The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1891-07-10

court 10 tell the truth, SO help you
Jesus Amenr 80 h4
Ills marriage ceremony was some
thing like this: John, you love this
woman? Mary, YOU love this man?
Then you are man an wife, and the
cost is two dollars. sf
"His first divorce case came up after
he had been in Office eight years, and
the principals happened to be a couple
he had united in marriage some five
years before. The husband was tho
plaintiff and the wife had engaged
lawyer When the husband told how
his wife had pulled his hair, boxed b.,
ears and then went to candy ppllir,,
with another man Judge benson
promptly declared them put asunter
according To- the law and the Gospel
"'But, your honor, you have no juris-
diction in this case suggested the dc.
PENDANTS attorney.
"'No whatP asked the judge, stern.
ly-no man had ever before dared ques-
ton one of his decisions.
"'You have no authority in this
case. The law does not give justice
of the peace power to grant divorce
"'Didn't marry this coupler
eyes, but
""Then III unmarry 'em, an you are
fined ten dollars for bein' in contemp
Of this court. I'd like to see the law
that gives me the power to splice peo-
pie an then says can't uncouple 'em
when they've got Scriptural proof
"The decision stood and no appeal
was ever taken.
''In the trial of a suit for damages
where the plaintiff claimed to have
been swindled in n horse swap the de-
PENDANT demanded a jury to try the
case and Judge benson had a jury
summoned. 1t was summer and court
was held in the shade of big oak tree
that day because the judges Office was
too small TO hold all the spectators.
When the evidence was all taken the
jury retired to thick clump of bushes
some distance away TO make up their
verdict. At the end Of an hour they
returned and reported that they could
not agree.
"'But you must agree, said the
| Judge, and he sent them back to the Sc
clusion of the bushes. Again they re-
turned without verdict and reported
that eight were for the plaintiff and
four for the defendant.
"'Welb that's verdict. A majority
, always rules in this country and the
Judge entered n verdict for the plaintiff
on his docket.
"Once a negro was on trial before
Judge benson for carrying concealed
weapons. He had a lawyer who wanted
! to prove that the prisoners life had
been threatened, and under such cir
cumstances the law allowed him to
carry weapons. The evidence all in,
the lawyer arose with book in his
| hand and said: May it please your
honor, have here a recent decision of
the supreme court in case similar in
every way TO this one, and the court
ordered the acquittal of the defendant
"'Then III override the supreme
court an fine the defendant fifty dollars
and costs
"Once civil case was tried by Den
son, in which two lawyers were en-
ployed. When the evidence was all in,
the attorneys held a brief consultation
| to decide upon the order in which they
| should speak. AS the first one rose to
address the court, benson cut him short
by saying: Now you fellows just wait
till decide this case an then you can
spout law all day If you want to-
Migrants of all degrees, and every
man charged with a criminal offense
who was not able to pay fine, benson
would sentence To terms of hard labor
on his farm.
when asked once for an explanation
of such unwarranted proceedings, his
reply was that the law allowed him
costs in every case he tried, and, II n
man had no money, how was the court
to get the cost if he didn't work it out?
To this logical opinion there was no
reply, and no one ever interfered with
the judge afterward.
1.-The redeeming features of Judge
Denson's remarkable administration of
justice was that he usually managed to
| get at the truth of case, and never
allowed any legal technicalitie' to in
fiuence his decisions. If man was
guilty he was punished in some way,
! and if innocent he was discharged.
Irue, the judge decided great many
cases over which the laws of the state
gave him no jurisdiction, and in many
ways he violated the letter of the stat
utes, but as his decisions were usually
Just from moral standpoint, they were
allowed To stand.
Several times dissatisfied parties to
civil suits and lawyers called the atten-
ton of the governor or the grand jury
to Denson's method of doing business,
but every investigation resulted in a
| Il. Ainr, fn, tho indna Once he