The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-16

certainly do not appear TO take much IN
terest in her.
/ Another woman, name unknown, fancies
/ that decision "a as rendered against her
some years ago in Judge Moore's court, which
was instrumental in taking her property
away from her. Her aim is to have the de-
cision set aside. Very often she will sit for
! hours in the court room, waiting for an OPP
/ portunity to talk with the judge. She also
imagines that many persons are Illegally
COL mitted to the penitentiary, and that
Providence has constituted her a special
agent to secure their release. The strangest
thing about her, outside Of her mental pecu-
liarity, is Ter dress which is Of green color
and not made according TO any standard
mode. She bustles into the Office adjoining
the court room, gives the usual morning
salutatlon. and inquiries If that decision has
been reversed.
mo, no." answers the clerk, mot yet,
madam"
TOO bad, A" she retorts. "Well. want a
warrant for the release of -" and she
mentions fictitious name. Her request
not being complied with she departs in
quest of Judge Tighe. The clerks in his
court know the woman well, as she has
been there many and many time.
couple of years ago Mrs. Schmidt
made daily rounds of the courts in search Of
Der husband. She was a German woman,
aud 1t happened that one Of the inter
prefers had a name which sounded exactly
like he's even if it wasn't spelled the same.
Mrs. Schmidt believed that her hayward
helpmeet was hiding in some Of the temples
Of justice. This hallucipation was the
handspring Of her highly eccentric conduct,
which consisted in visiting every court
room and calling out in her own euphonious
voice:
"Ish mine hoosband. John Schmidt, in
here"
Heads were instantly turned in the direc-
ton whence the voice came, the doing
doorman would start up and no little con-
fusion ensue. The deserted wife never
deemed 1t Of sufficient importance TO wait
for the answer, but would continue down
the corridor until she came to the next
court. The interpreter had a visit from the
lady every twenty-four hours A man of
tender feelings, he never told her that her
oft repeated question was displeasing to
him. His usual answer was that Mr..
Schmidt's spirit might be lowering around
the building, but to the best of his knowl-
edge he was not there in the flesh. All
things have an ending After a spell the
novelty OF Mrs. Schmidts remarkable be-
havior wore off and in due season she COM
pletely disappeared-so completely, in fact,
that not one solitary person can be found
who is able to tell what ultimately became
Of her.
"Cranks are like other human beings"
said Court Officer Dillon after tapping his
mental storehouse for the facts relating to
Mrs Schmidt; ''now you see them, now you
don't see them. know for a certainty that
there has been a large falling off in their
number within these last few years" But
women are not the only ones who thus
wander around. They have emulators in
the male monomaniscs who, as regards
numerical strength, come out ahead, What
can be more ludicrous than the spectacle
presented every now and then in the surro-
gste's court, where man with no earthly
business there at all, except that which
grows out II his disordered imagination,
stands upon his legs for one whole hour,
holding his silk hat in his hand and waiting
or legacy of ST 200. At such time he is
as DUMB rs the statue OF Minerva.
Some days subsequent to the death Of the
late excise commissioner. Mr.. Cunningham,
the man called on Mr.. Voorhees, and said
that the former mad promised to leave him
81 900 in his will. He added that be was
relative of Mr.. Cunningham. But the
testator devised all his property to his
widow, Yet the visitor wants the money.
Every lew weeks he appears and asks if he
will ever get that legacy He is man of
about 45, with q ministerial air. Indeed,
he would easily pass for a clergyman. AS
he enters the Office he takes rapid survey
OF things, puts his stereotyped question to
Mr.. Voorhees,, and then, with de-
liberate step walks over to a corner, relieves
his head Of his stovepipe hat, places it in
his right hand, and strikes AL ungraceful
attitude AS no one sees fit to disturb him
he Is at liberty to stick TO his post as long as
he pleases. All sorts Of cranks visit the
surrogate 20 examine the records of wills,
with the object of ascertaining if there are
| any requests for them. OF course they go
away disappointed to return later on. Mr.
Tierney, who has charge Of these records,
| declined 10 let one of the cranks consult
them any more, and now he has recourse to
different tactics
Anything for meg' he asks Mr.. Voor-
hees
mot q thing is the sententious rejoiner.
| But be goes and back he comes q month,
| perhaps a week, hence.
The employees of the district attorneys
| office are tndulgiug in a sigh of relief be-
cause they see no more of an elderly gentle
mana London barrister, as he himself said
whose continual calls enoroached too
much upon their busy moments. He had
taxed the patience Of two judges of the
higher courts and that Of Justice Tighe, and
had endeavored to impress Mr. Ridg-
way with the necessity Of having his
case presented to the grand jury with
| me view TO the indictment of a
brother lawyer. He was a model of sim-
| plicity, not in speech, but in dress. His
clothes had once been jet black, but old
! Father Time had exhibited his disapproval
OF their long service by changing them to
the color of rust His hat was of ancient
style; he wore no necktie and he discarded
cuffs. Like Sir Roger de Coverly, his sim
| gularitleS, at least of dress, were coutradic-
tons to the manners OF the world. The
barrister claimed that he had been de-
frauded by means of an assignment, and
In court be would launch out into tedious
| and involved narrative which would last as
! long as the judge felt disposed to listen.
by and by the judge, who could max Q
neither head nor tail Of his story, ceased to
hear his arguments Then he besieged the
district attorneys office and was turned
over TO Subpoena Clerk White. The latter
glanced through the much thumbled law
| papers. but he was unable to fully compre-
bend what the cass was about. He told he
lawyer 10 see Justice Tighe, who said he
could do nothing for him. Thereafter Mr..
! White was waited upon every day for
months until the lawyer abruptly ceased
his calls without giving notice. He has
not been seen since There are those who
think that some sharper got the better of
the old man, that he had just cause for his
grievance, and that constant worry affected
his mind somewhat.
Another man sought diversity in the or
dluary affairs of life by invading office
after office IN an effort to convince divers
persons that he had bought all the lard on
| which the hall of records now stands Mr.