New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-13
4 DANGEROUS WEAPON.
HOW A LONG ISLAND JUSTICE DEFINED
THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE
FOLDING BED


The recent casualties which led The Tribune
to comment che fact that the folding bee. is
dangerous weapon recalls the famous decision
OF Justice Terry. Of dauphauG. Long Island
which fixed forever the legal status OF that
modern contrivance which Is said to have been
Invented BY Some man 10 wreak revenge on lie
insurance companies. This decision is not so
we'll known II deserves TO be for owing TO the
primitive methods that prevail I'm Justice Terry's
court. 1t has never been properly spread upon
the recorda
| Hauphaug pronounced hophog) IS a quiet littie
country village enjoying In the present day most
or the convenieices OF last century. -Four hc;t.s
OF the Inhabitants bear the pat-onyrric Te-ry-
a fact which will become evident. as this story
proceeds. and which. IT is hoped. will not prove
confusing Roger Terry-no relation cf the JUS
! tice-had Just returned from college. ard he
! brought with him folding bed. u was the first
ever introduced into the village Of Hauphau~.
and that conservative community viewed tn IN
novation with grave suspicion. The fact that
few Of the people had ever seen ii, ard that the
name conveyed only vague notion Of what -
was. did not tend to alleviate this prejudice.
Roger Terry was not popular. Going college
was step which the village did not approve.
but the bringing home of folding bed was TOO
much for the inhabitants particularly the worn-
en-, to stand.
Il can't understand what his mother means"
said Mrs. Scudier Terry whose relationship 10
represented by a genealogical chart How can
one keep decent amount OF inscc; powder IN 4
thing which h'ists up and let's down that way,
Why. there won't even be enough u him left
give a decent burial to-
She stated the feminine prejudice exactly She
was. OF course, understood to retcr the
tivity Of the Cimex lectularus. one Of the dram
ats persona OF this story. whose name was not
Terry. though he doubtless had much OF the
Terry blood in him. and who is only introduced
under the decent veil OF n dead language"
But while events did not work out just as Mrs.
Scudder Terry predicted, they moved rapidly
q crisis. one night when the parents of Roger
were away there came wild screams and yells
from his house. which alarmed the entire village.
Constable Billoscar Terry. in whose portnanteau
name the virtue of two grandparents
celebrated arrived on the scene early. partly
dressed. He thought foul murder. least,
was being done. He broke into the house. and.
he told his story in Justice Terry's court tina
next day:
II found young Roger in that contraption
OF hs'n. his head sticking and his feet folded
up behind the back OF his neck. 1t was shut up
that way. He yelling like mad. The min
ute got my eyes on it knew it was that fold
ing bed.
Let me out says he.
What's the matter?' says I. Amt IT folded
all right
With that he kept the recording angel busy
words. II seems they don't fold up them
beds only when they're not in 'em. Well.
got him out and put him in the loci,Up for dis
turbug the peace OF the ueghbcrhood. which
he certainly did Judge"
Roger explained that lie intended breach OF
the peace when he got into that bed hut that
he merely wished to go sleep. 1t had shut
up him by chance and there nothing
him q do but shout for help
The Justice the force Of this staten IT,
but he also knew that the sentiment Of tt>
community demanded some punishsa mt for thu
intro Queer of folding beds. He did not hesitate
long for legal principle.
TIE prisoners plea Of seif-def fence excuses
TIE yelling and swearing" he said. but
self defence does not permit to carry
about whole arsenal II deadly We8D Cas. This
here folding bed, by all accounts likc one OF
them sword-carcs. las 4 sham. It's real use
is hidden. It's a bed sailing under false pre-
fences of being escritory. so 10 speak. by all
accounts, too, ii is dangerous. therefore fine
the prisoner $40 for having a concealed weapon
about him; for at the time of the arrest he DID
have it about him, by the testimony of the IL
stable and the admission of The prisoner him
S.rf