Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-05-03
COURT DAY IN FIFE.
legal Tribunals In which the Jews Har,
Plays an Important Part.

legal Tribunals In which the Jews Harp
Plays an Important Part.
The gala dresses are not little start.
ing Here is digniiied old gentleman
lrrayed In secondhand tunic of ma.
zine. In much the same plight as to but
tons as its owner as TO teeth; near hin
stands a fine young village policeman
whose official gravity is not enhanced
oy the swallow-tailed coat OF niggei
minstrel; while the background is taken
ap by bevy of village maidens clad IL
gorgeous velvet pinafores. who are gig
Ring after the manner Of their white sis
oers until they are hxed by the sterI
fray eye uf the chief policeman
which turns their expression Int
me Of that preternatural solemni
" they wear In church. Tn,
'onrt house, a native building carpetef
with mats. IA now packed with natives
sitting cross-legged. only a small plac,
being reserved in front of the table foi
the accused and witnesses. The magis
trate takes his seat. and his scribe. sit
ing ON the foor at his side, prepares hi
sriting materials to record the sen
tences. The dignity with which the old
gentleman adjusts his shirt collar and
,lears his throat is little married whef
he produces from his bosom what shoult
aave been a pair Of pince-ncz, seeing
that IL was secured by string round hi
neck, but is in fact jews-harp. Will
the soft notes Of this instrument tn,
nan OF lh~ IL wont Ia heguile the tediun
II a dull case. but. although the spec
.acle Of Lord Coleridge gravely per.
forming ON the iew,s-harp In court woult
Al least excite surprise In England. 4
provokes no smile here. The first case Il
iallcd ON. Reiterated calls for Samueli
and Timothe produce two meek -facet
Youths of eighteen and nineteen. who sii
ting tailor-fashion before the table. ar,
charged with fowl stealing. They plea,
mot guilty" and the owner OF the fowl
being sworn deposes that, having beer
awakened at night by the voice of
favorite hen in angry remonstrancc. h,
ran ont OF his house. and after hot chas
captured the accused red-handed in tw
senses. for they were plucking his he
while still alive. Quite unmoved by thi
tale, Natureba seems Ia listen only I
hut the witness Is a chief and q man O
influence withal, and a period of awe
silence follows his accusation. broke
only by subdued twanging from tn
bench. But Natureba's eyes are brigh
and pierccing, and they have been fixe
for some minutes on the wretched prison
ers. He has not yet opened his lip
during the ease. and as the Jew s-har
- not capable Of much expressio
IL is with some interest we await th
sentence. Suddenly the music cease,
the instrument is withdrawn from th
mouth the oracle is about TO speal
Alas he utters but two words. "Vul
talu, three monthsi and there peal
ont Indignantly triumphant strai
from the iew's-harp. hut the prosecute
starts mp with "A protest. One of the a,
cnsed Is his nephew, he explains. and h
only wished light sentence TO he in
posed. Three months for one fowl il
severe; besides, il he has three month
he must 70 Ia the central Jail and n,
work out his sentence in his own di
trict Again there is silence. and ii
iew's-harp has changed from trump
into thoughtful melancholy. At lengl
ii is Withdrawn. and the oracle speal
again: Bogi tolu," three days. J
Eornhill Mapazine