New-York tribune., 1901-07-21
DOWN-EAST JUSTICE.
HOW THE COURT "SETTIN'" AT CORPS
CORNER METED IT OUT TO
THE HORNE BOY
THE HORNE BOY.

IN Cobb Corner, Me, she sets" in the hall over
me postoihce. The postmaster is the local trial
justice The postmaster also rents the hall to
'he Independent Order OF Coed Templars. Their
notices are hanging the walls There are
only four men in Cobb's Corner who ever tea
UP, as the local expression has it. After the
nelghborhood has endured them for about so
long the constable turns to" and arrests them
The trials come off in the hall. and the notices
seek Not Mixed Drinks Wine is a Mocker"
Touch Not, Taste Not" .ttc., are calculated TO
produce salutary effect on the minds of the
culprits- The furniture Of the hall is composed
Of settees and saltboxes filed with sawdust
The justice has desk the platform.
\ few days ago one OF the Horne boys at
Coeb's Corner got into trouble People had been
expecting the Horne boy to get into trouble for
some time. He steals. His folks say he can
not help it, and for long time his msdeeds
have been pardoned- But after this recent af-
fair they thought he ought 10 have lesson
SO the constable took him up" Here's what
the boy had done: He went down TO his brother
in-law's place and stoe the best cow and the
relatives wedding suit. Three weeks before
that in the absence of the family for the day,
he had stolen a small load of hay, three bushels
Of potatoes and frkin of butter. The family
Was also away when he took the COW and suit
The charge brought against the Horne boy by
his brother-in-law mischief. He simply
wanted TO scare the youngster, not to send him
10 prison.
The postmaster brought up into the hall and
laid on the desk big blank book, fresh bot
tie Of ink three or four pens and a plug of to-
bacco. He took the Chief TempIars gavel and
raped for order.
There must be loud and boisterous con-
duct in this hall during this trial" he said.
Il expect this VIII have bearin' several
other matters that occupying the attention
OF the courts in the State and therefore there
must be no actions that viii disturb the statu
quo and the-well, as / said, the statu quo.
Gentlemen, take off your hats and keep EN- off.
This is not a sawmill Please use the sptboxes.
There must be loud and bosteroUs splitting
on the floor / will repeat that 1 mean this.
Now l am ready TO listen TO the case"
The first witness a neighbor OF the
frother-in-law. The neishbor declared that he
had seen the Horne boy go down the road
bound for the brother-in-aw's place.
How did you know ne going there?"
snapped the lawyer for the defence. Are you a
mind reader?'
Wal" snapped back the witness, grizzled
old farmer my eyes are just good s four
cent lawyers. an when 1 see a feller goin' into
a dooryard 1 come pretty near seein' him go
in there"
We'll, why didn't you say so, if you saw him
going into the dooryard? You simply said you
him go past"
If you had given me time 1 would have said
50. He had go past my place TO get to his
brother-in-law's didn't he?"
Say, you keep your questions 10 yourself,
shouted the lawyer, nettled by the snickering OF
the crowd Il han't on the witness stand. You
Just answer yes and no, and don't you open your
head TO answer any other way
Yes" said the justice glaring over his
glasses, 1.-The learned brother is right. Answer
yes and TO to all questions"
Now" continued the lawyer, how did you
know it was the prisoner here that you saw go
past your house?'
Yes and no." said the witness, with ma
licious CLEAN in his eyes.
.Yaw, yaw, yaw-woo-o-o," laughed the
crowd.
If there is any more Of this loud and bolster
GUS laughter in this courtroom" said the jus
tice sternly as he pounded for order, Il shall
make you go out of doors and laugh loudly and
B0isterously there" He surveyed the crowd
with fierce visage for a moment, and then began
10 whirl his hand around over his head. He
knitted his eyebrows and then suddenly ejacu-
lated "Cuss d fly" He stopped in confusion
Il didn't mean TO say that he said hastily. 4
VIII say TO you gentlemen. that l forgot court
was sittin' / frequently say that when / am
busy sortin' the mail, and il come natural then!
E..,, reedn', laIgh-nO- a laugh Unless