The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-10
Stories of an Inland State.


to lie and deceive, conspire and scheme as
tie other officials about the state house.
ard the Boss admired them for it. For
when he sat down to talk to any Of the
three judges he could be reasonably GER
tain that they would not ask something
sheepishly of him, or what was worse,
would not preface a request by reminding
him of some obligation.
He found two of the justices in-McGI-
len, round and fat, and Farrar, tall, ansu-
lar and humorous. Both had their feet on
the table and were chatting.
s'You will both be impeached as sure as"
cried the Boss without finishing the sem
tence.
'Impeached?" gurgled McGillen- 'since
when?''
your baiiiff's name is Boiling" the Boss
went on.
"Boling." the judicial duet assented.
''Well, his daughter is my stenographer
fine young woman. This bailiff of yours
picks up a man from the short-grass coun-
try who has a case in this court on appeal;
tells the visitor that his daughter has a
tremendous influence over her employer;
that her employer is your absolute master.
They both demand of the daughter that
she intercede with me TO force the supreme
court 20 decide the case in this short-grass-
er'S favor.
Boiling accepted money" exclaimed Nc
CiIlen. rising to his feet as solemn as a
monk
mo, Sit down. You bloated idiot! He
cid nothing of the sort. Just fellowship.
Saw the poor fellow loafing around here
and waiting and waiting and just took pity
on him.
"And your stenographer?' asked McGil-
len.
She is a lady. She came and told me all
about it,
Then all three men laughed. The tall an
eular Farrar then said:
whats the title of the case?"
'Boggs versus Turner" replied the Boss.
Farrar went out and came back directly.
"She's number IS, 49," said Farrar. land
buried forty fathoms deep-for seven
years"
ct doesn't make any difference how
many fathoms that case is buried" said
the Boss. "You decide 1t Boling's way
or his friends way-or Wen organize and
fire you both off the bench. Dye see?'
Then McGillen pulled out the cigars and
they all smoked.
"You ought to practice law Wayne" sug-
eested McGillen. with your control Of the
courts you would win every case" And
all laughed.
Several days after this Boiling, the bailif,
end the short-grasser Grum. who had had a
judgment in a district court assigned to
him on a debt and had let his business as
blacksmith go in order to follow the case
up TO the supreme court were sitting out
side the door of a room which the judges
used for consultation. McGillen and Far
rar had passed into the room half hour
before, and Boiling and Grum were idly
talking about whether the Boss had yet
been Influenced by Miss Boiling, the stem
ographer, into ordering the supreme court
to decide the case in Grum's favor as Boil
ing had assured Grum she would do. al
though she had told them both plainly that
she had no influence.
"Mr. Grum," said Boiling, patting the
palm of one hand with the back of the
other. "A Boss dominates. and no nomi-
nate, no election. Every judge owes his
election to the Boss. If after the election he
diln't boss the Boss wouldn't be boss, Held,
the courts is the Boss slaves"
Grum, dark, stupid and stumpy, sprang
to his feet. It was not the syllabus-like
argument OF Boiling which aroused him.
Listen" he cried, his eyes flashing.
Both men placed their ears to the door,
but could hear only the consultation of the
judges which came to them as humble.
II heard 'Boggs versus Turner through
that door, said Grum.
Grum had doubted the stenographer's in
fiuence at first. He did not now. He had
heard The title of the case through the door.
Boiling was jubilant at the dissipation OF
Grum's doubts. For two weeks the two
men sat silently outside the door while the
judges consulted-there were only two
didn't notice that.
They would hear only the rumbling, bro
ken, it is true, by an occasional high fash
OF profanity and laughter. They watched
the faces of the two judges as they came
out both usually flushed.
At the end of the second week Boiling
summed up his courage to ask them what
case it was they were having so much trou-
lie with. But at the last moment his heart
answered before 1t was asked. Farrar
reaching the door of the consultation room
before McGillen yelled back: Judge. hur-
ry up, Let's tackle Boggs versus Turner
Boling's heart jumped into his throat.
Grum was absolutely PROSTATE with sup
pressed excitement. When the door had
closed on the two judges both crept near
and placed their ears to the door. Only
the mumbling.
For two weeks more the judges consult
ed. always making some casual reference
before Grum and Boiling of the dreadfully
hard case of Boggs versus Turner.
Grum could stand the strain no longer
He had an idea in his head. Boiling had the
same icea in his head, but he never men,
toned it. Couldn't they hear the discussion
some DAY? The eyer-faithful Boiling re-
VOTED when Grum approached him. That
was going too far. But no one would ever
know And they would find out how the
case was going. Boiling gave IN. There was
in the consultation room a closet. The
rext day Boiling and Grum were therein
concealed. They had pulled the door shut
en- themselves They listened 10 the two
| judges when they came in and took theil
seats.
Shall we open up Boggs versus Turner?
| they heard Farrar say.
Go ahead answered McG.llen- High .
The sweat stood out on the foTeheads Of
| the concealed men
There was lone r-s6ee. Then came Far
rar's voice:
I'll see you
He will see them. Both men crowied
| Lack into the closet. Were they discover
| ed? But they crept near the door egair
when McGilen said:
Three BoggS beat two Turner's"