The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-17


+ the division Of their property under such
+ circumstance should lead 10 troublesome
dispute. The law proceeds 10 divide il
The thief OF old Wales had a pretty
I hard time OF IT, A law concerning him
reads For theft 10 the value OF .Our-
pence the thief : salable. and for a great
Z er amount Iorfeits his life, a penalty
which Tor fOurpenny-ha' penny steal was
I certainly outrageously heavy indeed. yn-
Ferely than the murderer.
Murder was eXplaDle by fine The ga
varied with the social rank Of the vic
tim. Thus the galanas for killing
steward was nine score OF silver and nine
kline. while that for killing a bOndman
was H. The murder fine is described as
having nine accessories whereof the
nrst Is, 10 point out the person 70 be muir
4sied 20 me person VINO Is 70 murder
MIN; and that person is called bloody
tongue"
Following the laws relating 10 the crime
OF arson, theft and murder are LOO clauses
specifying the worth Of wild and tame an
lmals, birds and even insects.
That there may be no legal dispute over
eases involving damages 20 these crea-
l1IeS, price IS put upon toem as
whole, upon their limbs, eyes, ears, feet,
horns, names and tails.
We read that "the worth Of a horses
foot Is his fun WORTH either Of his eyes
one-third thereof, while his name is vai-
ued at fourpence, which is the Legal
II a cows horn was broken or her tain
cut on, the amount of damage the owner
could claim was fourpence.
A kid, lamb, and pig were each
worth a penny al birth, while fOal and
she calf were valued at fourpence. cat
was OF the same value. The worth or
a Mtten from the night y Is klttened
until IL s6all open its eyes Is a legal PEN
ny and from that time until it shall kill
mice, two legal pence Good dogs were
valuable. a herd dog is worth the best
n u
though it be the king, its valueNis four
pence"
IL gives "the swine to the husband and
the sheep TO the wife; If there be only one
kind they are 10 be shared, and IL sheep
and goats, the sheep to the husband and
the goats TO the wife" Continuing, ii ap-
portions their household goods and chat
tells in like maner, except, however, that
the wife seems to get the lions share
The clothes that are over them belong to
the wife; the clothes that are under them
belong to the husband until he marries
again, and after he marries the clothes
are to be given up 10 the wife; and If an
other wife sleeps upon the clothes. let her
pay face value TO the other" OF the
kitchen utensils, the wife was TO have all
save one pail one dish, and the drinking
vessels. These latter went 10 the husband,
but whether or not that he might put them
to certain obvious uses, and so drown his
troubles, is not stated.
Book third of the Howellian code was
termed the proof book This title seems
to have been derived from the fact Of a
judges knowledge being proved by his
being thoroughly acquainted with its con-
tents. Here we find many quaint and pecu-
liar DEGREES.
arson, we read: III swine enter house
and scatter fire about so as to burn the
house, and the swine escape, let the, own
er Of the swine pay for their act. II the
swine be burned, 1t Is an equation be-
tween them, as being irrational things;
equation by law there is nothing to be
redressed, but one is set against the 9TH
Rut more than this. the Howellian code
even describes the natural functions of
the creatures mentioned, so that if the
purchaser of one of them should md his
purchase deficient he might claim a rebate;
Thus, the functions of the cat are stated
as being: ITO see, to hear, and to Kill
mice, to have her claws entire, TO rear
and not devour her kittens, and II she
be bought and be deficient in any of these
teithe (qualities), let one-third of her worth
be returned"
The birds and the bees aye appraised in
the same manner and with equal minute
ness, and then a price is set upon trees
and skins of animals.
Then follow columns appraising the bod
ily parts of the animal man.
We are told that the legal value of a
foot, hand, an eye, an ear, nose, and
either of the lips, was six kline and six
score of silver, while a finger, toe, or
tooth, were worth a COW and two score of
silver. THE worth Of the tongue itself
is equal to the worth of all the other
members, because II uHltIluS lntlu.
Such are the laws of Howell the Good,
laws, which, though many of them seem
very peculiar to our modern minds, were
undoubtedly adapted to the state of So
ciety existing at the time and in the
country in which they were made. At any
rate, for clearness, for, comprehensive
ness and minuteness of detail, they stand
unexcelled, if not unequalled, in the en-
tire history of law.
"A Bad Time of Year.-"Hasn't Mr..
Simpkins proposed yet, daughter?" mo,
mamma; I can't get him to talk about any,
/ thing but base ball"-Chicago Record.
That Dreadful Boy.-Her Admirer-
Well, Reggie! How's your sisters cold,
! Ell?
Her Little Brother--Oh, that's all right.
/ But she's got a jolly big corn.-Moon-
/ shine
There is always one way" observed
higgins, ITO make a man acknowledge
the corn" How is that?" queried Barker.
step on it." said Higgins.-Harpers Ba-
Ear.
-Bloozin-I see that the election did not
| result as YOU predicted.