The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-02-15
DOWN-EAST JUSTICE.


Corner, Me-, she sets" in the hall
over the postoffice. The postmaster
also rents the hall to the Independent
Order of Good Templars. Their
notices are hanging on the walls.
There are only four men in Cobb S
Corner who ever "tea up" as the
local expression has it. After the
neighborhood 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, I"
&c., are calculated to produce salu-
tary effect on the minds of the cul-
prits. The furniture of the hall is
composed of settees and salt-boxes
filled with sawdust. The justice has
a desk on the platform.
A few days ago one of the Horne
boys at Cobb's Corner got into trou-
BILE. People had been expecting the
Horne boy to get into trouble for
some time. He steals. His folks
say he cannot help it, and for a long
time his misdeeds have been pardon
ed. But after this recent affair they
thought he ought to have a lesson.
So the constable took him up"
Here's what the boy had done: He
went down to his brother in laws s
place and stole 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 firkin 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 was mischief. He simply
wanted to scare the youngster, not to
send him to prison.
The postmaster brought up into the
hall and laid on the desk a big blank
book, fresh bottle of ink, three or
four pens and plug of tobacco. He
took the Chief Templar's gavel and
raped for order.
There must be no loud and bois-
ferrous conduct in this hall during this
trial." he said. 81 expect this case
will have bearin' on several other
matters that are occupying the atten.
tion of the courts in the State, and
therefore there must be no actions
that will disturb the statu quo and
the-well, as l said, the stutu quo.
Gentlemen, take off your hats and
keep them off, This is not saw
mill. Please use the spitboxes. There
must be no loud and boisterous spit
ting on the floor. 1 will repeat that
l mean this. Now / am ready to lis
ten to the case.'
The first witness was neighbor OF
the brother-in-law. The neighbor
declared that he had seen the Horne
boy go down the road bound for the
brother in-law's place.
"How did you know he was going
tbere?" snapped the lawyer for the
defence. Are you mind reader ?"
Wal" snapped back the witness,
a grizzled old farmer, "my eyes are
just as goods four ceant lawyers,
an when 1 see a feller goin' into g
dooryard I come pretty near seein'
him go in there"
''Well, why didn't you say so, if
you saw him going into the dooryard
You simply said you saw him &C
past"
eff you had given me time I would
have said so. He had to go past my
place to get to his brother-in-law's,
didn't he?"
"Say, you keep your questions to
YOURSELF" shouted the lawyer, net
tied by the snickering of the crowd
IT hain't on the witness stand. Yor
just answer yes and no, and DOM
you open your head to answer any
other way
"Yes," said the justice, glarins
over his glasses, 'the learned brother
is right. Answer yes and no to al
questions.
Now" continued the lawyer
how did you know it was the pris
oner here that you saw go past youl
house?"
Eyes and no." said the witness
with malicious gleam in his eyes.
"Yaw, yaw, yaw-woo-o-o,'
laughed the crowd.
eff there is any more of this louC
and boisterous laughter in this court
rocm," said the justice sternly as h'
pounded for order, II shall make yol
go out of doors and laugh loudly anC
boisterously there" He surveyed
the crowd with fierce visage for mo