The herald., 1898-10-23
JUST a uTTlf SCRAP
BELLICosE ATTORNEYS Apollo
0IzE FOR THEIR CONDUCT
AND THE COURT. FoRGIvEs
But Hyatt Sticks to His Statement and
Shows That He Is Nimble on His
Feet-The Township Court

w. P. Hyatt and Bernard Potter came be
fore Justice Young in the township court
yesterday, with dOwncast countenances anC
the appearance OF humility, to make theil
excuses to his honor for the part they had
severally taken in as handsome a little scrap
az has lately taken place in the shadow ol
the blind goddess.
On the night before, just at the moment
OF adjournment, I. j. Spencer was being
examined. ON supplementary proceedings IN
the case OF Livingston against Spencer. WIT
ness was reluctant to answer and the court
was compelled to prod him up. Potter, III
a spirit OF sarcasm, said the witness need not
answer if it would render him liable to pros
ecution, and Wyatt, Spencers attorney, re,
sented the imputation, saying if any one had
committed q criminal act, Potter had. :,
This time Potter was mad. He asked ii
Hyatt ment that he had been guilty OF a
criminal act. Hyatt denied that such was
his meaning, but being pressed, charged Pot
ter with forgery, in that he had changed a
date in the order of the court. Justice
Young tried to head off trouble by saying
that It had been with his permission if any
date had been changed, but Potter persisted
in asking Hyatt if he charged him with forg,
cry. The latter was getting warmer and
warmer and did not extend the olive branch
finally blurting out II stick to what l said. -
This was the last straw. Potter was mad
before, but then he was furious. He quick
ly smashed Hyatt in the right eye and then
grabbed him, catch as catch can, and shook
him right and left with great violence.
Spencer leaped down from the witness
stand to bear hand in the fight, yelling to
the constable to arrest Potter. Potter was
fairly wound up, however, and seeing rein
forcements of the enemy in sight, quickly
changed front and charged step or two,
soaring Spencer nearly out of his wits.
The round was soon over, and Potter stood
victor in the arena, but Justice Young, who
had unintentionally occupied the place of
referee, then proceeded to maintain the
character as well as the dignity of his Of
flee, by ordering the young Blackstones to
appear yesterday and show cause why they
should not be punished for contempt. They
was as peaceful as that of any sucking dove.
as they poured out in copious measure the
expressions of their grief that anything could
have caused them so far to forget the dig
nifty of the courtlaa to turn the tribunal Of
justice into prize ring.
In expressing his Difference for the court,
however, Mr.. Potter said he ought to have
waited until he had got outside, and thrashed
Mr.. Hyatt then to the queens taste. Hyatt
visbly paled, for he had felt the power of his
opponent, both in the whack on his eye, and
in the shaking he had given him, and the
remarks of Mr.. Potter seemed indicative of
an account yet possibly to be balanced.
Shrinking back in his seat, he left the court
to have it out with his choleric opponent,
whose manner was gentleness personifed in
respect to his honor.
Potter humblv owned that he deserved to
be fined for contempt of court, but Justice
Young was in fatherly mood of forgiveness
nnd decided to let them off with lecture.
This was received with bowed heads by
both belligerents, as benediction in church,
and they passed out with becoming modesty
Outside Hyatt regained his voice and
courage, and bravely risked fresh collision
by saying, II am certainly obliged to the
stick to what I said, just the same
Potter heard the remark and started af-
ter his fellow attorney with fresh zeal. intent
on fiaying him alive, or at least crippling him
fo life; but Hyatt was too spry for him.
N,imbly flying down the steps on the wings
of fear. he soon placed a safe distance BET