The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-12-05
CURIOUS cURRENT CAslEs IN rIIll
s.: 81 h COURTS.
Us. is ,{sssstS (Philalelph sJ>l,,, n, i, fs

Take map, and where the counties OF
buchanan, Virginia, Logan West Vir-
Sinia, and Pike. Kentucky, converge.
stick q pin, and you will have the exact
location bf tile little town OF whnrn.
cliife, where tho mountains are so high
that the sun does not rise until II O'clock
In the day. 1t Is the stronghold of tho
famous. Hatields, and Notwithstanding
the lawlessness of the class one of them
is duly commissioned as justice Of tho
peace for Logan county.
But Judge Hatfield Is entirely too i'm
portant 4 person 10 ooniine his sphere of
usefulness to the marrow confines of n
county, and consequently for the past
fifteen years he, has imparttnlly enter
tanned jurisdiction OF cases alike from all
three of the counties. and so great Is his
reputation as 4 judge that during this
TING no plea to his Jurisdiction has been
iiled and no appeal even threatened from
one of his decisions except upon one &C.
caSion.
1T was q cause cclcbre, and the noun
tains had given forth their iwcliers,
male and female, dressed In their Sun
day attire, the men decorated with bell
spurs and capaclous shooters, and
the ladies with tin cans filled with snuff.
into which they frequently injected Il
young sapling chcwed to 4 fragile at
one end and used as snuff brush"-ali
come to hear the trial. AS the court
| hour drew near expectation ran high.
| FINALLY craning of nccks and IL hush
| OF the hum of conversation announced
the happening OF an important event.
| which was verified by the entry of the
great man known as the court, other
| wise Justice jim Hatfield. The court
was alfred In big sandy beard nnd a
| pair OF rcvolvers which might easily
| nave been mistaken for Calling guns
These the court majestically unhucSlcd
! ana laid OH the stable. at the same time
naSisterlally announcing that the court
was now ready to cut any Gordan
knots that the law could devise.
| y long, lean apparitlon. whose pants
came scarcely to It's shoe tops, with a
celluloid collar around its neck, on the
button Of which was hung Il cravut
| which resembled cloely n placard somc-
times posted on the door to notify the
| public that the occupant will return in
| half an hour, aud whose eyes were set
at an angle, which superinduced the
| beiief that one of them was studying as
tronnmy and the other botany. appeared
Tor The plaintiff In the case. This indl-
ridual was seeking to recover from the
r"'lroad company the value Of n skinny
| lonS-horned COW, worth perhas ST. bu;
| which his poignant grief had converted
into Il Jersey valued ut $500 f
| The case was opened by the production
OF evidence which clearly proved THAT
| the COW was found dead about a mile
ana half from the railroad track, and
thht her value was anywhere from $500
| TO $500. Then tho PLAINTIFFS attorney
i'll an argument eclips!ng the famous
| effort of Sergeant BuZfuzz, proceeded to
| demonstrate to the court nothing in
| particular except the assinnity of the
! speaker, alter which the young lawyer
for the defendant made n sensible argu-
ment of the utter lack of proof that the
COW had been killed by the train of the
company, and the case was given ia the
court for decision.
| Justice Hatfield looked wise. emitted
Il goyser of tobacco juice. ana said:
| After consideration. this here cote Is
| OF the unanimous decision that thar
| haln't nothing as could have killed n
healthy COW like that 'ccptlng a railroad
| mime and therefore the cote decides
adJudEes and DEGREES that the railroad
| pay John Smithers $500 for his COW
Failing to do that in ten days the con-
stable VIII take up a rail ana sell enough
| lumber from broken box cars TO nay the
| Judgment and costs"
Al hrst the young railroad attorney
| was too much surprised to speak, but
| finally he said: Your Honor, wish
| to give notice of appeal from that de-
cision."
The rage Of the IIrycinlan tiger was
Echtie 10 the wrath of the mountain
| Ianlei as he reared: You do, do you?
loi town puppy, you want 10 dishonor
| th:s here cote Ivy 'pealing from its de-
| cision. wher thar hain't n man dared ia
| 40 that this fifteen year" and the learn
| Ell Judge toycd with the hair trigger Of
| ! piece or his ordnance trained on The
! lawyer. his wrath seemed Ito desert him
ana Ill the blandcst voice magma BILE. he
! inquired. do you think youll neal,
mistcr?'' and there was that i'm the eve
| or the righteous judge which gave The
| attorney pause, and which made him re-
| ply that upon second thought he sun
| posed substantial justice had been done,
| ana he was willing to abide by the de-
| cision Of the court
! one OF The most novel cases ever de-
! cided was recently disposed of in The
| courts Of North Carolina. One morning
a young woman dressed in deep mourn
! ing came into a lawyers office, and in
| Formed him that she wished TO see him
on Important legal business. You see"
| sad she. ~ have been engaged to be
| married to Jonas Jones for the past two
years. Two months ago he died and
now want 10 know what to do" The
| lawyer who. 1t is needless to say, was
Il iull-lledEcd ShyStcr was ready with
! his reply. DID he leave any propcrsyA"
! Yes about $2.50o," replied the client.
Has The administrator been appoint
| cd?" Eyes. Thomas Smith" Then"
| rephed The lawyer, bring suit against
| him at once for breach of promise.
| The advice was taken and although the
unfortunate Smith protested and sworc
| to his innocence, the fact that no had
visited the young woman on several oc-
| casions, coupled with her testimony.
| turned the scales against him and regis
! tered verdict of Sl.500, which he had 10