Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-06-23
JUDICIAL PREDICAMFNTS
ScCoo CCoc- ----1c--;c-co7 Of Noted
English Judges.
A Barber Who Got Even with tba Mo-.
istrate Who Sent Linn to Prison,
Sharks Getting Into Unsafe
Company

A hNS ScttiHs INTO Unsafe
Company.
On one occasion justice, ATanistv v-as
on circuit at Exeter fer the assizes. saws
the London Tid-Bits. One rnorninor he
le1t ms lodgings early for a stroll and
nndlng that he had plenty of time on
MS hands before the court assembled he
turned into hair-dresser's shcp Ter the
purpose OF getting shaved and rcac,-, Nv
trimmed up. Customers being s.a~ca
at that early hour there was ONLY one
assistant present in the place. When
the Judge entered the man Jumped mn
with alacrlty and bowed him into the
operating chair with all a BARRIERS s7,ave
politeness. Having lathered his dis
tlngulshed customers face and stropned
his razor with more than ordinary
v1gor, he commenced to attack the iudi-
clal stubble. But he hadn't got far in
his work before he suddenly paused
with one hand on the judges nose and
the other waving the razor pain
fully near Sir Henry's throat Blessed
II don't think" said the barber
that you're the old cove what gave
me five years at Winchester" The
judges feelings may be better mag
lned than described, but he merely re-
piled, with what GOODNESS he could sum-
| mon to his aid: Il don't know, nv
good fellow; have a bad memory for
faces. However, the man went on
shaving, and Justice Manisty congrat-
| ulated himself that theex-convict didn't
bear malice. This easiness of mind
came little too soon. After the shave
the judge, with characteristic deterlain-
alton, decided to carry out his original
programme and have his hair cut as
we'll! To his horror the barber had no
sooner exchanged the razor for his scis-
sors than his locks began to fall in a
perfect shower on the floor. Hold on,
man, hold on!' exclaimed the judge; Il
only want a trim up, tell you: don't
cut it so short" Cut it short be
bowed" replied the barber, slicing
away triumphantly; ''ycu didn't cut it
short when you give me five years in
the stone jug. This is the prison crop
you've got to have, old man, as sure as
gun, SO you'd best take it kindly"
A judge was journeying up to the
north of England in fast train, which.
after leaving London, did not stop till
it came to Rugby. The only other oc-
cupant of the carriage was a we'll
dressed and apparently gentlemanly
man. who took no notice of the judge till
the train had left the terminus. Then
the man came over and seating him
self opposite the judge poured out a
= 6 i
threats against the latter for having
sent hin 10 penal scrvitudc for coming
some years before The Judge waited
till the man paused for breath and
then said very quietly: my dear sir,
don't you think it's rather bad form
to talk shop in private life? All, you
don't think so! Very well, then, let us
relate some of our mutual experiences.
have no doubt that shall find yours a
good dead more entertaining than you
will mine.'' The fellow was so non
plussed by the judges fearless good
humor that he quoted down and actu-
ally did expatiate on some Of the Incl
dents in his career. Probably he never
saw the nice point of satire in judge
appealing to cdlnvict he had sentenced
on question of tbfd form"
The following lis told of Sir Henry
Hawkins, who, rig htly or wrongly, has
the reputation of being a severe judge,
and is consequent ~ more dreaded than
beloved by the I'll iminal classes. Sir
Henry. as is well known, is in private
life an ardent follower of the turf, and
when more serious business permits
seldom fails to attend the Newmarket
races. On one occasion he was return
| ing from meeting on the classic heath,
and had entered a railway carriage at
the station for the purpose of returning
to town. Three notwithstanding
fellow-passengers followed him in, and
Sir Henry was thinking of changing
| his carriage, when a fourth man, who
was also on the point of entering, stared
hard at the judge, got back on to the
platform, and, addressing his compan-
ions, said: ''Come, get out of that,
boys-a nice warm shop that is you've
got into. Do you know who that mug
is you were going to take on?'' "Who
is it, Bill?" asked one of the men, as
they cleared out of the compartment.
! ''Why, 'Orkins, to be sure-a proper
/ sort of mug that to try our game on,
eh?' Sir Henry in the meanwhile,
laughing in his sleeve, had recognized
the man who had moved the others off
as man he had sentenced at the Old
Bailey for card-sharping in railway
trains. The others, not knowing him,
| had marked him down as a mug OF
fiat on whom to practice. The judges
reputation probably saved him from
! annoyan ce.