The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-30
BARON POLLOCK A punsrga.
Death Of the Judge Recalls some of Ills
Witty Remarks.

Witty Remarks.
From the London Telegraph
OF the late Baron Pollock II may be
with truth affirmed that, while pos
sesS!ng considerable fund Of wit. he
never posed as a humorist. He joked,
as 1t We're, accidentally rather than de-
/ liberately His chief weakness, per-
haps, was a love of punn!ng. but moth
ing he said ever left a sting behind.
These who can recollect when the COM
/ mon law judges sat at Guildhall as well
! as Westminster will remember that &C.
casionally the bells of a neighboring
church would burst out ringing, some
times to the utter confusion of the
learned counsel who happened to be adj
dressing the court. This occurring once
when Pollock was presiding, the judge
compassionateiy ordered the ringing to
stop, remarking in an aside to the II
good men and true occupying the jury
box: You know. gentlemen, this is not
a court of appeal"
1t is related that some years ago
Baron Pollock was invited to dine at the
College of Surgeons, and on leaving the
dining hall he discovered his umbrella
to be missing. only what one might
expect" he observed, that ones UNI
brella should here be boned." Soon after
his elevation to the bench Pollock pre-
sided over the crown court at Manches-
ter assiZes, and was listening to an abb
who, as attorney general under the con-
servatfye administration, afterward be-
came Sir John Holker. Suddenly an
audible discussion broke out among the
solicitors in THE Well" The judge
glanced depreciatingly at the disturbers
through his black framed pince nez.
but without avail Thereupon, in a
sharp voice, he said: One moment,
Mr. Holker, please" The learned coun-
sci paused. I'VE will proceed with the
case" his lordship said when these
gentlemen have finished their converse
ton" Instantly there was a dead ST
lence in the WE'LL" and Mr.. Hollxer pro-
ceeded without further interruption.
During the trial of an action arising
out of tramway accident, the conduc-
tor was called to prove what he was do
ing when the smash happened. The con-
ductor declared there was only one pas
senger inside the car, and to collect that
fare was only the work of a second.
Then could you collect so fares in one
minute?' demanded the nquisitiye
cross examining counsel. No" replied
the witness, even an angel could not
do that Pollock promptly remarked,
For the purposes Of this case ] do not
think we can go beyond ordinary NOR
tals-the more so, indeed as we know
that fools rush in where angels fear to
tread
Al Bury st. Edmund's lately the judge
IIlda1eD liG III take Il 1tiilGHI VIEW
Of the misconduct of a lad who had the
misfortune to find himself in the prison.
er's dock, and there was verdict of ac-
quittal. In his emotion the boys
father shouted, May your honor live
on the bench till you're hundred" "A
p,ous wish" Pollock loosely remarked
10 the high sheriff at his side, but one
that for the hopes of the junior bar had
better not be realized"
In the course of what is known as q
water case" specimens NJ the disputed
fluid We're produced in bottles. Those
submitted by the plaintiff Were positive
ly turbid, while those brought forward
by the defendant We're absolutely pei
lucid. with one exception, and this, it
turned out, had been filled by the so
licitor's clerk. On the bottle being
shaken the contents showed thicker
than any supplied by the plaintiff
There was. naturally an acrimonious
contest between counsel as to the ad-
mission of the unfortunate battle. but
the baron restored good humor with the
observation: IF the bottle, instead of
having been filled by solicitors clerk
had been settled by counsel, / dare say
no objection would have been taken"
Not long since it was suggested to the
baron by "A man much younger than
himself that. having passed the age of
three score years and ten, and spent
nearly one-third Of his life on the bench
ii was time for him To retire. Retire.
exclaimed the judge. Why | am as
active and vigorous as You are. Will
you dance With me- The friend
begged to be excused. Then will you
box with me?" jestingiy asked Pollock.
squaring up in approved fashion. This
doned his self-imncsed task as hopeless
and beat DIpcipitate retreat