The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-26
JUSTICE JOHNS COURT.
STORIES OF THE WONDERFUL Do
ING or DOCS REL1TED.
One Ate q Piece OF Steak Left by Negro
Then Drowned Himself~The J"stee
will Allow No Rivals on HisTerritory'

dogs. All of this middle comes OF the
fact that each year the owners of dogs
in this city are required to take out
license for them, and each Is gwen
small brass medal for the dog TO wear 10
show his authority for roaming at VIII
upon the thoFoughfares. or standing eN-
pectantIy about the market stalls ana
bu;cher-shop doors.
Justice John s. hrst-class authority upon
dogs. and he can tell the difference be-
tween a black and tan and a St. Bernard
Just as soon rs he sees them together.
Dogs says the Justice. ARE more
Ike human beings than any other AMI
mails. as far as intelligence goes. some
dogs are well bred, high classed' ana
respectable, while others are naturally
vicious bad, and low. They draw society
lines very finely, too, and the justice
knows OF mary instances where iohs
friendships have been suddenly strdered
when dogs Of the first families have been
found associdtng with others beIeath
and far below their social grade and an
cestral pedigree.
There are now about $500 licensed dogs
in Richmond and there are many more
without homes until after the license
question has ceased TO be sgitated.
Justice John Is always on the side OF
the poor dogs. Rich dogs. he knows, are
apt to be hypocrtcal. They affect n
fondncss for masters and home. because
they get fine food, sleep I'm the kitchen
on soft rugs. and slumber after dinner
before the dining-room fire, but poor
dog loves his master for himself alone, as
we are told in Roger and J." and as we
sec in the Police Court.
THE INTELLIGENT DOGS.
There are a great many negroes In
Richmond who are too poor 10 pay dog
taxes. but who when brought into court
try 70 soften the heart of Justice John
by recitals Of the wonderful intelligence
OF their especial pets. one old darky
drayman told how his dog would get No
in the morning. rake down the hay TO
his horse. lead him TO the pump for water.
and have him ready for htching when he
got up.
Lucinda Graves told how her pet could
grind coffee. rake all the cinders from
the kitchen stove, bring ia Tire wood,
and take out the milk-can 10 the milkman.
then ring the bell 10 arouse the board
ers.
one negro pleaded that he did have
a dog when the officer came TO HIS house.
but that now the dog was dead. When
pressed for the story he said My dog
were the honestcst dog ytu ebber seed.
Mr.. Crutchneld he nebber stole nothin IN
his life till las week an dat done XIII
i'm. De dog mus shorely been hongry
fur he grab up de meat my wife done
lef on de table. and he eat il. When !
cum in dar he look az me- an he toke of
down Scbenteenth street an jump in de
canal Deed Judge. dat dog done drown
hisself."
"All right. old man." said Justice John
that's just like a dog but n that dog
comes back IN your yard next month |
will fine you sure"
What kind Of a dog have you got. old
MANI" was asked as the next case came
up.
MY dog n ma plneter. sab; a pIneter
dog
well. you will have to pay 81 for him"
said Justice John.
II amt got no doller Judge but dat
plneter am shorey a smart dog"
what did he do2 tell mo luiclS :
can't fool away all day on dogs. said the
Justice.
'Well. ] jus tell yer. Judge. dat dogs
smart / cum down de street wild dat
dog and he stop stlll, an ! sed, cum
haar dog 80 can't pint nuthin dar, but
dat dog he stayed. an white man cum
dar. an | sed. what dat dog see? an de
white man say. dat dog done pint dat
sine Doctor Partridge. dentist"
well we'll" said the Justice. chat
dogs all right; If you have not the dol
lar you had better sell that dog TO the
Snowman ON Broad street who has the
"woolly girl' and the trained donkey"
THE STORIES or CRIME.
T.. IL
also a very cunning negro who would have
escaped jail yesterday but FOR the fact
that Justice John knows 20 wcll bow to
handle criminals.
Pitman was charged with hitting little
Claude Brantley, a wistc boy, with
club. This occurred at 10 o'.iock Sunday
night. and in the darkness neither Claude
nor his little companion got a good look
al his assailant. Pitman came into court
with four negro girls, who were 10 iesti-
~ as 10 his presence at homo on Sunday
night. Justice John had the witnesses
separated. and one by one examined them
rigidly. They all had the story wei by
heart. and glibiy told that from O'Clock
until 1l.3G Sunday evening they were all
in tho room with Pitman. Then the Jus
tice Ncnt into detail as to the lociilon
or the room. what they ate It,. and
finally the fabric fell and the le was
skilfully exposed. Pitman got six months.
T. J.. Langley and W. j. Lehman had
counter charges II assault against each
other. Dir. Langley IS the proprietor OF
the BrOad-street show, whore the trained
donkey performs his innocent tricks and
the woody girl IS exhibited Tor the ox-
tremcly low price Of five cents
SIR. Langley was put on the stanI ard
testified that Lehman and q man named
70 D. ia 81.
afterwards came 10 blows before they
were elected.
Nr. Langley IS an expert in his bust
ness, and he saw n rare chance I'm the
Police Court audience for his show. so
squaring himself around 10 face the group
he began in tones suggestive OF the cir
Gus ticket-wag0n orator, with the great
est living show on earth: Gentlemen.
am the proprietor Of the wonderful and
phenomenal exhibition now I'm your midst.
Truly It is said that man "a a physicologi-
cal. psychological, Dynamic trlchotomy,
bat whore in the catalogue OF technical
phenomena can be discovered appropriate
appelations for the adequate description
OF the 'wooliy elrl?'"
Here. here. hold or. hold on" cried
Justice John, you are IN court and must
use court language: besides. / do all the
business here. and don't want any rivals
I VIII fine you fellows S each for disorder
" conduct"
Langley paid the fne and looked pleased
that he had gotten in a chance to adver-
tise. but Lehman had TO go TO jail.
OTHER CASES.
Morton Deane. Archer Graves. Lewis
Brackston, and James Hill, trustees OF
the Second Baptist church lcolored). were
called 70 explain the condition OF the