The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-15
A BOY AND
HIS ELDERS.
Infant of Seven earsNOnpIusseS
the Supreme Court.
Stands a Long Examination in
Law.
ANSWERS QUESTIONS
Promptly, Briefly and Correctly
on Legal Points.
Is Admitted to the Bar by the
Court.

Byron Gilbert, Z years old, son of
Judge w. d. Gilbert of Atchison, today
received from the clerk of the supreme
court. a certificate of admission to the
practice of law before the supreme
court of Kansas-that is, to be valid
when he shall come of age.
Young Gilbert is therefore the young
est doctor of law in the history of the
world
His father took him by the hand yes
terday afternoon, led him before the
supreme court judges in chambers and
requested that they should examine
him for admission. They all took the
proposition as a joke, and Judge Dos
ter fired a simple question at him. He
answered it so promptly and with such
a confident air that the judges opened
their eyes wide in establishment.
Then a lot of questions were put to
him and he did not miss a single one
of them.
The little boy has a students face
surmounted by = crop of black curls,
and looks Intelligent far beyond his
years. His Father, Judge Gilbert, has
been accustomed to talk with him in
legal phraIeOlOgy until he has imbibed
many of the fundamental principles of
law.
The following are the questions and
answers. of the examination:
Byron, what is murder?''
Where you kill a person"
What is homicide 2''
Where you kill a man.
What is fratricide ?''
ITO kill your brother"
What is matricide?'
Where you kill your mother
What is patricide?''
xiii your father
What is uxorcide?"
xiii your wife,
What is infanticide?"
ITO kill child
What is sufcide?''
ITO kill YOURSELF
What is arSOn?''
ITO burn a house. -
What is larceny2''
'TO steal something"
What is grand larceny?''
''TO steal big things
''W hat is petty larceny?''
ITO steal little things
What is a cOurt2'
"A place where you try cases."
What is burglary?"
ITO break into a house and steal"
What is felony ?''
when a man is sent to the peniten-
tiaFy.
What is a misdemeanOr?''
when man is sent to Jail"
What is fOrgery?'
ITO sign a. mans name to a note and
get his money"
Who tries the case %
The LAWYERS
Where does the judge sit?''
"On the bench"
I'm the box"
Can you swear a witness?"
Yes, sir
DO sO''
The Juvenile candidate raised his
right hand and said:
The witness will be sworn, "and then
went through the form of administer
ing the prescribed oath correctly.
The certificate given the boy was as
follows:
STATE OF KANSAS, SUPREME
COURT.
To all to whom these presents shall
cOme-Greeting:
Know ye that Byron Howse Gilbert
citizen of the United States and of
the state of Kansas, and who expects
TO become a regular practicing attor-
ney and counsellor at law in all the dis
trict and inferior courts of the state of
Kansas, will then be entitled Che to be
4 good MANI to be duly admitted to
practice in the supreme court of the
state of Kansas. he having this day
passed d splendid examination before
me.
In witness whereof. I. the undersign-
ed, clerk of the supreme court of the
state of Kansas. have hereuntO set my
hand and affixed the seal of said court
at my office in Topeka, the 14th day of
December, A. D., 1897
(SignedD JOHN MARTIN,
Clerk Supreme Court
The certificate, to which was attach
ed an immense gold SEAL was exc
cuted in shaded penmanship by F. ].
Fritch. assistant clerk of the court and
was proudly borne away by its youth
full owner.