Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-03
VERY GROTESQUE JUSTICE.
THERE WAS NO APPEAL FROM
'saUmE sEDAMrs COURT,
And Protesting Lawyers We're
Thrown Into the Bastile--n. Il.
Hayes Escape From nn Im-
Proyised PrIson-IncIdentS.


nish more interesting incidents than
f may be found IN the realms OF
country justces jurisdiction. His
court may not always abound with the
richness Of lore. and his rulings may
not run with the rule OF legal proceed
ure. He may possess a contempt for
4 legal technicallties that causes him to
Z trample upon judicial precedents, and
& with rugged determination dispense
Justice In accordance with his own no.
lions OF equity and right, and with
only common sense as his guide, reach
Conclusions that may be at wide vari-
ance with the aims and intention Of
the law. The country magistrate. or
,squIre," as he is more famlllarly
called, in the community where he
hbides. Having more leisure time than
81 bis more Industrious neighbors he can
keep posted on tho current events OF
fhe day, gather up all the little gossips
pt the neighborhood, and be able TO
disseminate his Views with a dogmatic
Dir, that is often taken by his hearers
BIS evidence Of superior wisdom.
His ability to command a local fol-
the demagogue and politician. and
tends to increase his imaginary self
Importance. II his decisions in many
bases brought before him for trial APP
pear to be influenced by the ability Of
the litignnt to pay the fees. the impe-
cunious condition of the court should
Be considered before censurlng him for
unjustly discriminating against the law
and evidence. for as long as the JUS
tee il expected to support himself
from the fees Of his Office. instead of
+ f-om salary, the weakness Of human
nnture will be more or less manifest.
There lived on the banks of the Ohio,
not far from Cincinnati, an old justice.
Who. In all the annals OF modern
ihdlcial history, stands without a rival,
and no locality has ever been able to
produce the exact counter part OF
Squire Sedan, of Sedamsville, Ohio.
For more than quarter Of century
Nc held the office Of magistrate. ana by
Die exercise Of unbounded authority
Won the title OF king OF Storrs
Township" And well did he deserve
the sobrquct, for he recognized no
Higher jurisdiction than his own court,
md ignored all other tribunals He
cation that came before him with the
iinperlousness OF a car. He built his
own prison, established his own rules
and his verdict In all cases was simply
as his Judgment or his prejudices die
Mated. Whatever Judgment he gave in
Die trial OF cases before him, there
Would be no appeal from his decision,
Dor he would furnish no transcript OF
Die proceedings to the defeated attor-
Aey, and would resist all attempts to
f 81 L.
: one occasion he decided case against
Die client Of an attorney named Jacob
1'linn. Provoked at the irregularity
pnd injustice of the proceedings the
bttorney announced his determination
10 appeal the case and obtain u rever-
( BAL of the outrageous verdict.
But the sturdy Squire refused the re-
Tqulred transcript OF the proceedings,
and the angered attorney denounced
BIN as unfit to III the position he oc-
cppied.
'That remark is contempt of court"
ronred the indignant Squire, land I'll
aNnd you to the bastile."
calling to his ever-ready constable,
the two dragged the resisting lawyer
OF 10 the designated prison and locked
HIN in. The place Of confinement was
a small stone room that had been built
INTO the side OF big hill for "a milk
house. On account Of its strength and
iocation It had been converted into a
Squire for the Incarceration Of all
pfenders sentenced by him TO imprls-
onment
Ntnny petty thieves and other vio-
lators OF law had he consigned to Sc
Mission within It's dark and damp walls.
3 oyer the huge iron door he suspended
( NO crossed swords as an ominous sign
% all who crossed It's sombcr threshold.
When Lawyer Finn found himself
Within the window less prison he RACED
n on raH hfrf ~. "a, d.
Squlre would not release him until he
promised to abandon his Intentions Of
y appealing the case. However, his jail
a. made some amPnds by promising
( the prisoner the vote OF Sto"rs town
fhip at the approaching Democratic
4 conventlon for legislative honors,
rromise which he faithfully kept, and
the two became fast friends there
ufer. The Squire had no use for the
connty jail. asserting that his prison
wns good enough for all the rascals
thai he wanted locked up. and threat
eued on one occasion to immune within
TITS dark and dirty walls Rutherford
Ff Hayes. then a young lawyer, and
& HNerward president of tho United
4 Hfhtes.
Houng Hayes provoked the wrath OF
zhe Squire by trying 10 direct clta-
ttloh for him to appear In the circuit
cpurt with his docket.
One day a worthless loafer Of the
trwn was caught coming out OF the
I residence Of n respectable citizen OF
Sedamsville with an entire suit Of
( stolen clothes upon his person. The
theif was taken before the
H0sire, who sent for the citizen. mud
Z unon his Identifying the wearing an
pffel, he ordered the prisoner 10 re-
. move every article Of clothing from his
person.
tThat will leave me entirely naked -
tNrlaimed the thief.
fNo matter" Numbered the court
Noff with them clothes or I'll murder
pbii right here
WITH the assistance Of the ever vi,-i-
nm constable the prisoner was strip
I nfh Of every piece Of clothing except
aH battered and rather abbreviated UNI
drfshirt.
Now take him to the bastile and
Intl1 him mp" shouted the Squire. as
\ he turned over the removed clothing to
y thf rlghtful owner.
The constable marched the almost
raiSed man through the streets to the
old stone prison and locked him in
tfler adiournng HIS court Squire Sc
z 4ffn went 10 Cincinnati and purchased
common suit Of clothes. Then re-
tNrning he unlocked his bastile. and
MING HE prisoner the garments, COM
handed him TO dress IN a hurry and
GA out OF town or he would wear a
r.nt OF tar and feathers. The man
2 ftfyed with alacrlty. and was not long
4 |.r.tf rstt4 Gle