Arizona republican., 1894-05-27
SURPRISED THE COURT.
A Prisoner Appears in His Own
 Behalf.
He Displays a Knowledge of Law Which Secures Him the Great
 est Measure Of Respect.

An unusual scene was witnessed in district court yesterday. c. A. White, serving a ffty-day sentenre in the county jail for assault, had made appli- applicant was brought in. He is a middleaged man of apparent ly average intelligence but he was placed at dis advantage by the coarseness of his clothing and the circumstance that he was an applicant for release from prison.
 "Who represents you," asked Judge Baker?
 The prisoner replied that he had no attorney, but would conduct the appli- cation himself and he proceeded to make statement which surprised the court and bar. He displayed knowl- edge of form of procedure which proved that he must at one time have been a lawyer. He spoke quietly, but ef- fectively and WAS heard with the ut- most deference by the court, with per haps greater patience. in fact, than would have been accorded practi- tioner.
 At the outset his application was based on no particular ground. He had been committed, he said, and had been unable since to see the papers in his case. Judge Baker asked Clerk Walker if they were in his possession. He said they were not and for mo- ment it was mystery how White had found his way into jail. The commit ment was atterward produced from the sheriff's office.
 White said that his case had been be- fore the grand jury and had been fore Justice Kincaid and he entered a plea of guilty thinking that by receiy- ing light fine he would avoid a tedious and expensive defense and thus sooner get back to work. When sentence was pronounced he desired to withdraw his plea but was not permitted to do so.
 At this point of the narrative Judge Bakers interest increased visibly and he sent for Justice Kincaid. The case was continued until l o'clock when the justice appeared with record of the proceedings. In the mean time White had been studying the papers and when the case was called again he presented various defects in them. They were passed as immateriei until lie came to the form of commitment by which he was i'm prisoned for fifty days or fined $50.
 The judges face frightened. "Now you've struck it," said he. "What have you got to say to that, Mr. Dis trict Attorney? MT. Williams replied Nothing, your honor, the commitment shows for itself"
 There certainly had been an error, but whether it was of 8 character that would serve the applicant remained to be seen. The court evidently and per- haps the district attorney hoped that the prisoner might find some way out of jail after his excellent fight. But the law must repress the sentiment of courts and after @ careful hearing Judge Baker decided that he could only deny the motion. The prisoner had good ground for an appeal, but writ of habeas corpus was not applicable. The hearing resulted in one thing, though, the remodeling of legal forms in the justices office which was at once begun, thus furnishing employmunt for the job printer. Whites address was remarkable. It was pathetic re- spectful and quietly eloquent. The prisoner has been a street preacher of the Free Methodist church in Phoenix fer the past two years. Little is known of him except by the people of that church. He has done some work az stenographer and type writer but for the most part he has been engaged in severe manual labor. The offense for which he is serving time was an assault in the course of a quarrel upon J. K. Glassford for whom he was working. The grand iury's reason for ignoring the charge was g suspicion that the accused was mentally affected.