The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-04-10
COURT DAY IN FIFE
legal Tribunals in Which the jews Harp
Plays an Important Part.

legal Tribunals In Which the jews HAIRS
Plays an Important Part.
The gala dresses are not little start.
ling. Here is dignifed old gentleman
arrayed in a secondhand tunio of a ma
rine, in much the same plight as to but.
tons as it's owner as to teeth; near him
stands fine young village policeman,
whose official gravity is not enhanced
by the swallow-taned coat of a niger
minstrel; while the background is taken
up by bevy of village maidens clad in
gorgeous velvet pinafores, who are gig
Cling after the manner of their white sis
ters until they are fixed by the stern
gray eye of the chief policeman,
which turns their expression into
one of that preternatural solemni-
ty they wear in church. The
court house, native building carpeted
with mats, is now packed with natives,
sitting cross-legged, only a small place
being reserved in front of the table for
! the accused and witnesses. The magis-
trate takes his seat and his scribe, sit
ting on the floor at his side, prepares his
writing materials to record the sem
fences. The dignity with which the old
gentleman adjusts his shirt collar and
clears his throat is little marred when
he produces from his bosom what should
have been a pair of pince-nez, seeing
that it was secured by string round his
neck, but is in fact jews-harp. With
the soft notes of this instrument the
man of law is won't to beguile the tedium
of dull case. But although the spec
tacle of Lord Coleridge gravely per-
forming nthe jew's-harp in court would
at least excite surprise in England, it
provokes no smile here. The first case is
called on. Reiterated calls for Samuela
and Timothe produce two meek-faced-
youths of eighteen and nineteen, who sit
ting tailor-fashion before the table, are
charged with fowl stealing. They plead
mot guilty, and the owner Of the fowls
being sworn deposes that, having been
awakened at night by the voice of a
taYor1te hen in angry remonstrance, he
ran out of his house. and after hot chase
captured the accused red-handed in two
senses, for they were plucking his hen
while still alive. Quite unmoved by this
tale, Vatureba seems to listen only to
the melancholy notes of his jew's-harp;
but the witness is chief and man of
influence withal, and period of awed
silence follows his accusation, broken
only by subdued twanging from the
bench. But Vatureba's eyes are bright
and piercing, and they have been fixed
for some minutes on the wretched prison
ers. He has not yet opened his lips
during the case, and as the jews-harp
is not capable of much expression
1t is with some interest we await the
sentence. Suddenly the music ceases,
the instrument is withdrawn from the
mouth, the oracle is about to speak.
Alasi he utters but two words, ''Vula
tolu," three months), and there peals
out Indignantly triumphant strain
from the jew's-harp. But the prosecutor
starts up with protest. One of the ac-
cused is his nephew, he explains, and he
only wished light sentence to be inn
posed. Three months for one fowl is so
severe; besides, if he has three months
he must go to the central jail and not
work out his sentence in his own dis
trict. Again there is silence, and the
jew's-harp has changed from triumph
into thoughtful melancholy. At length
it is withdrawn, and the oracle speaks
again: "Bogi tolu," (three days.)-
Cornhill MaCaZine