Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-07-17

| Some Terms of Almost Everyday
| Use That Proved 10 BE Too Pro-
found For the Intelligence of the
| Learned Bench and Bar.
In case that came before famous
| lord justice some time ago the counsel
for the prosecution in the evidence had
| 10 mention Il blouse"
The judge asked what a blouse was.
and it was explained that this was part
of lady's dress. But the case came to
dead stop for the time for the judge
did not know which part. and after
some hesitation the barrister admitted
that lie wasn't sure Several learned
| brothers gave their opinion. some opin-
ing a blouse was the upper half of
| lady's costume. while others insisted it
must be the lower half. The entire
court, filled with learned celebrities
whose heads held all the laws of Brit
ain, from pitch and toss to Inanslaugh-
ter, argued il ont. but nobody was sure.
The judge thought it was the lower
half. but a Junior barrister who had
lately been married said he thought
that that half was called n skirt, but
did not feel certain. At length lady
was called. who set the court right
Another odd dilemma happened not
long ago when in the Hobson "horse
taking" case the word ''fetlock" arose.
A fetlock, as everybody knows, is the
ankle of horse. The court asked
what it was. however and the prose-
cutting counsel was nOnplused. The
witnesses were out of court save one.
and he knew nothing. The judge
thought a fetlock was a sort of hind
knee, otherwise "hock." but one learn
ed brother was quite certain it was the
lock of hair that hangs over horses
forehead. The defendants solicitor
opined 1t was that part of the harness
which slips over the tail, the crupper
and another legal celebrity agreed with
the judge. Finally the court had to call
a stable groom TO clear up the mystery
In case that was settled some years
since the recorder was brought up
short by phrase used by the counsel
for defense. who spoke of a transaction
concerning a pound Of "blacklead."
This is a common and useful article,
but the counsel on being asked to ex-
plain its nature said il was n black
substance used for boot polishing. The
recorder thought il was mineral used
i'm lead pencils. but another barrister
asserted IL TO be tough kind of lead
used for roofing houses" The case was
brought to a standstiIl, and one lawyer.
unsurpassed in legal knowledge, de-
clared that blackIead was a slang term
for pig iron as produced I'm the north
country. A fourth expounder of the
law vaguely suggested it was the OPP
posite of white lead. and finally n do
nestle servant put the court right. and
the assembly at last learned that il was
used for backing stoves.
Another dilemma was produced a lit
tie while ago on the western circuit by
the introduction of the words dry
nurse" i'm an address to the court This
bewildered the judge. who asked if n
dry nurse was n nurse who dried ba-
bies after they had been washed. That
solution did not occur TO the learned
counsel, who. after some hesitation,
said he thought it meant a nurse who
was not addicted to drinking and there
fore most suitable to look after infants.
Nobody seemed to know what the term
really meant. though several more
guesses were made. the last of them
that a dry nurse was one who could
not amuse children.
The court was again nonplused by n
statement made that somebody con-
cerned in the case supposed TO suffer |
from melanchOlia was really "as jolly |
as a sandboy." The Judge wanted To
know what a sandboy was in order TO
form some idea as to the exact degree |
of jollity involved. The counsel could |
not tell him. though one suggested 1t
was boy who sanded the roads and |
the other thought it might be a lad |
building sand castles on the seashore. |
The whole court stopped to /. discuss ]