Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1903-03-05
JIM BURhEY'S
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sY pupouT VIcHRs.
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TT sometimes happens that the
/ Judge of a court of justice finds it
imperative to waive forms and cere-
monies, and remember that he is
man. as well as an official, and that
there are times when he ceases to be
an irresponsible agent of blind god
dess who often cuts the wrong party
with her two-edged sword.
OF course a court is always a court,
but the Judge is not always the wool
sack, Notwithstanding the opinion of
that Dutch justice of the peace who
considered himself always an object
of contempt. In such case, that is to
say, when the judge is man, and not
a machine, sitting on high, with ban
dage over his eyes. his sa-s filled With
wax lest he hear the warbiings of the
siren, truth, and a keen, two-edged
sword in his hand with which to strike
at random, his proceedings and opih-
ions are not points of practice, orprece-
dents generally to be followed, but are
said to ''coram non judice, which is as
much as saying: Not before the judge,
but before the man" They are not
to be found in the sheep-bound vol
umes lining the walls of every law
yer's office; they are entered in that
great book known as Humanity" the
authority of which is never questioned.
In little town situated in the heart
of the Rocky mountains, so high above
the level of the sea that the meteor
illogical phenomena of its surround
ings could not be regulated by the gov
ernment weather bureau, since they
were always hanging upon the ragged
edge of some inscrutable law, or rule
of physics, sometimes showing in the
middle of July, or compelling the in
habitants to wear straw hats and linen
coats in January, there dwelt com
munity of individuals who delved for
good and other valuables in daytime,
and at night sat around in the various
places of resort, exchanging lies, or
devising schemes to get rid of their
hard-earned gold without receiving
quid pro quo. In plain language, Ko-
komo was mining town.
Outwardly, its people were rough,
uncouth men, gathered from all parts
of the earth, with struggling boards,
cowhide boots and clothing that would
not pass muster in civilized, well-reg-
ulated community. Inwardly ly-well,
every one was psychological phe-
nomenon.
A murder was committed one day,
and the murderer was caught red
handed, or, rather, he caught himself,
for he did not try to escape, actually
sending a message for the sheriff,
while he guarded the corpus delicti
himself. 1t was well toward evening,
and the thermometer had taken a sud
den fancy to drop 20 degrees below
zero.
There was absolutely no way of es-
cape for criminal, and when the sher-
iff escorted his prisoner to the Jail, he
did not worry about the insecurity of
that structure.
Jim" quoth he to his prisoner, 81
hain't got no key, an can't lock you
up, but it's my duty to put you in
Jail, for if | don't somebody will ac-
cuse me of bein' bribed, besides it's
thunderin' cold, Jim. Tell you what
you do, Jim, if you git too cold, come
over to Samples, where I'll be, an
warm up"
Saying which he shut the door, and
the prisoner was metaphorically in the
clutches of the law.
Jim" found it rather cold, appar-
emily, for later on that evening he left
the precincts Of his prison, quite un-
concernedly, and started out to find
the sheriff and get warmed up.
The sheriff at that particular time
was enjoying a game of billiards at
Samples saloon, with the Judge of the
court, the clerk and about 20 promi-
nent citizens standing or sitting
around red-hot, big-belied stove,
watching the game. The sheriff had
massed the balls in corner of the ta-
BILE. and was about to make shot
when he felt his arm touched. Turn
ing instantly, he saw his prisoner with
an anxious look on his face.
We'll, JIM" said he, putting down
his cue, what is it?"
Nothing much," replied Jim,
Thought I'd come over and warm
up. But say, Bill, if you'd made that
shot you'd missed. Give me the cue
an Ill run the string out"
The others consenting, Jim took
the cue and not only run the game
out, but made string OF about n
hundred over. Everybody at that
quit the game and gathered about
the hot stove to discuss the man who
could handle cue in that fashion.
all agreeing that he ought to possess
some redeeming trait, although he
had just killed Bill Jackson. The
Judge. after ordering hot whiskies
for the crowd set the pace for Jim
TO tell all about it.
Thar amt much to tell, judge"
said Jim, "but don't allow it war
my fault. Bill jackson has allus had
il in fur me"
NO, it want about woman, con-
tinued Jim, deprecatingly, as the
county clerk made suggestion.
"Women are in good many things,
an they try to get into everything
but thar's some things they amt
into Bill jest hated me on general
principles. l allus seemed TO be git