The times., 1898-07-06
JUDICIAL DIGNITY UPHELD.
Court That VIII Not Brook an
Insult.
From the Kansas Citv Star.

From the Kansas City star.)
Justice Robert NJ. Bowling, of Kansas
City, Kans., is a Tennesseean. Of excel
lent physique, lusty health and a degree
of youth unusual on the bench. 1t was
about time yesterday that Kansas CITY.
Kans., should be heard from by the wide
world. The distinction o. making the
town he lives in famous fell to Justice
Bowling, who promulgated new idea
about contempt Of court, which. for SIM
plicity. novelty and effec tiveness, IS un-
surpassed in the history of jurisprudence.
Therear thousands of good citizens who
pray that a similar construction of con-
tempt of court will be adopted by the
Missouri supreme court and applied TO
the park knockers when they next ap-
pear before that august tribunal Park
knocking would undoubtedly cease from
that moment.
Yesterday Justice Bowling was a plain
justice Of the peace. Today he is famous.
Next Sundey the New York yellow jour
nails will have pictures or him. Next
month the London Times and the Paris
Temps will comment on him editOrially
Judge Bowling's courtroom Is in lit
tie building just across the western
boundary line of Kansas City, Kans.. at
the terminus of the Metropolitan Com
pany's Fifth Street cable line. 1t was
there he adjourned yesterday afternoon
long enough 10 thrash a recalcitrant lit
igant VINO, in the heat of excitement, so
far forgot himself as to call the justice a
liar.
Justice Bowling is a son Of Thomas B..
Bowling, formerly sherifr or Wyandotte
county. He is a stickler for the proper
observance of decorum in the courtroom.
and II frequently happens that pettifog-
gers who are accustomed to browbeating
and intimidating in other coufirts are re-
bulIed by the stern young justice when
they resort to such practices in his court
THE dignity of this court must be OBJ
served" says Justice Bowling.
This point of uphoIding the dignity of
his court has become passion, as il
were, with Justice Bowling
Oddly enough, 1t was one r. D. Wood
who had attached several cords of wood
to enforce the collection of a debt from
William jennings a laborer who lives
near Muncie. Jennings asked the justice
to release the attachment saying that if
given a few days time he could sell the
wood and get more money for ii than he
would receive If IL was put up and sold
at a constabes sale. Justice Bowling
did not wish TO be severe with Jennings.
so he released the attachment, and there
the case rested.
Yesterday afternoon Jennings slrolled
INTO justice bowling court ana 0ftereG
to file an affidavit, setting forth that he
was not the owner of the wood, and never
had owned it.
How is this?' inquired Justice Bowl
ing. Did you not testify when this case
was uD before that you did own the
wocG?"
mo; I never said anything of the
kind, and any man who says I did is
liar" retorted Jennings excitedly.
80, you mean to say, then, that I am
a liar?" said Justice Bowling Indignantly.
rising to his feet. This court will take
a recess for fifteen minutes, and we will
go outside and settle this matter"
do I have to fight exclaimed Jen-
nings in some confusion of ideas
YES sir you do,' thundered the jus
tice. ''It is a rule of this court, sir"
Saying this, the justice pulled off his
alapaca coat. and in less time than it
would take TO tell Il, they were out in
the street. and were at it hammer and
tongs. In ten minutes Jennings eyes
were closed and he was so badly bat
tered that he looked like he had been run
through a stone crusher, while the JUS
tice, sans hat sans coat, sans shirt, stood
painting for breath, but with the dignity
of his court upheld.
Justice Bowling did his man up in style.
He called a carriage to remove him. AS
the carriage pulled up to take Jennings
away Justice Bowling was heard to say:
''Any man who insults this court will
have to fight