Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-19
COUNTRY JUSTICE.
HOW 1T WAS ADMINISTERED TO
WILLIAM SUCKLING.
Further Details About the Old Mans
Case-The Result of Trial Before
Justice Ross of Ballona Township.
Stockings Story-He Is Now in Jail.

The curious methods of country
justices are markedly illustrated by the
case of William Sucking, now serving a
short term for "cruelty to animals" +"
The case was. briefly mentioned in yes
terday's HERALD. The prisoners story,
which does not lack corroboration, is
one which smacks strongly of persecu-
tion. Five weeks ago tomorrow, Mr..
Sucking, who is gray-headed, honest
faced Englishman of 62 years, was hired
by the landlord of the Four-and-a-
Half-Mile house, out Washington street,
to give the patrons OF that road-house
an exhibition of the original Brittanic
Punch and Judy. Sucking, who has
been an employee of Mr.. Lehman, at
the dime museum, accordingly went out
to the wayside inn and presented the
squawking Punch, together with his i'll
tempered help-meet, and his Satanic
Majesty to the patrons of the Four-and-
a-Half-Mile house. The whole business
took Sucking about three hours, for
which service he received glittering
half-eagle in Uncle Sans gold coin.
The Punch and Judy stage, actors and
all then wandered back to the property
room OF the dime museum.
1t happened, however, coincidentally,
that on the same Sunday on which the
puppet show was given for the ladies
and children among the patrons of the
hostelry, cocking-main was in full
blast in pit in the rear of the place,
and group of sports also INDUCED in
the humane pastime OF rabbit-coursing.
All that was needed to make the place
an ideal sporting resort was rat bait
and bull-fght.
With all these side-shows the aged
and experienced manager of Punch and
Judy had no connection whatever. He
wiggled his puppets, squawked his lines,
drew his $5 and made his escape.
Since then Mr.. Sucking has labored
in peace as general utility man at the
dime museum, and lived in the hope
that in his modest way he might finish
his professional career in the congenial
capacity OF Roman soldier in his dime
museum. His dream on Thursday was
rudely interrupted by beetle-browed
minion of the law. A constable from
Ballona township suddenly made his
appearance at the museum, and placed
Sucking under arrest. The old man,
who has never been arrested, and has
never gazed through an iron grating
at an ungrateful world, was taken
back to the scene where, over four
weeks before, Punch had suffered for
his horrible wooden crimes. Thence
the prisoner was taken to the home of
Justice Ross, and in the parlor of that
officials residence, the aged Punch i'm
personator was charged by Constable
Watson with cruelty to animals, as a
participant in the cooking main and
rabbit coursing spoken of above. He
was certainly at or near the scene of
these humane entertainments a month
before, had no witnesses in his behalf,
and was sentenced to serve five days in
the county Jail without further parley.
Sucking says that he saw the game
birds carried to the pit in bags, but that
he himself was never in sight of the
main. The old man, who is crippled
through an injury to his foot, is more
unhappy through the disgrace of being
confined as criminal than on account
of the loss of his liberty.
ANOTHER CASE.
The breeze over the arrest of the
people who witnessed the cock fight at
Mondonville, several weeks since, has
not yet died out, and there are a num-
Der of very indignant people in this city,
and according to accounts some have
gooG reason for complaint.
A. Barrell of First and Wilmington
streets is another man who has a big
kick. He was arrested the other day on
a John Doe warrant, and was fined ten
big American dollars for being present
at the main, which he planked up.
1t appears that Barrell went out to
see coursing match, in which artificial
was marked down as a victim, together
with number of others who happened
to be in the vicinity where cooking
main was in full blast.