The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-18
FIGHT OVER A PIG
FIVE LAWYERS, COURT OFFICERS
AND JURY ENGAGED.
Justice Walker has Three Days Tussle
Small Specie of the Swine Family-Twc
Neighbors Go to Law to Decide a Dis
pute and spend Many Times the Value of
the Pig in Questionable Lawyers
Grow Eloquent In Their AppeaI-They
Wanted New Trial

"There was a mountain OF labor and
a mouse was brought forth" was the
opinion of Justice Walker last evening
as he closed his office and prepared TO go
home. There was a weary look upon
the old mans face, and he told friend
that he had spent two days of valuable
time listening TO the arguments of five
Wichita lawyers who were trying to dis
cover the ownership Of a s. pig.
The case was brought by y. D. Cal
vert against his neighbor, Joseph Weiss
as to the ownership of a certain pig Of
the male gender. The plaintiffs inter
ests in the mountainous controversy
was looked after by Attorneys W. &.
Bailey and r NJ. Piatt, while the de-
PENDANT secured the services of J. c. Mil
ton, W, T. Buckner and d. NJ. Brown.
A jury was called in and six men were
compelled to cease talking politics and
cursing Tiger Bill for sixteen long.
weary hours, while the evidence was
being taken. OF course each witness
was positive that the pig belonged to
his man, and so gave their testimony
II was late last night when the evidence
was all in. 1t was too late 70 turn
those FIVE eloquent and earnest lawyers
loose upon that jury. Justice Walkers
heart was moved with compassion, and
he allowed that jury to return TO their
several homes with the conflicting testi-
mony still ringing in their ears. What
a night of agony they were forced 10
spend, The justice had forbidden them
TO talk or hold any conversation con-
corning the case. In silence they bore
their suspense alone with their con-
science. and throughout their slumbers
they were trying to unravel the knotty
question.
Morning came. and so did the Jury
and the five impatient lawyers, justice
and constable. II is said that one of
the attorneys in the case was so disturb
ed by the great question involved that
he was unable to slumber and walked
the floor all night arguing the case.
Time had arrived for the lawyers to
commence their arguments and they i'm
patiently jumped into the arena It
was a day Of debats, and probably
such volumes. Of eloquence was never
heard as was given throughout the day.
The jury were forced to sit throughout
the entire day and patiently listen. The
shades of another evening were gather
ing when the case was finally given to
them. After three hours deliberations
they returned a verdict giving the pig
TO the plaintiff together with a judg
ment for damages 10 the amount of &c.
The justice reduced the damages to 81,
but the costs of the case had amounted
to more than ten times the value of the
infantile male pig.
The cost Of the lawyers, the two days
labor of the attorneys, justice. constable
witnesses and jury were no small mat
ter, and though the plaintiff had won
his suit he was still badly loser by the
proceedings. While this was true as
to the plaintiff, the condition of the de-
PENDANT was even harder to be borne
A consultation of the attorneys for
the defendant was held and they de-
cided that the verdict of the jury was
wrong and filed a motion 10 have the
verdict set aside. Four cart loads of
books were brought to the justice Office
yesterday by the attorneys, and the
justice, pale and aggard-looking, took
his chair and patiently sat throughout
another day hearing the arguments of
the counsel The day was gone, the
justice sustained the verdict of the jury
and thus last night was ended one Of
the hardest fought cases ever tried in
Sedgwick county.
The costs of the lawyers and the court
have amounted to many times the value
of the property over which the dispute
was raised, but then there is one conso-
htion left and that was that in the is
sue raised their were nuts for the attor-
neys if not for belligerents.