The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-08
JUDGE IS IN A QUANDARY
He Has Deep Problem on His
Hands.
HE MUST. FINE HIMSELF
Violated a City Ordinauce-There Were
No Witnesses but Stern Con-
science - What Will He
Do About TIP

Great Falls, May Hills honor of the
police court is in a brown study most
of the time lately. He has a case on
his hands which is puzzling him. AS
he stated it recently to the Standard
man, the facts are these:
The other day he had hung a bird
cage on his porch at the house and the
cage contained cardinal bird which
is the pride of his soul and the JOY Of
his household. 1t sang praises to the
sun, moon and stars, to Admiral
Dewey and the navy, to Roosevelt and
the boys in blue, to Montana and in
fact to almost every old thing except
embalmed beef Meanwhile Judge
Hawkins was happy with the plants
and flowers in his back garden. Then
came a cloud. The bird stopped its
singing and began to shrek. The Judge
rushed around to the porch just in time
to find sparrow hawk sitting on top
OF the cage and pulling feathers from
Mr.. Cardinal Bird through the wires
The hawk could not reach in far enough
to kill the blood-hued songster.
AS the judge epproacheu, the hawk
reluctantly flew off and liohted on
fence post a few feet distant, waiting
for the judge to go away that he might
finish off the red rag in the cage. His
honor, filled with righteous wrath, got
out his l0-bore AMI proceeded, with the
help of the hawk and a we'll directed
shot, to give an imitation of feather
tick opened on a windy day on a Great
Falls street corner. Then he remem-
bered the existence of a certain city
ordinance prohibiting the discharge of
firearms within the city limits, and
therein lies his trouble. He was the
sole witness of hi deed and must
therefore be the complaining witness
MT frttsh sic
SoWn arrest before himself. as police
magistrate. order his own arrest, give
bonds ito himself for appearance in
court, and then, sitting as a magistrate,
try himself as a prisoner before the
bar? In case that he proceeded thus
far, what sentence ought he to i'm
pose? Stern. impartial justice would
decree that a severe fine be imposed,
but as it is first offense and presum-
ably performed under great proyoca-
ton and the result was harmful to no
person save the peace of mind of the
complaining witness, who is the judge
himself, there ought to be a certain
amount of judicial clemepcy exercised.
Then the complaining witness is not
inclined to be vindiotiVe, but himself
favors light sentence on the prisoner,
and the judge, who is also we'll ac-
quainted with and quite a friend of the
man at the bar. is likewise predisposed
in his favor. Between them both the
fine would be rather light. OF course,
the choice of courts lies with the COM
planning witness, and should he fear
that the case would not get a fair hear
ing before Judge Hawkins, he could
take it to another shop. The prisoner
is in the same way entitled to a change
of venue If he so desires, but it hap
pens in this case that both complaining
witness and the prisoner feel that their
interests are safe with his honor and
the court agrees with them.
Meanwhile his honor has advised the
complaining witness to think the mat
ter over and the latter is doing so.