Omaha daily bee., 1894-01-14
HIS FIRST CASE.

Judge Baxter Falters IA Little on His fni-
tial Knot-Tying Experience.
Yesterday there was a scene in the jul
dicial department of the county government,
presided over by CoInty Judge Baxter, the
gentleman who is wearing the ermine in
which j. w. Eller wanted to wrap himself.
AS everybody knows, the Office of the
county Judge is the place from which mar
riage licenses are issued, us well as being the
place where wedding ceremonies are per-
formed. A young man and q young woman
from Valley were aware of this fact and yes
tcrday they arrived in the, city on one of
the early trains, intent upon having them
selves made flesh of one flesh. Dropping off
the train at the Twentieth street crossing
they hied themselves to the Office of Judge
Baxter, reaching there just as the Judge
was climbing the long stone steps.
"Be you the judge?n asked the prospective
groom, as he blushed to the roots of his hair.
Judge Baxter oplned thac in the last cleo
tion he was Il winner by n couple OF thousand
votes, which fact entitled him to put the
title ahead of his name.
The young and happy couple followed the
judge into the private room, where the usual
papers were prepared by Harry Mott, the
custodian of the wedding docket, and then
Judge Baxter was called down from the
bench to perform the ceremony which was
to cause two hearts to beat as with but u
single throb.
Smoothing down his hair and prancing
into the private room with an air like unto
that possessed by the boy with his first pair
of red topped boots, the judge looked into the
faces of the two people who wanted to take
each other for better, or worse.
'Join hands, commanded the Judge in the
most certain tones, but there he stopped and
waited. He had lost his lines.
Here, IN the presence of these people, do
swear that you will tell ="
There was u suppressed laugh welled up
from the breasts of the clerks of the office,
for they knew that their superior had gone
wrong.
Starting in again the Judge commanded
the man and the woman to hold up their
hands, but Billy Shields, who had worked
in the Office of the county Judge prior TO his
present engagement, nudged Mr.. Baxter in
the side and told him that he was on the
wrong track.
II see responded the judge, and with n
new grip he took the bride by one hand and
the groom by another and commanded them
together to repeat after him the following
words: las IL was in the beginning, what
man has joined together let no Sod cut -"
Hold on there" exclaimed Henry w.
Morrow, the head clerk, that's the starter
of q sermon and not a wedding ceremony
The Judge acknowledged the corn and
Harry Mott was sent out after a prayer
book, as he knew full well that therein CON
tanned was u form to be folio wee by
clergymen and he thought possibly that it
might tit the occasion.
The bride enjoyed the situation and was
inclined to be merry, but the groom took
the matter more seriously and twice had to
command the Young lady to stop laughing,
declaring that if she did not he would go
home and marry the other girl.
Billy Shields thought that the play had
gone far enough, and, jumping into the
arena, he repeated to Judge Baxter the
ceremony which his brother, ex-Judge
Shields, recited when he was in the marry
ing business. This was re-repeuted to the
couple from Valley, and at the conclusion
they were declared man and wife, after
which they departed, as happy us q couple
of turtle doves in mating time.
During the day four other couples dropped
in upon Judge Baxter TO have him partici-
pate in the knot-tying act and each time he
dld the business up IN n manner that might
nave Indicated that he was born with a
marriage ceremony in his mouth.