Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-08-07
PUZZLES FOR JUDGES
SIMPLE WORDS THAT HAVE TANGLED
UP ENGLISH COURTS.
Some Terms of Almost Everyday
Use That Proved to he TOO Pro-
found For the Intelligence of the
Learned Bench and Dnr.

Some Terms of Almost Everyday
Use That Proved to De TOO Pro-
found For the Intelligence of the
Learned bench and Dnr.
In case that came before famous
lord Justice some time ago the counsel
for the prosecution in the evidence had
to mention 'blouse."
The judge asked what blouse was,
and it was explained that this was part
of d 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 he wasn't sure. Several learned
brothers gave their opinion. some opin-
ing blouse was the upper half Of q
lady's costume, while others insisted it
must be the lower half. The entire
court, filed with learned celebrities
whose heads held all the laws Of Brit
ain, from pitch and toss to manslaugh-
ter, argued it out, but nobody was sure.
The judge thought it was the lower
half, but Junior barrister who had
lately been married said he thought
that that half was called 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 1t was, however, and the prose.
cutting counsel was nonplused. The
witnesses We're out of court save one,
and he knew nothing. The judge
thought fetlock was 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
stable groom to clear up the mystery.
In n case that was settled some years
since the recorder was brought up
short by phrase used by the counsel
for defense, who spoke Of transaction
concerning a pound of "blacklead."
This Is common and useful article,
but the counsel OH being asked to ex-
plain its nature said it was black
substance used for boot polishing. The
recorder thought it was Il mineral used
In lead pencils. but another barrister
asserted it to be tough kind of lead
used for roofing houses" The case was
brought to standstill and one lawyer,
unsurpassed in legal knowledge, de-
clared that blacklead was a slang term
for pig iron as produced in the north
country. a fourth eXpounder of the
law vaguely suggested it was the op-
posite Of white lead, and finally a do
nestle servant put the court right, and
the assembly at last learned that it was
used for blacking stoves.
Another dilemma was produced lit
tie while ago on the western circuit by
the introduction of the words "dry
nurse" In an address to the court. This
bewildered the judge, who asked if
dry nurse was 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 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 dry nurse was one who could
not amuse children.
The court was again nonplused by
statement made that somebody con-