The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-11

airy courtroom became too small for the
public pressure upon it, and Judge Coffey
took possession of the Supervisors meet
ing-room, which adjourns the clerk $
office. For days and days the shouting of
the lawyers, which the thick walls could
not keep out, formed an accompaniment
to the routine work of the clerks office.
and people, discovering that they could
get into the courtroom through the office,
filed in in such numbers that the doors
had to be kept locked, to the great annoy
ance of those who had business in the
Office itself.
The great interest so manifested by the
public made an impression upon Assistant
Clerk John Q. Brown Jr
Its a great game" so many of them
said as they iostled in and out that at last
the saying carried to Mr.. Brown an idea.
Yesterday Mr.. Brown received through
the mail official notice that his application
for patent on the idea had been granted
1t is a new and, as Mr.. Brown says, "a
great game" 1t is called THE Widows
Lawsuit or Legal Whist" 1t is the result
of several evenings hard thinking on the
part of the inventor, in which he evolved
an idea in games so entirely distinctive
from all others that a patent was granted.
The game has been played enough pend
ing the coming of the patent to have al
ready an army of enthusiastic votaries
Every one OF them says it is fascinating.
The game represents a suit at law, where
widow is trying to uphold the will OF her
deceased husband in favor of herself and
two children against the Vaccinations of a
contestant, who brings in child-a pre-
sumptive heir-to make claim to portion
of the fortune
1t is played with fifty-two cards upon
chart representing trial as it actually APP
pears, and as represented in the diagram.
Each card represents distinct and sep
arate character, such as the judge, widow,
lawyers, spectators, etc, each being col
ored Autograph. The cards consist of six
suits of unequal mum Der in each suit, cor
responding to the suits or groups upon the
board, and five independent cards. These
are the widows lawyer, the contestants
lawyer, the contestant, the contestants
child and the omnipotent policeman.
The cards are dealt one at time to the
players, as in whist, and any number can
play from two up, although four or six
players make the most interesting game.
No. of each suit can be played first, and
must be played before the next following
can be played. You must play if possible.
and If not, pass.
The judge is No. 1 of his suit, and
the widows boy of the widows suit. The
object of the game is TO do one of three
things: First, win for the widow; second.
u.
hang the jury.
'The widow or contestants child cannot
win until the respective lawyers are
played, F" said Mr.. Brown in explaining the
game yesterday, land you cannot PLAY the
lawyers until all the iurymen and the
judges suit are played. Then in turn the
lawyers are played, and when the widows
lawyer is played the widow NAV be
played, thus winning for her, and likewise
The same with the contestant. You hang
the jury when you can dispose of all your
cards before any one can accomplish result
Nos l or 81
Few people realize the difficulty of OBJ
tanning a patent from the United States
Government upon game because of the
lack of the development of principle or
the grasping of new idea.
The patentee is native Californian.
and graduate of the State University.
Being wholly a native effort it is the in
tention OF the inventor to publish the game
here in San Francisco, depending upon
home manufacturers to accomplish the
successful inauguration of his patent.