The morning call., 1893-03-18
A BABY IN COURT.
She Calls Judge C0ffey a
Pretty Boy.
Aggie Donahue's High Carnival in
Department Nine-She Owns
the Court for 20 Minutes.

Miss Agnes Donahue, aged years and
months, held high carnival in Judge Cot
fey's courtroom yesterday morning.
The room was warm and pleasant, and
there were so many curious people and
such funny furniture that no bright little
blue-eyed baby like Agnes could fail to be
interested.
AS nursery the solemn chamber of JUS
tice met with her unqualified approval, and
she proceeded to investigate its mysteries
with the free and easy grace of a Kansas
cyclone.
Her mother, Mrs. Annie Donahup was
being examined by Attorney Van Reyne-
gom as TO certain moneys on deposit in the
Hibernia Savings and Loan Society, which
Mrs. Donahue says are her separate prop
erty, being the gift of her husband. Cor
nelius j. Donahue. before his death.
Mr.. Van ReynegOm, on behalf Of Maggie.
a daughter by former wife, believed that
the money was really community property,
and therefore partially the properly of
Maggie.
So when Maggie took the stand Miss
Agnes tOddled after her, and pausng Just
long enough to present w. H. l.. Barnes
with large bun, she jumped up the steps
and ran toward the person of the Honor
able Court and said. "Oh, papa; papaw
His Honor smiled with the utmost good
nature and there was even slight sug-
gestion of blush upon his judicial coun-
tenance as he tried to turn off the joke on
Mr. Van ReYnegOm by remarklng that the
baby had mentioned something about papa
and he thought she was looking al Mr.. Van
Reynegom.
Butthe latter was deem in his papers, and
only looked up to ask Maggie whether she
had ever heard her father say anything
about the money in the savings bank, to
which baby Agnes, who was engaged in
constructing a castle out OF cOunse lors'
hats, replied in high treble: "Oh, no no !
no! oh, no" to the tune of a popular
lullaby.
Then the generous little soul left Maggie
to explain her fathers intentions in the
savings bank matter. and ran down the
courtroom to her seat, got her cloak and
started back for the Judge with the apparent
Intention OF making slight addition 10 his
wardrobe.
But she tripped over the inconsiderately
extended foot of Reuben II. Lloyd. and
down she came. Mr.. Lloyd petted her. but
to Attorney Goodfellow, saying: Here.
you re family man, just convince her she
amt hurt" which Mr.. GoodI did with
prnmptness and deXterty.
On the stair she fell again and rolled
about to the accompaniment of a vigorous
howl, until his Honor deputized the bailiff
to pick her up and restore her to mental
tranquility
Then she presented her cloak to Judge
COffey, calling him mice pity little boy'
in high squeaky voice, and then she i'm
mediately commenced to pull out the
drawers of the big desk and stood on tiptoe
and peeked in, and whenever she saw any
thing curious she gave a shrek of delight
Then she fell TO distributing the personal
property of the courtroom, such as pens ana
books and hats and canes, among the at
tOrnrys with prIncely prodgality and au
imlartiality that can only be compared TO
the w"y the Supervisors sometimes grant
franchises and award street contracts.
Then the carnival became fast and furi-
Gus, and while her mother was trying TO
tell the court that her husband had allowed
her full possession and control of the
money Miss Agnes In utter scorn of such
frivolous matters as probate proceedings,
began to play ship, and turn tables around,
and iGvert chairs, and just made general
pandemonium of, the courtroom until she
was finally suppressed by the bailifT. who
had been writing in agony for twenty
minutes.
When Miss AEgie was completely extin-
guished the dynamo was started and the
machinery of the law once more set run
ming.
But the sun was behind cloud, and the
cheerfulness of the room had departed.
The old clock tickled drearily during
panses, the pens of the probate sharps
scratched and scratched in decorous monot-
ony and dead mems estates once more held
undisputed possession OF the court, for with
characteristic good nature Mother Goose
had yielded to Blackstone.