The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-04
JUDGE HOKE.
Further Instances of Justice at Sand
Bend.


of Sandy Bend as he raped on the
table with his knuckles and glared
around-s'this yere court is now open
fur bizness, and the fust bizness before
it is to crawfish. Fur the fust time in
the history of Jim Hohe, either as d
citizen or a 5estice of the peace, he's
got to back water. It's goin' to come
hard to do it, but I shall shet me eyes
and syaIler the medicine, and if any ga
loot around these diggin's ar rash
enough to ask me how it tasted he's
got to be lightnin' on the draw to stand
me Off
Two months ago Jim Watkins was
before this court. You all know Jim
and you know he's pizen mean. Jim
had cleaned out camp on Miners hill
and hid away in a cave A constable
| when he was finally face to face with
! jestice the burned critter had the gall
to tell me that he stole the things in
his sleepi You may remember that
axed the Lord to have mercy on his
soul and sentenced him to states prison
fur life. I thought I was big enough to
do it. and that he orter be made an
example of, but long comes the SUI
preme court and revarses my decision
and sends Jim back for a new trial.
| That's him over in the box, and he's
lookin' Jest a bit meaner than when he
/ left yere.
1T was my idea that Jim Hoke
knowed his gait as court and that
whatever he said went. but I've dis
kivered that I'm only second fiddle.
| It's surprise party on me, but, as
said little while ago, I'm goin' to
| take a back seat. Jim Watkins you
can now stand up. I'm ordered to an
null your sentence and give you a new
| trial. The vardtct is that you never
| stole nutbin tall and the sentence is
| that you go free. That's my way OF
gittin back at the higher court, and if
ready to hand in. Yes, Jim: you ar
| discharged from custody. but If I was
you l wouldn't go to braggin' and
| steppin high. On the contrary, I'd look
mighty humble and git out of town as
soon as possible. While I'm Jedge Hoke
I can't tech you. but as soon as court
/ is adjourned and I become Jim Hoke
of the Red Dog saloon agin I'll owe
| you one and pay 1t as soon as l can
reach you.
We've got another case this morn
in, and havin' duly crawAshed and
/ cleared the docket I'll give nv atten-
ton to Jim White. He's sittin' over yere
on my right. He's the complainant in
| this case and he's7tryin his durndest to
look like an abused man. Over. thar
ION my left side is One Legged Pete,
who's half greaser and half American
and one of the meanest critters to be
found fur a hundred miles around
Neither one of EN- is with 0lantin'
over six inches deep, and arter the trial
outer town on gineral principles
| This we're court, as Is known to most
of you, owns the Red Dog saloon across
| the creek. It ar needless to add that
drinks. poker and various other things
| ar dispensed over thar fur cash. and
| the reputashun of Red Dog ar, second
to none in this woolly west. Last night
was busy time at the Red Dog. This
court had to help wait on the bar, chuck
three men out of doors and pop another,
and when midnight come he went to
bed tired out. He had just got to sleep
when a critter gallops up on broncho
| he wants iestice.
| Who is it?' seq T.
Jim White seq he.
What's the hullabaloo?'
One Legged Pete has stole my wife
| 'Waaal, so'n steal some other crit
ter's Wife
Yes. but durn his hide. he wanted
jestice, and he wouldn't be satisfied till
I got up and agreed to hev One Legged
Pete arrested. He was arrested this
mornin'. and thar he is. I've talked
with him, and I've talked with the wo-
man. and I've also had my nose in the
statoots fur an hour or more. Now.
| then, fustly, as the woman went away
willinly with the prisoner he didn't
steal her: secondly. under the statoots
of this territory a woman amt property
and can't be stole: thirdly, any critter
| hevin' such q humblS- VIE as she ar
orter be willln' to nav $50 to hev her
stolei fourthly, Jim White was right
thar when his wife jumped on the boss
behind Pete and rid away. He had a
rifle beside him. and he's good shot
He could hev plunked the both of 'em
and the boss to boot. but did he do ii?
No, Stree. He sot right thar and seen
EN- 60 and then he mounts his knock
kneed old broncho and rides 'leven miles
| to pound on the back door of the Red
Dog saloon and yell fur jesticer'
Your honor. said Jim's lawyer. my
ciie gbs ar peaceful law- abb IA -
know Jim White from top to toe and the
court don't want any of your CAB in this
words to shoot off p
We, hev nutbin' to say" replied the
counsel
Thatcher growled. his honor. IF you'd
Ta5d b ten words n fay9 r. Of the
you blamed ole reptile, what made you
steal that woman p
Wal you've got her. and now keep
her, but don't never do it ag in. Jim White.
cuss when he come fur your wife ?''
Il left him 70 the law
we'll as the law is big 'nuff and broad
huff to take leer of both of you When
! was elected 5estiee Of the peace in and
ginerally understood that everybody could
hev law and -jestice by the shovelful. Yo'i
to wake this court up. You ar tharfore
fined SIS and COSTS which will be about
as much more You hollered fur justice
and hev got it. and If the boys wasn't goin'
to run you outer town I'd double the fine.
Pete how much money you got?"
About $50
s''Then III gin you dose of iestice at
the same tirnel The vardict is that you pa
a fine of SIS fur bein' the cause of this yere
row, ana as court adjourns wen go over
to my saloon. and you kin spend SO or SIC
more treatin' the crowd. Somebody hit
that Chinaman asleep ag,in the wail fur
contempt of court in not keepin' awake
and court will then adjourn and rush biz
ness across the creekn'-Copyright 1862, by
C. B. IseWis-l
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