The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-19

Gus through all that region for his remark
able decisions. Before him a Mexican
boy. through his father, sued an Ameri-
can rancher for $50, which he claimed as
the wages due for three months work.
Between a Mexican and an American any
Mexican Justice can always see that the
riht is plainly on the side of the suitor
of his own nationality, and no matter
what the evidence. he can usually find
some way of making his decision express
his sympathy. In this case the defend
ant proved that the boy had been hired to
do chores for his board, and that 1t had
been expressly stipulated that he was not
to receive money payment. The justice
considered the case with frowning brows
and laboring brains for some time. Then
he announced that the plaintiff had failed
to prove his case.
But" he added, 1.-THE boy is a poor boy,
and it would be a shame If he did not get
something out of his suit He is entitled
to something, and I hereby award him
the defendants black mare that is tied in
front of the door,"
The same justice had to decide a unique
breach of promise suit. Among the Mex
leans it is the universal custom for the
bridegroom to defray all the expenses of
the wedding. He must furnish the brides
trousseau and all the housekeeping equip
ment, and he must pay for the wedding
feast and all the native wine that the
he will have to live with his wife's par
ents afterward, but he must not think of
matrimony until he has money enough to
pay for the whole affair, from the first
article in his brides trousseau to the pho
tograph in their wedding garments, which
they invariably have taken after the feast
is over. A Mexican bridegroom would no
more expect his bride to pay for her we'd
ding clothes than an American lover would
expect his bride to pay for the license.
An elderly Mexican in the town of Las
Cruces, whose heart was as warm as his
head was white, had gained the promise
of a pretty young senorta, and together
they went to the store to buy her trous-
seau. From under her long black lashes
she flashed her black eyes at him with
such effect that he opened wide his purse
and bought her all the pretty clothes she
wanted And the senorita took advantage
of the occasion to want pretty much ev-
erything she saw. AS soon as she had
got the pretty things Safely slowed away
at home she Tilted her elderly lover and
would not even allow him to come to her
house. While clad in the dresses he had
paid for she would sail past him in the
street with her head in the air and give
him not the least notice. That was too
much for hot-hearted but cool-headed
lover to stand, and he brought suit for
breach of promise, asking damages to the
amount of the value of the trousseau. 1t
came out on the trial that the elderly lover
had borrowed the money with which he
had bought the wedding finery Then the
Justice decided in the girls favor on the
ground that the things did not belong to
the man because they had not been DouSht
with his own money.
Many of these Mexican justices cannot
speak English. But that is not so much
of a disqualification as it might appear,
for the territorial law commands all court
proceedings to be carried on In both Eng
I'll. MnFH
court has its official interpreter, and every
word spoken in either language by judge,
lawyers or witnesses is translated aloud
into the other tongue.