliott, starting up
again; ''if the plaintiff wants to introduce
the testimony of Ike Convers as an expert
on carts why does he not subpoena him"
There was sudden and awful hush in
the courtroom. The judge turned slowly
around in his chair and leaned forward
across his desk toward Elliott, saying:
Because he is dead"
"Well, we object to such testimony as
this" continued Elliott, with reckless
ness that caused some of his hearers to
fairly hold their BREATH; sit is incom.
petent and immaterial."
like Convers Incompetent exclaimed
the deacon. "Why, young man, he was
the best wagon maker
Deacon, " interrupted the judge, ''let me
answer this objection" Then he contin-
ued in solemn judicial tones: This court
knew Ike Convers well. and it holds that