The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-05-09
UP" FRANKLIN'S JUDGMENT.


Texas Solomon and the Intricate
Question of a Hens Ownership.
Texas has always been noted for the
remarkable decisions of some or It's MI
nor judiciary which, while often snow
ing ignorance of the letter of the law,
contained a good deal of rude equity
and appreciation of what was llgm Pc
tween man and man. This is largely
due to the fact that the remuneration
of most of the justices OF the peace IN
the state is so small that no lawyer, OF
even a man of good average business
ability, can afford to spend the time
needed to discharge the duties or the
office. The well known capitalist Uncle
Jerry Galyan when in the height OF his
power got himself elected to the posi-
ton, tina tit might not fall INTO tne
hands of man who would Cypress the
poorer people, and later the present
sheriff, Forto, and a number OF others
have taken the position solely 70 tie
same end.
The present justice in Brownsville is
Joseph I. r. Franklin, who Off aad on
has been justice for the past twenty
wears. He is little, nervous man. very
well versed in the laws of the state,
and the determined enemy OF all fakirs,
snide machine repairers and all mat
wandering gentry that float from town
to town preying on the unwary. When
one of these fellows gets into the
clutches OF Franklin he always has a
very hard time of 1t. indeed, anc geher-
ally goes across the river to escape MS
prosecutor.
The Judge Is generally known as "Jip
Franklin among the American popuia-
ton. and as "Hosey- Josey' among the
Mexicans This queer compound appel
lative has stuck to him since, as little
tot at school, his American teacher
would sometimes address him by the
Spanish version of his name jose,
and sometimes with its English dlml-
nutive as "Josey," his school fellows
forming him q nickname by combina-
ton Of the two.
Some of Franklin's decisions in the
past would have done credit to the
Wise Cadi in The Arabian Nights
One case / recollect,in particular TWO
women came to him one morning, both
claiming the ownership of hen, valued
perhaps at rs cents. Each had crowd
Of witnesses who swore point-blank up
and down, one lot that the hen was the
property of one of the women and the
other gang that 1t was the property oil
the other Here was quandary
Franklin thought d while, and then or
dered that the hen be left with the court
| and said he would render his decision
later.
| lust about sunset that afternoon
Zip" accompanied by the constable
who carried the hen in soap box,
couple of policemen and two or three OF
the court hangers-on appeared IN from
of the dwellings of the rival claimants
who lived Just across the street from
each other. The police and the hangers
on were ordered to clear the street anc
to keep all passers-by and curious urch'
ms back, while the rival occupants OF
the residences were ordered to stay
within doors
Then the constable put the box con-
tanning the hen at point In the road
way midway between the two houses
and as the setting sun was tingeing The
clouds In the west with its last rays he
| removed tine CONET VI lHt bph phN iNt'i
ed on tiptoe. "Biddy' jumped up or
the edge of the box, shook her feathers
hoped into the street, picked in th'
dust for a moment and then, calmly
marching into the yard Of one of thu
claimants, proceeded to fly up into
tree to go to roost.
! Calling the woman of that house tC
the door, Franklin told her that he hac
| decided that the hen was hers, ana
turning to the other, who had come out
said: "And If you give me any more
trouble about that hen will assess yol
So so for costs"
All the neighbors were well satisfied
as to the justice of the decision, anc
F'ranklin's reputation as judge wa
much enhanced thereby among the ma
tive population. He had very shrewdll
thought that if no one else knew tt
whom the hen belonged probably Bldd!
herself would be the most certain Wit
| H., tl,o NTayirpy Herald.