The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-17

formed me that he was coming to Virginia TO
carry out his threat, huh? Sure enough, the
next day just about the time was adjourning
court for the noon hour in walked Dick. he
seated himself outside the railing and looked
at me it'll bad eye, huh? When l left my
chair, instead of going to the right, as was my
custom, walked to the left toward the Sheriff
and requested him to lend me derringer,
which he did, huh?
81 placed it in my pocket, where it could be
reached with rapidity, and walked down the
aisle in the direction OF the fellow, with my eye
straight on him, huh? AS I approached he
rose from his chair, and 1 inquired what he
wanted.
Judge he said, 4 am peaceful
"'Well, what do you want, thenP
Nothing particular, only I just got out of
the penitentiary and if you could spare it 1
would like to borrow ten Huh?
'I was really thunderstruck at the fellows
audacity. l knew ii he got his bands on any
money that he would have to be jailed again
before sunset, so 1 refused. Huh? 1 ordered
him TO walk downstairs ahead OF me and saw
to it that he made straight line from street
down to and out over the Geiger grade. That
was the last l ever saw of Rattlesnake Dick,
and have no doubt he was glad of it, for 1
heartily believed that he thought very little of
me, huh?"
"Is it usual for criminals to threaten the
Judge who passes sentence upon them?"
''No. Most men realize that the facts, the
law and the jury are the things that lead to
their conviction and begin to look upon the
Judge as person placed there for the purpose
of executing authority vested in him as a
magistrate. 1t is plain law and nothing else,
huh?"
Judge Rising was elected District Judge of
Nevada for succession of terms covering
thirty years and one month, the longest occu-
pancy OF any one elective Office On record in
the United States. All the Judge had to do
was to declare himself candidate and he led
the ticket Many times he had no opposition.
Sew people are aware that a woman once
sat on the Supreme bench in California" said
ex- Secretary of State Thomas Beck at the Palace
Hotel last nj ght. look of ineredulity over
spread the features of his listeners.
"It is q fact, nevertheless" continued Mr..
Beck. cit was in; well, never mind the year,
but was then Secretary of State and court was
being held in Sacramento. Judge Wallace was
on the bench, and among those in the capital
city during the session was Colonel Shafter and
a number of his officers. The colonel was ac-
companied by his daughter, a very young,
bright and handsome miss.
zone morning at the breakfast-table in the
Golden Eagle Hotel Justice Wallace said Miss
Shafter, feel quite sighted. Since you have
been in Sacramento you have not deigned to
visit me. Won't you come up this morning and
sit with US in bank? My colleague, Judge
Croker, is absent, and you might as well oc-
cupy his seat
"'Oh, yes, I'll come, returned Miss Shafter,
and the subject was dropped, and 1 am sure
Judge Wallace never dreamed that the invita-
ton would be accepted.
about an hour afterward Miss Shafter, ac-
companied by one of the officers on her fathers
staff, came into my Office and said that she
wanted to go to the Supreme Court. Would
take her? With pleasure. And away we went.
A young attorney was arguing case when we
entered the court. He did not notice US as we
quietly seated ourselves. and went on with
most brilliant eloquence. Judge Wallace laid
his hand on the arm of the empty chair and
nodded to my companion to take it,
"'Shall go up?' she asked of me.
"'Why, certainly l responded. TT would be
discourteous to the bench not to do so'"
"She hesitated a little, but as Judge Wallace
regarded her with smiling invitation and
patted the chair provokingly, she arose and
firmly, and with the grace of queen, walked
up the aisle to the platform. The judges arose
and gravely bowed. Wallace stepped forward
and, extending his hand, escorted her to the
vacant seat, and each justice was presented in
turn and shook the tiny hand of their dainty
associate Miss Shafter was quite equal to the
OcChSlOu, duu UoNlLS W bHe SlduulQS audi
ence, took her seat and let the case proceed.
That young attorney, though, lost his head
and afterward lost his case Whether he
wished to make an impression on the new as
sociate, or whether the strangeness of the pro-
ceedings ratified him, 1 never learned, but he
got badly tied up in his peroration.
"'What did Judge Wallace dor sWhy, at din
ner that evening he conferred with the new
judge and insisted upon her occupying a seat
- l...- 81. 49,
me to take walk with him. Beck said he.
'if you bring that girl into court in the morn |
ing, III have proceedings instituted to declare
your position vacant"