The record-union., 1896-11-30
UNDER AN UMBRELLA,
How the Prince of Montenegro Dis.
penSes Justice.

penses Justice.
Up to the time that the Prince of
Naples followed into the Businesses of
the Black Mountains the beautiful!
Princess to whom he lost his heart IN
Venice and persuaded her to become
| the future Queen Of Italy, the general
public looked upon Montenegro only as
place where stamps came from No
ere ever went there, not even on "a
personally conducted tour" 1t seems
to be the one corner of the earth tc
have escaped the ubiquitous globe
trotter. 1t is by all odds the most pic
turesque country in Europe. 1t contains
cnly $3.50 square miles, and is Just half
the size of Wales.
To say that 1t is medieval would be
to anticipate it's development by a
| couple of centuries With all the tran
| quillity of the early Biblical DAYS life
rolls on in this land Of patriarchial Gov
ernment. The reigning Prince keeps
the only inn that this country affords.
The former President of the Senate,
| Mirko Petrovitch, whose songs are the
delight of the people, can neither read
nor write.
Justice Is dealt out in the principalif:
something after the manner which pre-
vailed In Sancho-Panza's Island 1t
comes direct from the fountain head
without the Intervention of lawyers and
| unsurrounded by any gowns, wigs, mil
l1nery or other conventional courtroom
| accessories. Each man pleads his own
cause in his own way; the Prince hears
both sides. decides according to his
| lights and his decisions "go." There
| is no jugglery of motions" and ap-
eals and other machinery of delay
When case is decided that case is
| over and there is call for Next" as
| in barber shop.
The Prince is said to know all his
subjects by sight and to have a very
| fair idea Of their relative reliability in
the matter Of truthfulness. If any Of
| them, moreover, is distinguished by
ether weaknesses of the flesh besides a
tendency to stray from the path Of We.
| racity, his highness is very apt to know
| that likewise, so that his judgments
are oftener about right than egregious-
ly wrong. AT all events 1t never en-
ters the peasant mind to question them
or to move for a new trial.
Certain days are fixed when the
Prince holds court, and on those days
the peasantry from all the surrounding
mountain passes gather about the pal
ace. AT certain hour the gates are
opened and they are admitted. The
court is held in the open air in the
palace yard. There the Prince sits in
state under a green cotton umbrella.
One by one the litigants or petitioners
appear before him and tell him what is
on their minds. The others who are not
interested in what is going on wander
or sprawl about smoking and gossip
Ing. These court days for the ignorant
peasantry, hardly one of whom can
read or write, seems to a certain ex-
tent to take the place of newspapers.
Everybody there learns all that is 60
ing on in the narrow little sphere which
makes their world. When the hearings
are all over great bell is rung and all
assemble at beautiful course dinner
furnished at the Princes expense.
The Princes confidence in his SUBJ
| jects is never abused The following
story is sample of his methods of do
ing business: Some time ago Nikita was
| in need OF ready cash; accordingly he
applied to the Director General of the
Austrian Lloyds for the loan of 40
s0O f1Orins. The money was Immediate
" forwarded to his highness from
Trieste to Cattaro. When the debt be-
came due and the day of settling ar
rived Prince Nikita flung open his win
dow and called out to man who was
leading a pig past the palace window:
Hello, friend, whittier art thou
bound?"
For Cattaro. my Prince"
"All right, catch this bundle OF notes
It's 10000 f1orins for Lloyds." To the
amazement of the clerks in Lloyds Of
flee the peasant came in, and, flinging
the bundle of notes on the counter. said.
My Prince sends you this bundle of
| notes." and stalked out, with the pig
| at his heels.
Nightly the profits of Nikita's inn find
their way into his highness tunic
pocket. And how do you find your
hotel accommodations" asked the
chieftain of the Black Mountains of an
! Englishman to whom he was granting
| an audience. Your highness," said the
Briton indignantly, the charges are
exorbitant. The host must be a rob-
ber" Later in the day the unfortunate
Briton discovered who kept the inn.
The lagerstroemia is named in honor
| n Ia r